Talya Dersu, Special to The Denisonian—
Fifteen pairs of black and white socks glide on the shiny tan colored floor as it vibrates with the music. Graceful twirls and sway fill the room. No, it’s not ballet, or jazz, it’s the Ballroom Buzzards Dance Club.
Sophia Scime ‘26 grew up going to her mother’s dance classes. Her mother, Tara Scime, is a ballroom dance instructor with her own business, Ballroom and Beyond in Buffalo, New York. Sophia started with pop and tap dancing but she always felt that those pirouettes prepared her for ballroom dancing.
“They were like building blocks for ballroom dancing,” Scime said.
Scime would observe her mother at USA Dance where she would sway and swirl with her mom’s students and other instructors.
“It was fun to do and to be with my friends and family,” Scime said. “I had a different relationship with ballroom dancing than those other dance forms.”
Scime applied those skills to create the new ballroom dancing club, hoping to introduce students to classic dance forms. Tara always calls it a “forever sport”, something you can learn that will never leave you. Ballroom dancing skills always can come in handy whether that is at a wedding, party or event.
“It is a great new addition to this campus and another great opportunity for students to have. At first, it might be intimidating because you are stretching out your body in different ways but throughout time it gets easier,” Scime said.
Scime adopts some of Tara’s teaching techniques, such as humor to lighten the mood of the environment.
“My mom likes to say that the nasty F word is frame,” Scime said. “Frame is a ballroom dance position about how the dancer’s arms and upper bodies are held properly.”
So, what exactly happens at a typical Ballroom Buzzards dance meeting? Well, it starts with a few minutes of warm ups. Scime likes to incorporate some of the new choreography in her warmups so people can slowly be introduced to these moves.
“I like to put the music on and get everyone moving,” Scime said. Then, she splits the class time into two sections: smooth and rhythm dances. Finally at the end, there is a cool down and time for any questions or comments.
Scime’s face lights up as she envisions her future goals for her club. She plans on showcasing her dances in the near future, possibly in competitions. She has already connected with OSU’s ballroom dance club in hopes of coming together for some sort of mixer.
Every year there is the Arnold Dancesport Classic, a competition for all ranges of skill in ballroom dancing. “This is a huge possibility and opportunity for us,” Scime said, but emphasized her primary focus: “have fun and create a good environment for people to make mistakes.”
“It’s not always easy. However, don’t discourage yourself, it’s a long yet rewarding journey,” Scime said.