By Jessica Poe
Though his arms limply hang and sway at his side, his legs frantically stomp to the rhythm of the fast-paced music.
Trickles of sweat drip from his forehead as he stares with complete focus at the screen commanding his next dance move.
Michael Clark, a sophomore from Hong Kong, studying computer engineering, said he finds the Pump It Up dance machine in the BYU Game Center entertaining and beneficial to his body.
'I''ve already lost 30 pounds using the game,' Clark said, 'This is my daily exercise.'
Clark used Pump It Up for an hour each day over a three-month time period. He combined dance exercise and eating less to lose the weight.
His goal is to lose another 30 pounds using Pump It Up, he said.
'It''s a side effect I noticed after weighing myself. I said, ''Wait a second, this is cool,''' he said.
Clark will need to find a new place to workout because the Game Center plans to close at the end of this month for a renovation project.
Clark said he will be looking at local businesses in the area that have Pump It Up, but is disappointed because BYU''s Game Center is less expensive than Fat Cats and other venues.
Blake Nelson, a freshman from Colorado Springs, Colo., studying computer engineering, also takes advantage of the cardiovascular workout at the Game Center.
Nelson warms up for his daily dance exercises by stretching to prevent leg cramps, and begins dancing to easier songs and then works into the higher levels.
Nelson said the dances can be intense and draining.
'You get really tired and your legs don''t feel like moving,' Nelson said.
He said he dedicates a portion of time everyday to BYU game center, developing skills and keeping fit.
'It''s exercise too, so I''m not completely wasting my time,' Nelson said.
Because the Game Center will not be available for the summer, Nelson said he will play a game much like Pump It Up on his Nintendo 64. Unfortunately he won''t attract as many crowds in his confined living room.
Spectators make the sweat worth it, he said.
As Nelson and Clark began a synchronized dance together, an audience immediately congregated around Pump It Up.
Some onlookers smiled, others gawked in awe, and the two soaked up the attention.
'I like putting on a show if there are people around. I''ll do the crowd-pleaser songs - songs where you jump a lot. People really like that,' Clark said.
The crowds became a normal part of the BYU Game Center about three years ago when Pump It Up was purchased.
'On weekends, crowds of 15 to 20 people are standing behind the machine,' said Kari Hullinger, WSC Support Services operating manager.
Pump It Up is fun to watch, as well as fun to play, Hullinger said, which is probably why it is the most profitable game in the BYU Game Center.
'It''s fascinating to watch and the fact that it''s a physical game makes it more popular,' she said.