Maturity, social grace, confidence, personality and etiquette are a few of the characteristics that a group of Eastern students have gained while learning ballroom dance.

Every Tuesday at 7:30 p.m., a group of people, varying in skills, talents and expectations, come together in the Student Recreation Center for one reason – to learn how to dance.

Salsa and swing are the two favorite dances of Molly Hussey, a junior childhood education major. She has been attending the meetings for the last two and a half years.

“My favorite thing about being a part of this group would have to be the atmosphere,” Hussey said. “The faculty advisor, Peter Liu, and everyone that comes is so friendly and we have a blast together learning, laughing and dancing.”

Hussey has learned more than just dance steps at the meetings.

“Ballroom has taught me to be both optimistic and confident,” Hussey said.

The Panther Ballroom Dance Society started five years ago when Liu, professor and coordinator of graduate studies at the school of technology, was taking a dance class on campus.

“In that class there were a couple students that felt we needed somewhere to practice after class,” Liu said.

The group formed and has been advised by Liu ever since.

Another faculty member who has been involved in the group is Diana Lenzi, a professor of kinesiology and sports studies.

Lenzi, whose own passion for dance and glittery things developed at a young age when her mother dressed her in too many tutus, had taught Liu in one of her past dances classes.

“He (Liu) makes sure that he dances every day,” Lenzi said.

Lenzi has taught the group dances including the waltz, fox trot, salsa, cha-cha, tango, rumba and merengue.

Lois Guthrie, a senior German major with teacher certification and previous group president, has learned more than the rumba from going to the meetings.

“It has taught me how to be more personable,” Guthrie said. “So many different people come to ballroom so it’s nice to be able to meet and get to know them.”

The ballroom dance meetings are open to all faculty members, students and community members, no matter the amount of experience one has.

“We really don’t have any prerequisites,” Liu said. “This is really not a technical course, it’s a place where they can meet and dance.”

Anyone interested in learning ballroom dance can come to the meetings every Tuesday from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the dance studio of the Student Rec Center.

Sam Bohne can be reached at 581-7942 or shbohne@eiu.edu.

Junior early childhood major Molly Hussey and senior kineseology major Eric Sutor go over the proper moves to ballroom dance Jan. 19 in the Student Rec Center.(Amir Prellberg/The Daily Eastern News)

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