Madison Bowe/Winonan
Whether they prefer the tango, waltz, cumbia or the ever-popular Lindy hop, all members of the ballroom dance club seem to agree on one thing: they just love to dance.
The club’s purpose is simple. Each week, instructors come to the club to teach members new dances. Ballroom dance club is different from most clubs in the way that they open themselves to the community as well as students.
“We teach ballroom dance to the greater Winona community,” junior Henry Cole said.
In terms of who can be involved with the club, first-year Chelsea Ritter, who was an avid dancer before she started at Winona State University, said, “Anybody can get involved, usually we have middle-aged people from the community here.”
Most of the dancers dubbed the Lindy hop, named after Charles Lindbergh, as their favorite type of dance, but junior Nina Quist had a particular favorite.
“The cumbia, it originates from Colombia, which is where I was born,” Quist said.
Although every dancer was different, they all have one thing in common: a deep passion. Like most of the dancers, they all have something that drives them to the dance floor, but Quist’s passion seems to be something buried deep within her.
“For me, because I am Colombian, dance is a huge, huge part of my roots,” Quist said.
Senior Jordyn Gardner said her favorite part of ballroom dance is the magical feeling that goes along with it.
“[My favorite part is] just letting go and having the time of your life, and getting rolled over the dance floor like a Disney princess,” Gardner said.
The ballroom dance club congregates in the Integrated Wellness Center in studio 127, from 8 to 10 p.m. on Tuesday evenings.
