BYU students can do more than just dance classic ballroom. The BYU Hip Hop Club has around 80–100 students who come and get jiggy with it every Tuesday night in the Wilkinson Student Center ballroom on campus. Most wouldn’t that LDS college students would know how to get their groove on, but these students do.
The club has been around since fall of 2009 and welcomes anyone who loves to dance. The club used to be an audition-only club but now opens its doors to the whole student body. Dancers are welcome even if they don’t have prior experience.
“Hip hop is different in that it is more than just a style of dance; it’s a culture,” said Shaun Ramage, BYU Hip Hop Club president. “The environment brings a lot of people together. It is a release from everything and is a good opportunity to just burn off some skin and have fun. When I dance hip hop I can just be free to express myself.”
The club performed in this semester’s Homecoming parade and won one of the best dance performances awards. The students dance every Tuesday and do a showcase of all their dances at the end of the school year for the student body.
“The Hip Hop Club at BYU is my favorite thing in the whole world,” said Cami Jones, the club’s choreographer. “The club is full of a lot of people that think like I do and love dancing the way I do. Dancing and loud music put together just makes me happy. We also have so many talented students, but many students come with no dance experience.”
On Tuesday evenings the club meets together and starts out by teaching a hip hop combination. The choreographer teaches the whole group a dance and then splits everyone up into smaller groups. If a dancer struggles with the movement, someone will be sure to step in and help. It’s a welcoming environment.
“I have a few friends that were in the club, and they just invited me to come,” said Justin Roedel, a member of the club. “I thought I was bad at dancing, but I loved it so I went anyway. I might not be the best dancer, but I have a love for it. I can do what I love, and no one treats me differently for not being the best.”
The BYU Hip Hop Club meets officially every Tuesday evening from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. in the Wilkinson Center ballroom. The club also meets unofficially on Thursday evenings at the same time.
