1) Scott Tucker, a computer science major, is the vice president of his university's ballroom dance team, despite having no dance experience before college. 2) The dance team attracts a variety of students, including those with dance backgrounds wanting to maintain skills, those seeking social opportunities, and those looking for a break from academics. Over half of the team members are engineering or science majors. 3) As a computer science major, Tucker finds balancing the dance team with his coursework challenging, but enjoys the social aspects and break from studying that it provides.

1. Ashley Slimp
Scott Tucker imagined that he would be stuck behind a computer screen for
the next four years, but by his second semester, he found himself in a much more
unusual place: on the dance floor.
Tucker, a computer science major at the University of Tennessee, is currently
the vice president for the school’s Ballroom Dance Team, a leadership role he said
he never imagined for himself.
“I did not do any type of dancing or performing before I came to college,” Tucker
said. “It took two friends and about a semester’s worth of time to get me to go to my
first practice, and then I was just hooked.”
Students join the team for a variety of reasons. A few students with dance
backgrounds join the team to maintain their abilities. Some hope to make friends,
and to learn a new skill. Others are looking for a break from homework and a chance
to exercise during the week. The team’s current officers and dance instructor work
hard to keep the team’s atmosphere as inviting as possible, so that everyone feels
welcome, regardless of their age, major or skill level.
Tucker feels the strain of balancing the dance team with his academic
responsibilities. Members of the team practice for three hours each Tuesday and
Thursday, plus hold additional rehearsals on weekends.
Tucker is not the only member of the team with difficult classes, as several of
the dancers major in science or math.
“It’s not that unusual for a science major or engineering major to be on the team,”
said Noah Caldwell, another dancer. “The team is actually probably half engineering
majors.”
Despite the heavy time commitment, something about the team keeps
students with difficult majors coming back to practice. For Tucker, it is the
opportunity to meet new people while learning a new skill. It also gives him a break
from his heavy course load.
“I think it’s the social aspect more than anything,” Tucker said. “I’ve made some
really good friends in the club; I love hanging out with them and interacting with
them in this kind of way.”
The team also gives students a chance to show off their skills. Every month,
the team hosts a themed fundraiser on campus, allowing dancers to introduce
different people to the sport that they love. In addition, competition trips allow team
members to dance with several partners and meet new people. Instead of assigning

2. partners, the campus ballroom team encourages dancers to practice with as many
people as possible.
“It’s not awkward at all,” Tucker said. “There’s almost a different mindset that you
go into when you start ballroom dancing. You’re thinking about posture, positioning,
partnering, how you move with each other.”
The team’s dance instructor, J. W. Becker, describes ballroom dancing as
“being bit by the bug.” After high school, Becker hoped to attend college, but had to
put off his enrollment for a surgical procedure. During his time off, he joined a dance
training class, expecting it to be a temporary hobby. Imagine his surprise when he
fell in love with the sport. He loves the idea of a campus ballroom dance team,
because it gives him a chance to share his passion for the sport with college
students.
“For me, I really enjoyed knowing that I was developing something for myself, but
also something that I could do with other people,” Becker said. “People don’t really
realize what it’s like until they start learning how to dance, and then they’re doing
something they have not been able to do before.”
Becker says that the number of academically oriented people on the team
does not surprise him, but he is impressed by the students’ commitment to the
team. He said that the team practices as much as he did as a young professional. He
also said that it gives these academically oriented students a chance to exercise their
bodies as well as their minds.
“It’s a huge commitment, and they’re putting in about as much as I did when I was
first starting,” Becker said. “It usually does attract people who are very invested in
school and careers.”
Currently, Tucker and the other dancers are getting ready for spring’s
national competition in Charlotte, North Carolina. For one weekend, the team will
pack up their homework and put their dancing skills to the test against ballroom
teams from throughout the country.
The team’s hard work and commitment paid off two weeks ago, when some
of the dancers advanced several rounds at the competition in Columbus, Ohio.
The team is excited to welcome several new members in January, several of
whom will be freshmen.
“It is a big time commitment, but I love ballroom dancing,” Tucker said. “Once I
finally tried it, it stuck with me. It creates bonds and makes connections.”