It’s Saturday night in Madison and some students are getting pumped up for an intense night of … ballroom dancing? That’s right – the University of Wisconsin Madison Ballroom Dance Association holds a social dance open to all UW students and UWMBDA members every weekend.
Those who have never learned a dance with actual steps and specific moves shouldn’t worry. Not only does UWMBDA host dances every weekend (either Friday or Saturday night), they also teach various types of ballroom dances in their bi-weekly lessons. Lessons are held Thursday nights at Memorial Union and immediately before the weekend dances with separate classes for intermediate and beginning ballroom dancers. These lessons are a chance to learn from professional teachers from studios all around Madison.
Before the dance each week, the lesson focuses on one specific type of dance. Last Saturday was the waltz. This upcoming Friday is the rumba. Other lessons this semester will include the hustle, salsa, tango, and the charleston.
Whether attendees are completely new to dancing or have been dancing for years, UWMBDA’s social dances are a way to explore the art of ballroom dancing in an informal and relaxed setting.
“We are open to individuals of any skill level. The dances are really low-pressure events in which you can earn a great life skill and have a lot of fun doing it.” said Amelia Van Handel, president of the UW Madison Ballroom Dance Association.
These dances are not associated with the Madison ballroom dance teams. However, it’s not unusual for many members of Madtown Ballroom and the Badger Ballroom Dance team attend, so there is rarely a shortage of talented dance partners. The dances include music for all dance styles, not just the style taught in the lesson beforehand. Many of the experienced dancers are more than willing to demonstrate how to do basic dance steps for any dance for those that do not know how.
A happy surprise for such a consistently solid event is the low price of the dances. For non-members, the dance costs five dollars and it’s just two dollars for members. Membership for a semester is just fifteen dollars – considerably cheaper than the membership for many campus organizations and clubs. With that due paid, members can attend all of the pre-dance lessons for free and all of the Thursday lessons for two dollars. In addition, they receive a free t-shirt, bag or shoe brush.
One of the only downsides to these weekend dances is that very few students know that they exist. Personally, I learned about the social dances through a ballroom dance class at the university, but I did not know about these dances at all my freshman year. However, in my experience, the number of students attending these socials has continued to increase as the years go by.
At the events, most people tend to dress semi-formally – dresses for girls and nice shirts and pants for the guys. However, it is not uncommon for people to wear jeans. The dances do include food such as cookies and fruit; yet another incentive for the shy or uninitiated. Plus, a relaxed atmosphere makes it incredibly easy to meet new people and to dance off the stresses of the school week.
If that sounds like your idea of a good time, all that’s left is to put on your dancing shoes – the program continues this Friday at Gordon Commons.
For more information check out UWMBDA’s website, UWMBDA.org. The intermediate lessons are intended for people with at least one year of dancing experience and half a year of experience in that particular dance.
