Members of UW-Madison’s Ballroom Dance Association are worried the new Gordon Commons will prevent the group from hosting its weekly public dances, most of which take place in the current dining hall’s basement.
Dance Association President Amelia VanHandel said the Division of University Housing plans to carpet every room in the new building, rendering several rooms that would be otherwise suitable for dancing unusable.
While the group has taken its complaints to Division of University Housing Director Paul Evans, he said in an e-mail to the group DUH made the decision because carpeted floors best suit the majority of prospective customers. He added there are other buildings the group can use for dancing, such as the Memorial Union and Union South.
But VanHandel said these areas are not viable options because UWMBDA would have to compete for the space with non-student events like weddings and conferences.
“At most we could only get those rooms once a month,” she said. “So if we lose the use of Gordon Commons, we will essentially have to cut our dances by 75 percent.”
VanHandel also said while Evans noted hardwood floors would cost more than carpet, the group does not need hardwood floor, but rather any non-carpet surface. According to her, these surfaces are cheaper than carpet in the long run because they do not require the same amount of maintenance.
The group currently has a petition circulating to show how many people carpeted floors would displace, VanHandel said. She added members have also contacted UW-Madison Chancellor David Ward and the Dean of Students office.
“We’ve been inviting them to the dance this Saturday in Gordon Commons so that they can see in person what a dance is like and why it’s necessary that we have uncarpeted space,” she said.
Still, VanHandel said no one has been able or willing to help her group because no one is specifically responsible for maintaining danceable space on campus.
