Lessons

BDC meets on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. We have two lessons each night, one that teaches more advanced steps and one that is more beginner-friendly. However, everyone is welcome to both regardless of dance experience! We also have lessons on Fridays that are for competition team members only.

Warm-up 7:00 – 7:15pm
Intermediate Lesson 7:15 – 8:00pm
Beginner Lesson 8:00 – 8:45pm
Social Dance 8:45 – 9:30pm
Closeout/Question Time 9:30 – 10:00pm

Check out this folder to see examples of the different figures you can learn at our lessons!

Membership/Fees

Your first two lessons are free! After your free lessons, payment for a membership is required to continue attending our lessons.
  • Full Student Membership ($50) – This gives you access to all of our lessons (and the social dance afterwards) on Tuesdays and Thursdays for an entire semester.

Student Service Fees/Non-Student Memberships

Members not paying Student Services Fees are required to purchase a membership to the University’s Recreation and Wellness Center. If you are interested in doing so, please email bdc@umn.edu for more information. If you are a student at the University of Minnesota and are unsure if you are paying Student Services Fees, log into your student account and look for Student Services Fees, which will likely be immediately below tuition.

Waivers

All members must fill out an online waiver before attending lessons, which is available in the links below. Students and staff at the University of Minnesota are required to fill out a UMN Student Participation Waiver; everyone else (including students at other universities) must fill out an Non-UMN Student Participation Waiver. Waivers need to be filled out only once during each school year. 

Location

Ballroom Dance Club meets in the University Recreation and Wellness Center, located in the center of campus, and shown in the map below. Lessons are in Multipurpose Rooms 1 and 2, which are just up the stairs on the second floor. 

Dances

We primarily teach American Smooth and Rhythm styles, though we occasionally teach International Standard and Latin as well. Some of the specific dances are included in the video below. If you’d like to know more about the four different styles, head on over to our Dance Overview page.