The idea of ballroom dance can be daunting, but it does not hurt to try it with the Ballroom Dance Club. “If you like it at all, it’s an excellent way to exercise, be social, and be creative all in one motion,” said Ben Collins, president.
The Ballroom Dance Club at Mines offers free lessons to students every week including blues, tango, waltz, and swing. The club has existed at the school for at least 15 to 20 years in many forms, from Salsa club to tango club to blues club, but Collins prefers to keep it as a general ballroom dance club. This way, students can pick and choose either a single dance they want to learn or many types of dances. “Our purpose is to inspire dancing in the students here at Mines,” Collins said.
Lessons are taught by professional instructors at no cost, making them easily accessible to all, especially poor college students. After a short warm up exercise, students first learn the basics of dancing. Then it is time to pair up. Do not worry about bringing a partner to class. By rotating frequently, everyone gets the chance to dance with somebody else.
After attending a few lessons, consider joining the Slide Rulers, the club’s competitive swing dance team. The Slide Rulers will participate in the Intercollegiate Swing Battle this upcoming March where college students from all over Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona will compete. For something non-competitive, but still fun, consider going out social dancing with the club. Many places in Boulder and Denver have nights for tango, Salsa, or blues dancing. It is a great way to practice new moves in a pressure-free, social environment.
For those who are even slightly interested in learning how to dance, “Definitely show up for the first time,” Collins encourages. “You can’t do any harm.” Many students who come out to dance are new to the scene. “I’d never danced a day in my life,” Tyler Orr remarked, yet he decided to try it out after seeing their booth at the Celebration of Mines last semester. He is looking forward to dancing more this spring. “The teachers are good. They have a really easy to learn curriculum, and there’s plenty of time for free dance.” And like Orr, Karen Moxcey had never danced much before and said, “It’s just a lot of fun, and you get to meet a lot of new people.” Holly Wood agreed, “The atmosphere is great and it promotes learning and it’s comfortable.”
Overall, there is no reason to be hesitant about coming to a dance lesson. It is free, it is fun, and it is easy to learn. By trying it just once, you may end up loving it and finding a new passion or simply picking up an impressive skill.
This semester, dance lessons are held on Wednesday and Thursday nights. For more information, email minesballroom@gmail.com. Remember, no partner or membership needed!
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