Waltzing smoothly across the dance floor with arms extended and backs slightly arched, several dancers glide past, their reflections flickering in the mirrored walls behind them. For a split second their modern attire seems to fade into a sea of ballgowns and black suits, as the dance classroom in the Memorial Union transports everyone to another time and place.
On Nov. 21, the public is invited to time travel with the OSU DanceSport club as they host a Viennese Ball in the MU Ballroom. The event is a fundraiser for the club, which competes in ballroom dance at the collegiate level across the West Coast. Even more importantly, it’s a chance to embrace the elegance and magic of a Victorian-era ballroom.
Club President Grace Maynard, a senior in enology, said the event is both a performance and an escape from the mundane.
“This will be a group performance and a showcase of our dancers, but also a chance to give people with no experience the taste of one of those grand balls,” Maynard said. “Many of our dancers have always wanted to go to a Viennese ball, and this gives students a chance to dress up and dance the night away.”
Viennese balls are a standard at Ivy League schools like Stanford and Yale, and Maynard said it was time for places like OSU to do the same.
“OSU likes to get fancy,” she said with a laugh.
Gwendolyn Waterer, a junior majoring in nutrition and dietetics, helped organize the ball. “It’s a first for us but we hope that it will become an annual event,” she said. Waterer is especially interested in events that will help raise money for team members to attend competitions, because ballroom dancing is not a cheap sport. Costumes, dance shoes and travel all add up for performers, and Waterer said she doesn’t want anyone excluded because of cost.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” she said.
DanceSport was established in 2018 and had around 50 members when the pandemic shut them down. In 2023, Maynard, who had never taken any dance until she took ballroom classes at OSU, decided to try and revive the club with about six interested dancers. There are now around 40 active members and two coaches, and they compete across the West Coast as members of the Collegiate DanceSport Association. Their next competition is in February.
The Viennese Ball will include a waltz performance by club members, a short tutorial for guests who haven’t waltzed before and then a full dance with refreshments for all attendees. Attire is formal, so suits and ballgowns are expected. The performers themselves will wear traditional white gowns, tiaras and white gloves, or black suits if they’re leads.
Etiquette is an important part of ballroom culture, Maynard explained. Those wishing to invite a partner should do so with courtesy and accept rejection gracefully. Once they have a willing partner, Maynard said dancers must always be aware of their surroundings and how far they’re traveling on a crowded ballroom floor, as well as the comfort of their dance partner. Waltzing requires close proximity and connection for the dancers. She said it’s also fine to attend and play a spectator role.
“For kids our age, ballroom dancing teaches confidence and respect,” Maynard said. “It gives students a lot of social skills and connection, and teaches us how to treat our dance partners with respect. Also, learning to to hold yourself with elegance is really a life skill.”
The Viennese Ball takes place from 7-9 p.m, Nov. 21, in the MU Ballroom. Tickets are $15 for students, family members of dancers and alums, and $25 for community members, and are available here.
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