The semester-old Latin Dance Club hopes to increase the number of members involved.

Club President Mostafa Ahmadzadeh said the club formed last fall but was put into action mid-spring semester.

The creators of the club met in the Beginning Latin Dance class offered by the UREC. They soon learned that advanced Latin dance classes were not an option.

“I took those [beginning] classes for one and a half [semesters],”Ahmadzadeh said. “Then I thought, ‘This is it? I’m not going to learn more in these classes?’ ”

Ahmadzahdeh, Anna Cloud and a few other dancers wanted the group to meet in a dance room without paying rent for the space, Ahmadzadeh said.

The creators of the club have graduated, except Ahmadzadeh. Three graduate students have taken the officer positions to keep the club alive. In order to keep the club going, undergraduates will have to soon step up to officer positions.

“We really hope that we can get more people there,” Vice President Armina Abbasi said. “It will help keep the club going because we are graduates, and we are really busy.”

Treasurer Meng Li explained that newcomers do not have to have prior dance experience.

In his own experience, he liked to dance but didn’t know the right moves. After joining the Latin Dance Club, he has gained confidence in his dancing, Li said.
“If you can walk, you can dance,” he said.

The club practices salsa and bachata dances, which means it has enticing couple moves.

“I do like the energy that people exert in Latin dancing,” Li said. “It’s very vibrant … I like the vibe people bring when they are dancing.”

All the officers in Latin Dance Club have found that the people involved tend to be friendly and easy to make connections with.

“Meeting new people is a good part of it,” she said. “I’ve made good friends, so hopefully other people who come will make friends.”

The overarching goal for this newborn club is to bring in people interested in learning more about Latin dance or teaching others how to dance, Ahmadzadeh said.

What he hopes to gain is some members who grew up learning Latin dance from their families. This way, the club members would be able to both know the dances and the cultural background behind their dancing.

“I also think it’s a good way to get to know Latin American cultures,” Li said. “Carlos [a club member] from Chile, he told me that people from Chile don’t know how to dance salsa. I was a little shocked, but it’s more the Northern part of Latin America [that know how to salsa].”

The Latin Dance Club meets from 4 – 6 p.m. every Sunday in Room 115 of Smith Gym. Those interested in joining the club can search Latin Dance Club WSU on Facebook and join the group page, or attend a meeting.