Another thing that separates Harvard Ballroom from other athletic bodies is the way in which the program makes ballroom its mission, rather than merely its business. The team and club became a single entity a year ago, and have made offering free dance classes a major part of its function.

"Our philosophy is that everybody wants to dance," Card says. "We've got dances every week at Loker and lessons at the MAC for anybody who wants to get involved. No partner or experience necessary."

The organization also immerses its members--and those who are merely curious--in the ballroom world by inviting some of the bigger names in the event to strut their stuff for the Harvard ballroom faithful.

Within the past year, guest dancers included Blackpool Youth Latin Champions Eugene Katsevman & Maria Manusova, and International DanceSport Championship finalists Allan and Donna Shingler from England.

"Watching them was incredible," Heather Rigby, next year's ballroom president recalls. "It's great that we get to watch people like that perform."

But Is It Sport?

What lies ahead for ballroom dancing at Harvard? Could an event that calls Lowell Lecture Hall its home arena, that owes a part of its popularity to the re-release of "Dirty Dancing," that is occasionally described as "stripteasy," someday find itself on the same plain of athletic recognition as football or soccer?