Meet the University of Minnesota Ballroom Dance Club Officers!

This fall, the University of Minnesota Ballroom Dance Club is welcoming in a new officer board. These dedicated individuals volunteer their time to improve the Ballroom Dance Club and bring a fun and welcoming ballroom dance environment to the U of M campus. All of the officers, in addition to holding these elected positions, are full-time students and active members of the Twin Cities dance community.

Hannah Alyea, Vice President

Hannah is rarely seen without a smile on her face and loves to spread the good news of ballroom dance. Originally from South Dakota, in addition to her role as vice president, Hannah is a member of the competitive ballroom team. Her favorite styles of dance are American rhythm and smooth and international standard.

Alexzandra Enger, Treasurer

When she’s not busy dancing, volunteering, or studying, Alexzandra will likely be found—coffee in hand—spending time with her friends, conquering video games, discovering new music, and whipping up delicious meals and desserts. She wants to travel the world, dance as often as she can, and be happy. She’s also a member of the competitive ballroom team.

Jackson Fossen, Music Coordinator

Jackson is a social and competitive dancer with a great sense of humor who plans to double-major in math and computer science. He likes science and really enjoys a nice nap.

Rachel Marusinec, Safety and Facilities Coordinator

Rachel is a senior majoring in microbiology with a minor in Spanish. She spent the past summer working in a virology lab and learning Portuguese. This is her second year as the safety and facilities officer for the Ballroom Dance Club, and she enjoys the musicality and fun dancing offers. When not dancing, you can find her doing research, learning about microbes, or reading a book.

Rosemary O'Connell, Travel Coordinator

Rosemary has served as the travel coordinator for the Ballroom Dance Club for the last four years. When she’s not dancing or volunteering in the dance community, she can usually be found working on her PhD in mathematics, playing oboe in the campus orchestra, reading, or hiking.

John O'Leary, Fundraising Coordinator

John is a senior at the University of Minnesota and will graduate this year with a B.S. in computer science. Though he enjoys programming, his primary focus is how to improve human-computer interaction. John is currently the fundraising coordinator for the Ballroom Dance Club and treasurer for the university’s sailing team. Additionally, he was recently awarded the Goldwater scholarship for his research on using cell phones for indoor navigation. While away from these activities, John can be found hanging out with friends, eating grapes, or napping.

Joel Torgeson, President

Since first getting involved in ballroom his freshman year, Joel has worked to promote dance and personal development in every area of his life. As president of the Ballroom Dance Club, he's overseen the development of one of the strongest young ballroom programs in the Midwest and nurtured the ever-expanding social club. Joel is an excellent student and Rhodes Scholar nominee at the University of Minnesota who enjoys studying anthropology.

Kevin Viratyosin, Website Coordinator

Kevin is a senior at the University of Minnesota studying computer science with a focus on the theory of programming languages. In addition to dancing with the club's competitive team, Kevin enjoys learning foreign languages and practicing photography.

Elizabeth Wanninger, Dance Coordinator

While Elizabeth just recently discovered dancing as a hobby, she has loved every minute of it. Elizabeth’s newfound passion for dance was preceded by over a decade of passion for music performance. Life outside of dance for Elizabeth includes studying food science at the University of Minnesota and serving as a community advisor for UMN Housing and Residential Life. She spends her free time playing oboe, trying out board games, and binge-watching Netflix with friends (and her seven cats).

Elizabeth Weaver, Secretary

Lizzie can be found furiously taking notes at officer meetings or finding a fun way to be sure that the university's dance community is always in the loop. When not attending to officer duties, Lizzie is often making silly faces at her teammates across the floor, chatting with prospective members of the club, or dancing ridiculously by herself to the music.

Seth Westlake, Publicity Coordinator

This fall will mark the beginning of Seth's second year as publicity manager and his third year with the Ballroom Dance Club. Originally from South Dakota, Seth has made a home out of the Twin Cities while he attends the University of Minnesota. Currently working towards a degree in statistics, Seth hopes to develop his career as a statistician and to continue dancing competitively.