This weekend, Dancing with the Stars will no longer be the only place to fulfill a dancing contest fix.

Penn State's Ballroom Dance Club will present the Fifth Annual Keystone Classic Competition from 9 a.m. to midnight Saturday in 126 White Building.

Diane Kadushin (senior-public relations), the club's public relations adviser, said the competition will feature dancers with a range of abilities from all over the Northeast specializing in international and American styles.

"It's fairly new still," Kadushin said. "Each year it gets bigger and bigger. It's really fun to watch -- like a sporting event -- with people screaming and cheering for their favorite couples."

Keystone Classic coordinator Jenny Fang (senior-human development and family studies) is a member of the club and has previously competed in the event.

"There is a lot more organizing still to do, but I can't wait," she said, adding that the appeal of ballroom dancing for performers is how much fun it is.

"It's different than why the media enjoys it," she said. "It's a different form of dance that still has a modern twist and a competitive side."

The club is hoping that professional dancing's recent popularity in the media will draw in a new, curious crowd.

"Anyone who is interested not only has the opportunity to watch but could get involved," Fang said.

According to the Ballroom Dance Club Web site, a pair is placed into the newcomer, bronze, silver or gold level of competition based on its dancing experience. A pair is classified as a newcomer if they have started dancing no earlier than September 2007.

There are rules and regulations for each level of dancing in order to guarantee equality in the competition. Fang said if everyone is dancing within the correct level, every competitor has a "fair shot" and the chance to gain skills.

Unlike on TV, not all the pairs will be donning potentially scandalous or flashy costumes. Janalyn Sheetz (junior-linguistics), a ballroom dance club member, said that usually only dancers ranked in silver levels or up are allowed costumes.

"Costumes at the newcomer level are a distraction to the judges. They are looking at beginning dancer's skills and costumes would only take away from the judging ability," Sheetz said.

She explained that judges are looking for the newcomers' ability to maneuver on the dance floor with other couples and their partner. Choreographed routines are also reserved for the more advanced levels.

Seth Martin, Keystone Classic coordinator and another competitor, said he and his partner began scheduling times to practice last spring. Martin, a recent graduate who is listed as a university staff member, said the pair's hour-and-a-half practices twice a week really helped to get them where they are now.

"You need to allow a good amount of time to work everything out," Martin said.

Martin attributes the public appeal of ballroom dancing partly to the recent proliferation of dancing reality TV shows, but also to the fact that the classic gives spectators plenty of opportunity to catch a glimpse of the action.

"Even if you just wanted to pop your head in, it's going to be an all-day event," Martin said.

The last couple years have seen an increase in the competition's popularity, not only with spectator attendance, but also with the amount of schools involved.

The day is not filled with only competition, Martin said. A professional showcase and public dancing opportunities will also be featured.

"It's an interactive spectator event at Penn State," he said.