Care to Dance?
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By Dave Pond, Web Communication
No partner? No experience? No problem!
That’s the mindset behind Dancing With Wolves, a social ballroom dance club that offers the ever-increasing number of TV-dance-show aficionados a chance to hit the hardwood right here on campus and tango, foxtrot or meringue their way into an exciting new hobby of their own.
“I’ve been to four competitions, and I’ve just been addicted to it,” said Nieta DeYoung, a member of Dancing With Wolves’ competitive team, a club sport at NC State. “I love it. I went to a competition last week and just had a blast – my partner and I won almost every event that we danced in.
“It was absolutely amazing.”
Free lessons are offered weekly on Wednesday nights in the Talley Student Center Ballroom and are open to NC State students, faculty and staff as well as members of the general public. Again, neither experience nor a partner is required to participate, but since you’ll be dancing in close proximity with a partner during lessons, the use of antiperspirant or deodorant is highly encouraged, Dancing With Wolves president Askel Davis said with a laugh.
“These beginner lessons teach people what they need to know in order to dance socially at parties, weddings, formals, and other events,” he said. “We teach the basic steps of several dances, how to lead and follow, and even some advanced figures.”
The sport can be addictive, so new students and staff members who want to go beyond what’s offered in DWW’s social dance classes are welcome to join the group’s club sport program.
Team members practice weekly and traveled to more than a half-dozen competitions along the East Coast over the last academic year, racking up a number of medals and top honors.
“Once you join the team, you’d be placed in our newcomers program for a semester where you will learn the basic dances from experienced veteran club members,” Davis said. “By the end of the semester, you’ll be invited to join our bronze team and take lessons with Wayne and Mary Crowder, professional coaches that help our team.”
Whether you’re interested in just picking up a few new moves or dancing at the highest level, all aspiring dancers should be prepared to work their brains and bodies. According to the Einstein Aging Study, ballroom dance helps to prevent dementia, and competitive dancing at the higher levels has been shown to be as physically demanding as basketball, squash, and cross-country running.
