The tempo may vary in dean of medicine Stephen J. Ryan's office, but
administrative assistant Joy Roque knows all the steps.

Office rhythms punctuate her workdays, but in her leisure time, she taps
her feet to the four-four time of swing, tango and fox trot. Yet few of
the dozens of people Roque encounters every day know she is a
competitive ballroom dancer.

Roque was born and raised in the Philippines. She began dancing when she
was a young girl - as part of her training to be a runway model.

"In the Philippines, runway modeling isn't just walking. It is
completely choreographed shows. That's when I received my first formal
dance training. I was a ramp and commercial model. I did all kinds of
commercials, like Close-Up toothpaste, different clothing lines for
couturiers."

Even after Roque had stopped modeling, she continued to take dance
lessons, then began teaching, and eventually danced professionally.

She had another incentive to dance. Her father, an officer in the
Philippines' integrated national police force, was a professional
competitive ballroom dancer. His nickname was the "Dancing General."

"When my mom developed a heart condition and could no longer dance with
him, he needed a new partner," Roque said. "He had me fill in for her
and I began dancing with him in competitions. At the time, I didn't like
it, and I didn't like the music. I thought it was all too old. Here I am
years later, choosing to ballroom-dance when I used to not enjoy it."



Roque told herself that she wanted to come to the United States to seek
better job opportunities, but looking back, she knows that what she
really wanted was freedom.

She had raced through parochial schools and earned her bachelor's degree
from St. Scholastica's College, a private Catholic women's school, when
she was only 18.

"It was difficult to be that young and already out of college," she
said. "My father was very strict. I was still chaperoned on dates at the
age of 23. The U.S. meant independence for me."

After coming to America on her own, Roque began a career as a bank
administrator. She also worked for nine years at a thrift and loan.



Roque competed aggressively with her full-time dance partner in the
Philippines. But when she came to America, she slowed down the pace.
"Now it's my hobby. I dance with people from my classes. I usually dance
about once a week, and mainly for fund raisers."

She dances for groups like the Lions Club that hold competitions to
benefit charities. Recently she participated in a competition that
raised money to fight blindness in the Philippines - an appropriate
cause, considering her ties to the Doheny Eye Institute.

"We raised money to send more than 100 pair of glasses, medications and
other supplies to ophthalmologists in the Philippines," Roque said.

Two weeks ago, Roque took part in an invitational competition for the
Philippine-American Jaycees. Twelve couples - all former winners from
other contests - were invited to compete in each dance category. Roque
and her partner competed in the boogie and swing.

Roque also does the tango, rumba, waltz and fox trot. She has been
ballroom-dancing for 17 years now.

Roque's father passed away recently. She said she misses him and dancing
with him. But the tradition goes on.

"Now I have two little girls, ages 6 and 9," she said. "Both know how to
cha-cha. But the younger one - she really loves to dance."

As far as her job is concerned, Roque said she couldn't be happier.
"Dean Ryan is one of the best bosses I have ever had," she said. "In
this office you're busy from morning to night. It's always interesting."
In her year and a half at USC, Roque said, she has learned everything
from medical terminology to how a university is run. For Roque, no steps
are too complicated and no tempo too furious.

- Brenda Maceo

[Photo:] Joy Roque: "In the Philippines, runway modeling isn't just
walking. It is completely choreographed shows."