This fall, millions of people tuned in every Tuesday night to watch “Dancing With the Stars,” eagerly awaiting the elimination of the next celebrity and marveling at the beautiful ballroom dances. University students were no exception, with many coming together with friends to watch weekly. Beyond simply watching others on television, however, some students choose to showcase their own dancing talents through the University Ballroom Dance Club.
Founded in 2001, the University’s Ballroom Dance Club gives students of all ages and dancing abilities the opportunity to learn and compete in this unique art form. With around 25 members, each dancer varies in experience, some joining with past exposure to other forms of dance and some simply wanting to pick up a new hobby. Sriharsha Sambangi, the club’s vice president and second-year College student, initially joined with relatively little dance experience, only having danced when he was younger but with no knowledge of the ballroom style.
“I didn't have much dance experience,” Sambangi said. “When I was younger, I used to do Bollywood dancing, but not too much. It was years since I last danced, so I basically came as a fresh slate.”
Ava Luan, the club’s president and second-year College student, similarly joined without a ballroom repertoire. Luan’s mother did ballroom dance while in college, and her grandmother started at age 40, inspiring the current club president to get involved with the club on Grounds.
“I think the club is very beginner-friendly,” Luan said. “Because ballroom dance is such a niche activity, I don't think many people come in doing ballroom dance.”
In a non-traditional method of teaching students the skills necessary to dance, the club hires instructors to teach lessons. The club focuses on the four main styles of ballroom — standard, smooth, latin and rhythm. Three times a week, University alumni, graduate students and other dancers from the Charlottesville community teach classes for the club, helping students improve while also pursuing a hobby they can enjoy for themselves.
“One of our teachers … was an alumni from U.Va., he did ballroom [during] his time at U.Va. … and he fell in love with it as well, and now, he comes back and he teaches for us,” Sambangi said.
Throughout the academic year, the club holds various events for its members, such as formals and dances at Newcomb Ballroom, as well as social events at USA Dance — a ballroom organization in Charlottesville. Moreover, the club hosts the annual Rotunda Ball, an event where students can dance and learn combinations of ballroom in the Rotunda. These events foster a sense of community within the organization while also providing students the opportunity to explore their interest in ballroom.
Luan said that a large part of intra-club bonding happens during competitions. Two or three times each semester, the club competes against ballroom dance clubs from different universities. Luan said the club travels to the University of Maryland every fall to perform against schools like Cornell University, Columbia University, State University of New York at Binghamton University and Georgetown University. The club also attended George Washington University’s competition in Washington, D.C. this past fall, and has competed at Duke University in years past as well.
Dancers compete at different levels, with groups being separated into categories based on skill and experience — newcomers, bronze, silver, gold and open. Open is the highest level, comprised of the subcategories amateur, pre-champ, champ and pro. Luan said that members of the club represent all levels, oftentimes reaching silver or gold by graduation.
Competitors are able to choose which style of ballroom they wish to perform, sometimes coming in with a known partner from their team or being assigned a partner at the competition. Sambangi said that these competitions are a great way for members to gain additional dance experience, aside from attending lessons and rehearsals.
“We go to a lot of newcomer-friendly competitions,” Sambangi said. “People who are interested in competitions but don't really have as much experience are able to go, practice and see what it feels like.”
Some club members continue their involvement with ballroom post-graduation, such as Jenny Zhang, former club president and Class of 2024 alumna. Reflecting on her time with the club, Zhang acknowledged the challenges that emerged after the COVID-19 pandemic, given ballroom’s social nature and heavy reliance on a partner. Serving as president in the year following the pandemic, Zhang helped build the club back up once students returned to Grounds. While the club still has fewer members than they did prior to the pandemic, Zhang said that the tight-knit community provides a space for dancers to feel comfortable expressing themselves. Today, Zhang works for U.Va. Health and remains a club member.
“I like how creative you can be with ballroom,” Zhang said. “The club currently has a very good atmosphere … [and] people tolerate your goofiness, and … weird creativity.”
From their involvement in the club, members have not only been able to flourish socially, but as dancers as well. Luan has continued her ballroom dancing during the summers, participating in competitions in New York City.
“I think [ballroom] is a really cool skill to have,” Luan said. “[Ballroom is] almost like improv, but there are steps that you know, and it definitely gives you more freedom to also express yourself.”
The University’s Ballroom Dance Club presents members with a network of connections in the larger ballroom community, providing a nurturing, supportive environment where dancers are able to advance their skills and participate in a creative, enjoyable activity.
“If you want to learn, if you want to meet new people … if you're introverted, but you still want to talk to people [or] if you're extroverted and just want to talk to people, it's a great way … of building that connection with others,” Zhang said.
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