Joining the club is easy! There are three branches of the Ballroom Club at UMass Lowell: the Student Club, Community Club, and Instructional Classes. 

For Students

Step 1

To officially join the Student club, sign up here: CRC Website

Step 2

Sign up for BOTH email lists on this page: www.umlballroom.org/email

That's it! You're in! You may now come to Sunday practices, Thursday classes, and compete. The full description is below.

Student Club

Make sure you are eligible. To join the Student Club, you must be a full-time undergrad, full-time grad student, faculty, or staff member. Spouses, part-time students, and Middlesex Community College students are not allowed to participate in club sports.
These eligbility requirements apply only to club activities. Anyone can participate in the Community Club and Instructional Classes.

For Non-Students

See the chart below for which club you can join:

Eligibility

Community Club and Instuctional Classes

Anyone, regardless of University affiliation, can participate in the Community Club and Instructional Classes. Costs for someone from outside the University will be higher than the costs for students, but it is still a considerable bargain.

To sign up officially, you must fill out the paperwork needed by the Rec Center. Talk to an officer at practice if you have not done this.

For Everyone

Responsibilities

These responsibilites are mandatory for Student Club members, and optional for Community Club members.

Once you're a member, here's what you need to do to maintain Active status:

• Attend practices.
• Assistant-teach the Ballroom Beginner class (starting with your second semester)
• Help out with the Community Service projects (we do one per semester)
• Help out with a fundraiser (we do at least one per semester)
• You must re-register every semester with the club. Contact the Captain for details.

Benefits

Here are some of the benefits of being an active memeber, which apply to both Student and Community Clubs:

• You can come to the Club practices, where you learn moves and advanced technique not covered in the Beginner Class
• You have access to coaching, lessons, and other resources, including our in-house professional coach, Amanda Clark
• You can compete under the UML name
• The Club subsidizes your competition fees
• You have access to all the Club members and Rec Center staff for help with costumes, equipment, and coaching
• The amazing camaraderie of being part of the Ballroom Dance Club.

Costs

Student Club dues are $25 per semester. The cost of the Beginner Class is set by the Recreation Center, and is usually $25 for students. If you are taking the Class, you may participate in the club (if you are eligible) that semester for no additional cost. You must be eligible for the Student Club, as described above.

Community Club costs $165 per semester. This includes 10 weeks of activities per semester, including advanced lessons, competitions, and social events. Community Club members may come on Sundays for lessons and practice time, 6:30 - 9:00 PM at the Campus Recreation Center.

Like any sport or activity, in dancing you may find that as you advance that you need some specialized gear. Ballroom shoes are an excellent investment, and generally run between $80 and $150. A typical quality pair is about $100-$120 retail. For competition, followers (girls) need a dress for rhytm and smooth dances, usually already have some appropriate pieces in their closets. Leaders wear dark dress pants, with a shirt and tie for smooth dances and a more fun outfit for rhythm.

The club has a relationship with Take The Lead Dancewear, a local ballroom shoe and equipment provider. Brian Bercury of Take The Lead comes to club practices once per semester (or more if we need him!) to help people learn about and see the different dance footwear options. Check out their website at www.ttleaddancewear.com

How to Join

Student Club: sign up online at the Recreation Center Website
Community Club: sign up in person at the Campus Recreation Center.

More Information

Feel free to contact the officers at info@umlballroom.org