You could be forgiven for thinking you're seeing double when Mathew Nicholson and Steve Greenwood do the cha-cha.
They're rehearsing for next week's Open Worlds ballroom championship in Blackpool, on England's north-west coast.
With same-sex pairings becoming more common, the competition has this year introduced categories for couples of two men and two women.
Trans and non-binary dancers are permitted to enter whichever of those categories they feel most comfortable performing in.
"So far in ballroom dancing, the story has been heterosexual male with heterosexual female partner, and sort of performing that relationship," Mr Greenwood said.
"Actually in society, there are so many varieties of relationships."
The pair has only performed together once in public, making their debut at a Sydney WorldPride event.
To practice in the same room they must travel across the country because Mr Nicholson lives in Sydney and Mr Greenwood lives in Perth.
"Logistically this has been crazy," Mr Nicholson said.
Same-sex dance partnerships are still rare, but visibility is increasing.
In 2019, Courtney Act and Joshua Keefe became the first same-sex dance couple to perform live on Australian television when they competed in Dancing With The Stars.
Mr Nicholson and Mr Greenwood hope to put a twist on the ballroom genre.
"Typically, one partner would pick up a leading role and the other partner would pick up the following role," Mr Greenwood said.
"But with Matthew and I, we're trying to have that a little bit more flexible and switching leader and follower while we dance."
Both men work as dance teachers and say the leader and follower roles should be more flexible — even among female-male pairings.
"When I have to tell a little girl that, 'well, he's going to lead now', I feel that that's so wrong," Mr Greenwood said.
"Females don't just want to follow."
The Open Worlds will be held at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom, which Mr Nicholson said is the "Wimbledon of ballroom dancing".
The tower was built in the late 19th century, and according to its website, once had a rule that "gentlemen may not dance unless with a lady".
"Ballroom dancing is quite a nostalgic thing that's come from the past and it was about chivalry and gentleman and ladies," Mr Greenwood said.
"It's just so built into the styles.
"I do think it's got to shift. As society's moving, ballroom dancing is getting a little left behind."
