On Thursday, Sept. 12, the Ballroom and Social Dance Club held its first meeting of the year inside the main dance studio in the Spoelhof Fieldhouse Complex. This was a major change from the last two years when the club opened the year with a swing event on commons lawn called Fall Back into the Swing of Things.

The club opened this year with a lesson in the cha-cha. Many of the students came into the lesson without any previous dance experience, which made club president Lauren Cremean excited for this year. Dance Guild held an informational meeting at the same time as the club’s first lesson, causing leadership to worry about a small turnout.

“I was surprised by the turnout we had,” Cremean said, smiling.

Fall Back into the Swing of Things was the main way to let people know about the club’s existence besides word of mouth.

“The first meeting was successful because people who have been coming for a while brought new people with them,” Cremean said. “It was great to see the classes interact and build a community.”

Club leadership has undergone a number of changes. Cremean said that leadership is getting stronger this year.

Club vice president Mackenzie Buehler was one of the major changes in leadership. She has already come up with ideas for the upcoming year, including plans to hold a shoe drive and a ballroom-themed movie night.

Club leadership plans on starting up ballroom dance competition training in February and March. The training’s purpose is to send dance couples to a competition in Valparaiso, Ind.

The club leadership wants to focus more on people learning to enjoy the art of ballroom dancing. Cremean says that ballroom etiquette, particularly leads and follows in dancing, is an important life skill that they want to teach the students.

Fall Back into the Swing of Things was postponed because club leadership was working on scheduling the Jazz Cross-Winds Ensemble for the event. Cremean said another reason for postponing the event was the change in club leadership.

        The Ballroom and Social Dance Club holds lessons at 7:30 p.m. every Thursday in the main dance studio in the Spoelhof Fieldhouse Complex.