dance – Houghton STAR

Dance Club

by Aivery Shuck ('26)

Houghton University’s (HU) Dance Club is a new affiliated campus club that meets in Presser Hall, located in the basement of the Chapel. Their weekly Saturday meetings, from 6-7 p.m., provide an opportunity for dancers and non-dancers of any skill level to learn some new moves and have fun with friends and peers.

Dancing has been a part of HU’s history in various forms.

In 2011, Jive 101 (along with Pointe to Christ) was a student-run swing club. Then, in the fall of 2016, alumna Kaitlyn Nirkirk ‘18 founded the ballroom team, which attended ballroom Dancesport competitions. The Ballroom & Swing Dance won ribbons at the Cornell Dancesport Classic (Cornell University) in fall 2016 and other competitions near Albany and at Princeton in spring and fall 2017. In 2017, they traveled to Columnus, Ohio to compete in the club’s largest event, the Ohio Star Ball. After 2022, the club vanished.

Chiara Lantorno ‘28, one of the club’s founders, stated that Dance Club was inspired by the lack of an outlet on campus for HU students to dance together in recent years.

“The club was created after how much I missed taking dance classes with my friends,” Lantorno explained, “and I figured other students who used to take dance classes would feel the same.”

A typical meeting begins with warm-up, stretching, across the floor exercises and ends with a brief dance combination. They focus on a different dance style each month. January was focused on Hip Hop and February will be centered on Modern dance style.

Bailey Lewis ‘28 noted, “You don’t have to be a dancer to join a dance club! It is easy to catch on to what is happening. The club is judgement-free and wants to welcome anyone who wants to come and have fun.”

It is a great opportunity to express yourself through dance, as well as try something new!

Nadia Gordon ‘28, another founder, added, “Moving our bodies is one of the best ways to refresh from a hard week of school work … Dance club is a safe space that cultivates fun and community.”

Overall, Dance Club is a space where students can step out of their comfort zone and try something new, or gain the opportunity to continue to dance in college. ★

Winter Dance: Dusk Til Dawn

by Abigail Bates '26

Tomorrow—from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m.—the Campus Activities Board (CAB) is hosting “Winter Dance: Dusk Til Dawn” in the Reinhold Campus Center (CC) basement.

Sophomore Gracie Stickels ‘27 said last year’s theme was “winter ball.”

“It was the perfect balance of fancy and fun,” she said, adding that “the snacks, drinks, and decorations were pretty and sophisticated while the energy of the dance floor was off the charts!”

Stickles oversees this year’s dance with help from her fellow CAB members. She has been busy working with Director of Student Engagement Jana Newberry, reserving dance space, acquiring sound equipment, shopping for supplies, creating posters and “curating a playlist for the dance.”

“It’s been a busy past week for sure,” she said, “but I am so grateful for my fellow team members, and I’m excited to see how it goes!”

In light of their desire to play with the contrasting nature of dusk and dawn, Stickles explained that the CC basement will be split in half with two different snack tables and photo booths. One side will highlight themes and colors of dusk and the other will do so of dawn. Stickles encourages attendees to pick a side, dressing fancy or casual, and match the corresponding color scheme “like Dawn-yellow, orange, pink and Dusk-blue, purple, black, etc.”

The hardest parts about preparing for the dance have been planning, estimating and staying under budget, Stickles said. Another CAB member, Aivery Shuck ‘26, noted that it’s hard to find a “suitable space for the dance as well as setting up all the decorations.” Shuck is the CAB Athletics Representative and assists with setting up the space, buying food and drinks, and “making sure everyone has a wonderful time!”

Although dancing was prohibited in Houghton University’s (formerly known as Houghton College) past, dance events are common now. Stickles described these dances as places where people may make new friendships and connections with other students.

“Due to Houghton’s location, it can be difficult to find places to go out with friends,” Stickles expressed. “To help with this, dances pave the way for a safe and local option for people to have an incredibly fun night mingling and dancing with others.”

Shuck described the dances as “a chance to get together with friends and have a good time dancing, chatting, and getting lots of free snacks!” She said that the only expectation for attendees is to have fun.

“Houghton,” Stickles said, “is very focused on the importance of community and we want to bring students, from all areas, together for a night of dancing and mingling.”

“We hope to see you there!” Stickles added. ★