There are many different ways for students to fulfill their physical education requirement on campus, and dance is one of them. From dance classes offered here at Trinity to over five dance-based student-run organizations like Rayas Tlahuitl and Swing Bums, students are able to find opportunities all across campus.
One way to start dancing around campus would be to enroll in Country/Western Dance I. Jeremy Zipagan, the course’s instructor and adjunct professor for dance at Trinity, spoke highly of dance classes and the benefits people can reap from it.
“A couple big ones that I look forward to are really getting people to be socially interactive again. In the time of age of technology and iPads, I think there has been a loss of just communication in front of somebody,” Zipagan said. “I really prefer the health benefits that people don’t realize dance actually provides.”
Ximena Ospina, sophomore biology major and religion minor, took the class her first year. While she initially took the class with her friends to fulfill their fitness requirement, she said that she ended up enjoying the experience the class provided.
“It was a little bright moment in the day,” Ospina said. “Everyone is pretty comfortable talking to each other because the classes are smaller, so everyone gets to know each other and it’s fun.”
Other kinds of dance available on campus are swing dancing and folklórico. Cate Shaffer, senior earth and environmental geosciences major, is the president of Swing Bums at Trinity.
“We try to keep the dance alive and keep the respect for the people who founded it, especially because it comes from black culture,” Shaffer said.
Andrea Alvarado, junior psychology major, is the director of events for Trinity’s Rayas Tlahuitl, a ballet folklórico club. Folklórico originates in Mexico, but the styles of dance differ from state to state. According to Alvarado, folklórico is woven in San Antonio culture.
“Growing up in a minority majority city, you’re gonna find some elements of Mexican culture and tradition wherever you go,” Alvarado said.
The club’s co-director Nayeli Alemán, senior global Latinx studies and Spanish double-major, said dance is an important way of life. She emphasized the importance of the identity-based aspect of their organization.
“Whether you do it for fun, or to release your energy or stress, having all different styles of dance on campus is important, but especially identity driven ones,” Alemán said.
Where culture meets well-being, social coordinator Kassandra Ibarra, senior art and communication double-major, said this club allowed her to connect to her Mexican roots and build a community. She also said that despite the cultural basis of their club, it’s very inclusive, and anyone can join.
There are many different ways for students to fulfill their physical education requirement on campus, and dance is one of them. From dance classes offered here at Trinity to over five dance-based student-run organizations like Rayas Tlahuitl and Swing Bums, students are able to find opportunities all across campus.
“Mexico’s style of dance is very traditional male-female partnership, but we love to encourage that you don’t have to dance with a female or a male, it’s just whatever you want,” Alvarado said. “I think that’s the beauty of making this our own.”
Shaffer said dancing brings people together and is a good way to get cardio in without working too hard. They also added that it releases a lot of your feel good hormones, such as serotonin and oxytocin. Ibarra spoke of folklórico, saying that everything is just so vibrant.
Zipagan left students with a last note about dancing: “It is just like going to a pool party — jump in.”
