Rowan University Ballroom Dance Club
The Team
Who We Are
Hi, I'm Valerie Monzo! I'm the president of the Rowan Ballroom Dance Club, and I've been a part of the club for about two years. I'm a senior at Rowan University, majoring in Radio, Television, and Film. I was looking for a fun and engaging club to join, and was very interested when I saw the Ballroom Dance club! I love dancing but had no experience at a studio, but ballroom welcomed me with open arms! Ballroom dance is a great form of exercise and a great way to meet new people, and it's definitely a good skill to have at weddings. I hope to see you in the studio!
Michaela Smith
Vice President
Michaela started dancing with the club about 4 years ago! Michaela already had a passion for dancing and had done some Ballroom dancing when she was young. She decided to return to Ballroom, and shortly started winning competitions, became Vice President of the club, and also got the opportunity to be a part of Gloucester County Dancing With The Stars in 2019! Michaela loves being a part of Ballroom club and hopes you will too!
Kate D'Ambrosio
Secretary
Hi, I'm Kate D'Ambrosio and I'm the Secretary of the Rowan Ballroom Dance Club. I've been a member of the club for over 3 years and I've been on the Eboard for 2 years. I have always loved dancing- I was enrolled in dance lessons growing up, but had never heard of ballroom dance until my friend Shannon invited me to one of the Thursday night dance socials that the LaPierre Ballroom Studio hosts. I had so much fun from that experience that I became a regular at the studio, added the Ballroom Dance elective to my Rowan course list, and when the next semester began I officially joined the club and started preparing for my first competition. When I look back at the early videos of my dancing, I am always surprised by how far I've come. It's clear that I've improved as a dancer- I'm now competing at Full Bronze level and moving into Silver- but I've also seen more personal forms of growth in myself. Thanks to the Rowan Ballroom Dance Club, I am a much more confident, resilient, authentic, and outgoing version of myself. I found my home in the ballroom and I hope you will as well.
William Weldon
Team Captain
Billy has been dancing ballroom for 6 ½ years and competes in the amateur division with his partner, Michaela at the silver and gold levels for both the American smooth and rhythm styles. Billy has competed in over 20 competitions and has been a finalist in the top 5 for most of them for each skill level he has competed in. His passion for ballroom dancing grew more and more over the years as he developed his skills and technique. He admires the challenge and is motivated by the constant improvement he seeks in his dance journey. Billy started with the club as a senior in college and was introduced to the sport the summer before the Fall semester of 2015. Now, as an alumni member and client of the dance studio, Billy still returns to help the
club through his experience and leadership qualities so that he may carry on the legacy and the passion he developed when he first started with the club. His goal for the ballroom club is to create a unified, fun environment of students that all share the same passion of ballroom dance as he does and to help members grow in their skills as they move forward on their own dancing journey.
