From the first time Autumn Saddler, senior in applied life studies, saw Dance2XS perform, she said she knew she wanted to be a part of it.

“I saw them perform at Quad Day and at Late Nighter and thought, ‘Wow, I want to be a part of that,'” Saddler said. “So I tried out and made it, and now it’s a huge part of my life.”

Dance2XS is a coed dance group on campus that was started in 1998 by Patrick Chin, a University student at the time. Saddler said the group originally had only six or seven members, but has since expanded to about 20 members. After Chin graduated and moved to Chicago, Saddler said she and a few of the other members continued to dance and formed another Dance2XS there.

Today, Saddler, 21, said Dance2XS has members in places all over the world, from New York to Norway to Prague to London. Chin has since toured with the pop group Mis’Teeq and choreographed the group’s latest video, “Scandalous.”

“Before they (Mis’Teeq) were big here, he taught us the dance and we performed it in Chicago and China,” Saddler said.

Tryouts for new members were held this week; dancers attended clinics to learn the dances on September 7th and 8th and the actual auditions for a spot in the group were held on September 9th.

Saddler said her first love is hip-hop dancing, but she is willing to try just about anything, from ballet to jazz to break dancing.

“We perform to a lot of Missy Elliott,” she said. “But we also do random stuff and old-school.”

Saddler said in the past, Dance2XS has performed to songs by the Vengaboys, Black Eyed Peas and Aaliyah.

“We’re pretty open to whatever our members choreograph,” she said.

Since Dance2XS is such a small group, Saddler said the members are very close.

“We all get along well,” she said. “And we all just love it.”

Aubrey Caldwell, senior in LAS, said she and Autumn joined Dance2XS at the same time.

“I remember the first time I saw her was at auditions – couldn’t miss this beautiful girl with the huge ponytail,” she said.

Since then, the two have become good friends.

“Autumn is a big dork, and she has the funniest laugh ever,” Caldwell said.

Nikki Stanek, junior in communications, another member of Dance2XS and Saddler’s roommate, agreed.

“I would describe Autumn as someone who is caring, thoughtful, laid-back and a great person,” she said. “She’s ambitious and I always know we’ll have a good time when we hang out.”

After she graduates, Saddler said she hopes to get an internship and then eventually work at a school teaching nutrition or a related subject. Additionally, she said she wants to continue dancing.

Her friends do not foresee any problems with that aspiration.

“Autumn’s the bomb when it comes to breaker poses and anything else related to dance,” Caldwell said. “She’s my idol and I love her.”