This student organization does not need a vibe check – they are always up for a dance.
The drop-in club, Vibecheck, is a dance group open to students interested in attending a dance class, regardless of their level of experience, said Dana Yambao, a fourth-year psychobiology student. The club’s social media and relations president said Vibecheck aims to make dance accessible to the student community and create an environment where people are free to participate in dance casually, allowing them to explore their creativity.
“We’re all college students, we’re all super busy – and we want people to be able to enjoy dance no matter what stage they are at in their training,” said Catherine Xu, a second-year psychobiology student. “Just have fun while dancing, without any pressure.”
As a group that prioritizes creating a stress-free environment, Xu said attendees find the dance classes relaxing, as they are student-led. Often, when there is an authority figure in this environment, she said dancers can feel the pressure of trying to impress their instructors. Vibecheck, however, focuses on peers helping each other and making dance more relatable, Xu said.
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Events and Recruitment President Nupur Gupta said Vibecheck, unlike other dance groups, is a non-competitive club that seeks to erase the stress often associated with dance. Guest and Videography President Zach Levin added that the group being student-organized allows attendees to simply focus on the art, creating a welcoming space by making dance less intimidating.
“My philosophy with dance is it should look how it feels good on your body. You shouldn’t look like me. I’m not trying to make a bunch of me’s. I’m trying to make it look best for you,” said Levin, a third-year psychology and sociology student.
With around 20 people per class, Yambao said there’s always a mix of both new and familiar faces each week. The organization is free from commitment, motivating dancers to attend multiple meetings for fun and reminding students that it’s okay to have non-academic activities in their everyday life, she said.
Each meeting is led by a different choreographer, said Gupta, a third-year psychology student. For example, she said in the past academic year, they collaborated with other clubs such as the Salsa Society and the Indian Student Union. Planning to continue this approach, Xu said the first quarter’s meetings will be led by the co-presidents, and members can sign up to teach a class starting winter quarter. This, she said, is a great opportunity to grow as a dancer and choreographer while also gaining leadership experience.
Moreover, having different choreographers each week helps the club to be more diverse in style and appeal to as many interests as possible, Yambao said. This can be a way to prevent members from finding the club monotonous, which defies the explorative nature of the organization, she said.
Levin said this variety in style complements the no-commitment factor, as people are encouraged to try something new without feeling forced to do so. This also helps cater to the different levels of experience within the group, as each choreographer brings a style with its own level of difficulty, Yambao said, challenging dancers differently, through technique or genre.
Nevertheless, Gupta said the club is looking to expand its accessibility by potentially hosting two meetings per week, one focused on a beginner-to-intermediate level, and the other on an intermediate-to-advanced level. She said members will still be free to choose the class they want to attend, even navigating between both if members choose to challenge themselves.
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Vibecheck is also a great place to disconnect from stressful situations and work as a tool for balancing student life, Gupta said. Levin said he likes to compare dance to other activities – such as reading a book or watching a movie – as it can be equally immersive to the point of forgetting the outside world.
“This is why you don’t want dance to feel like a chore, or stressful as another commitment. Because when you’re doing it for fun, it’s like, ‘Okay, I’m just going, I’m gonna have fun, I’m gonna come back in an hour,’ and then you feel a lot better,” Gupta said.
Overall, Levin said Vibecheck is fitting for any student interested in dance, as it breaks the stigma of it being an all-consuming, high-commitment activity. Xu said if students are even slightly curious about taking a dance class, they are encouraged to explore comfortably with the club.
“It’s a great thing to explore in college and get better at, because college is all about exploration and finding out what you like, who you are,” she said. “So that’s a great reason to start.”
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