Meet Our Dance Instructors
Dan & Amy Divine—
International and American standard ballroom
Dan and Amy Divine began ballroom dancing in California around 1995 and subsequently met in 2000. Initially Dan competed in both international standard and Latin, and Amy in international standard. Since competing together, however, their focus has been primarily in international standard. They've also done some pro-am work in American style and social ballroom dancing. They competed throughout the west coast, at Blackpool, and at the US Amateur Championships in 2002 where they took 5th place in Pre-Championship Standard and 25th in the US overall in the Open Championship.
Mark Mehl—
General ballroom and swing
Mark Mehl has been teaching social ballroom for longer than he wants to say. He's a strong believer in a conceptual teaching approach to dance so students understand both why as well as how the dance is done. "If you understand the design principles behind the dances, then you can more easily learn and remember their figures and positions."
Megan Merrill—
American smooth and rhythm
After dancing for several years, Megan Merrill began ballroom dancing in 2006 and has been dancing competitively for three years since in both American smooth and rhythm styles. She is currently an active member in the Inter-Collegiate Dance Society, Orchesis II performance dance troupe, and teaches both group and private lessons around the Ames/Des Moines area. She's also minoring in dance at ISU while double majoring in political science and classical studies. "All of my ballroom experiences at Iowa State have been wonderful and inspiring …, and I hope that many more people can experience the same for themselves!"
Larry & Rae Mullica—
East-coast swing, Lindy hop, balboa
Larry and Rae Mullica began partner dancing in the 70s during the disco and hustle rage, which lead to their passion for swing. In 2007, they founded the Des Moines social dance group, Step Into Swing. Since then, they have hosted the annual Iowa Lindy Blizzard, as well as hosting monthly and weekly swing socials. Their fun and energetic approach to teaching has inspired many new hepcats to explore swing. Their involvement with the Drake Swing Club is one such example.
Their recent accomplishments include placing 1st in the Fast Dance Competition at the 2006 Hawkeye Swing Festival and performing as featured dancers in the Des Moines Playhouse's 2006 musical Swing! Rae also made the Hawkeye Swing Festival Jack and Jill finals in 2007 and the Jack and Jill finals at Twin Cities Balboa Festival in 2008. The couple took 5th place in the Twin Cities Balboa Festival of 2008.
Larry and Rae had the wonderful opportunity to teach with Frankie Manning in 2006 in Fairfield, Iowa. They also taught the at Hawkeye Swing Festival in 2008 and 2009. Larry and Rae are known for their fun, smooth style and performance flair. They love teaching all forms of swing and continue searching for new and creative ways to teach so people will dance.
Steve Grody—
East-coast swing and Lindy hop
Steve Grody actively teaches triple-time east-coast swing, Lindy hop, and a combination-mix of both in Los Angeles. He also has done dance choreography for Jim Carrey and cast in The Truman Show. And when he's not swinging, he's teaching martial arts.
Geoffrey Spain—
Bachata, salsa, merengue
Geoffrey Spain is an active member and instructor for ISU's Latin dance club, Descarga, which emphasizes salsa, merengue, and Bachata. Geoffrey also offers Latin lessons to other groups in the Ames and Des Moines areas. And by day, when he's not dancing, he's an ISU student studying mechanical engineering.
Bud & Pat Sternquist—
American and international standard ballroom
Bud and Pat Sternquist began ballroom dancing in the early 80s with top US champions and instructors based in Kansas City. During that period, they competed for about ten years. As of today, they've been teaching ballroom for 15 years. Currently, they teach six days a week in central Iowa in both American and international standard styles.
Copyright © 2006-2009 ISU Ballroom Dance Club. All rights reserved.
Our Featured Upcoming Events
Thanksgiving Friday social
(Fri; Nov 27)
As with all University holidays, we'll be meeting in the ISU Memorial Union during the week of Thanksgiving. Learn more …
Xtra Moves Nights
On select Friday nights, the ISU Ballroom Dance Club hosts free dance instruction by guest instructors. Discover Xtra Moves Nights.
Get Informed!
e-Newsletter
Subscribe to the monthly ballroom-dance e-mail digest to stay informed about social dance events in Ames and central Iowa.
Dance Socials
See our Dance Events link for upcoming dances.
