Keeping up your Hobby in Freiburg: Ballroom Dancing

Gavin Johnston is a fourth-year student at Purdue University, studying German and History. While abroad in Germany with the AYF program, he managed to keep up his hobbies and interests from back home, including ballroom dancing. For Gavin, dance was originally just a free time activity during his first year of college but it soon turned into a serious, competitive sport in which he still participates here in Freiburg.

By Timothy Brewer (AYF 18-19)

There are many competitive dancers who begin their career at a fairly young age, some even learning proper technique at the age of 5 or 6. Gavin, however, didn’t start until his freshman year and he felt back then that dance would be only something to fill his time. “I saw an advertisement in chalk on the sidewalk at Purdue for the Latin ballroom dance team,” explained Gavin, “I knew I was looking for something to do so that I wouldn’t be in my room all of the time. So, I went to the first rehearsal, and kept going back.”

Gavin and his dance partner Wanda

Gavin also described some of the first performances he went to with all of the dancers, and how it inspired him to keep going to lessons and to learn dance for himself. At first, his intention wasn’t to dance competitively, but it sort of just happened to fall into his hands, “I got a call late at night on the day before a competition, and there was someone who needed a dance partner last minute. So I accepted, thinking: ‘What’s the worst that can happen?’” He already had dance shoes, but he somehow had to get an outfit for the competition. With the help of a few friends he figured out the details, made it through his first competition and realized that dance might be something much more than just a side hobby. “I realized then that I like presenting my skills to an audience,” he explained, “it’s a passion of mine and I want it to be a more serious hobby.”

That same drive to pursue dance as a serious hobby carried over into Gavin’s time with the AYF program. In September he joined a Tanzschule (dance studio) to keep up with lessons, but unfortunately the school was not focused on competitions and was rather more centered on social interaction and dancing for personal fun. “I was with the dance studio for four or five months, until the new year. The lessons were much less invigorating, but I did learn how to re-enjoy dance and redefine my passion for dance,” he expressed.

After the new year, Gavin joined a Tanzverein. Whereas the Tanzschule focuses more on fostering an inviting and relaxed environment, Gavin described the Tanzverein—a civic organization or publicly registered club—as having a much more intensive lesson style that is fast paced and focused on technique. “The schedule isn’t flexible. Once something is scheduled, the dancers are expected to be there. I’m usually there four nights per week, and I probably dedicate about 10–12 hours per week to dance,” he explained. But it seems that—despite his busy schedule balancing dance, school, and travel—Gavin has been able to really integrate himself into dance in Freiburg and he has given a sincere effort to make sure he still carries on his passions from home.

Because he dedicates so much time to dance in Freiburg, Gavin has also been able to become close friends with others on the team. “The lessons are one night per week; sometimes there are multiple lessons, but we usually get together to practice and give each other constructive criticism,” Gavin said. “In this more intense, competitive environment, I was able to meet one of my best friends here, Jakob, and I got to know my current dance partner, Wanda.” After Gavin found out that Jakob also lives in the same building, they often ended up riding the tram together. And they get dinner together once in a while, too. He also expressed that the focus on dance in the studio here in Freiburg is a much more serious hobby compared to learning and then just going home; his dedication to dance has opened many doors for Gavin to meet friends and develop lasting relationships here in Germany.

Gavin and his friends Tessa, Wanda and Jakob at “Hessen tanzt”

The most recent competition that Gavin participated in was “Hessen tanzt,” but he has also competed in competitions in Mainz and Karlsruhe. “Wanda, my dance partner, was in the Tanzverein a year before I got there. She dances very well, but before we became dance partners she hadn’t danced competitively,” Gavin described. “Dancing in Germany is a bit different than in the US because partners usually stick together… For instance, I wanted to venture into other standard forms of dance besides Latin but because Wanda only has time for Latin, we stick to that style for competitions. It’s a serious relationship.” There are plenty of other differences with ballroom dance in the US compared to Germany. For instance, Gavin described that the lesson sizes are much smaller, even in a fairly large Tanzverein that is also well known. Dance can be focused more on technical skills, and the teacher here has the opportunity to observe dancers closely and work on the finer details simply because classes are generally smaller. “In America, I think the common way to teach is through example and repetition,” Gavin explained. “For students, dance is taken as a serious hobby and there are generally larger numbers of pairs on teams in the US.”

Gavin’s time dancing in Freiburg while participating in AYF has not only been an incredible opportunity to become integrated into the local culture and to

Gavin & Jakob before the competition

meet German friends, but it has also given him an opportunity to learn ballroom dance from a completely new, invigorating perspective. “I feel much more serious in my dancing here,” says Gavin, as he describes how dance in Germany has helped him develop his own technique, “I take notes at lessons, and I have videos taken for me at competitions so that I can watch them later and review my technique.” He may be away from his home dance club at Purdue University, but finding the Tanzverein in Freiburg has given Gavin the chance to develop long-lasting friendships and experiences.

Gavin shared his story via the AYF Alumni Profiles Project page and interviews with Tim Brewer. We welcome your contribution to our communal story telling!