By Erika Kuehl | Staff Writer
The Ballroom Dance Society is a hidden gem on Baylor’s campus. Filled with waltz, swing, foxtrot, cha-cha and salsa lessons, it features a variety of styles for anyone who wants to learn the art of ballroom dance. The group meets at 7 p.m. every Friday in the Bill Daniel Student Center.
McKinney junior and Ballroom Dance Society president Katherine Beall has been a member of the group since her freshman year. She said most people have little dance experience and come with friends.
“We’ll usually get a couple people who have dance experience but not actually ballroom experience, so they want to learn new things,” Beall said. “And there’s a lot of people who just grew up liking ballroom dancing and always wanted the opportunity to learn, and this is the first chance to do that.”
Beall said her interest in ballroom dance started in her childhood with her love for musicals, but she never had the opportunity to try it until she came to Baylor.
“I was hooked right once I started,” Beall said. “It was really interesting to me how every week it would be a new, different dance, so you wouldn’t get behind if you were to miss a day.”
Beall said she met many of her friends in the group because of common interests.
“A lot of people come in groups or people come on dates, and we’ve tried to focus a lot on having a social experience and just getting to know other people because we’ll rotate partners throughout,” Beall said.
Beall said shifting from a member to the president was difficult at first because she had to figure out how to cater to different people’s learning styles.
“I really liked being able to teach people all the dances and learning like, ‘OK, everyone learns differently, so do I need to reword this or do it differently just to make it click?’” Beall said. “But it’s a very rewarding moment when people finally get it and then you can see them doing the dance successfully.”
Bellaire sophomore Frederika Luk teaches the lead side of the dance and said each lesson experience is unique.
“We don’t really have an expert in every single one,” Luk said. “So it would be nice if there’s someone who knows a little bit more about something and could contribute.”
Luk said the Ballroom Dance Society has a place for everyone and taught her to look at dance from a learner’s perspective.
“Ballroom Dance Society is important because there’s something for everyone, and so you can join as someone who’s really experienced or knows nothing at all about ballroom dance,” Luk said. “If you’re just trying to pick up a new skill, it’s a nice place to do that where there’s not much judgment. But also, if you have more experience, then it’s kind of an opportunity for you to step up and take a leadership position.”
