FAQ
How Do I Join?
Do I have to have a partner to join the Ballroom Dance Club?
How much do I have to pay to join?
Do I have to compete?
What is the time commitment?
What do I wear to the instructor-led dance lessons?
What do I wear to practices?
Do I need special shoes to join the club?
Who teaches the lessons?
Where can I dance outside of the club?
How Do I Join?
Membership to our club is open to all students, faculty, and staff of the University of Virginia who have or are eligible to purchase a University ID Card. We recruit new members at the beginning of each semester. Membership dues include all the lessons that you want to attend, social dance opportunities, competition opportunities (fees for competitions sometimes are separate,) and social activities such as parties. We encourage you to attend one of the info sessions at the Fall/Winter Activities Fair. Much of the information that will be covered is found on our Lesson Info page, though if you have specific questions that are not answered on this site and cannot make any of the times above, please e-mail our Co-Presidents.
Do I have to have a partner to join the Ballroom Dance Club?
Absolutely not. Anyone can join the club. All students will switch partners frequently during lessons and practices. Students will be partnered during practices when they are preparing for upcoming competitions.
How much do I have to pay to join?
There are two weeks of trial lessons each semester. Dues of $90 are collected the third week of lessons to cover the costs of professional instructors and competitions. More information can be found at the lesson info page.
Do I have to compete?
No. Only students who are interested in competing do so. All of our members, however, are eligible and capable of competing with the steps that they will learn in the social, bronze, and silver classes, even after just a few weeks. Competitions and Dance Festivals are also a very fun way to see what other schools and dancers are doing (it is quite amazing,) to learn new steps, to improve your own dancing, and to spend quality time with your friends from the club. Students who wish to compete must attend practices in the weeks before the competition and new dancers will be assigned appropriate partners by the secretary.
What is the time commitment?
Minimum of 1 hour per week, but most people commit to 3-5 hours a week and love it. You can dance up to 10 or more hours a week.
What do I wear to the instructor-led dance lessons? What do I wear to practices?
Dancers should dress neatly for lessons on Tuesdays and Wednesdays: khakis and collared shirts for boys, skirts and blouses or neat tops for girls are preferred. The dress code is open for practices on Thursdays and Sundays. Generally, we dress on the sportier side. Basically, just dress comfortably. No rubber soled shoes or flip-flops, please.
Do I need special shoes to join the club?
No. While ballroom shoes are wonderful and ultimately a great purchase for an interested dancer, the more novice dancer might want to start with a good pair of leather-soled dress shoes (not shoes with black or rubber bottoms). Ballet slippers, jazz or character shoes are usually very good, as are a pair of thick athletic socks, since they will let you slide on the floor comfortably. Tennis shoes, flip flops, clogs, chunky heels, or rubber-soled shoes are inappropriate and unsafe to dance in since they stick to the floor or are just generally unwieldy. If you are unsure about your shoes, please keep a pair of socks in your bag…they are infinitely better than sneakers! You can get a pair of ballroom shoes at the Hip Joint at the Downtown Mall with a 10% discount. Here are some useful websites where you can buy shoes online:
Who teaches the lessons?
We hire professional instructors to teach our lessons. Practices are led by our team captains, and our officers and returning dancers are often on hand to be of help to beginning dancers.
Where can I dance outside of the club?
Here are links to web sites with dance opportunities in the Virginia area: