Volunteer Report

By Taylor Wall

At the beginning of September, the University of Minnesota Ballroom Dance Club went back to school and resumed regular classes under the instruction of Dance With Us America's Elena Bersten and Mill City Ballroom's Kate Bratt.

In the middle of September, the club held tryouts for their largest competitive team in recent history.

And at the end of this month, on October 22nd, they will host the first competitive event of their season: Minnesota Ballroom Blast. Hosted at the St. Paul Student Center on the University of Minnesota campus, Minnesota Ballroom Blast is a low-stress, feedback-based competition, designed to:

• Provide social dancers and competitors alike, with meaningful feedback from professionals they might not otherwise have access to
• Introduce beginners to the general format of a competition in a low-chaos environment
• Provide a preparatory event for those looking to compete
• Allow couples to experiment with new choreography and costuming

Couples will receive meaningful feedback on their dancing from local professional instructors Elena Bersten, Cindy and Jeff Nehrbass, Mariusz Olszewski, and Lisa Vogel, while dancing to music provided by DJ Shane Meuwissen and enjoying an entertaining commentary provided by MC Gene Bersten. Along with a hair and makeup seminar by Jana Rose Arts and workshops by our judges, dancers from all proficiency levels will come away from the event having learned important tips to improve their competitive dancing. And to cap off a day of dancing fun, the evening session will host a Halloween Ball complete with social dancing, tricks and treats, a costume contest, and a showcase of national championship-level talent!

In order to pull off a flawless event, many volunteers have already logged hours and hours of time spent preparing for the critique event. While the early preparations are well underway, we are always looking for help from willing participants on the day of the event. This may include anything from selling tickets at the door, to being sure competitors are well-hydrated and ready to dance. If you think you would be interested in lending a hand, we'd love to hear from you. For more information about Minnesota Ballroom Blast or to volunteer your skills, email: info@upartnerdance.org.