Elvis Presley’s voice suddenly blasted from of a boom box in the SUB Friday, as clusters of students began dancing in unison.
Student Lauren Clinger said she felt thrown in the midst of a Popejoy production.
“It wasn’t expected, which was really neat — kind of like a musical only in real life,” she said.
UNM ballroom dance classes planned this “spontaneous” show, performing all over campus including the SUB, Zimmerman courtyard and by the Duck Pond to advertise the showcase on April 28.
Spectators certainly looked shocked at the sudden outburst of choreography, many stopping to observe the more than 50 enthusiastic movers and shakers.
Ballroom instructor Brenda Dunagan said she was pleased with her students’ performance and thought it served its intended purpose.
“They have been excited about it all semester and did a great job,” she said. “Our goal is to bring awareness to the UNM community that there is a ballroom club and there are ballroom classes and let people know there are events happening on campus that people and UNM can come and attend.”
Dunagan said the event was not meant to be a “flash mob,” since many universities around the country have forbidden them.
Student Calista John, who will be in Wednesday’s performances, said she thinks people were entertained and might be more likely to attend the showcase after seeing what they would experience.
“I’m really excited. It looked like fun,” she said. “I hope people thought it was pretty random. That is what she (our teacher) was going for; she wanted everyone to just be surprised.”
The benefits of participating in ballroom dance are immense, Dunagan said.
“There are numerous health benefits of course, such as increased flexibility, stamina (and) cardiovascular benefits,” she said. “We do a lot of competitions — we travel, we perform. I’ve been teaching for 19 years and I have performed in 11 different countries, all 50 states, so it has gotten me around the world.”
Anyone interested in joining the UNM ballroom community is more than welcome, Dunagan said, and no experience is needed.
“Ninety percent of the dancers had never danced before this semester,” she said. “By the end of the semester, they are performing choreographed routines in full costume for an audience of 1,000 people, so it is really cool.”
