Round dancers cha-cha night away in Union

By Heather Holman
Summer Reporter

The South Ballroom of the Purdue Memorial Union was filled Friday night with 90 couples — averaging 65-years-old — laughing, learning and dancing.

People from New Jersey to California and all the states in-between came to Purdue for the 13th year of the round dancing weekend, also known as festivals.

Steve Greger, round dancer of 16 years and resident of Zionsville, Ind., said the event is always around the Fourth of July weekend.

"It's fun and it keeps us healthy," Greger said.

Bill Goss, round dance cuer and co-director of the Round Dance event, said, "Round dancing is choreographed ballroom dancing."

Ballroom dancing is more of an individual thing, where couples perform their own steps; round dancing is more social, he said.

"The activity is extremely social, you've got to love people," Greger said.

Couples formed two large circles, one encompassing the other, around the perimeter of the ballroom. As the music began a cuer called out different figures or steps, and the couples moved around the room in the form of the circle, dancing the same steps, until the dance was complete.

"It's a challenge," said Wilda Pitts, round dancer of 15 years.

The dancing festivities began at 8 p.m. on Friday, and continued until midnight Saturday.

Throughout the weekend, dancers will be taught two dances. Greger said the dances are mostly waltzes and cha-chas.

Goss and his wife Carol, co-director of the event, taught one of the dances. Ron and Ree Rumble, round dancers for 27 years and New Jersey residents, taught the other.

Ree Rumble said couples would spend at least two to two and a half-hours learning and practicing the steps. "It's pretty intense," Rumble said.

Most of the couples attending the festival were regulars. "It's like a reunion," Donna Bruss, round dancer of 15 years, said. Goss said most of the dancers are repeats, although there were a lot of new people on the waiting list.

"This is one of the nicest ones (festival) we have," Goss said. "People love coming to Purdue."