By Stella Henretta

On Wednesday evening, an eager audience of University of Maryland students, faculty and alumni gathered to watch the Ballroom at Maryland club’s “Dancing with the Terps” event.

To mimic the popular show “Dancing with the Stars,” the club selected five UMD students and paired them with some of the club’s most talented dancers. Each pair spent approximately two months selecting a dance style and learning choreography to perform at their showcase.

Logan DeVoe, a junior mechanical engineering major and president of Ballroom at Maryland, said each student picked had very little experience with dance, so everything they performed at the event was learned entirely within the last few weeks.

“I’ve seen lots of incredible dancing at competitions before, but to see a couple that has only been practicing together for two months, with one of them learning from the ground up, it’s really impressive how far they were able to get,” DeVoe said.

Catherine Noblitt, one of the three judges at the event and a dancer herself, found the student dancers to be exceptional.

“As a judge, watching these students get out there and dance after only two months, they did an incredible job,” Noblitt said. “Some of the dances were very difficult, but I was really impressed with the comfort level that so many of them had just getting out there, regardless. It was very well done.” 

Junior English major Autumn Brooks thought the show was great and enjoyed seeing bits of each performer’s personality shine through.

“It was just really lively, it was really energetic, and I felt like that energy kind of transferred to me; I felt excited to watch it,” Brooks said. It was really cool seeing the different ways the dancers expressed themselves through the song and the choreography.”

The club typically holds regular showcase performances at the end of every spring semester, but these are usually targeted at the existing ballroom community, DeVoe said. However, when Raha Moshasha, the former vice president of special events of Ballroom at Maryland, suggested a “Dancing with the Stars” style performance, the community quickly latched onto the idea, keen on expanding their audience.

“This event was a fantastic opportunity for people to see what ballroom dancing can really be about, and how it’s not something you need to dedicate your life to — you really can do incredible things with the right teachers and a little bit of practice,” DeVoe said.

Junior computer science and immersive media design major Jaden Chen, who is a member of the club, said he was excited that Ballroom at Maryland is trying to reach a broader audience. Chen appreciated the event because it brought “the joy of modern dancing to as many people as possible.”

“I think [the event was] a really wonderful way to show what the members of our community are capable of and are doing because it’s something that we often don’t get to see,” Chen said. “A lot of these performing arts things are very behind the scenes … so it’s really great to be able to appreciate the members of our community and support them.”

In an era where society has gradually lost community over the past few decades, Chen said he thinks events like “Dancing with the Terps” are good ways to bring this back.

Georgia Hammond, a senior bioengineering and biomimicry studies for sustainable design double-major, agreed that society is losing touch with human connections.

“I think we’re in an age where we are so easily distracted by our phones and technology that it’s harder and harder to form really close connections in person … so this is just a wonderful way to meet so many different people,” Hammond said.

Many members of Ballroom at Maryland, including freshman cell biology and genetics major Megan Tervo, find that dancing makes them happy, excited and confident. Tervo, among the six new dancers who performed, said she has become more motivated to dance over the past few months.

However, more than anything, Tervo said, dancing allowed her to meet new people.

“The biggest thing that [dancing has] meant so far is connection, whether it’s with your partner or with the music or whatever,” Tervo said. “Obviously, there’s all the technical aspects in the musicality, but I think connection is something that’s really special and unique to dancing, especially ballroom.”

Ballroom at Maryland members have expressed a love of dance for many reasons, and Chen is no exception. He explained that dancing is also a way to express himself, learn something new and then compete and improve on it.

DeVoe shared a similar sentiment — there is nothing quite like dancing, and ballroom dance is unique in how many ways it gives you to express yourself.

“You can show excitement in the jive, elegance in the waltz or determination and pride in the paso doble — and that’s just three of the ten dances our club focuses on,” DeVoe said. “It’s also not just a form of expression or a sport; it’s a chance to meet new people and bond over a shared love for dance. We have such a wonderful community, and it makes every class or social event such a joy to be a part of.”

With so many opportunities at UMD, Noblitt emphasized pursuing different interests.

“When you’re in college, this is the time to learn those things. Go out and explore and have fun, because you take those skills with you in life,” Noblitt said.

Featured Image: Two dancers end their performance as they pose on the ballroom floor on April 8. Photo by Stella Henretta.