The sound of shoes tapping in Room A can be heard around the South Rec Gym as the University of Arizona Ballroom Dancing club practices.
The club is made up of about 20 people, some 60% of whom are students. The rest are community members and UA graduates who come to campus to dance.
“We try to make our club accessible to the public because ballrooms pretty expensive,” said Isabelle Rosas, club secretary.
Isabelle’s sister, Victoria Rosas is the club’s treasurer and president-elect. She said community is key for the group, adding that it’s a non-judgmental and supportive club.
“I really like being a part of a team within a team of an e-board and getting close to the community,” she said.
Jonathan Alexander said the best part of the club is learning new dances and meeting new people. Hewill take on the role of treasurer next year.
The club holds practice on Monday and Wednesdays from 7-9 p.m. and an open practice for an hour every Sunday.
Professional coaches come on Monday, and Wednesday’s practice is led by experienced members who review what they learned earlier in the week.
Taylor Bielich is the club’s head coach and Athena Simmons is the assistant coach. Bielich, a professional ballroom dancer, does most of the teaching. Simmons, who has been with the club for over 10 years and has extensive experience in all type of dance not just ballroom.
The COVID-19 Pandemic was not kind to the club, which has slowly rebuilt since.
“The club pre-Covid was phenomenal. They had immensely skilled dances by the score, and I joined the club in the post-Covid slump when numbers were getting back up,” Alexander said.
Now, pre-Covid members are the ones teaching newcomers, Victoria Rosas said.
In addition to practices, the club aims to participate in four competitions each year.
In the fall, the club competes in Solar Flare, hosted by Arizona State University, the Fall Festival in Phoenix and Scarlets Signature in Las Vegas.
In the spring, club members compete at University of San Diego and sometimes in Las Vegas. Scarlets Signature, Solar Flare and UCSD are the most popular events and are sponsored by supporters who cover the travel expenses.
The Ballroom Dance Club competes in four different styles of dance – International Standard, International Latin, American Smooth and American Rhythm – and at multiple levels in each. All four styles have stylistic differences despite some sharing certain dances. International Standard style requires a closed frame, meaning partners never let go of each other whereas in American Smooth partners can let go of each other momentarily. Ballroom competitions operate using a bracket system, with the winning team advancing to the next round.
The club is currently wrapping up its semester with its final practice this week and are beginning to prepare for the fall.
“What we’re looking to do next semester is emphasize technique,” Victoria Rosas said.
To contact the UA Ballroom email: [email protected]
Arizona Sonoran News is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism.
