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Cornell Ballroom FAQ
Have questions about our club, or about ballroom in general? Well,
you've come to the right place. Hopefully you'll find what you're
looking for here. If not, a quick email to
info@cornellballroom.org will
clear up any other questions you may have.
Big huge amounts of thanks go to Wendy for writing just
about all the questions and answers to this page!
Note that this page is still under some amount of construction - Brian
just doesn't have time to complete it right now. So there are
probably some links and such missing.
The Questions
- Do I need to know some ballroom dancing already to join the club?
- Do I need to bring a partner to classes?
- Oh... what if I only want to dance with my friend/significant other? Do we have to rotate?
- I'm not a Cornell student or even affiliated with Cornell. Can I still join your club?
- How much does it cost?
- How do I sign up?
- Can I join in the middle of semester?
- Well how do I know when a new dance is starting?
- Do I need special shoes?
- Is this a PE class?
- So, should I take Ballroom Club classes, or PE classes?
- Do you teach swing?
- Do you teach salsa/merengue?
- Is there a ballroom team at Cornell?
- I like the ballroom club and I'd like to help out with things -- may I?
- What do i do if i have some spare cash lying around?
- Where can I go to find lots of different information about ballroom dance?
The Answers
Q: Do I
need to know any ballroom dancing already to join the club?
A: No, absolutely not. You
can come to our Beginner classes and learn right from scratch.
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Q: Do I
need to bring a partner to classes?
A: No, not at all. We rotate
partners several times in every class so you'll be dancing with a whole
bunch of different people.
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Q: Oh...
what if I only want to dance with my friend/significant other? Do we
have to rotate?
A: You don't have to. We
strongly recommend that you do, because you'll learn leading and
following skills much faster if you dance with lots of different
people. (Then when you go back to your original partner at the end of
class, you'll have a much better time dancing with each other, because
you'll both be better dancers for having danced with other people).
But we won't make you. ;-)
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Q: I'm not
a Cornell student or even affiliated with Cornell. Can I still join
your club?
A: Yes, our club and classes
are open to everyone.
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Q: How much
does it cost?
A: Our club dues are $35 a
semester, or $55 for the whole year. This covers all fees for classes,
and gets you discounts on some of our social
events. If you are unsure about committing, and you missed the first
free lesson of the semester, there is a $4 drop in rate for
an hour class. Quite a bargain!
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Q: How do I
sign up?
A: Just come to the class.
Don't forget that our first class of the semester is free!
If you like it, then if you want to keep coming (and you will!) we ask
you to join the club and pay dues.
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Q: Can I
join in the middle of semester?
A: You can join any time.
Since we start a new dance in the Beginner class every 2 or 3 weeks, it
would probably be easiest if you started on the first week of a dance.
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Q: Well how
do I know when a new dance is starting?
A: Consult the class
schedule, and join our mailing lists
for weekly updates.
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Q: Do I
need special shoes?
A: No. "Real" ballroom
dancing shoes are fairly expensive ($60-140). You don't need them to
come to our classes. We would like you to bring a clean pair of shoes
to change into at class/practice/dances, though, so that
dust/grit/pebbles/snow from outside doesn't get carried onto the floor.
The best kind of shoe is comfortable, hangs on to your foot pretty
well, and has not too much grip. Sandals are often a bit too loose.
Sneakers usually grip the floor too much (bad for your ankles and knees
when you try to pivot). Comfortable, smooth-soled dress shoes (with
not too much of a heel, women) are often the best option.
We also ask that ladies do not wear high-heeled dance shoes or stilettos
because they can damage the floor (although heeled dance shoes, like
character shoes are fine).
If you're interested in shopping for dance shoes, check out our
dancewear links page.
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Q: Is this
a PE class?
A: No. We're a student club.
There are PE Ballroom classes, but they're completely separate from our
club (except we go to visit them sometimes, just to say hello).
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Q: So,
should I take Ballroom Club classes, or PE classes?
A: Well, it's up to you. Of
course, we'd like you to take our classes! Here are a few things to
consider when deciding:
- PE Ballroom classes often require you to sign up with a partner,
and don't rotate partners during classes.
- PE Ballroom classes usually cost about $48 a semester, whereas
Ballroom club classes cost $35/semester or $55 a year.
- Unfortunately, you don't get PE credit for Ballroom Club classes.
- PE Ballroom is just a 1-semester Beginner class, with no follow-up.
We don't just teach beginner or intermediate levels, but according
to the level of the people participating in the class.
You could always take both classes, of course! And even if you decide
to go with the PE class, you can still come to Ballroom Club social
dances. Also, if you want to keep learning ballroom dancing after one
semester of PE, you can continue with Ballroom Club classes.
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Q: Do you
teach swing?
A: Yes, some semesters we
do teach swing. Check the class schedule to see if it's included
this semester. There are also a number of clubs at Cornell that
focus soley on swing. Rooftop
Mayhem focuses on jump swing, which is a variation of 6-count
ballroom swing, while
CU Swing focuses on Lindy Hop, an 8-count variety of swing.
If you like swing, you'll probably love Hustle. It's a cool dance,
done to pop/techno/disco music, with a lot of moves that are similar to
swing. We teach some hustle in the Beginner class and at Club Ballroom.
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Q: Do you
teach salsa/merengue?
A: We sometimes have
introductory salsa or merengue lessons at Saturday night Club
Ballrooms.
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Q: Is there
a ballroom team?
A: Why yes, there is! The
Cornell DanceSport Team
is made up of enthusiastic dancers of all levels
(including new beginners) who hold separate lessons and practices geared towards
taking their dancing to high levels in order to competete intercollegiately.
For more info visit their website.
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Q: I like
the ballroom club and I'd like to help out with things -- may I?
A: Of course! The club is run
by a committee of dedicated, fun-loving volunteers who are elected each
Spring. If you're interested in joining the committee, please contact
our General Manager. (The committee is open to Cornell students,
undergraduate or graduate). We also need people to help out with
special events, like Balls and Competitions. For this you can earn
undying gratitude and possibly reduced admission. Contact the Social
Dance Manager or Competition Manager for details.
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Q: What do
I do if I have some spare cash lying around?
A: Contact our
treasurer to make a
tax-deductible donation.
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Q: Where
can I go to find lots of different information about ballroom
dance?
A: Well, to start, you can
head over to our links page. They are
arranged by category; hopefully you can easily find whatever you are
seeking.
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Again, any further questions may be directed to
info@cornellballroom.org.
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