Get moving and grooving this year by engaging with any of the 20 dance groups on campus. Join a student organization or watch a performance across an array of different styles.
Ahana Dance Project
This non-competitive South Asian fusion dance team puts on showcases and various performances throughout the year, aiming to spread its love for South Asian culture. Ahana, a Sanskrit word, refers to the sunlight at dawn and people’s inner light.
Burlesque
Culminating in an annual Winter Quarter show, B. Burlesque teaches burlesque to students of color, focusing on body and sex positivity.
Ballet Folklórico Mexicano: Ritmo de Mis Ancestros
With performances throughout the year on campus and in the Chicago area, this student group showcases Mexican culture with traditional folklórico dances.
Ballroom, Latin and Swing Team
BLAST is dedicated to creating an inclusive partner dancing community on campus. It has a competition season from the fall through early spring, and a showcase season from mid-winter through spring. It features classes, workshops, and social dancing ranging from swing and salsa to the waltz and tango.
Boomshaka
This drum, dance and rhythm ensemble is written, directed and produced by students alone. It puts on high-energy performances combining hip-hop and contemporary dance and percussion throughout the year, including in ReFusionShaka with Fusion Dance Company and Refresh Dance Crew.
Dale Duro Latin Dance Company
Since 2018, Dale Duro has shown its appreciation for Latin culture, offering free workshops for different Latin dance styles, community bonding events and an annual spring showcase, h whicfeaturing styles like salsa, bachata, merengue, flamenco, cumbia, reggaeton and more.
Deeva
Deeva has blended Indian classical, Bollywood, folk, ballet, lyrical and hip-hop dance elements for more than two decades. The award-winning all-female competitive dance team’s mission is cultural exchange through dance.
Eight Counts Ballet Company
Northwestern’s premier student-run ballet company strives to create an inclusive and welcoming ballet-based community, putting on performances and offering public classes.
Fusion Dance Company
Founded in 2003, Fusion is a collegiate dance company centered on a passion for dance — hip-hop, jazz, contemporary and more.
Graffiti Dancers
Graffiti is one of NU’s oldest ensembles, founded in 1974. Its dances are intended to break boundaries and entertain, combining jazz, modern and ballet. The entirely student-run organization both puts on its own performances and collaborates with other organizations, such as Graffoniks with TONIK Tap.
K-Dance
Open to dancers of all experience levels, K-Dance is a student-led group that creates a community around dancing for K-Pop. There are opportunities for both casual and auditioned members, ranging from workshops to performances at campus events like Celebrasia and more.
New Movement Project
NMP is a dance board that wants to offer students opportunities to expand as dancers. Its main events include hosting residencies and workshops, sponsoring individual projects and producing the Fall Dance Concert.
NU Bhangra Dance Team
This coed team performs traditional Punjabi folk dance to promote awareness of Punjabi culture.
NU Raas
A competitive Raas and Garba team, NU Raas performs dance from the Indian state of Gujarat. Its 15-25 members participate in a competitive season during Winter Quarter and showcase an annual Raas Spring Show.
Polerize
Polerize’s goal is to empower and educate students with pole dancing classes and performances, creating a safe community to explore strength and sensuality.
Refresh Dance Crew
Hip-hop group Refresh welcomes those from all skill levels to open sessions and classes, along with an auditioned team for shows. The Refresh family’s core values are respect, family, and hustle — inspired by a love for dance.
Steam Heat Dance Company
As a musical theatre dance company, Steam Heat both preserves original choreography and creates its own.
TONIK Tap
TONIK Tappers love to create rhythm. The tap ensemble choreographs its own performances for two on-campus shows, along with other Chicago area performances throughout the year.
Tufaan Entertainment
This Bollywood fusion dance competition organization seeks to raise awareness of South Asian culture through entertainment.
Typhoon Dance Troupe
Typhoon highlights dances — popular, classical, ethnic and contemporary — from East and Southeast Asia. The dance group aims to use the art of dance to spur increased appreciation for the regions’ diverse cultures.
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @karapeeler
Related Stories:
— ReFusionShaka rocks the stage, brings together NU dance community
— Love and lingerie: Lipstick Burlesque empowers performers through dance
— Dale Duro dances audiences across Latin America in spring show
