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Peculiar Traditions

Pausing Life for Dance

By Alexzandra Enger

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This October, my partner and I kept a rather strange tradition alive – going onto the floor cold to compete in Rhythm. It’s not an intentional tradition by any means, but it is an amusing one, and it proved to be another strange yet exciting start to Peter Minkov and Yulia Kornilova’s Harvest Moon Ball.

This year, my partner and I competed in Harvest Moon’s collegiate division, a new addition to the competition that turned out to be a rather enjoyable one. While not requiring competitors to register as a part of a school group, it’s a category separate from amateur that puts us on a bit more even playing field, as we’d be competing against other college students as opposed to couples who receive private lessons and coaching. It’s a similar concept to separating competitors out by age division; you wouldn’t have a 22 year old competing against an 8 year old, of course. While I am very, very happy to compete amateur (and do, my partner and I regularly attend USA Dance National Qualifying Events and Nationals and enjoy it immensely) it was a pleasant shift to see some familiar faces on the dance floor. Usually, my exposure to fellow collegiate dancers is through competitions hosted by collegiate teams, so sometimes I see long-distance friends as few as twice a year. The addition of collegiate divisions in many “normal" ballroom dance competitions is a welcome one, as it fosters a deeper sense of community and friendship.

Of course, we came to Chicago with the primary purpose of dancing! After our lightning-fast Rhythm round, we had several hours to occupy before our Smooth and Standard heats, so in between scoping out places to grab a quick bite or a cup of coffee, my fellow travelers and I settled ourselves in the ballroom to observe the day’s youth events. Most entertaining, to my eyes at least, were the youngest competitors. Whether they were dancing Latin, Rhythm, Smooth, or Standard, nothing was as heartwarming as seeing the love of dance (not to mention some purely excellent technique and skill) growing in kids barely old enough to ride a bike. Of course, I was also impressed the little ones were able to hold hands with a person of the opposite gender without giggling about cooties, which is something I see quite often in baby ballroom dancers.

In like fashion to the morning session, the afternoon’s Smooth and Standard rounds flew by, and before I knew it I was standing against a backdrop taking photographs with my most favorite dance partner. It didn’t quite sink in how hectic and exciting the day had been until we were all congregated back in the ladies’ dressing room to hang up our sparkly costumes and peel off the fishnet tights. My partner and I did very well, in our opinion, particularly when you consider that half of our minds were on what homework assignments and exams we had in the upcoming week, as the daily grind of a college student never comes to a complete halt. It does pause though, but only when one steps onto a dance floor.

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