Sonia Ratzlaff, Buhler senior, and Ron Vanhal, Netherlands graduate student, practice their dance steps in the Ecumenical Christian Ministries building on Monday.
Once more, with feeling
Club members compete in national competitions
Story by Chris Yancey
Sonia Ratzlaff's friends were skeptical when she told them three years ago that she wanted to take up ballroom dancing.
But now Ratzlaff, Bulker senior, is strictly ballroom as president of the KU Ballroom Dancing Club and as a competitor in national competitions.
Ratzlaff and her dancing partner,
Ron Vanhal, Netherlands graduate
student, are one of four couples from
the club who participate in collegiate
ballroom dancing competitions. The
couples competed in the St. Louis
Star Ball last month and have plans to
travel to Indianapolis for the Heart-
land Dance Classic this weekend.
land Dance Classic this weekend.
Ratzlaff, who would like to teach ballroom dancing some day, practices about nine hours a week.
"I always like to keep improving by continuing to dance," she said. "Competition is not the motivator —
The club does not receive funds from the University, so the couples finance the trips to competitions themselves.
Ashley Grill, Topea sophomore, said the dancers carpooled to the competitions and stayed with students who were involved in ballroom dancing clubs at other universities.
dance floor," Vanhal said. "You can't accomplish this without good communication with your partner."
Grill said that she always had wanted to dance for fun but that she would not mind improving enough to one day compete at a higher level.
"I'll be dancing for the rest of my
it's the love of dancing."
Vanhal, who is dating Ratzlaff, said that because ballroom dancing was such an intimate sport, couples had to learn to take criticism from each other.
"You have to express unity on the dance floor."
The club also provides a class open to all students every Sunday at the Kansas Union Ballroom.
Ratzlaff said she enjoys the international style of ballroom dancing because the movements are smoother and not as flashy.
The most dedicated of the couples meet in the Ecumenical Christian Ministries building every Monday night to receive free lessons from Leroy Walters, a professional dance instructor and the owner of Walters Dance Center in Kansas City, Kan. Ratzlaff said they were fortunate that Walters took time out of his schedule to teach the group.
"There is something striking about seeing two people doing the same thing at the same time," Ratzlaff said. "I enjoy the smoothness of it."
Ron Vanhal Netherlands graduate student
ife." she said
"You have to express unity on the
Grill said that it was neat to see more ballroom dancing clubs on campuses in the Midwest but that she wished the sport could be as popular as it was on the East Coast. "Them
room dancing clubs out east," she said. "I would love to see it pick up here at KU, and maybe someday we can host our own competition."
There is a definite ring of ball-
Ratzlaff said she was eager to see how the KU couples would fare this weekend.
Even though the St. Louis competition was the first for Ratzlaff and the rest of the KU dancers, she said they observed many competitions last year. Ratzlaff and Vanhal danced at the bronze-novice level, a level strictly for amateurs, in St. Louis and took first place in the waltz/quickstep and cha-cha/rumba competitions.
Ratzlaff said it was good to start at an easier level but that she would like to have stiffer competition in the future. She said she and Vanhal planned to enter at the silver-novice level in Indianapolis, a level in which there are more steps in each dance.
"There will be more competition in Indianapolis because it is at the collegiate level," she said. "We have to work real hard for that."
Story by Megan Jordan
Ballroom dancing is not just for old folks.
And as the waltz, the swing and the salsa move from the ballroom to the night club, more KU students are getting into the groove.
"I think movies like True Lies and other movies with good dancing make it look not so stuffy and old," said Shane Haas, vice-president of the KU Ballroom Dancing Club. "People see it and think that's neat. They want to learn to do that."
A growing number of students are taking advantage of opportunities offered at the University to pick up the finer points of ballroom dancing, Haas said. About 70 students show up at 2 p.m. Sundays at the Kansas Union Ballroom for the club's meetings. Three years ago, attendance topped out at 20, he said.
"Some ballroom dances are like the Latin language — they've kind of petered out," Thompson said. "But people are dancing at the Bottleneck, student organization parties and Coco Loco. People are seeing more
Chris Thompson, Foxboro, Mass., graduate student, has 73 students enrolled in his ballroom dancing class this semester. He was pleasantly surprised by the large number.
So why are the tango and cha-cha catching the attention of so many students?
ballroom dancing opportunities."
Above: Ratzlaff and Vanhal, compete across the country in college ballroom dance competitions The different types of dances they perform include the waltz, tango, fox trot and rumba.
"You're not just fumbling around on the dance floor, wondering if you look cool," said Krista Tiller, a student in the class. "There's a set pattern of steps where you can interact with your partner and have fun. You are less hesitant to just go out and have fun because you know what you are doing."
Although she loves the class, the Wichita junior said fast-paced, complex moves made some dances hard to learn.
Thompson agreed that just like learning a new sport, dancing required practice.
"A lot of it is getting past being able to execute the technical moves and being able to do so with style," he said.
However, this does not seem to be stopping KU students. Swing Night at the Bottleneck and Latino dancing at clubs like Coco Loco are gaining popularity, Haas said. And students are starting to realize that they can ballroom dance to all types of music. For example, Haas said, the Dave Matthews Band's song Satellite is a waltz.
