On Monday night, guest writers Lorelei Gorton, Jaci Walker, and Anna Welsh attended Columbia University Ballroom’s first lesson and dance showcase.

When life gives you the opportunity to attend a ballroom dancing showcase—even if it is at 10 pm on a Monday—you take it. You can sleep when you’re dead. After hearing about the amazing club that Columbia University Ballroom is, the three of us, experiences ranging from a lifelong dancer to an absolute amateur, attended CU Ballroom’s first lesson and dance showcase. Here, we relate our individual experiences at the club meeting. 

Anna 

My dance experience includes a single ballet class when I was five (that I dashed out of), an obscene amount of Dance Moms binges, and learning The Renegade in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic. I spoke with my mom, a trained ballet dancer, on the phone as I trekked from my residence hall to Lerner and explained that at CU Ballroom’s first meeting, I was expecting to witness and perhaps participate in a slow, Pride and Prejudice dance scene-type of waltz. She burst out laughing, “Oh honey, haven’t you watched Dancing With the Stars?” 

I arrived horrendously underdressed, athleisure head to toe, likely giving the impression that I was expecting some sort of overpriced workout class rather than some cha-cha. Lorelei, Jaci, and I timidly parked ourselves in the corner of the room while the members of CU Ballroom warmed up, gracefully treading and spinning across Lerner Hall’s wood floors. I was slightly jaded from a long day, caffeine barely lifting the droop in my eyelids. The moment the first dancers began, however, my eyes widened. Ballroom dancing, it seems, may be nature’s caffeine. 

The precision and energy delivered by the dancers throughout the showcase were astounding. I was impressed by the supportive nature of the community—after each (presumably) difficult or artistic move, the club attendees cheered in admiration. There was no pressure in the room, only a strong communal feeling. One club member shouted that the environment was “fun, not at all serious.” The highlights of the showcase, for me, were a dance to a jazzy cover of “Call Me Maybe” and the final dance, in which the “follower” was wearing a stunning yellow dress that they had sewn themselves. 

The second portion of the meeting consisted of a class in a basic ballroom dance step combination. I chose to “follow,” meaning that I was led by another person. The members of the club made clear that the “follower” is not a gendered role, but they are typically shorter. I warned each partner that I was not good at this. I stepped on multiple sets of feet, tripped a few times, and struggled to keep my back straight and my eyes forward. After a blustering explanation that I might be the stiffest person I have ever met, and that I actually had failed my driver’s test in high school by mixing up my left and right, a partner offered a different, far easier step. From there, I was able to find the beat and gain some confidence. 

Every partner I had was much more talented than I was, but they were also perfectly content to work at my remedial pace. Even though I felt slightly intimidated, I never felt embarrassed or uncomfortable. Ballroom dancing club was a refreshing experience in stepping outside of my comfort zone. I would recommend this to everyone who doesn’t mind a little socializing and a late bedtime. 

Lorelei

It was 9:45 pm, and I was still staring at myself in the mirror of my dorm room. Should I be practicing something right now? Also, is this (flared corduroy pants, a random shirt, and my classic Converses) what I’m supposed to be wearing? I’ve been dancing ballet since I was two, which is part of why I volunteered to attend a dance club.

But as I prepared to take my first real ballroom class—excluding a fifth-grade PE unit on cha-cha—I felt strikingly unprepared. A blend of nervous energy and excitement carried me to Lerner 555 in a record three minutes, giving me plenty of time to meet my fellow writers, observe the crowd of people shuffling into the room, and, in a nervous habit, crack every bone in my body.

Luckily, the meeting began with a demonstration; wonderfully talented members of CU Ballroom swept across the floor in the long, lustrous slides of an American waltz, spinning and twirling like something out of an old Disney movie or Bridgerton. Other styles, like international Latin, featured footwork so breathtakingly sharp I had trouble taking notes; I didn’t want to look away from the action in front of me. I wondered if the experienced ballroom dancers in the room were busy analyzing the technique, or if there was a universal wonder, no matter your skill level or familiarity with the movement, that accompanied witnessing such a stunning performance of storytelling.

The dance lesson was, surprisingly, not nearly as unfamiliar as I’d feared. The steps were well taught, with lots of repetition and an emphasis on the basics—literally, since we started with the “basic” cha-cha step—but we still got to add flair and variety with fun arms and turns. We were constantly switching partners, which, far from being awkward, was exciting; I met so many people, lots of them new to ballroom but all eager to learn and dance together. 

I will say my dance background helped me a lot in picking up the counts and the patterns of the footwork, which made me seem much more confident than I felt. One of my partners, clearly much more experienced than me, asked if I did ballroom, and I was flattered. However, I would absolutely say there’s no dance experience required. Just show up with energy and an open mind, and enjoy yourself! 

Jaci

“Oh don’t worry, I’m not actually dancing, I’m just writing about it!” I said, one hour away from dancing with CU Ballroom.

When I got the opportunity to write about ballroom dancing, I was ecstatic because of the fact that I knew nothing. As a child, I was the epitome of a quitter; ballet and musical theater dance are only two of many activities that I quit and never looked back on simply because I sucked. You can imagine my horror when, at the CU Ballroom meeting, I heard the words “partner up!”

Before my “oh shit” moment of realizing I had to dance occurred, I got to witness the most beautiful dance showcase. The atmosphere was extremely welcoming — so much so that I felt comfortable to clap, cheer, and gasp along with the rest of the club. 

This is the point at which I was ripped out of my comfort zone. As a self-proclaimed anxious mess, I was sweating bullets as we were organized into either the “leader” or “follower” line. Naturally, I chose follower and was promptly taught a series of simple steps; the steps we were taught included “the basic” footwork, “the New Yorker” which was a turn with a dramatic hand flair, and a spin. Finally, it was time to partner up and start dancing. 

For the next hour, everyone switched partners around a dozen times to practice the dance combinations. Over this hour, I was paired up with both professional dancers who made me feel like Maddie Ziegler and people who were just as in the dark as me. (These usually ended up in lots of stepped-on shoes and even more laughs.).

When I returned to my dorm room at midnight, I was absolutely exhausted and also absolutely thrilled. I immediately told my roommate about the adventure I just had, and I guarantee she was so jealous. I left this experience with a newfound appreciation for ballroom dancers. Although it is a more niche extracurricular, I promise that there is no other club on campus with more passion, energy, confidence, and a welcoming nature than CU Ballroom!

After our adventures in Lerner 555, I think all three of us can agree that CU Ballroom provided us with an unforgettable dancing experience. CU Ballroom offers lessons with professional coaches on Mondays and Tuesdays from 10 pm to 12 am, as well as practices on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays that members can participate in as they wish. If members want to get more serious about their dancing career, CU Ballroom sponsors a mentorship program. Further, competitions are optional, but members are given the opportunity to travel and compete along the East Coast free of charge. CU Ballroom also organizes the annual Big Apple Dancesport Competition, which draws over 500 dancers from across the country annually. Best of all, participation in CU Ballroom can also earn members a PE credit (shout out to the Core!).

If you want to stay in the loop, follow CU Ballroom’s Instagram @cuballroom and their competition Instagram @badc.columbia for all of your ballroom needs!

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