A Look at USU Dance Clubs
Rebecca Riedler, president of the Utah State University big band swing club, has been involved with the group for two years and dancing all together since she was a little girl.
“I just love the music of the big band era, I use to dance around my kitchen when I was seven until I found places that gave lessons,” Riedler said.
Now Riedler scoots around the dance floor to the tunes of Duke Ellington and Coleman Hawkings along with the hundred plus members of the USU swing club.
Every Wednesday at 7 p.m. USU students and various members from the community gather in the HPER building, room 102, to spin each other across the floor and enjoy the company of fellow swing addicts.
The first hour of every night is dedicated to learning new techniques and dancing with different partners. This gives new comers to the art a place to start, and seasoned veterans a way to learn new moves.
“It doesn’t matter what level you are at because we are just here to learn new skills and make new friends,” Riedler said.
The club has been present at USU for 10 years and consists of mostly USU students, although doors are open to everyone.
“People of all ages come. We have a couple of high school kids who attend as well as some people in their 70s,” Riedler said.
However, big band swing is not the only club at USU that allows students to unleash their inner dancer.
In the past two years the clogging club has gained popularity at USU among new comers to the art, as well as seasoned veterans, said Heather Pelfrey, director of the USU clogging club.
Pelfrey started the club two years ago after she transferred to USU and discovered there were no outlets available to practice her passion
“I’ve been dancing since I was seven, and I wasn’t ready to give it up yet,” Pelfrey said.
When the club was first formed, only a handful of people would show up to the weekly meeting, Pelfrey said, but after just two years the clogging club is up to roughly 20 people and growing.
“Anyone can come and learn how to clog,” Pelfrey said. “There will be an hour a week set aside for beginners.”
The clogging club will have their first meeting sometime next week, although no official time has been established due to space and time limitations at the HPER building. For information about meeting times please contact Pelfrey at heather.f@aggiemail.usu.edu.
Another club on campus that dedicates a large portion of time to dance is the Polynesian Student Union.
“The Polynesian Student Union was created to promote our culture, and the best way is through dance and food,” said Analee Christensen, current member of the club and senior at USU studying sociology.
Roughly 30 students attend the weekly meetings, Christensen said, at which members are taught different forms of Polynesian dance.
“We don’t just do the Hula,” Christensen said.
Occasionally members from the group will perform the dances they’ve learned at local events; however, the clubs largest event is the USU Luau in March. At this event students can witness different Polynesian dances and feast on traditional pacific island foods.
Christensen said a student doesn’t have to be Polynesian or even familiar with the culture to join.
“The [Polynesian Student Union] is open to everyone, we are just excited to share our culture,” Christensen said.
The group will have their opening social some time within the next few weeks at which meeting times for the semester will be determined. Christensen can be reached at brown_sugar.c@aggiemail.usu.edu for information.
For students who want to keep their dancing a little closer to home, USU offers the Country Swing Club, which is by far the largest club on campus with upward of 400 members, said Greg Hunsaker, the club president.
The group meets unofficially every Wednesday night at the Fun Park in Logan located at 255 E. 1770 North where hundreds of country music/swing dance fans take their place on a oval dance floor to partake in an old fashioned sock hop.
But, like most other dance clubs, everyone is welcome.
“It’s a great opportunity to socialize even if you don’t dance, although we hope that you do,” he said.
All four of these clubs are just a small section of the many on campus geared toward dancing. Currently, USU also offers west coast swing, country swing, salsa dancing, and more.
For students who feel they’d like to be more involved in dancing than participating in a weekly club, there is the USU ballroom team, a competitive group that travels around the nation performing and competing against other colleges.
For a full list of clubs, dance related and other wise, please visit www.usu.edu/asusu/clubs/.