Hadley Bodell
Sports Editor
Have you ever thought about swing dancing? Or maybe you’re an old pro? Idaho State University has the club for you. Several students have been hard at work the past few weeks putting together the ISU Swing Dancing Club, and they’re ready to get dancing.
The President of the club, Kale DuPont is from Lewiston, Idaho, and has been swing dancing for several years. He commented on the startup, saying, “It was a spur-of-the-moment decision to start the club, but back in Lewiston swing dance was a pretty popular thing, so not only is it fun, but it’s a way for me to bring a little piece of Lewiston to Pocatello.”
The Swing Dance Club is for anyone who wants to show off their dance moves or is looking to learn a new hobby. Admission is free for ISU students and open to anyone from zero to many years of experience.
As another experienced swing dancer, Vice President Kassie McKeown has been dancing for five years after her aunt taught her and she found friends from her hometown in Minnesota to dance with. She is excited to get dancing with the club, saying, “Lessons would be fun, along with open swing nights with lots of fun music.”
McKeown also mentioned the different style nights the club may pursue, including jazz, electro-swing, country swing, etc. She has a passion for teaching others and looks forward to combining that with one of her favorite hobbies.
With hopes to officially start in the Spring 2024 semester, the club is going to have lessons every Friday taught by DuPont and McKeown as well as other founding members of the club. At the end of each month, DuPont hopes to have a country showdown where everyone dresses up and shows off the skills they learned at the club practices that month.
Simultaneous with the starting of the ISU Swing Dancing Club, Country Swing Dancing in Idaho Falls recently had its grand opening on October 27th. After years of renovations to an empty barn, the venue is finally ready for some open-house swing dance nights. DuPont says the Idaho Falls Country Swing Dancing nights are a fantastic opportunity for the club to get involved with, as club members can also learn from experts and experienced dancers at the weekly events.
While there are many clubs and organizations on the ISU campus, the new Swing Dancing Club may be one of the most exciting startups of the semester. DuPont closed with, “The best part of the club is whether you have two left feet, or you are a dancing machine, the Swing Dancing Club is for you.”
If you’re interested in starting a club of your own, the process is easier than you may think. At the Student Leadership and Engagement Center in the Student Union Building, you’ll find the resources to start a club. Like with the Swing Dancing Club, odds are someone has already created the same club in the past and it might just be inactive. This means all that’s left to do is find members, edit the existing constitution, and turn in the proper forms and paperwork to the Student Leadership Center.
Dancing hasn’t officially started yet, meaning there’s still time to sign up to be in the club. Flyers are posted around campus with information about the club and contacts. You can also email ude.usinull@tnopudelak or ude.usinull@nwoekcmardnasak to join.
