In the world of dance, the names that come to mind are Michael Jackson, Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing, or whoever dazzled the audience in this past year’s season of Dancing with the Stars. Few people think of freshman student Reuben Vizelman who absolutely loves the art.

Vizelman’s story began five years ago. He was shopping with his mom in Highland on a regular afternoon when he felt the need to go to the bathroom. There was no bathroom in the store that they were in, so he sprinted across the street to a strange place called Cinema Ballroom. Little did he know that this foreign place would soon become home.

“I came out of the bathroom and just like that my mom had signed me up for dance lessons,” Vizelman said.

Vizelman did not have as much interest in sports like baseball, basketball, soccer, or football. He had no family history in dance either other than his mother who danced ballet when she was young. Nevertheless, he found a unique passion he still pursues today. He finds himself at Cinema Ballroom every Tuesday and Thursday, but now it’s no accident. He’s there to dance. But this is no after school hobby. For Vizelman it’s constant practice and sweat.

“In some sports like football, it’s similar to dance where you have to learn different routines, just like the quarterback learning the plays. The difference is that there is no linebacker trying to tackle you in the middle of the jive,” Vizelman said.

VIzelman does more than just practice. He competes all over the Midwest region in competitions, sometimes facing over fifty other dancers.

Ballroom dancing isn’t an individual sport, and VIzelman has a dance parter who he practices and competes with. “Working with Maddie [my dance partner] is a lot of fun. It is important that we have a good relationship because we have to work and compete together. In dance, trust and chemistry between the partners is almost as important as the dance itself,” Vizelman said.

“All of the dances are a combination of all sorts of different moves. No two dances are the same. Also, it’s cool to tell people that I dance,” he said.

When asked if he was planning on continuing this art after high school, Reuben answered “definitely.” And maybe one day, Vizelman’s name will be among the Jacksons and the Swayzes of the world.