YSU Dance Club Presents: ‘Danza de la Noche’

By Amanda Lehnerd

Youngstown State University’s Dance Club is having their annual fundraiser at Kuzman’s in Girard Thursday at 8 p.m.

Rachael Penick, president of Dance Club, explains that the fundraiser is an annual tradition in the club, where people from the Youngstown area come together for a night of dancing. courtesyofrachelpenick

“This fundraiser is a social dance,” Penick said. “People from all over the Youngstown area come together for a night of fun social dancing. This year, our dance is Latin-themed.”

People and students can participate in the fundraiser regardless of whether you are a member of the club.

“Anyone is welcome to participate! The fundraiser is open to the public 18 or older,” Penick said. “Members of our club and dancers of all skill levels — from beginners to experts — from the Youngstown area come together to dance at this event.”

People who attend the fundraiser will be able to participate in a variety of activities including an East Coast Swing competition.

“Everyone is welcome to dance starting at 8 p.m. There will also be an East Coast Swing competition for all in attendance with prizes for the top three couples,” Penick said. “For those who do not dance themselves but enjoy the art, I would still encourage them to attend. The fundraiser is a great opportunity to watch some wonderful local dancers, socialize and, perhaps, pick up a move or two.”

The theme of Latin Night will be represented through the various styles of dance that will be performed throughout the night.

“The theme for this dance is Latin Night, meaning that there will be a lot of Latin dances, such as cha-cha, Salsa, Tango and other Latin dances,” Penick said. “However, we are not limited to just those types of dances. We will also throw in some other styles such as Waltz, Foxtrot, Hustle, Swing and many others.”

The annual fundraiser is used to raise funds for the club. Without the fundraiser, the club wouldn’t be able to have a private instructor come in and teach classes every week. Errek Pham, treasurer of Dance Club, feels that having an instructor is an important part of Dance Club.

“We have a professional dance instructor, Bob McPhail, who comes in and teaches us dances every week,” Pham said. “The instructor teaches the officers a performance for the fundraiser.”

According to Frank Bosso, adviser of Dance Club, there is a good group of members in the club. The fundraiser is mainly to pay the instructor. The dues students pay to participate in Dance Club are minimal and would not provide enough funds for a private instructor. The funds also pay for retreats and other activities the club members participate in, so that they may broaden their skill set and carry these skills into their future.

The Dance Club fundraiser is Thursday 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Kuzman’s in Girard. Tickets are $5 and will be sold at the door starting at 7:30 p.m. It is a informal event.