Newsroom

CORVALLIS, Ore. - Some of Oregon State University's familiar faces will be seen in unfamiliar places on Thursday, April 28, as they salsa and waltz across the stage with OSU's Dancing with the Stars.

The event will be at 7:30 p.m. in the LaSells Stewart Center. Tickets are $10, or $8 for students, and can be purchased at the door or in advance in the Women's Building , Room 007i.

The program was created by the OSU Ballroom Dance Company, and features Larry Roper, vice provost for student affairs; Karen Swanger, director of KidSpirit; Craig Bidiman, Memorial Union president; Tonga Hopoi, ASOSU diversity director; Linda Kasper, director of residential education; Taylor Henry, OSU football defensive end; Jim Males, chair of the Department of Animal Sciences; and Laura Siewert, student and model.

They will be paired with members of the OSU Ballroom Dance Company, and each will perform a dance in a different style, choreographed by Director Mark Baker. For the last four weeks, the performers have been rehearsing their 90-second ballroom routines in preparation for the event. As in the popular television show, there will be a panel of judges, and the audience can also vote.

"The people who said yes were excited and wanted to do something outside of their comfort zone," Baker said. "We want students to get to see their teachers and administrators in a different light."

There will also be several large numbers by the OSU Cool Shoes dancers.

The last two weeks have been particularly intense as would-be dancers perfected their routines. Swanger said she used to love ballroom dancing, but hasn't done a public dance performance since the eighth grade.

"I thought it would be really fun but I had no idea how much work it would be," Swanger said. "I can make a fool of myself and be okay, but this is different."

Though she's a confident person, synchronized dancing in front of an audience is intimidating, she said.

She's depending on muscle memory to get her through the night.