Dancers Flock to MAC for National Contest

Exercising in the Malkin Athletic Center (MAC) is rarely as glamorous as it was this weekend at the 15th Annual Harvard Invitational Ballroom competition.

The competition, which drew competitors of all ages and from all over the country, was judged by internationally accredited officials over two days.

The dancers came from a variety of backgrounds and training, and were divided into four different subgroups according to ability and experience: newcomer, bronze, silver and gold.

Prizes for the top dancers included gift certificates for dance apparel stores, free lessons, and cash prizes. Many of the more advanced dancers vied for a $3,500 dress that was to be awarded to the wining couple in the gold standard.

“The big one is the $3,500 dress,” said James LaFarge, a dancer from New York University (NYU).

Equivalent clothing prizes included Capezio dance shoes and Ronn Gunn trousers worth $300.

The event pulled in a large crowd throughout the weekend, with primarily friends and families of dancers filling the stands.

The guests cheered and yelled out the numbers of their favorite dancers in hopes that the judges would pay more attention to them.

Approximately 25 couples danced at a time for a period of six minutes, while the judges evaluated their performances from the sidelines.

The dancers were evaluated on accuracy of footwork as well as energy, and wore brightly colored costumes to catch the attention of the judges.

The Harvard-Radcliffe Ballroom Dance Team sponsored the event, which is the largest ballroom dance competition in New England, according to Peter A. Lee ’07, who will be the club’s president during the 2006-2007 academic year.

Lee said that this year’s competition drew dancers from California, Michigan, and Texas, in addition to those from New England.

Most of the competitors were in college, but all ages were eligible to compete, Lee said.

“Some of the dancers are significantly older than college students,” he said.

“You don’t even need to come with a partner.”

Jamie Schiffer and LaFarge, both from NYU, placed third in the Samba Dance for the gold standard.

“We didn’t expect to do as well as we did,” LaFarge confessed. “It’s really hit or miss.”

Several dancers said that although the competition had great prizes, their motivation for participating was just to enjoy themselves.

Andrea Zimmerman of NYU, said she got into ballroom dancing after she gave up becoming a professional ballet dancer.

Zimmerman and her partner were eliminated in the quarterfinals, but she said she was not particularly concerned with winning.

“Mostly, I just wanted to do the very best I could,” she said.

Over 25 colleges entered teams in the event.

Harvard finished in either third or fourth place although official results are to be announced tomorrow. Last year, the team tied for first with UC Berkeley.