Ballroom Dance Club captivates in third annual showcase
Community members gathered Saturday in the Recreation Center Field House to watch the Roger Williams University Ballroom Dance Club’s third annual showcase.
The event featured a variety of dances choreographed by the club’s members. Many hit songs were played during the showcase, including “Breakaway” by Kelly Clarkson and “The Pink Panther Theme” by Henry Mancini. Throughout the night, the audience clapped and cheered for the show’s participants, who put forth a great effort.
“It’s a fantastic event,” said David Kirby, a senior at RWU. “The choreography is amazing and I liked the music and lights.”
After the Ballroom Dance Club’s opening act, the dance team performed to “Intoxicated” by Martin Solveig and GTA. They shook their yellow pom-poms in unison to the future house song.
Afterward, dancing couples competed in the Dancing with the Stars of RWU contest. These dances featured unique costumes and choreography that intrigued everyone in the audience. Each dancer truly complemented the other, which led to several excellent performances.
These performances were judged by people from many different backgrounds. They included the club’s advisor Amanda Marsili, their instructor Rachael Capodanno, former club member Gianna
Scalisi, and Upper Commons employee, Alice Pasqual. They gave high ratings and congratulations to all of the contestants.
After a compelling first act, the audience and dancers took a brief intermission. During this time, the show’s spectators voted for their favorite dancing couple. The dancers’ friends and family offered them flowers as a gift for their hard work.
When the event resumed, the audience was treated to performances by the club’s eboard and juniors Russell Azzarello and Nina Ferreri. During their performance, Azzarello and Ferreri showed they had not lost a step while studying abroad in Florence, Italy last semester. Their performance received an especially loud round of applause from the audience.
At the conclusion of the second act, the audience’s favorite dancing couple was revealed. Sophomore Stephanie Brooks and Don Mays, the director of RWU’s Intercultural Center, were given the award for their performance to “Boogie Shoes” by KC and the Sunshine Band.
“The students do a great job and they get the audience really involved,” Mays said. “If they can get me to look good while dancing, they’re doing something right.”
The judges then received flowers for their contributions to the event. The club’s seniors were given trophies for their dedication to the club. Some had spent their entire college careers as club members, while others started more recently. Regardless of their level of experience, each one of them had a hand in the show’s success.
It was truly a memorable night for the dancers and spectators. The audience members marveled at the dancers’ special abilities. Their commitment to the Ballroom Dance Club was equally as impressive.
“I’m always super excited to see events on campus because people put a huge amount of effort into them,” said senior Skyler Moncada. “The fact that they are able to balance participating in the event and their studies is admirable.”
