Dancing the barflies away: Fridays with a UO Dance Club

Eighty pairs of toes suffer for the sake of meeting new people through dance.

One-two, cha-cha-cha, slide-step cha-cha-cha, toes-crushed, ouch-ouch-ouch. This is the rhythm of my first ballroom dance experience.

The Club sponsors intermediate and beginning dance lessons open to the campus and Eugene communities from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. every Friday night of the school year. These sessions are followed by an open dance from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. Students pay $4 to get in, and non-students pay $5.

On Feb. 21, I danced the Rumba - sort of - and learned how to Cha-Cha. Turnout for the event was larger than I expected. Although the dance class met in a large studio, the 78 student dancers continually cha cha-ed into one another.

"Tonight is actually kind of slow," says instructor Corrie Cowart, who is a GTF in the University's Dance Department. "I usually see over a hundred people here."

Graduate Teaching Fellows, or GTFs as they are known on campus, teach dances classes to undergraduates. These student teachers in the University's Dance Department take turns instructing the Friday dance classes throughout the term.

Each Friday night lesson features two different dances. February 2003 nights at the beginner level featured several combinations of the Salsa, Meringue, Foxtrot, Cha, Rumba, Waltz and Swing. The same month's intermediate lessons are taught one dance at a time with some lessons extending into the next week. The dances taught throughout February at the intermediate level were the Foxtrot, Night Club 2 Step and the Cha Cha. Intermediate lessons are reserved for dancers with more experience,

Although many people came to the Cha Cha and Rumba lesson, a quick survey of the dancers in the beginning lesson showed that the majority of the people did not know a soul in the room before coming to the lesson. I am included in the "did not know a soul" group.

Cowart calls for a partner switch after completing the first Rumba lesson. I have made friends with my current dance partner, and I do not intend to leave my partner. The instructor circles up the group.

Newcomers are often as apprehensive as I was about meeting and dancing with new people. To make sure people meet other people, she forces everyone to switch partners every time she teaches a new move. If any couple pairs for more than three techniques, she looks directly at them and separates them into new pairings. Cowart was also sure to include everyone in the room during the Friday lesson our class attended.

"Okay, leads make an outside circle; followers make an inside circle," says Cowart. "Now, followers walk down two places to a new partner."

I figure in a class of almost 100 people, she won't ever notice me with my comfy partner and make me move. I figure I'll just not switch.

"You," she makes eye contact with me.

I'm found out.

"You," she says to me again and smiles, "Switch partners, there is someone open across the room."

Damn.

"Ballroom dance is a great way to meet people," said Cowart. "I see a lot of people come here alone and leave in friendships and even relationships," Cowart said. The environment at the Ballroom Dance Club's events make many campus populations feel welcome.

According to their respective campus political leaders, sexual- and gender-identity minorities feel extremely welcome in the Friday ballroom dance classes.

"We are going to have a gay night with the Ballroom dance people," said Austin Shaw-Phillips, director of the University's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer Alliance. Shaw-Phillips said that he is happy to endorse the club.

While teaching the parts of the dances, Cowart must separate the class into two groups. One group consists of people who will lead during the dance, and the second consists of people who will follow. Cowart took care to distinguish these two groups by calling them "leaders" and "followers," even though males dominated the majority of the leader group and females dominated the follower group.

"I just think it is so progressive and inclusive of the instructor to not divide the room by gender," Shaw-Philips said. He identifies himself as someone who is transgender since he is biologically a female but lives his life as a male.

"As someone who identifies as transgender, I am made to feel extremely uncomfortable in class when we are forced to divide into boys and girls," Shaw-Phillips said.

Identity politics aside, Shaw-Phillips is pleased to find another Friday activity to attend. As a campus leader, Shaw-Phillips also is happy to see an event that is alcohol-free.

"There's just not enough things to do in Eugene for people under 21 and for people who do not want to go to the bars who are over 21," he said.

The Oregon Ballroom Dance Club's event is alcohol-free. Campus policy in University Scheduling dictates that any student-group sponsored event scheduled on campus can not involve alcohol. The College of Arts and Sciences home page says that the typical UO student does not "use alcohol on a weekly basis." However, a student in the thick of University life may find the mystique of alcohol-related events to be more appealing than alcohol-free events.

Dancing is an alternative to going out to the bars. Sophomores Aaron Renner and Erin Gerecke, regulars at the Ballroom Dance Club's post-lesson dances, said they love to dance together. They're also enrolled in Tango lessons for credit.

"We recommend the tango to everyone we know," Gerecke said. "Even though we aren't very good yet."

In addition to the lessons, the Oregon Ballroom Dance Club is a campus organization with many opportunities to get involved. Members of the Club can gain free admission to Friday night dances and lessons, discounts to classes and workshops and admission to Club parties.

You too can try your luck at ballroom dance using the graphic on this page. I have included a vingette of the Cha-Cha moves I learned at my lesson on Feb. 21. For tonight, however, my ballroom dance experience has ended. My feet can go home and rest.