What: Ballroom Dance Night When: 7 Tonight Where: Shurmer Gym
Ballroom dancing is timeless. Not only is it fun, it's also a good workout. Boy, girls, men, women - anyone can learn how to ballroom dance.
For those who have never tried, the Ballroom Dance Night in Shurmer Gym at 7 tonight is a good place to start. Tickets are $6 for students and $8 for community members.
Senior Jodi Thompson has been attending Ballroom Dance Night for the past three years and remembers her first time vividly, she said.
"There are so many people there that will help you learn, so it doesn't matter if you can't dance," Thompson said.
Her mother went to Chico State and took the same ballroom dancing classes with the same teacher as she does today, Thompson said. When her mother suggested she take ballroom dancing classes, Thompson was hesitant at first, but was immediately hooked.
Besides being a fun event, Ballroom Dance Night is a good place to meet new people.
Junior Andrew Christian signed up for his first class three years ago, he said. He was always busy with school and work and was looking to expand his social life.
"A lot of people come to Ballroom Dance Night," Christian said. "Probably in the next year or two they will have to find a new place to have it because the gym will be too small."
The outcome is always good with 400 to 500 people in attendance, said Patricia Smiley, who has been teaching ballroom dance at the university for 34 years. Pizza, drinks and prizes will be given away throughout the night. This year's theme is "Bringing Classy Back" and the colors are red, black and white.
Smiley, the host of Ballroom Dance Night, said the dress code isn't strict, but students should dress to impress. The gym is decorated to match the theme with different sets just like the old days. The DJ will play old and new music and the dancing will go on for three hours.
"We do a variety of dancing at Ballroom Dance Night, including line dancing, swing, fox-trot, waltz, tango, cha-cha, salsa and rumba," Smiley said. "The salsa and rumba are easiest for beginners."
Ballroom Dance Night is a classy event, Smiley said. It's cheap, alcohol-free and a fun activity for anyone. Though the gym is packed full of people, the event will not sell out because of the constant flow of people coming and going throughout the night. There will only be two bleachers down in order to encourage people to dance.
"Sometimes the music affects the dance and sometimes the dance creates the music," Smiley said.
Junior Natalie Elliott went to two Ballroom Dance Nights and is excited to attend her third this year, she said. She goes with a group of friends, which is what most people do. That way there are more people to dance with. Elliott also takes ballroom dance classes because she has fun and meets new people every year.
"It's a really good hobby," she said. "I went into it not really expecting to do it this long, but it's addicting."
This is the case for most, Smiley said. Rarely does an individual only take one ballroom dance class.
"Ballroom Dance Night is about the history, social graces and learning steps," she said. "It's about how to handle yourself on a dance floor."
Kyndrah Carson can be reached at kcarson@theorion.com
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