Hi Team!
Happy Sunday! Gerardo and Andrea taught a wonderful newcomer Waltz and Cha Cha lesson today and gave some helpful advice for our upcoming competition. It’s finally the week of MichComp, so make sure you practice everything they went over at DTS. We have lots of important reminders for this week below and the Meet the B Team, so keep reading!
Announcements for Everyone:
- Shoutouts: We will be having shoutouts in our program at MichComp! This is a great way to support your friends on the team! It consists of a message and an optional photo. You can/should also send this to your parents if they’d be interested. The cost is $20 per shoutout. If you’re interested, fill out this form. The due date is 3/31.
- SAPAC: As per the email from Anna, if you did not do SAPAC last semester (or if you weren’t on the team then), please fill out this semester’s SAPAC form. This is a MANDATORY part of being on the team, the deadline for completing this semester’s form is next Monday, 4/7!
- Michcomp Registration: Registration for MichComp 2025 is open! Come compete with us at our home competition on April 5th. More information, along with registration, can be found in the email Nate will send out or on our website right here. If you are still looking for a partner, remember to check the TBA spreadsheet here.
- Elections: Ballroom board elections are coming up! Elections for the new board will be held at our EOS party on April 19th. Nominations are due on April 5th at 11:59 pm and platforms will be distributed to the team on the 6th. If you are interested in running for the board, be sure to read the overview of each board position and the election information.
- Themed DTS: Themed DTS every Wednesday. This Wednesday’s theme is getting ready for MichComp. Wear your practice wear best, ballroom merch, or UMich gear for MichComp this weekend! Hoorah!!!
- Partner Search: If you want to find a partner to practice and/or compete with, please look at this partner search sheet for you to find a partner on.
- W25 Approved Teachers: We recommend only asking for help regarding dance moves and technique from a list of couples approved by Steve and Susan. See the list here.
- W25 Competition Schedule: Check here for the dates of the competitions we’ll be attending this semester.
- Feedback Form: Do you have any questions, comments, or concerns about the team? We want to hear from you! Let us know by talking to a board member or by using the team’s anonymous feedback form on our website. Anything you report to us is 100% confidential.
- Other Practice Spaces: IMSB room schedule here. The Ballroom Dance Club lesson/open dance schedule here.
This Week’s Schedule…
Monday 3/31
9:30-11:30 pm: Open Practice at DTS
Tuesday 4/1
9:30-11:30 pm: Open Practice at DTS
Wednesday 4/2
10 pm-12 am: Open Practice at DTS, wear your MichComp Gear!
Thursday 4/3
9-11 pm: Pre-MichComp Rounds at the IMSB
NO DTS!
Friday 4/4
5-8 pm: MichComp Set Up at Skyline High School
8-10 pm: MichComp Welcome Dance
Saturday 4/5
8 am – 6 pm: MichComp at Skyline High School!!!
6-8 pm: MichComp Teardown
Sunday 4/6
3-5 pm: Newcomer Lesson in the IMSB
6-9 pm: Ballroom Club in the Union Ballroom
Meet the B Team
Nate and Nicolette
Nate is a sophomore majoring in Political Science, and this is his third semester on the team. His favorite dance is British Foxtrot. Fun fact: Nate’s favorite food is olive paesano bread from Zingerman’s! Ask him for cheese and bread recommendations. Nicolette is a junior double majoring in Social Theory and Practice and Antarctic Studies on a Prelaw track, and this is her third semester on the team. Her favorite dance is International Cha Cha. She once successfully argued her way out of a parking ticket using a combination of legal precedent and sheer force of will.
Johny and Lindsay
Johny is a graduate student pursuing a Master’s in Computer Engineering, and this is his 8th semester on the team. His favorite dance is Jive. Fun fact: Johny once accidentally mistook his best friend’s wallet for his own at a party, and in a moment of drunken impulse, used their credit card to book a one-way flight to the Bahamas. He didn’t realize until landing that he had forgotten to cancel the flight and ended up spending the weekend on a private beach, all while avoiding his friend’s calls and texts. He’s still trying to pay off the debt! Lindsay is a graduate student pursuing a Residency in Orthodontics, and this is her sixth semester on the team. Her favorite dance is Samba. Fun fact: She has a dog named Lily and a cat named Ragnar.
Owen and Reiah
Owen is a subby-senior studying Environmental Science, and this is his fourth semester on the team. His favorite dance is whatever tik tok dance is trending right now. Fun fact: He once spent an entire summer trying to communicate with squirrels in Morse code, but they never replied. Reiah is a junior majoring in Psychology, and this is her sixth semester on the team. Her favorite dance is the Latin Rumba. Fun fact: She has a collection of over 100 rubber ducks, each with a unique name and backstory, but Johny keeps stealing them and hiding them using other people as decoys and stashes.
Marvin and Claire
Marvin is a sophomore majoring in Computer Science, and this is his third semester on the team. His favorite dances are Quickstep, Jive, and International Foxtrot. Fun fact: He once got into a heated debate with a parrot at a pet store and left convinced he had lost the argument. Claire is a senior majoring in Anthropology, and this is her fifth semester on the team. Her favorite dance is Waltz. Fun fact: She once spent an entire road trip speaking exclusively in pirate slang, much to the dismay of her fellow passengers.
Max and Anna
Max is a graduate student pursuing a Master’s in Aerospace Engineering, and this is his sixth semester on the team. His favorite dance is Standard Viennese Waltz. Fun fact: He is banned from the aux in several counties. Anna is a senior majoring in Molecular Biology, and this is their sixth semester on the team. Their favorite dance is the International Viennese Waltz. Fun fact: They personally believe that pennies and nickels should not exist and have a vendetta against them.
Ashley and Anushka
Ashley is a sophomore majoring in English, and this is her fourth semester on the team. Her favorite dances are International and American Cha-Cha. Fun fact: As of now, she is currently on level 1539 of Wordscapes. Anushka is a graduate student pursuing a degree in Law, and this is her seventh semester on the team. Her favorite dance is Jive. Fun fact: She once convinced a courtroom full of people that she was a time traveler from the 1800s for a law school project, and they believed her for an entire hour.
I can’t believe MichComp is already here, this semester is going by so fast! I can’t wait to compete with you all one last time. As always, reach out if you have any questions/comments/concerns. I’m happy to help in any way that I can. Otherwise, I’ll see you all at DTS this week :)
Love,
Nicolette
MBDT President