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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 8, 1998)
LAURA GOSS/Emerald Members of the Oregoti Ballroom Dance Formation Team practice their moves Tuesday night Dance: Team to perform at art fair Ml Continued from Page 1 her friend Sarah Perez along, and now Adams, Perez and Amaral have become the heart of the for mation team. Amaral said she thinks Eugene needs a competitive team. “There’s really not a competi tive scene in Eugene,” she said. “They have the Friday night dances for everybody, but some times there are people who want to take it to another level.” Like the ballroom club, the for mation team does not receive any funding from the University. Fur thermore, the team is not even af filiated with the University. It was simply an idea that came out of the club. The formation team, composed of four couples, meets twice a week for two or more hours each session to work on a choreo graphed waltz written by Adams. "It’s kind of like a drill team, except with dancing,” Adams ex plained. The team is currently putting the finishing touches on a routine it will perform at the EMU Am phitheater during the University Art Fair on May 23. When the team does compete, all of the cou ples will perform together in for mation during a three-minute pre sentation. Three minutes may sound like a short length of time, but it can be difficult, Amaral said. "If you’re doing it right, you get tired very quickly,” she said. "Within the three minutes there is a lot of choreography.” Dance choreography is nothing new to Perez. She has participat ed in all kinds of dance, including jazz, tap and ballet. Although ball room is difficult, it should not be intimidating, she said. “It’s not easy,” Perez said, “but a beginner could learn it — myself included. We work really hard so we can pick this stuff up quickly. Basically, if you have good timing and good rhythm, you can do the dance.” The team’s dance is more ad vanced than those at Friday dances. "It shows what you can do with the dances,” Perez said. The team will add maneuvers like lifts and turns to the waltz. "That’s the type of stuff you don’t see at Fri day-night dances.” The team members said they hope to perform regularly next year at the ballroom club’s Friday dances and other events, but there will be changes. The most appar ent difference will be in coaches. Adams will be graduating, and the team will bring in former competitive dancer Laura Taylor to coach the team. It has also re ceived a verbal agreement from professional Seattle dance in structor Peter Mant to choreo graph. Next year will be important for the team, Adams said. It will need to recruit a few more dancers and remain dedicated and focused. “It will be more structured,” he said, “and it will be using a higher level of choreography.” But team members still dance for fun, and they are looking for others to join them. “I hope it provides people who enjoy dancing an opportunity to become more technical — like I’m doing,” Amaral said. In the meantime, the team will continue practicing and preparing for its first performance at the art fair. Soon it will begin fund rais ing to pay for costumes and other team expenses. Even though he will not be the coach, Adams said he hopes the team does well. “After we’ve done a couple competitions, there would be a possibility of the U of O actually sponsoring one,” he said. It is not a current issue with the team, but it may soon become one. “I’d like to see it fly,” he said. “It’s one of those things — it’s hard to say where it can go.” Take action against child sexual abuse by joining with Greeks Against Rape fGARJ, Sexual Assault Free Environment fSAFEJ and Sexual Assault Support Services fSASSJ 0033061 Please support our prevention efforts by depositing your pennies at the following locations: • University housine area desks between 5/4 and 5/11 • all Greek sororities and fraternities the whole month of May • or any Pacific Continental Bank location durine May Pennies For Prevention 6J0 Lincoln Street in Eugene, OK 97401 Bus. 4(0 9791 CRISIS: 4B5-6700 GAR weekly meetings every Tuesday. Everyone welcome. Contact Greek Life Office at 346-1146 To reach SAFE, contact the ASUO officeat 346-0644 S«! jig** S' MJtUAL »»a*oir SUPPOA1 mkvicm TAKE A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE! EXCL IVELV It doesn ’1 have to be dirty to be good.... TOYS • GIFTS • VIDEOS • LINGERIE 1166 South A, Springfield, 726-6969 • Open 24 Hours (Almost) Track Town Pizza “Everybody's Favorite Pie" Lucky Duck Deal i Medium $095 $095, O Large Cheese or Pepperoni 484-2799 Campus Location 1809 Franklin Menu, Locations, Contests, Delivery Maps, UO Sports www.tracktown.com
