A native New Zealander, Mansfield came to Berkeley to do graduate work in entomology. She joined the club as a way to meet new people and relieve the stress of studying and lab work. Mansfield had always loved dancing butworried that her tone deafness would make it difficult to keep the rhythm of the music. But since the leader of a ballroom dancing couple is responsible for staying on track, Mansfield can follow without missing a beat. Particpants are encouraged to change partners periodically during general dance sessions so they can learn to accommodate individual dance styles while getting a chance to socialize.
Advanced dancers can perform complex steps while chatting on about the kind of day they had.
One such pro is Gurnam Brard, a member of the UC Ballroom Dancers for 15 years. It's certainly better than golf. This site is produced and maintained by the Office of Public Affairs , University of California, Berkeley. Copyright 1998, The Regents of the University of California.