Male dancers prefer salsa, women go for ballet

Salsa is the most popular dance form among male dancers followed by Latin American and ballroom dancing, according to the National Statistics Office.

Women, on the other hand, mainly opt for classical ballet followed by jazz and modern dance.

A survey among 41 dance schools indicated there were 4,305 students attending dance classes in the academic year ending 2010. The vast majority of students, 86 per cent, were female and under the age of 18. In the case of men, the majority were over 18.

Dance schools spent €930,765 in recurrent expenditure, 47 per cent of which consisted of labour costs. Most staff members, 42 per cent, were part-timers.

The schools had a total income of just over €1 million (about €28,000 each), 84 per cent of which was attributed to tuition fees.