UNIVERSITY OF EVANSVILLE
Mad Hot Ballroom Program
UE student dancers
August Martinez
(Communications & Exercise Science)
Joseph Shoup
(Vocal Performance)
Professional Coaches
Erin Lewis is Interim executive director for UE’s Center for Innovation & Change. She is a competitive ballroom dancer, having trained with Schneider, her coach, since 2005.
Jonah Schneider is an accomplished professional, whose accolades include World Professional Open American Rhythm Finalist, World Professional American Rhythm Rising Star Champion, U.S. Professional American Rising Star Vice-Champion, Fred Astaire Professional Open American Rhythm Vice-Champion, and Multiple time Fred Astaire Professional Open American Rhythm Finalist.
The Center for Innovation & Change at the University of Evansville sponsors the Mad Hot Ballroom program, in which UE students provide free dance lessons to children in the community through a partnership with Glenwood Leadership Academy
Over the past two years, the program has grown with students performing at University of Evansville functions, gala fundraisers for non-profits, and other community events. The program was awarded the 2019 Sam Featherstone Award for Youth Programming in Education at the Leadership Everyone Celebration of Leadership where they also performed in front of 1,600 people.
UE’s Mad Hot Ballroom program cultivates essential life skills in children through the joyful art and practice of social ballroom dance and provides it to communities not traditionally served by dance instruction. This program is an innovative educational dance program, providing arts and physical education to youth in Evansville area schools; soon expanding to non-profit after school programs and the collegiate level. Started through a Global Scholars Grant in 2017, and implemented over the last two academic years, the program provides ballroom dance instruction, performance opportunities and costumes to participating children. Their mission is to cultivate essential life skills in children through the joyful art and practice of social dance. Their vision involves schools and communities where every child is connected, respected and given an environment in which to thrive.