Media Credit: Jordan Tovin | Staff Photographer
Sean Tam, Olivia Frankiewicz, Emma Taylor, Lucia Kustra and Laura Boci (left to right) cheer on Steven Qi and Mikaila Loughlin during a dance.
After arriving at the University of Maryland, the GW Ballroom Dancing Team got dressed and prepared for the day ahead.
When the first event began, screams of encouragement erupted from various members of the GW team. As more teammates joined in, the intensity of their screams morphed a presumably calm activity into a competition that was as fierce as the most cutthroat of sports.
The GW teams’ high energy throughout the day captivated judges and other teams alike. By the end of the day, the team had traded their voices for ribbons, winning tens of events in various categories of the competition.
Check out these photos from the GW Ballroom Team’s competition from earlier this month:
Jordan Tovin | Staff Photographer
Before other teams arrive, TJ Foster makes use of the empty dancer floor to practice his routine.
Jordan Tovin | Staff Photographer
James Simmons adds gel to his hair in the bathroom at the start of the day.
Jordan Tovin | Staff Photographer
Lucia Kustra dances with someone without a partner. With so many couples on the dance floor at a given time, it is on each pair to perfect stagecraft and move counter-clockwise in the line of dance without colliding with other couples.
Jordan Tovin | Staff Photographer
Olivia Frankiewicz dances the standard Waltz Quickstep with Sean Tamduring.
Jordan Tovin | Staff Photographer
Team captain Mikaila Loughlin uses a leather working tool to put a hole in the strap of a dance shoe.
Jordan Tovin | Staff Photographer
Varvara Chernyaeva and Jingning Hsu get ready for their routines as their event gets closer. Many dancers on the team are not GW students, but they still practice and compete together.
Jordan Tovin | Staff Photographer
Team captain Mikaila Loughlin brushes off debris from the bottom of her shoe after dancing.
Jordan Tovin | Staff Photographer
Stephen Qi and Mikaila Loughlin dance during the Silver Standard Waltz.
Jordan Tovin | Staff Photographer
An emotional Olivia Frankiewicz hugs Lucia Kustra after placing several times in the second leg of the competition.
This article appeared in the April 10, 2023 issue of the Hatchet.
