Charter

What is this club?

StuyBallroom is a club focused on the variety of dance styles in Latin/Ballroom dancing. It includes traditional dancesport styles‐ such as the Cha-Cha, Samba, Rumba, Paso-Doble, and Jive‑, social latin styles like the Salsa, and even stunting tricks. StuyBallroom will teach and nurture new and existing talents so everyone can step, spin, and fly. Members are able to join in on projects and performances held both in and outside of school. Anyone, even non-members, are able to join in on the fun by attending open classes. Learn to soar and swing in the air, as well as dance with and meet new people. StuyBallroom hopes to perform and attend competitions as well showcases. StuyBallroom aims to prepare for all the schoolwide dance opportunities including Stuy Squad, Sing, and SOS. Members of all grades are encouraged to join and learn. In addition to learning about various dance styles, Stuyballroom explores the rich, cultural backgrounds of latin and ballroom dancing.

What days does this organization meet?

Friday

What is the meeting schedule?

We will have an open class once a month, all non-mandatory as it is just whoever wants to come. People who are not members are also welcome to come. We want to be able to hold meetings in open spaces in the school or get funding for studios at Gibney. During major performances like Sing, meetings may be paused as everyone in the club will be focusing on those performances.

What would a typical meeting look like?

A typical meeting will last around 1 hour. We will start with warm-ups to some fun tunes to prevent injuries and let the muscles loose. After that, the choreographer/ president will give a brief break-down of what we will be doing as well as some brief history and technique on the dance style featured during the meeting. Each class is hosted by different people, each demonstrating a new type of dance, the style, and a choreo workshop. We have also been known to occasionally end with karaoke to bring everyone together. Besides just dancing, meeting may also include supervise stunt practices where people can learn basic and fun stunts with friends in a safe and guided enviornment. People who have stunted for a long time, whether that be through showcases or Sing will have the expertise to guide new people who want to try to get a chance at stunting.

How does this activity appoint leaders?

The leadership positions will be appointed during their junior/sophomore year as assistant before they become their role during their junior/senior year. Founding members are an exception. Other positions include Social Media Manager, Choreographers, and Stunt Teachers. Presidents and SMM are board members. There are two presidents, 2 SMM, ~2 extra Choreographers (presidents are also Choreographers) and two Stunt Teachers. If necessary, based on a majority vote, appointed leaders may be removed and replaced. All positions are expected to have at least 1-2 years of experience in the field before they are considered. To become a president, the current president will choose a potential member based on past performance. SMM, Choreographer, and Stunt Teachers will fill out forms during their freshman/sophmore year to become an assistant the following year. All applicants will be interviewed by the president to ensure the best applicant is chosen. Freshman may be considered if they show exceptional performance. If so, the presidents will individually talk with them.

What makes this activity unique?

Ballroom is one of the only clubs that offers multiple dances in one and caters specific attention to numerous aspects, ranging from facial expressions to arms and footwork. You can learn to move with elegance and gracefulness, as well as fierceness and not only does it include the traditional Dancesport styles of the Cha-Cha, Samba, Rumba, Paso-Doble, and Jive, it also includes cool stunting tricks where people fly and twirl in the air. Ballroom offers open classes to anyone willing to try. We are the only club to dance to multiple different genres and the only way people can learn to stunt without joining a team. People are able to try things that they've never done before in a non-confrontational and non-judgemental way. There are no clubs that are able to offer the variety and niche that StuyBallroom encompasses even though other dance forms do. StuyBallroom hopes to feel like a family to those who are interested as many people who want to try dancing may feel intimidated by other clubs.