Rowan alumni and dancers James Hambor, left, and Valerie Monzo, right, swing dance in the Chamberlain Student Center. Glassboro, NJ. Tuesday, March 12, 2025. - Staff Photographer / Kacie Scibilia
On Tuesday, March 11, the Rowan University Ballroom Club held its first swing dance fundraiser in honor of St. Patrick’s Day in the Chamberlain Student Center Owl’s Nest. 21-year-old Julieann Wattley, a Rowan University senior majoring in history and going on to earn her master’s degree in subject matter education, ran the event.
However, the night’s stars were 23-year-old Valerie Monzo and 29-year-old James Hambor. Monzo, a Rowan University alum and former president of the Ballroom Club, works as a nanny, though her degree is in radio, television, and film. Her partner in dance and in life, 29-year-old physicist Hambor, is also a Rowan alum. He had never danced before he found an opening in his schedule and joined the ballroom dancing class. Today, they regularly participate in dance competitions, and it all started on a whim.
Professor Krystal Bradley founded the Ballroom Club roughly around 2014, and now she is the professor for the ballroom dancing class at Rowan and the club’s faculty advisor. Bradley, a professional ballroom dancer, won something called Rising Star, meaning her dance skills make her not only professional but also the absolute cream of the crop; in other words, her students are in good hands.
22-year-old Ashley Edwards, the fundraising chair for the club, is a junior at Rowan majoring in public health and wellness and planning to go into epidemiology.
“I wanted to branch out in my last two years at Rowan and try something new…Ballroom Club really accepted me as their own, so I’m really excited to be a part of the club,” said Edwards.
The evening didn’t exactly go as planned. Even though the tickets were only $7, which included the lesson and free Philly Pretzels, only one person was brave enough to jump in headfirst and take the class.
21-year-old Rocco Raimondi, a junior at Rowan majoring in electrical engineering, fought against any inhibitions he may have had and learned how to swing dance.
“I stopped by because I figure I want to learn,” said Raimondi.
The basic steps in swing dance are two small steps and one big step, something that’s a little more difficult when it comes to turning—but Raimondi did not shy away. He looked like a lifelong dancer in no time.
“It was awesome. It was cool to learn something I never really did before because I don’t know anything about dancing…I always figured, ‘nah, that’s a girl thing,’ but I can see that it’s really cool; anyone can do it,” said Raimondi.
The group unanimously agreed that even if there is only one person at a fundraiser, that’s one more person they have the chance to convert into a ballroom dancer, and that’s worth all the time and effort. There will be another fundraiser on May 3 at LaPierre Ballroom Dance Studio at 111 East High Street.
“We strive to welcome everyone of different cultures, backgrounds, areas of life. We bring in people that are high-level dancers to newcomers like me and just want to spread the love of dance to everyone,” Edwards said.
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