What sport requires no balls, bats or racquets, has no time or score limit and is nothing short of romantic?

Ballroom dancing, of course.

Ron and Rebecca Kellen, who have been dancing full-time for 12 years, participating in competitions and teaching others to dance; say, "it uses the same muscles as golf, tennis, softball and many other sports, including the most important, the brain."

The Olympic Committee agrees. It recently designated ballroom ,dance as a "DanceSport" for the Olympics in Australia where 500 ballroom dance couples from the International DanceSport Federation will ultimately participate in closing ceremonies.

The Kellens are the driving force behind the 41-member Mile High Ballroom Dance Club that swirls and swings every Friday at the Adult Center of Prescott, 335 E. Aubrey St.

"It's not a senior citizens' center, either," Ron emphasized. "We have people from 25 to 80 come, and we're not diddling around out there, we doing good stuff."

For National Ballroom Dance Week, this Friday, September 15th through Sunday, September. 24th , the club is offering a free evening of ballroom dancing to anyone who wants to come to the Adult Center from 8 to 10:30 p.m. Friday, September. 22nd.

The Kellens teach and dance American Style Ballroom Dance, "a social style - like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers," Ron said. The style includes smooth and Latin dances, such as the, Bolero', Cha-Cha, Swing, Foxtrot., Quickstep, Rumba, Samba, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Waltz, and Ballroom Two Step.

They also publish a monthly ballroom dance newsletter.

"Our intent is to try to educate people on what ballroom dance is,' Rebecca said.

"Which is all about feeling; about body awareness," Ron adds. "It's about being one with your partner - becoming a four-legged animal. Some people dance all their lives and never get that feeling."

The Kellens began dancing after going to formal dinner dances each year put on by their employer, IBM, where Rebecca was an Administrative Service Assistant and Ron a Software Manager/Planner.

After sitting around in tuxes and not knowing how to dance every year, Ron proposed dancing lessons to Rebecca. "It is every woman's dream to hear, 'let's take ballroom dance classes,"' Rebecca recalled.

So they did, for several years before entering their first of many competitions in 1991.

When IBM down-sized in 1992, the Kellens took early retirement and then moved to Prescott from San Jose, California in 1997.

Now dancing is a preoccupation for them.

"It's addictive,' Rebecca admitted, 'We may have to start working to support our dance habit."

The Kellens aren't shy about encouraging people to come out and learn to dance.

"Every man, whether he admits it or not, wants to dance,' Ron said.

"It brings people out of their shells," Rebecca added, relating the story of a man so shy he said, "No, I can't touch a woman," but within a year was asking every woman in the room to dance. "It changed his life," she said.

Men like dancing for another reason, too. "It's safe and there's no commitment - just three minutes on the dance floor," Ron joked.

The Kellens believe ballroom dancing is for everybody. "There is no wrong in dancing, only better. As long as nobody gets hurt and you have fun, that's the whole goal," they say.

It's never too late to learn, either, Rebecca added, citing a 79-year-old man who is learning to dance and another student who dances with a double hip replacement.

Ballroom dancing is not an impact sport, its' something that is good for you and you can do your whole life," Rebecca said.

The Kellens don't plan on staying off the dance floor anytime soon.

"We'll be dancing as long as we can. We'll be 90 and still teaching," she said. "It's not what we do, it's who we are."

For more information on ballroom dance lessons or the Mile High Ballroom Dance Club, call (928) 775-0512, or see their website home.att.net/~kellens.