Room 325 in the Student Union comes to life with music, laughter and fancy footwork every Tuesday night.

The Ballroom Dancing Club at LSU has been active for over a decade. Attendance took a major hit due to the restrictive COVID-19 guidelines; however, the club’s officers are working hard to gain new and old members, while keeping the spirit of dance alive.

To ensure that there is a dance for everyone to enjoy, the club rotates the style of dances that are taught every two lessons. The selected dances incorporate different techniques used across the world, from the waltz to the Tango Argentino.

Each lesson is taught by professional dancers from every corner of Baton Rouge. The instructors go out of their way to make the lesson exciting and kindly assist those who need some extra help. The club’s officers pride themselves on ensuring all dancers feel welcomed and have fun.

“It’s very important to me that I make people feel comfortable,” Brookelyn Thompson, a club officer, said. “Making this makeshift family of new and intermediate dancers is just wonderful.”

Despite challenging footwork or fast tempos, the members carry a palpable sense of joy each time the music plays. With music choices from “Milk and Water” by Amos Hillburn to “You’ve Got A Friend In Me” by Randy Newman, the club is sure to put a swing in your step.

Freshmen Anta Lo and Katie Walker were all smiles throughout their first lesson on the lindy hop. While Lo enjoyed the uniqueness of the dance, Walker was most excited about connecting with others.

“I liked getting to meet some new people and try out something I’ve never really done before,” Walker said.

Students in the club come from all walks of life and different dance backgrounds. President Stefanie Klisch is a chemistry graduate student, but despite the extra workload, she is passionate about keeping the club alive.

“If there is a chance that [the club] is going to go away, I’m not going to let that happen,” Klisch said. “I need my dance people.”

Secretary Charlee Palma originally joined because she was a fan of “Dancing With The Stars.” Nowadays, she enjoys performing more behind-the-scenes work to attract attention to the club.

“I definitely want to document this club and make sure that we gain a lot more of our previous followers and members,” Palma said.

Vice President Nestis Theriot never thought she would be in a club for ballroom dancing, but her journey to becoming a dancer is motivational.

“I’d never danced before in my life, because I was always told I was bad at it, so I didn’t like dancing,” Theriot said. “I hated it. I didn’t feel comfortable in my skin.”

Once a friend encouraged her to attend a dance lesson at the Ballroom Dance Club, her perspective changed completely. She fell in love with it after her first time dancing and even learned how to waltz. She continued attending the club’s weekly lessons, even ending up as vice president of the club within the year.

“I dance all the time. It is a problem,” she joked. “It kind of just infested my life, but I am happy with that. It’s a symbiotic relationship.”

Luckily, the dance community in Baton Rouge does not stop at the LSU Ballroom Dancing Club. The president and vice president said there are dance events almost every single night. For Theriot, a perfect week consists of dancing every day except for Sundays.

“There’s always dancing scenes everywhere you go,” Klisch said. “So everywhere I travel, the first thing I do is open my Facebook and find the dance group for the area.”

Theriot and Klisch encourage all those interested in dance to attend these events, most notably those held at Ric Seeling’s Dance Studio. At its core, the Ballroom Dance Club is about having fun with others who share your passions.
“It’s a very welcoming community,” Theriot said. “You just have to get past that initial hurdle of ‘oh God, I’m not as good as everyone else,’ because the truth is that you’re not.”

The club hosts free lessons in room 325 in the Student Union every Tuesday at 6 p.m. More information can be found here.