Swing and Ballroom dance groups get students grooving

Every Tuesday and Thursday, the CFA Dance Studio 2 jumps and jives with the Luther Ballroom and Swing club. Students leave their shoes at the door but bring their dancing socks for an hour-long session twice a week.

“Luther Ballroom and Swing is an organization on campus to promote ballroom and swing dancing in a social atmosphere,” Joseph Carey (‘11), the club’s president, said.

Laughter, music and dancing dominate the room during the lessons. Luther students of all majors and interests can be found at the meetings.

“At the beginning of the year, we get a lot of freshmen, probably because of the swing/ballroom dance that we hold during freshman orientation. But definitely, there’s all ages,” Vice President of Luther Ballroom and Swing Jill Hughes (‘12) said. “We also tend to get a lot of music people.”

This year, the executive board is excited to have a large number of committed members. However, Luther Ballroom and Swing does not require any real type of commitment. All the events this organization hosts are open to the entire campus.

“The lessons are open to anyone. They are free,” Carey said. “You don’t have to have a partner; you don’t have to have experience. You just show up; be yourself.”

Club members have been pleased with their experience with Luther Ballroom and Swing.

“I think it’s a fun way to learn basic steps, and I think it’s a great way to meet a lot of new people, and you get to be close to them, but only for a short amount of time,” club member Megan Peterson (‘12) said.

Luther Ballroom and Swing tries to organize lessons with professional dancers and field trips to different dance events.

“If there’s a cool swing event that is happening at one of the other colleges, or if there’s something in Rochester or La Crosse or Chicago, we may consider going,” Carey said. “Or, if there’s something really, really cool in, I don’t know, California or something … but whenever something comes up, we’ll get a group together and figure transportation out.”

This past Saturday, the club organized a trip to a swing dance at Grinnell. Hughes said that mostly first year students signed up, and one or two sophomores and juniors attended.

“[Field trips] will definitely be a learning experience,” club member Gene Halverson (‘14) said. “I will get to dance with people I have never danced with before and see how they dance.”

Luther Ballroom and Swing Club gets money through fundraising, Wellness and Student Senate to sponsor field trips, bring in professional dancers and host events.

It’s a place for students to learn a passtime to last a lifetime.

“You learn skills that you never know when you’ll need,” Hughes said.