Author Archives: oconn589

One of the goals of the National Collegiate DanceSport Championships is to help dancers continue to be a part of the wonderful DanceSport world. We’re thrilled to present you with a selection of articles from members of the community about continuing on in DanceSport, both in college and after graduation. This anthology includes a mixContinue reading “About the NCDC Anthology: Volume One”

By Seth Westlake Finding a Committed Partner, or Continuing on with One Finding a committed partner can often be the hardest step. It can be difficult—and at times, almost impossible—to find someone who meets all of your competitive criteria. There’s the time large time commitment, including practice, coaching, travel, and days at competition. There’s theContinue reading “Tips for Dancing after College”

By Elisha Otis (a pseudonym) What would you say if I told you that it was possible for someone to run 85 miles a day for twelve days, and to run faster on the back six days than the front six days?  It would certainly make those Jive rounds a little easier, right? How aboutContinue reading “The Dance Bibles”

By Esther Foo and Ziqing Lin This is a joint piece by Ziqing and Esther, who have been dancing together since 2011 with a little break for Esther’s grad school commitments. Ziqing started ballroom dancing in his senior year of fall 2006, so he has been dancing for eleven years since undergrad. Esther, on theContinue reading “Making it Work”

By Jonathan Wolfgram It is by no means uncommon to have an unproductive day of practice from time to time. You might be sore or your partner might be having a rough day, and although it can be frustrating, this is to be expected in any sport as partnership-reliant as ballroom is. But, if you’veContinue reading “Practice Time and Positivity”

By Nick Johnson Picture the scene: on the road, a bus with 49 of your closest friends (literally), when the sun goes down, and you’ve depleted the budgeted reserve of oreos and mixed nuts. Drowsiness and a grumbling abdomen hound every breath when suddenly, the announcement comes over the PA that everyone on team hasContinue reading “Iron Chef Ballroom: Eating Right at a Competition”

By Hannah Alyea Dancing. This word defines me in ways I never thought possible. I started ballroom dancing my sophomore year of college. I had no previous experience, but I tried one lesson and was instantly hooked. I have learned so many things like standing up straight, using gravity and floor pressure, keeping proper frame,Continue reading “Dancing Through the Distance”

By Jessica Doro Dancing can be incredibly beneficial to a person’s health, both mentally and physically. To gain the greatest health benefits from dance, however, one must also maintain healthy dance habits. Having been a dancer for several years, I have had my fair share of pain and injury, but I hope to continue dancingContinue reading “Healthy Dancing”

A Shared Experience on Breaking Out of your Assigned Dance Roles By Abby Mark When I first started dancing, it seemed unusual to see two women competing together. I may have seen one or two couples, but otherwise it was strange to me. Why would any woman want to lead? It seemed counterintuitive to learnContinue reading “Learning to Lady Lead”