Juniors Dane Barnett and Kayleigh Johnson sit next to each other in their non-experimental research methods class. One day, Johnson asked Barnett to come to Club Dance, Elon's ballroom dance club, with her and he has been coming back ever since.

"I really enjoy the non-academic outlet," Barnett said.

Johnson has made a habit of pulling friends into the club.

"I love dragging people here who wouldn't normally show up but find out they're good at it," she said.

In Oaks 212 the night of Oct. 27, students were immersed in a group of swinging, waltzing, ballroom-dancing Elon students.

Club Dance, Elon's ballroom dance organization, performed at Midnight Meals. Although Midnight Meals is usually held in Irazu, it was moved to The Oaks to give students plenty of room to show off their dance moves.

There was no dress code or formal agenda for the night. The purpose of each performance was to teach dance moves to anyone who wanted to learn and to enjoy one another's company.

"I love the sense of community when we come together every Friday night," said Phyllis Jarrell, club president. "It's that kind of connection where you don't have to talk."

It's the social aspect Jarrell described that draws Elon students to the club.

"It's a nice medley of people," said senior Ned Dibner. "We're all good friends and we can always count on each other. It's also a fast way to get to know people, specifically girls."

Although some might consider ballroom dancing outdated in the 21st Century, certain strains of pop culture are bringing back a more formal style of dance. Shows like "Dancing with the Stars" are bringing dance styles such as ballroom more into pop culture.

"I think that our generation has lost the love of social dancing without it being more than just dancing," Jarrell said. "When people actually join our club they realize this kind of dancing is actually cool."

There is more than one type of ballroom dancing and Club Dance explores a variety of these styles. During its Friday practices in East Gym, the group rehearses salsa, cha-cha, waltz, tango, rhumba and foxtrot, among other dances. The club has about 50 members with varying experience. A group of advanced students also travels to other schools for competitions.

The majority of Club Dance members came in with no experience, making the group perfect for beginnings. They meet in at 7 p.m. each Friday in East Gym.