Dance can be used to express yourself in many different ways and the Latin Dance Club on campus is allowing students to do so every Thursday and Friday.
The Latin Dance Club, which was formed in March 2024, was born out of a love for dance and the need for an opportunity to share this love with others. It was formed based on the previous Latin dance club as well as a former Latin Ballroom Club.
The club offers lessons in many different styles of dance but mainly focuses on Salsa, which they coined as one of their strengths. But they often incorporate lessons in Bachata, Tango and other styles into their weekly lessons, often getting feedback from their participants to evaluate which dance styles they should continue giving lessons on.
“We are hoping to expand if other people show interest. We want to keep the club running into the coming semester,” Paulina Ruiz, the club secretary, said. “Unfortunately, a lot of us in the club are seniors this semester, so we really established this club with the hopes that we could create a dance community here for Latin dances. We hope that people are passionate enough to keep this club going.”
The Latin Dance Club provides great opportunities for exercise and a fun way to meet new people in a low-stress environment.
The club wants to create a real sense of community among the members, bringing people together through different forms of dance and letting the participants relax and have fun together for a small moment of their day.
“Dance is a fun activity and a fun way to meet new people. It is a fun workout as well, there is a lot of cardio in dance. But it is just a lot of fun,” Ethan Concepcion, a member of the club, said.
No prior dance experience is needed. Every lesson starts off with instructions on the basic steps, and as participants get more comfortable, they are then encouraged to apply what they learned to the music that is played.
A partner is also not required for lessons, although anyone interested is strongly encouraged to bring along their friends.
“We want people to find a new interest,” Alejandro Cruz, the president of the Latin dance club, said. “My hope for the future would be for us to be able to fill up the entire gym room or even the entire ENS field. We want to spread the love for dance to everybody.”
The club is held in the multipurpose room on the first floor of the ARC every Thursday and Friday from 1 pm to 2 p.m.
There is no strict dress code to attend. Upon arrival, new members will have to fill out release forms, but nothing is required prior to attendance at the meeting.
Stay connected with San Diego State’s Latin Dance Club here.
