• Susan Durst

I am in my third year at Rutgers, studying Mathematics. I started dancing ballroom about five years ago, hoping to get over my natural clutziness. But once I started, I fell in love with it. Now I can't stop!

My best dances are the Standard and Smooth dances, so being in a Latin formation of this caliber is new and exciting for me.

I love the high energy and fast pace of the Cha-cha. I can't wait to get out there and show America what Rutgers can do!

• Matthew Harkins

I'm a Linguistics sophomore at Rutgers. I was dancing before college, mostly in the American styles, and I had the privilege to learn with some of the best teachers in the US.

One of my hobbies is to teach ballroom any chance I get. At socials, with our club and team, even last-minute at competitions.

I recently picked up on International styles as well: more dances, more fun! And I have a thing for line dancing: if you know one that I don't already know, please teach me!

• Karol Kalinowski

I am a freshman in Rutgers and plan on majoring in the one of the sciences. My two favorite dances are the Quickstep and Paso Doble.

I took up ballroom (rather, my mom forced me to take up ballroom) when I came to the US at the age of nine, and I ended up enjoying it. I attended Richard’s School of Dance where I learned International Latin and Standard.

In 2004, my partner and I attended Nationals in St. Paul, MN and placed in Standard Champ & Latin Pre-Champ. I stopped dancing while in high school but I recently joined the ballroom team at Rutgers and hope to continue where I left off.

• Yuliya Karuchek

I started dancing since joining Rutgers University. I was inspired by my mom and seeing her dance Viennese Waltz in Ukraine. My favorite Latin dance is Samba because it reminds me of Brazilian carnival and my favorite Standard dance is the passionate Tango.

My favorite moment on the dance floor was winning in Gold Standard at Rutgers University.

I enjoy teaching others how to dance and think that dancing is the most beautiful art that accentuates the most beautiful body lines.

I have a double major in Cell Biology & Neuroscience and French.

• Katsiaryna Paulovich

My major is Biological Sciences. I've been on the team since my freshmen year as well as on e-board.

I've been dancing since I was 5. I stopped dancing when I came to America from Belarus at 12 years old and I started back up when I got accepted to Rutgers.

Ballroom's always been a part of my life because of my brother, Jean Paulovich. He started dancing when he was young and growing up I was exposed to ballroom dancing all the time so it wasn't questionable that I would be dancing as well.

Here's a quote that I really like and that applies to me: "I, the dancer, did not choose this life but was born into".

• Will Stoffers

I am studying mechanical & aerospace engineering. I dance mostly International Standard and Latin, but occasionally compete in the American Style as well.

I was a football player in high school, with no dance experience prior to attending Rutgers. I signed up for a ballroom recreation class freshman year by accident! And I have never looked back.

Every year since, under the tutelage of our coach Brian Nash in particular, I have grown as a lead. I plan to continue training after graduating Rutgers, and hope to compete in amateur ten dance in the near future.

• Elena Tatschl

I started dancing at the age of 4, and since then I've studied Tap, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Ballet and Modern. Throughout high school, I traveled to New York City to study dance as a scholarship student at the Ailey School.

At that time, I also began to study Ballroom dance with Martin and Desiré Smith and immediately fell in love with it!

Besides my love for dance, I am also pursuing my goal to become a doctor. Someday I would love to live in Africa as a missionary and help the poor and needy.

• Alex Vinokurov

I have been ballroom dancing since I was 10 years old, when my parents managed to convince me to follow in my sister’s footsteps and start. I quickly began to enjoy dancing competitively in International Latin, and at Rutgers started to compete in Standard as well.

I stopped dancing when I was 17 years old to take on tennis, a sport that I thought held more promise for me as I competed for my high school. I came to Rutgers majoring in Computer Engineering, and immediately joined the team. I have been an active team member through competing, performing, teaching, and being part of the E-board ever since.

Some of my more memorable moments were when we (Rutgers ballroom) performed at the New Jersey State Theater for the shows Ballroom and Rutgers on Stage. The opportunity to perform on Dancing with the Stars is surely to become the most memorable of all! Go Rutgers!

• Eric Weinberg

My major is Human Resource Management.

I started ballroom when I was 10. My sister was 6, and she needed a partner, so my mom said I had to do it. At first I refused, but then she offered me $5. At 10 years old, $5 is a lot of money! I danced for a few years and then stopped until I got to college where I picked it up again.

Ballroom Dancing with my peers and friends at Rutgers is a tremendous joy. With themed socials, beginner lessons with new dancers interested in learning ballroom, the honor of representing the University at competitions with our friends at other schools on the East Coast, and challenging and motivating lessons with our head coach Brian Nash, Ballroom here is one of the top reasons I know I made the right decision when choosing to attend Rutgers University.