On April 15 Wofford’s dance club hosted their first ever “Dancing with the Stars” competition, featuring dancers of varying levels. The event was a success in terms of engagement and fundraising.
The event raised over $300 for Dancers Against Cancer, an organization that funds research and support for communities in the dance area that have been affected by cancer. The Wofford Activities Council collaborated with the dance club to make this event possible.
“I pretty much planned it to the exact minute because I wanted it to run as smoothly as possible,” Meredith Welfare ‘28, co-president of the dance club, said.
Like the reality show, the Wofford competition aimed to pair “pros” with “stars”. Most pros consisted of dance team or club members who were able to show off their skills in another light.
After an intense competition, Welfare and other club co-president Elisabeth Blomberg ‘27 gave out awards. Marga van der Linde ‘25 and Amanda Goldbach Ehmer ‘26 were awarded the mirror ball. Tianna Kidd ‘25 and Jacob Johnson took home the people’s choice award. Kidd is an experienced dancer and founded the club. Her background in the area contributed to an unforgettable night.
Also competing for the prize were brothers of Pi Kappa Alpha along with dance club members, Sunni Owens ‘26 and Grant Witherspoon ‘25, and Mary Jones, staff for RUF, along with Mary Claire Williams ‘27.
The pairings not only allowed everyone to show off their talents, it also gave way to lifelong friendships to blossom.
“My highlight was getting to meet Coach Garrity. He was my star. He is the coach of the women’s basketball team and working with him was just the most fun ever,” Welfare said. “We did a hip hop dance to space jam and I got to wear a real basketball jersey… He worked so hard. He would practice almost every night in between the commercial breaks of his basketball game, which is so sweet.”
Collaboration was key in hosting the event. Prominent figures across campus came together to compete, watch, and judge the competition. Judges included Dr. Lee Cato, visiting assistant professor of biology, Miss Dorothy, campus AVI staff, and Tim Brown, instruction and research librarian.
Judges gave “first-impression” live scores, ranging from one to 10. They also gave criticism and feedback on each pairing’s dancing.
The success of the event, marked by its creativity and collaboration, set the groundwork for more fundraising events in the future.
The dance club plans to hold similar events in the future and will consider expanding their philanthropic efforts. Currently, Dancers Against Cancer is their primary focus. Welfare plans to host one large event in the fall and spring.
“The club has grown a lot. We are so excited because we have such a wide variety of skill levels. We have some people who have never danced before who performed last night and I’m so proud of them, and people like myself who have been dancing forever and they’re just getting to continue to dance,” Welfare said.
Co-president Blomberg is trained in ballet and Welfare is a former competition dancer who is currently on the dance team. Welfare is accustomed to a variety of dance styles, which she incorporated into the recent event.
The club has assigned dance captains, women on the dance team, who help choreograph and teach classes. The group also invites guest choreographers, including teachers from the Spartanburg Ballet Company.
“I am so thankful for everyone who helped me with this event. WAC was really great at stepping up, especially the service committee and their chairs, and Hope and Hayden … It really touched me how many people came to support us. I’m very proud of the dance club,” Welfare said.
