The downtown clubs are not the only place on campus to enjoy a good dance.

The University is filled with opportunities to have fun while also getting in shape and learning a few new moves. These activities include lessons from Registered Student Organizations on campus, Campus Recreational sessions and dance galleries off-campus.

The Swing Society is an RSO focused on spreading swing dancing across campus. Their lessons are completely free and last an hour every Thursday night.

“It’s a lot of fun being able to dance with a bunch of different people. Helping others helps me,” Amy Donath, senior in FAA, said.

There are very few requirements to participate in the free lessons. Jeanette Bailey, junior in Veterinary Medicine and president of the Swing Society, specified that no partner or special shoes are necessary. However, wearing flip-flops in the lesson is discouraged.

“You don’t need any experience,” Bailey said. “We start at the beginning and our intermediate class picks up where we left off in beginners.”

The dancing doesn’t stop at the end of the lessons. The Swing Society offers free weekly dances on Thursdays from 9:30 p.m.-12 p.m. It gives students the opportunity to practice the dance moves they learned directly after class.

“They teach as much as they can in class, and then you can go to the dance after and practice,” Joseph Klager, junior in Engineering, said. “There were more than 30 people at the last one so if you don’t want to dance, you can socialize too.”

The Activities and Recreation Center also offers a variety of dance classes open to University students, one of which is freestyle hip-hop.

David “Fink” Finkelstein, senior in LAS, teaches the class on Sunday and Thursday nights. This is a high energy class in which students warm up for a half hour and then learn a choreographed dance.

“It’s like I say at the beginning of every class: You shouldn’t be here to look like me,” Finkelstein said. “You should be here to have fun, get a workout and maybe learn how to dance.”

The class is taught in a short amount of time so Finkelstein categorizes it as “beginning/intermediate.” However, he also stresses that anyone can come and learn some moves.

“The class is kind of fast-paced, but our teacher always asks us if we need help and reviews the dance,” Teresa Liu, freshman in Business, said.

There are also a number of dance lessons offered off campus. Regent Ballroom Banquet Center offers a number of classes from ballroom to nightclub dancing.

“We get a wide variety of age groups – mostly grad students at ballroom and younger people attend the nightclub dances,” Pam Billing, Regent Ballroom Banquet Center employee, said.

Whether lessons are taken for fun, a good workout or to learn new dance moves, the University setting provides all you need. Below is a list of available classes.