Ballroom Dance club at Oakland University is one of the few club sports that is recreational and one of fewer to have two teams supporting the club. “We have both social and competitive classes” says Ria Perez, Ballroom’s President.
The recreational or “social” class is for participants who simply want to learn the various dances that they learn and perform, while the competitive class practices and travels to showcases to compete.
The team as a whole is highly active in Oakland University’s community. Perez explains, “so far this school year, we’ve taught lessons at the Yule Ball (held by the Quidditch Team) and the Meadow Brook Ball “, Perez continues, “we also performed at a showcase called Dancing Across Borders (held by the Jewish Students Association)”.
The competitive team does more than stay active on campus, they travel to compete throughout Michigan. Recently they went to Michigan State for the Green and White Gala which “was the first ballroom dance competition held by MSU”, Perez explains, “teams from colleges throughout the Midwest were in attendance”.
Soon they’ll be in Ann Arbor for the Michcomp, “one of the biggest collegiate ballroom competitions in the country, held annually since 2000”, Parez tells us, “teams from across the nation will be battling each other on the dance floor”.
Perez goes on to explain for us how to join the Ballroom Dance Club:
- We currently practice at 9:15 pm on Mondays at the Rec Center and 9:15 pm on Wednesdays at Elegance in Motion Studio.
- Only requirement is dues (currently $70 for the semester), which go towards paying our instructors.
- A member of the ballroom dance club gets a taste of many beautiful cultures/eras and get a light workout while at it.
I have quite a few girls who are in need of dance partners, so guys, don’t be shy about joining us. But more importantly, we are passionate about what we do, have a ton of fun, and welcome anyone interested to be part of our dance family!
Oakland University Recreation and Well-Being 