Nick DePrimo, a senior biochemical and molecular biology major, donned a white horse's head as a joke on Saturday as he cheered for a friend at the third annual Keystone Classic.

About 70 other students and family members attended the event, sponsored by Penn State's Ballroom Dance Club, and watched from the stands in the White Building as more than 80 competitors swished their skirts and twirled as they danced standard and Latin styles, including samba, jive, waltz and fox trot.

Maggie Sisson of the Art and Style Dance Studio in Pittsburgh said this competition received more support than other schools where she danced.

"There's twice as many people watching here as other competitions," Sisson said. "There's lots of energy, and it's so thrilling."

Pairs from the University of Virginia, Penn State and the Art and Style Dance Studio in Pittsburgh competed in newcomer, bronze, silver and gold divisions, depending on skill and experience level.

Scribbling notes on clipboards, the judges evaluated dancer technique, style, posture and footwork in addition to the ability to maintain eye contact and move in synch. For each division, dancers received ribbons for first through sixth place.

The Keystone Classic builds team morale and gives other schools a chance to see the strength of the Penn State dancers, said Jolene Nickel, event organizer and Kines 017 (Ballroom Dance) instructor. "It's a great opportunity for students to improve in an art and a sport at the same time," Nickel said.

Nathaniel Sheetz (senior-industrial engineering and Spanish) said this competition featured fewer schools than other places he competed.

"This competition is also a lot newer," he said. "It's still fun. Here, we get done in a day, and in other places, I'm dancing all weekend."

Sheetz said he fell in love with the art after taking the ballroom dance class. "It's not very mainstream, but more people are getting involved with ballroom dance," he said. "This is the biggest PSU dance team in my four years here."

His sister and dance partner Janalyn Sheetz (freshman-Spanish and linguistics) said she learned to dance from her brother. "We work well together," she said. "Dancing with him works out for me. A lot of guys are my height or shorter, and being tall makes it difficult to find a partner."

But Giancarlo Dozzi from the Art and Style Dance Studio in Pittsburgh said he never met his dance partner before the competition.

"My usual partner couldn't make it," he said. "So I e-mailed Jolene, and she found someone for me. We never practiced together before last night, but we're dancing pretty well today."

Five times as many students entered the event this year. Nickel said she felt impressed by her ballroom dance students in the competition. "Most of them didn't know what to expect," Nickel said. "When they got on the floor, they danced better than they do in class."