Volunteer Report

The Changing Face of Sheer Dance

Sheer Dance started as a very humble publication with just a couple of volunteers and the goal of providing a forum for ballroom discourse. As our readership has grown, so has our volunteer base. We couldn't be more thrilled!

A couple months ago, Chelsea Visser joined the team as our new Proof Editor. She is the last set of eyes, responsible for ensuring everything is as it should be after the content has been edited and laid out but before it is sent to print. Chelsea is a journalism student at the University of Minnesota and is doing her volunteering this summer from her home in Illinois.

Alexzandra Enger, another student at the University of Minnesota, is our new Acquisitions Editor. An avid gamer and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos enthusiast, Alex is spending a good deal of time this summer babysitting the four young children of local dance pros Kate and Gordon Bratt. Beyond ensuring that Sheer Dance has ample quality content, Alexzandra plans to make sure our writers have the tools and resources they need to succeed (and finish their articles in a timely fashion).

Hannah Alyea will be our new Advertising Editor. Her task will be to find vendors and products that will best serve our readership. Hannah’s various passions for The Legend of Zelda, bursting into song, and moonlighting as a Disney princess make her a constant source of useful observations, and her interest in people makes her very easy to become fast friends with.

Now a University of Minnesota alumnus, Patrick Severin has joined the Sheer Dance team as Events Editor. He has graciously volunteered to aggregate and format the list of social dance events at the front of each issue of the magazine, making sure our readers always know where to get their social dancing on, and freeing up the other volunteers’ time to focus on the things they do best. Patrick is in the process of moving to Madison, where he’s been hired as a developer at Epic.

Julie Johnston, a new member of our design team, has been in print publications her entire career, with her work featuring in everything from catalogs to textbooks. She currently works as a senior digital production specialist and will be assisting with the process of laying out Sheer Dance. Her love for design, technical skill in Adobe InDesign, and interest in dance make her a great fit for the team.

In addition to performing vital tasks, this group of volunteers is building new skills and networks that will aid them throughout their lives. Volunteering is an excellent way to build skills in leadership and marketing, to gain confidence and experience, and to see just how much effect one person can have. Long-time volunteer and Executive Editor of Sheer Dance Mary Beth Beckman said, “Once you see your own potential, what you can bring into being by way of will and effort alone, the fire only burns hotter. If you do it right, volunteering is the best addiction you’ll ever have.”

These volunteers are excited and eager to grow, and we’re confident that their time with Sheer Dance will teach them valuable skills and life lessons.