Boots shuffling across the floor, laughter, and a wide variety of music from Kesha to Kenny Loggins fill Kansas State’s Student Union every Monday night. Members of the K-State Country Dance Club gather here weekly, building confidence, community and rhythm.
For club president Grayce Lynam, a junior in hospitality management, country dancing started as something her mom insisted she try out before leaving for college.
“I’m an out-of-state student from Virginia,” Lynam said. “My mom decided that the ‘it’ thing out here was country dancing, so we started going every Wednesday before I moved to college. I just found a passion for it.”
Once she arrived at K-State, Lynam discovered the Country Dance Club. Now as president, Lynam oversees a growing organization that’s part lessons, part social hour and all community.
Vice president Payton Wells, a senior in life sciences, said the club’s impact goes beyond learning the right moves.
“My favorite part is showing up every week and seeing new people learn how to dance,” Wells said. “Sometimes I’ll see them out later at Izzy’s [St. Isidore’s Catholic Student Center] or [Dirty] Dawgs, and I think, ‘I got to watch you start dancing.’ It’s my favorite feeling — watching people love it as much as we do.”
For many members of the K-State Country Dance Club, it’s more than just a hobby. It’s a place to find community, a place where everyone is learning, laughing and occasionally stum together.
For junior nursing major, Amaya Langen, who joined after discovering line dancing at Dirty Dawgs her freshman year, the club has become one of her favorite parts of campus life.
“I really enjoy learning new things every week, and the people are really sweet, so I enjoy being around them,” Langen said. “They play dances here that you don’t see at other places, so it’s fun getting to do something different. “
Langen isn’t the only one who finds joy in the process of learning. For club leaders, watching that same growth unfold in others is a part of what makes the club’s experience so meaningful.
“There’s really nothing more special than getting to watch people learn something new,” Lynam said. “They might feel like they’re failing, but they’re still having just as much fun. I think it’s really fun to see that spark and kind of be like ‘oh, I get it.’”
For Lynam, that sense of connection ties directly into the heart of K-State.
“At the heart of K-State, it’s about making connections and being there for other people,” Lynam said. “This club is really about that. You might not necessarily know their name, but you’re going to see them and you’re going to care for them.”
Wells agrees that the club offers something unique to the university experience: a chance to try something new without fear of judgment.
“I think it also pushes you out of your comfort zone in a way that’s not just horrifying, but also fun,” Wells said. “Like you show up the first time and you’re like, ‘I don’t know anything. People are watching me. I’m scared.’ And then, you know, everyone’s growing, trying new things together. And it’s just so cool to watch people get braver as the year or the semester goes on.”
