Michael Roman is a New Yorker who is a freshman at Binghamton University. When he was 15, he started taking ballroom dancing classes in Manhattan. After one year, he began to dance competitively. Today, he still competes in hopes of reaching the level of a professional ballroom dancer.

Emily: What drew you to ballroom dancing?

Michael: Before dancing, I took martial arts classes. However, the place got relocated to somewhere too far so I stopped. After that, I was looking for another physical outlet. One of my friends made me try ballroom dancing so I went and ended up quitting almost right away.

Emily: So how did you get further involved?

Michael: In my sophomore year of high school, I started taking classes in Manhattan at a really ghetto studio for…a year? Private lessons were $75 for 45 minutes and group lessons were…$30. Because it was shady looking, only my partner and I went. We took a group, really private, lesson for only $30. After that, I started dancing competitively for eight months where I competed three times in collegiate competitions.

Emily: Who inspires you to dance?

Michael: They’re professionals namely…Riccardo Cocchi? And Yulia…something. Some really long ass name. They’re currently number one in the U.S. I’ve seen them perform live three times but they’re by far, the best. It’s so bad where I could spend three hours straight watching videos of the same people and I’ll just wish that it was me, but it’s not. (laughs)

Emily: What has been your most and least favorite dance to perform and why?

Michael: Ballroom dancing has nineteen different dances that split into two categories: Latin and traditional ballroom that are further split into two. My least favorite is Foxtrot. I hate Foxtrot…it’s like walking. It’s a social dance because it’s slow and jazzy. I like Latin dances better because there’s a faster tempo and it’s not as graceful looking. You’re moving your body, moving your hips. To me, that’s just more enjoyable. (chuckles)

Emily: What are competitions like?

Michael: Depending on how big the competition is, the four types will be spread out throughout the day. Every guy is identified by a number that is pinned onto his back. I could be number 236. If it’s the first round, there are as many as 30 couples and the final, 6 or 7 couples. There are usually 6-8 judges watching while you dance for 90 seconds. To me, the first round is more stressful because there are 30 couples and 90 seconds of dance—a judge will look at you for 3 seconds. Are those three seconds enough for you to move onto the next round?

Emily: You’ve taken a girl’s role in competitions before. How was that different?

Michael: Well, you have different steps. The guy starts with his left foot and the girl starts with her right. He takes on being the leader while she takes on being the follower. When we dance, I decide what move we’re going to do and which way to move. When I switch genders, I have to follow. During competitions where I was the girl, I would close my eyes because you can’t see what the hell is happening. If you can’t see, you can’t lead—you don’t want both people trying to lead.  For example, if I want to turn the girl, I’ll raise my hand up and she’ll go under. If I don’t want to turn her and she raises her hand up, it’s very noticeable. You can tell that the guy was reluctant and it looks really bad.

Emily: How was your experience at the event with Dancing with the Stars?

Michael: It was at the Manhattan Center with Kristy Alley and her partner…Max. I got a really good seat for free. They were promoting ballroom dancing for health and confidence reasons. Kristy Alley is heavy for a dancer. In one of their dances, Max tried to dip her and she fell onto the ground…he lost footing. It’s great exercise for the body. It wasn’t just dancing; it had some real content and value behind it. We were also invited to go on the dance floor with them so I got to dance with a bunch of professionals. It was really cool seeing famous people dance.

Emily: Where do you see dancing take you in the future?

Michael: You start off as a newcomer and move up to bronze, silver and gold where you have a set number of moves. Once you compete in gold or feel like you’re ready, you can move onto the open competition: pre-champion, champion, amateur, and professional. I’m giving myself two years to join the open category, which usually takes four years. I also want to be the captain of the ballroom team. I’m majoring in business so I can apply that in opening my own studio. Going professional would be nice but it’s not the most practical thing to do. The professionals currently ranked top ten have all been dancing since they were four. I started at 15 so having that 11-year gap is not appealing but it’s definitely a hobby I’ll keep after graduating.

Emily: Overall, what has dance taught you?

Michael: It was a big self-confidence booster. During a competition, you have the judges, other competitors and your team watching and recording you. If I mess up, everyone’s going to see. When it comes to class presentations, I’m not concerned about what other people think of me. I also walk around campus with a posture bar. There’s no doubt that people are staring at me, like, what is this kid doing? There are also lifelong friendships. My previous partner texted me yesterday and asked about the competition at Cornell. We found out that we were competing in the same level but wished each other good luck. I feel like the friendships that I’ve gained from ballroom are more valuable and real—we care more about each other’s wellbeing than what we want.