Jenny Bauer is learning to let go and allow men to take the lead; at least on the dance floor.
As vice president of Cal Poly’s ballroom dance club, Bauer has learned a thing or two about Cha Cha-ing across the floor with her partners.
“When I first started, I was leading myself the whole time and it was awful,” said Bauer, a history sophomore. “It was not working out (and) I really had to teach myself to listen to his cues.it’s definitely a good life lesson to learn just trust someone else to know what they’re doing.”
In a recent lesson, Cal Poly students and a few community members were doing just that. As Marc Anthony’s “I Need to Know” blasted over the speakers, the couples laced their hands together and learned to sway to the rhythm of the Cha Cha, most of the women in high heels.
Instructor Christopher Ellwood called out instructions and demonstrated proper techniques.
“Look at your partner, you’re dancing together for a reason,” Ellwood said, causing the group to break out in smiles.
“You connect with your hands but it’s your whole body that has to move,” he said. “You don’t just want to use your hands; you want to have the whole body activated to move your partner.”
Ellwood, who graduated from Cal Poly in 2003 with a degree in computer science, started dancing when he discovered the club, which he said has been around for 15 years.
“Dancing is one of the most fun things I do and I can’t imagine what it was like before I started,” he said. “It’s really fun to be able to give that back to people and you see a light turn on when they start dancing like, ‘Oh, this is fun.'”
The year he graduated, Ellwood started a competitive ballroom dancing team called DanceSport that pits Cal Poly against other schools from all over the state and has hosted a competition on campus for the last two years. He is hoping to have another competition this year if the gymnasium is available.
In competition, the couples choose what kind of dance they want to do and compete in a series of heats. The heats start off with sometimes 25 couples on the dance floor and through eliminations, eventually end up with the top six to eight couples getting awards.
Club Officer Ashley Moraes, who has been in the club since she was a freshman, is one of the few who competes at the advanced levels of ballroom dancing with Ellwood as her partner. She also helps Ellwood teach lessons.
“(The judges) look for technique, style and connection with you and your partner. If the guy is pulling or tugging the girl (you’re marked down),” she said. “Having something different or unique (is also good) and look like you’re having fun. You can’t be out there looking like you’re pissed.”
Moreas, who is an architectural engineering senior, said she had not even considered ballroom dancing until she saw the lavish gowns that the advanced dancers wear during competition and she was hooked.
“A lot of (people) say they have two left feet so they can’t dance, but they don’t realize that we can pretty much teach anyone how to dance,” she said.
Although ballroom dancing may seem like an obscure endeavor, television shows like “Dancing with the Stars” and “So You Think You Can Dance” have boosted attendance and popularity of the club.
Mechanical engineering freshman Tyler Brenen said he would encourage others to try ballroom dancing even if they’re apprehensive.
“One of our WOW speeches said you have to throw away your cool card and just be open to new things. Most people do not know how to dance so it’s really cool to finally learn how to dance for real. And it is a very impressive skill.”
Ellwood said dancing also keeps the mind and body active.
“Not only is it physically challenging, but it’s mentally challenging as well,” he said. “You have to remember the steps, you have to be on time, you have to think about what to do next as you’re following (and) you have to think about what the proper technique is. That’s why they say it’s something to do your whole life.”