The Louis Room at Norris University Center morphed into a dance club Friday night for Northwestern’s third Salsa Dance Party of the year.

Twenty minutes into the four-hour party, 60 students were shaking their hips as they tried to imitate the experienced dancers.

Weinberg sophomore Toby Heidkamp admitted he didn’t quite have the salsa down.

“My friend is trying to teach me, but I’m kind of a lost cause,” he said.

About 120 NU students danced the salsa and merengue throughout the after-spring break party sponsored by the Office of Hispanic/Latino Student Services and NU’s five Latino student groups. Laura Labauve-Maher, acting coordinator for the Office of Hispanic/Latino Student Services, came up with the idea for a quarterly Salsa Dance Party last fall.

Alianza, Mezcla, Sigma Lambda Gamma, Omega Delta Phi and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers coordinated efforts for this party.

While Alianza executive board member Roberto Wilczynski served as DJ, students from every group demonstrated the dances.

Joy Matias, Weinberg junior and Sigma Lambda Gamma vice president, learned to salsa from her mother, a former ballroom dancer. The lessons didn’t last long, as everyone split into partners to work out the kinks on their own.

Lindsay Scherr, a Speech freshman, said it was fun to try something different from the regular fraternity parties.

“Did I learn how to salsa?” She considers. “Kinda…I do my own version.”

One of the goals of the dance party is to share Latino culture and music, LaBauve-Maher said.

“I think it’s great that we’ve attracted such a diverse crowd, ” said Alianza President Katherine Unmuth.

The free party and free food is always a big draw, LaBauve-Maher said, although most were too busy dancing to enjoy the chips and salsa, pretzels, tropical dried fruit and assorted chocolates.

Dancers stopped for water, punch and lemonade and to catch their breath.

“We all love to dance for free,” said Francey Wattman, a Weinberg sophomore. “I think there should be more things like this on campus.”

Professors from the Hispanic studies department also volunteered to demonstrate Salsa later in the evening.

“It’s fun to see the students in a different setting, and let them see us in a different setting,” said Nelida Zepeda, who teaches first-year Spanish.

The Office of Hispanic Studies already has Norris booked for three parties next year.