Left: Vanhal and Ratzlaff finish off a dance following the international style of ballroom dancing. The couple are planning to travel to Indianapolis this weekend to compete in the Heartland Dance Competition.
Not all students are keeping their new dancing skills in local clubs. KU club members participate in ballroom dancing competitions across the Midwest.
Photos by Geoff Krieger / KANSAN
But you don't have to be at the competitive level to have fun, Thompson said. With more than 30 types of ballroom dances, everyone is bound to find one they like.
"The fox trot, like the waltz, is more elegant," he said. "The tango is sensual. The East Coast swing is more upbeat. And the polka is completely crazy — you want to have a mug of beer in your hand!"
HILL topics
Page 10A
University Daily Kansan
Wednesday, April 9, 1997
WEDNESDAY
Cats, 8 p.m. at Nouvelle Deli, 129 E.
10th St. Free.
- Russian Village Festival, 8 p.m. at the Lied Center, Cost: $32 and $27 public; $16 and $13.50 students; and $31 and $26 senior citizens. Tickets are available at the Lied Center, SUA and Murphy Hall box offices and any Ticketmaster location.
L7, Cretin 66 and The John Geery Theory, 8 p.m. at The Bottleneck, 737 New Hamshire St. Cost: $10.
Doctoral recital, Ann Marie Snook,
mezzo-soprano; 7:30 p.m. at
Swartouth Recital Hall, Free.
**Inge Theatre Series:** Between Pancho Villa and A Naked Woman, 8 p.m. at Murphy Hall. Cost: $8 public; $4 students; and $7 senior citizens. Tickets
J. G.B. (Jerry Garcia Band) and Jupiter Hollow, 8 p.m. at The Granada, 1020 Massachusetts St. Cost: $12.50.
are available at the Lied Center, SUA and Murphy Hall box offices.
■ Jeru the Damaja, 9 p.m. at The Bottle neck, 737 New Hampshire St. Cost: $14 advance tickets.
Parlor Frogs, 9 p.m. at Nouvelle Dell,
129 E. 10th St. Free.
THURSDAY
Undergraduate Honor Recital; 7:30 p.m. at Swarthout Hall Fair, Free.
Inge Theatre Series: Between Pancho Villa and A Naked Woman, 8 p.m. at Murphy Hall. Cost: $8 public; $4 students; and $7 senior citizens. Tickets are available at the Lied Center, SUA and Murphy Hall box offices.
FRIDAY
■ Rod Block's Jazz, 6 to 8 p.m. at Nouvelle Deli, 129 E. 10th St. Free.
Graduate Honor Recital, 7:30 p.m. at Swarthout Recital Hall. Fee.
Inge Theatre Series: Between Pancho
Villa and A Naked Woman, 8 p.m. at Murphy Hall. Cost: $8 public; $4 students; and $7 senior citizens. Tickets are available at the Lied Center, SUA and Murphy Hall box offices.
Danger Bob and The Band That Saved the World, 9:30 p.m. at The Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St. Cost: $4 and $5.
SATURDAY
Mexican Music Festival Recital, Piano and Chamber Music, 7:30 p.m. at Swarthout Recital Hall, Free.
*Inge Theatre Series: Between Pancho Villa and A Naked Woman, 8 p.m. at Murphy Hall. Cost: $8 public; $4 students; and $7 senior citizens. Tickets are available at the Lied Center, SUA and Murphy Hall box offices.
*Louis' Moon Dance, 10 p.m. at Nouvelle Dell, 129 E, 10th St. Free.*
Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Rites, Kristi &
The Starle Rounds; 9:30 p.m. at
SUNDAY
The Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire
St. Cost: $5 and $6.
■ Theatre San Fil in the Crown of Destiny, 2 p.m. at the Lied Center. Cost: $16 and $12 public; $8 and $6 students; and $15 and $11 senior citizens. Tickets are available at the Lied Center, SUA and Murphy Hall box offices and any Ticketmaster location.
Visiting Artists Series: Kenneth Huber, plano; 3:30 p.m. at Swarthout Recital Hall, Free.
Concert: Collegium Musicum Vocal and Instrumental Consort; Simon Carrington and Paul Laird, conductors; 7:30 p.m. at Bales Recital Hall, Free.
Student recital, piano students at Sequeira Costa; 7:30 p.m. at Swarthout Recital Hall. Free.
Brainiac and The Delta, 9:30 p.m. at the Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St. Cost: $6 and $7.
MONDAY
Faculty recital: Ben Sayewich, violin;
7:30 p.m. at Swarthout Recital Hall.
Free.
Archers of Loaf and The Regrrets, 9 p.m. at The Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St. Cost: $7 advance tickets.
TUESDAY
Spring Concert, KU Concert Band,
7:30 p.m. at the Lied Center. Cost: $5
public; $4 students and senior citi-
zens. Tickets are available at the Lied
Center, SUA and Murphy Hall box offices.
Student recital, Allyson Walters, piano; 7:30 p.m. at Swarthout Recital Hall. Free.
The Phantom Rockers and Mr. Marco & the V-7s, 9 p.m. at The Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St. Cost: $12 and $6.
1
Amnesty International Benefit with Margin of Error, 9 p.m. at the Granada, 1020 Massachusetts St.