Final Project - Jean

The University of Maryland's ballroom club, Ballroom at Maryland, organized a whole-day competition, BAM Jam, at the Adele H. Stamp Student Union building on April 20, 2019.

The preparation for BAM Jam included a newcomers' workshop at the School of Public Health on April 14. It is meant for members who had just joined the University of Maryland's ballroom dancing club in the spring semester.

Josee Onana, a University of Maryland sophomore studying public health science, dancing with her partner, Stephen Coyne, a junior majoring in mechanical engineering and French. They both picked up ballroom dancing this semester.

For the first of the five-hour workshop, UMD alumnus Chen Ling (right) reviewed competition rounds with the newbies. Demonstrating with BAM president Kate Minker, he is recapping with the beginners how they should walk onto the dance floor. Chen taught more classes last semester, but this time, he had to care for his baby. 

Burke Beckley, also an alumnus, revising the triple step for Latin dance. He said he used to teach more classes when he was a student too, apart from the one-off practice session during the workshop. He will be emceeing for BAM Jam.

 

Simultaneously at the other side of the gym, graduate student Kristina-Maria Paspalis and alumnus Albert Shih from the class of '14 were also practicing their choreography. They have been dance partners since their junior year in UMD. 

Onana tries on a Ballroom skirt that the newbie Latin ballroom instructors Ike Elele and Stephanie Tompkins brought as examples of the costumes the newbies would have to put on for the competition.  During the last hour of the five-hour workshop, Elele and Tompkin gave a competition survival guide.

Tompkins uses Minker's hair to demonstrate how to tame thick hair and put it into bun fit for a ballroom dancing competition. She pointed out that the female newbies had hair which textures were like Minker's, and their hair cannot be in their faces during the competition.

After gelling Minker's hair back, going over it with a fine-toothed comb, and gathering it in a ponytail, Tompkins uses a hairnet in a color the same as Minker's hair when damp to bun it. Tompkins said even the males should learn, so they can help their partners on the day of the competition.

Tompkins quickly demonstrating how to do a full face of make-up for the competition. She explained that products such as contour, eye shadow and blush were necessary to prevent faces from looking pale among the crowd of competitors. 

Coyne and Minker helping to set up the grand ballroom at the Adele H. Stamp Student Union building on April 19, the night before BAM Jam. The stanchions with retractable belts are used to demarcate the waiting areas for the competitors before their event.

Graduate student for computer science Joshua Brule, a volunteer coordinator for BAM, stuffing and covering holes for electrical sockets on the floor of the ballroom to give dancers a smooth surface to dance on. 

Termed "Pajama Jam," students from the 13 colleges participating in BAM Jam go to the rehearsal on the night before in their pajamas to practice and socialize.Students from Thomas Nelson Community College came dressed in Pikachu and Charmander onesies from the Pokémon series.

 Meghan DeChello, from the ballroom club at Stony Brook University, came in her duck room slippers but the soles gave way from sliding around the floor. She swapped them for socks instead afterwards.

BAM Jam participants doing the Wobble, which is a popular line dance to the song of "Wobble Baby Wobble" by rapper V.I.C.

 The rehearsal gave the participants a chance to dance with members of ballroom clubs from other colleges. 

On the day of the competition, competitors arrived at the grand ballroom in the Adele H. Stamp Student Union building an hour ahead of the start time. Caleigh Hatcher from Georgia Institute of Technology, who competed in the newcomer categories, gets her hair braided by Cameron Russ at 8 a.m. to get ready for the long day of dancing ahead.

Arina Nikitina secures the number tag on her partner, Will Zhang, while he puts his arms out in a dance position so that the tag would be straight when they are on the competition floor. They are both from Georgia Institute of Technology.

BAM Jam welcomed competitors from 13 colleges. There are four segments: American Smooth, International Standard, American Rhythm and International Latin.

Christopher Hall swings his partner, Brooke Henderson, both from University of Virginia, during the competition rounds for standard dance.

At intermission fun dance segments, competitors were invited to dance with anyone but according to a rule given by the emcee. Three hours into the 12-hour event, the first was to dance back-to-back. Judges went around tapping participants on their shoulders to indicate they were out, till the last pair remained.

Justin Valenti and his partner, Talia Leventhal, both from Pennsylvania State University, competing in standard dance.

A close up of the embroidered sequins on Levanthal's ballroom dress. She is a graduate student from Penn State University finishing her masters in biological engineering. 

  

After the Smooth and Standard segments, competitors changed into their costumes for the Rhythm segment. Hemlines for dresses are generally shorter for the Rhythm segment, which includes dances like cha cha, mambo, rumba, swing and salsa, to exaggerate body and hip movement, complementing the dance.

Competitors gather for the last prize ceremony out of several throughout the 12-hour competition.