DWTS: Dancing with the students

Northwestern junior Brooke Johnson has expanded students’ options for weekend entertainment with her Saturday night dances.
When most students think of a dance, they think of a dark room with colorful lights, music blaring and a large crowd of people doing whatever dance moves they desire. Johnson’s Saturday night dances are a little different.
Swing is the style Johnson prefers. She learned this dance during her years of homeschooling, when her mother joined with mothers of other homeschoolers to teach swing dancing to their children as a social activity.
After Johnson learned how to swing dance, she began attending community swing dances with friends.
It was at these dances that Johnson picked up the waltz, the Jitterbug and the Lindy Hop. Her passion for dance grew, and she attended Camp Jitterbug in Seattle, where she took dance lessons and went to late night dances with live bands.
After enrolling at NW, Johnson began missing these dance styles. Thus, Saturday night dances were born.
“Attending these dances is a great chance to learn something different,” Johnson said. “It’s a great way to be social, get exercise and listen to cool music all at the same time.”
Not knowing how to swing dance, jitterbug, waltz or Lindy hop is no excuse for not attending. Johnson teaches attendees the steps to each dance.
Johnson also encourages attendees to dress up. This means girls wear dresses and guys wear a tie.
“It’s more fun when people dress up because it seems like we are back in the ’40s and ’50s,” Johnson said.
Johnson said she loves hosting the dances because they give students the opportunity to see their friends in a new context.
“You get to see your friends outside of the cafeteria,” she said.
Johnson’s goals for her dances are for students to have fun, get to know each other and learn a new style of dancing.
“My favorite part of the dances is looking around and seeing that others are having fun,” Johnson said. “I especially love seeing that moment when the dance clicks for them and they begin to love it.”
So far this semester, Johnson had hosted one dance with plans to continue the activity. The dances will be held Saturdays at 9 p.m. in the lobby of Hospers Hall. Those attending should wear comfortable clothes that allow free movement.