Swing dancing is an old-school hobby coming back to life on campus.
The Auburn University Swing Dancing Association (AUSDA) is creating an atmosphere where students can learn about swing dancing and its different styles, such as Lindy Hop.
Kathryn Hoerlin, senior in industrial and systems engineering, is the current president.
Hoerlin started attending AUSDA meetings as a high school student and, only a year after attending meetings, she began instructing.
"It's something my friends and I saw when we were in high school, and we thought, 'Oh, that sounds like fun,'" Hoerlin said. "Our parents were like, 'Sure, swing dancing sounds great. You can't really go wrong with that.'"
In the upcoming school year, AUSDA will receive funding from the Auburn University Commissions Board for a new dance floor, which will allow them to dance on campus.
"It's a really nice floor," Hoerlin said. "The kind we got is semi-floating, which means it gives when you dance on it, so it reduces knee injuries and it's better to dance on than carpet or concrete with carpet over it. My two years of presidency was working toward getting (the floor), so I'm really excited."
With the new floor, the group plans to have monthly dances in the Student Center Ballroom on Saturday nights.
"The idea is to do an hour lesson where people can just drop in and to have a three or four-hour dance after," Hoerlin said. "Those will probably be $5-10, depending on if we get a band. We really want to get a band."
Hoerlin said she hopes the dances in the Student Center will make swing dancing more accessible, especially to on-campus freshmen.
"It's hard to explain we're not actually on campus, but that we're at Jan Dempsey Arts Center, which is close to campus, but is not really walking distance, especially at night," Hoerlin said. "Sometimes we drive freshmen to our dances and drive them back. If they join our Facebook group and say, 'Hey, I want to go to the dance tonight! Can someone drive me?' Someone always volunteers. It's still not as inviting as if we did something on campus to get people interested."
Hoerlin also said she thinks the monthly dances will be popular for date nights.
Ian Kirkconnell, junior in electrical engineering, said he enjoys the swing dancing AUSDA offers.
"I really like going to them because I enjoy swing dancing, seeing friends, dancing with new people and, of course, dancing is always a good excuse to bring a date along," Kirkconnell said.
Sarah Hurt, veterinary student, said swing dancing helps her express herself.
"Swing dancing is a very important part of my life," Hurt said. "It provides a way to escape the stress of life and school. Naturally I am shy, but while dancing I can express myself, not through words, but through movement."
Katie McCutcheon, sophomore in chemical engineering, said swing dancing helps her find peace.
"When I swing dance, I forget about everything else," McCutcheon said. "I let the lead tell me what to do and stop struggling to control everything. Swing lets me relax. I swing every chance I get."
According to Hoerlin, the reason she swing dances is simple: it makes her happy.
"I'm probably the happiest I ever am when I'm dancing," Hoerlin said. "I kind of enjoy instructing, and I kind of enjoy leading things, but I think mostly, I just really enjoy dancing and going to events. I just want to make everyone else learn about it too and be as happy as I am."
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
