Have you ever wanted to learn the steps of the salsa, or the sway of the waltz? Can you see yourself swinging away in the arms of your partner, floating along the dance floor? If so, you should consider joining the ballroom dance club at the University of Massachusetts.

Along with the grace and elegance it teaches to all who participate, the ballroom dance club also provides a way for its members to meet and share the art of dance with each other in a variety of forums and events.

In addition to being one of the few registered student organizations on campus that incorporates students from the Five College Consortium, members are also given the pleasure of learning steps from the UMass ballroom dance team during their weekly lessons in the Fine Arts Center.

Ballroom dance team captain Chris Broderick explained that over 25 years ago, ballroom dance was initially offered as a class for one or two credits as part of a physical education requirement. Eventually, the University discontinued the program, and ballroom dance was, for a short time, sponsored by the dance department as a social dance.

In the 1980s and ’90s, a competitive element was added, giving birth to the ballroom dance team. Although they took a hiatus from competing for around 10 years, the team and club now coincide.

“The best part of being able to go to [the ballroom dance] club is helping teach others and share my love of dancing,” said Jessica Eaton, a sophomore on the ballroom dance team. Eaton, whose parents were both professional ballroom dancers, has spent two semesters on the team, and has participated in five competitions since becoming a member.

Most recently, the team traveled to Cambridge, Mass., for the 17th Annual Harvard Invitational Competition, where couples competed in standard, Latin, smooth and rhythm dance categories. They also performed at UMass’s “Eruption,” which took place on Feb. 29 in the Student Union Ballroom. Additionally, the ballroom dance team is planning to attend the 2008 MIT Open Ballroom Dance Competition in April.

Senior Jacqueline Callander, who has been on the team since the spring of 2005, joined the ballroom dance club with her roommate before deciding to try out for the team.

“When I first joined the club, it was all about being able to do what I love, dance. Since then, the club has given me the opportunity to share my love and knowledge with tons of people throughout the Five College community”, she said. Callander has been the club publicist, team captain and is currently the club treasurer.

If you’re interested in simply learning the steps of ballroom dance without having the pressure of competing, the club is open to anyone within the Five Colleges to participate in, and no try-outs or auditions are necessary.

Nicole Cameron, a junior and a ballroom dance team member, says that it is a great opportunity for all who join.

“For those who have no time for a commitment, I would recommend the ballroom dance club,” she said. “It’s great even if you have no dance experience; we can teach you the basic steps.”

Each instruction begins with a demonstration from the team members, who attend almost all Monday night lessons in addition to their two other weekly practices. The attendees of the lesson split up by gender and form two lines across the lobby of the Fine Arts Center. One team member instructs each gender, covering topics such as foot movement, hand placement, time keeping and posture.

“The first hour and a half is for learning the basic dance steps. The last 30 minutes is used for club members to mix and mingle and practice,” Eaton said. “It’s great because the club gets to learn a new dance every week and then practice it here.”

“There’s a lot of technique that trickles down,” said team member Amanda Kohr. Since the team learns from professional ballroom dancers, they have very precise performance skills that they can share with members of the club.

President of the ballroom dance club Angie Punwani says that TV shows, such as “Dancing with the Stars” and “America’s Best Dance Crew,” “definitely make ballroom dance more popular.” But those routines are more for entertainment than competition.

“Collegiate competitions don’t allow lifts or flips, although some people come to the lessons expecting to do things like that,” she said. However, the experience gained is more than worthwhile.

The ballroom dance club holds lessons on Monday nights from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center lobby on the UMass campus. All are welcome to join for a small fee of $3 or for a full semester discount of $20. Upcoming lessons include the samba, foxtrot, salsa and cha-cha. A full schedule can be found on the group’s Web site, www.umass.edu/rso/ballroom.

Elyse Horowitz can be reached at [email protected]