After long hours spent in classes, doing homework and working jobs, 15 University of Idaho students meet to practice their passion.
The UI Ballroom Dance Company officially practices every Tuesday and Thursday from 7:30 to 10 p.m., but they often meet Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays as well, said Brenda Morgan, director and coach of the team.
“They have put in a lot of their personal time and their personal money in order to create this team, making sure that they practice and know their routine to put on a great show,” Morgan said.
The team’s next show will be 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Pullman High School. Tickets will be sold online and at the door — $8 with a student ID, $10 for general admission. The show will run for roughly an hour and a half with a 15-minute intermission.
The theme of the upcoming show is “a night at the movies,” meaning all of the music will be from movies, but there will be a variety of different dances, both Latin and standard, such as the waltz, foxtrot, cha-cha and salsa.
The show will include movie clips between each dance number, so the audience can see a dance to a song they may recognize, Morgan said.
“Putting those two things together adds another dynamic to the show,” she said.
Morgan said in the past the shows haven’t necessarily had themes, but to make time for costume changes they often include voiceovers discussing the history of each style of dance.
The student-run and student-funded team has choreographed three other shows this semester and will travel to Hawaii for a week-long dancing tour beginning May 14.
While in Hawaii, the team will perform at a variety of places, such as elementary schools, senior centers and public parks, Morgan said.
In the past, the team has gone to places like Disneyland and Las Vegas, Nevada.
Morgan said the tour is funded by the majority of ticket sales from shows throughout the year, and funding for other performances comes mainly from sponsorships, a team fee and students’ individual fundraising.
Madi Fisher, a sophomore at UI and current president of the ballroom dance team, has been a member of the team since spring 2017.
Fisher said she danced competitively when she was younger, but focused on sports throughout high school. She said she has really enjoyed coming back to ballroom dancing as a college student.
“I love performing, and I think getting in the costumes and just being part of a team and having that family here on campus is really awesome.”
As president of the team, Fisher handles public relations, runs the social media and promotes the team. Fisher said her favorite thing about being president is becoming a leader, work with everyone and bragging about (her) team.
Fisher said many people may view ballroom dance as another thing to worry about on top of school, but she and her teammates don’t see it that way.
“A lot of us aren’t dance majors,” Fisher said. “We just do this because we enjoy it, we love it. We are all here because we want to be here. It’s more of a release of energy and time to relax and have fun and do something we love, than it is like an obligation and a stressor.”
Fisher, a pre-nursing major, said the team is made up of people from many different areas of study, including architecture, agriculture and physics. She said she enjoys seeing people from the different communities on campus come together as one.
Fisher said the team provides an opportunity for those who aren’t majoring in dance but really enjoy dance to do something they love on campus.
No experience is necessary to audition for the team. Morgan said some members have never really danced before, others have a little experience and some have been dancing their whole lives.
The team holds auditions twice throughout the year, in August and February, and the number of couples typically fluctuates between 10 and 12. Morgan said they like to see students come back, but they need more men to audition.
UI’s ballroom dance company originally began as a social dance group, but it is now a for-credit course offered by the university, among other dance classes, Morgan said.
Morgan has been coaching ballroom dance since 2007, but has only been UI’s coach for one semester after dancing on the team for a semester before.
She said she grew up in Utah where every high school had a ballroom team, but up here it’s not very prevalent. However, because the team performs at schools in the area, she is now seeing more curiosity about ballroom dance among kids.
“It’s nice to be able to introduce a different art form up on the Palouse and down in the valley,” Morgan said.
She said she loves getting to know the personalities of the dancers, what their majors are and what they’re passionate about, but most importantly creating a “ballroom family.”
“We help each other out and we’ve got each other’s backs,” Morgan said. “Once you’re on ballroom team, that family is always there.”
Jordan Willson can be reached at [email protected]