Dancing with the . . . College Students?

November 16th, 2009

This week, “Dancing with the Stars” heads into the semifinals, with Kelly Osbourne, Donnie Osmond, Mya, and Joanna Krupa remaining to duke it out on the dance floor with their partners. Of course, I’ll have to be content with watching it all from my couch, since my invitation to dance on the show must have once again gotten lost in the mail.

“Dancing with the Stars” is a popular show on lots of college campuses, particularly those with ballroom dance teams. That’s right—well before America ever saw former NFL players wiggle their way through a complicated dance routine, college ballroom dancers have set the floor ablaze with their own graceful movements.

Don’t think you have to go to one of the most expensive colleges in the country to strap on those dancing shoes, either. If we have learned anything from the number of reality TV dance competitions on the airwaves today, it’s that dancers can be found anywhere. From the elite Ivies to large state schools, ballroom dance teams are twirling their way across many campuses. Check out some of the colleges and universities that have teams—are any of these schools on your dance card?

Carnegie Mellon University

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

University of Connecticut

University of Massachusetts—Amherst

Utah State University

State University of New York, Stony Brook

New York University

Brandeis University

Claremont Colleges

San Diego State University

North Carolina State University

Arizona State University

Brooklyn College

Case Western Reserve University

College of William and Mary

In addition to participating in dance competitions, many of these schools and others also offer lessons. Being a college student by day and a ballroom dancer by night sounds like a perfect 10 to me.

–Barbara Bellesi

Entry Filed under: Pop culture & college