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Kyle Epstein ’10, president of the Vassar Ballroom Dancing Club, has his dance lingo down: “There’s Latin: salsa, rumba, mambo, merengue, cha-cha; and traditional American: fox trot, waltz, tango, swing,” he explained enthusiastically. But this week, student dancers are perhaps less on the spot than their professors. This coming Friday, April 23 at 8 p.m., the second floor of the Students’ Building will house Vassar’s second annual Dancing with the Professors event, a nod to ABC’s hit reality television show, Dancing with the Stars. Pairing student Ballroom Club members with faculty members in a collaborative learning and performing endeavor, this event will be the culmination of weeks of practice on the part of six couples.
The event began over a year ago when Epstein threw out the idea in a Club meeting. From there, it was just a matter of finding professors willing to rumba and mambo outside of the confines of their offices and homes (where we suspect the urge to dance must on occasion strike them). Vice President of the Club Mrin Patil ’12 commends the professors who have chosen to participate. “This is a really fun event. The professors really put themselves out there. I think it’s a real bonding experience and a brave thing to do,” she said with excitement.
Professors were not initially hasty in lining up to shake their stuff. Epstein detailed: “It’s definitely a fear on the faculty. A lot say, ‘I don’t know how to dance.’ Some professors say it’s something they just don’t do.” Patil added with a smile, “We had to go knocking on a lot of doors saying ‘c’mon, c’mon.’ One professor of mine even said, ‘Mrin, you’re a nice girl, but no.’”
Those who have courageously agreed to do what most only have nightmares about include: Professor of Classics Robert Brown dancing with Michelle Cantos ’11, Professor of Sociology Seungsook Moon with Alex Wang ’12, Associate Professor of Chemistry Christopher Smart with Katrina Mateo ’10, Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies Eva Woods with Alan Kenney ’13, Darrin Weaver—better known as TC—Chef’s Helper for Campus Dining Services with Patil and Assistant Professor of Education Maria Hantzopoulos with Epstein.
The couples have been hard at work practicing entire routines choreographed by students with input from the staff for around a month now. Some faculty who performed last year expressed an interest in participating again, but this year there are no returning professors. This shouldn’t be an issue: Staff members do not need any dance experience to take part, and there are no judges as in the television show.
“The last performance is a culmination of a lot of the dancers’ growth. We’re not there to show off elaborate crazy moves, though of course they’re encouraged,” Epstein said. He and Hantzopoulos are especially thrilled to be performing a cha-cha to Outkast’s “I Like the Way You Move.” Hantzopoulos has some dance experience, but Epstein appreciates her eagerness most of all. “She’s been extremely enthusiastic,” he explained.
Hantzopoulos elaborated in an e-mailed statement, “I love to dance, though the only formal dance training I have is when I took flamenco in my late teens—and that was a long time ago. I have also harbored secret desires to perform as a singer, despite the fact that I cannot sing at all. Dancing with the Professors is the next best thing I suppose—a relatively safe venue for marginally talented folks like me who have suppressed their inner diva (thank goodness).”
What you may be thinking at this point: aren’t student-professor couples kind of awkward on principle? After all, though ballroom dancing may not equal the level of lasciviousness you may discover (to your dismay or excitement) on a late night trip to Matthew’s Mug, the cha-cha-cha can get pretty sexy.
Epstein assuages any worries about these relations: “Since there may be that awkwardness in whatever theme or sequence you have, you just take a different angle, so it becomes a non-issue. Professors are people too at the end of the day.”
As the Ballroom Club puts it: “Thought your professor was cool in class? Well you haven’t seen anything yet. Come to [Dancing with the Professors] and watch them dance, dip and death drop like never before.” Skeptical? Check out last year’s performance on YouTube via the event Facebook page. You may find yourself wishing, surprisingly, that your professors busted out their moves more often.
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