Think you've got two left feet? Try again. Columbia University's Ballroom Dance Team and CU Swing both offer lessons for beginning, intermediate, and advanced dancers. So pick up your dance shoes, swing by a class, and learn a move or two. Before you know it, you'll be moving to the music like a pro!

When current Columbia University Ballroom Dance Team president Catherine Woo, CC '08, joined the team three years ago, it was a quarter of its present size. Today, CUBDT boasts over 100 participants in its standard, Latin, and social dance classes, which each meet for one weekly lesson and additional practices throughout the week.

According to Woo, most choose Latin for its "hotness." Others prefer standard for its "elegant dances, like the tango and the waltz." Social, which covers everything from salsa to Argentine tango, is also available for those who prefer non-competitive dancing. Kristine Hizon, BC '10, dances in both the standard and Latin classes. Latin, most often associated with the cha-cha, is "more energetic," Hizon said. Simon Thompson, SEAS '10, agreed. "The best thing is being on the dance floor," he said. "It's pretty thrilling."

Woo calls ballroom dancing a "good stress reliever," but she also considers the competitions one of the most exciting reasons for being on the team. Once a month, around 50 members travel to competitions at different schools, where a typical morning begins with more than 100 pairs of dancers and ends with a showdown of the seven best. The greatest part is having "teammates cheer you on," Woo said. "You present yourself in a different way."

Lessons range from $80 to $155 per semester. See www.columbia.edu/cu/ballroomteam/ for a class schedule.

In the mood for something more informal? Look no further than CU Swing. Swing dancing is "more social and very free," Frank Nestor, CC '10 and vice president of CU Swing, said. "You dance to big-band, old-time music [from Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, and others], music that's jumpy."

CU Swing, founded about six years ago, has around 60 members. Many join because of its nature as a more laid-back, social dance group. They "just want to go out and have fun," Nestor said. "No pressure." The club meets on Wednesday evenings in Lerner C555 for lessons, which begin with a jazzy warm-up before the dancers partner up for technical routines. Every Thursday evening, members of the group dance the night away at Frim Fram Jam, a swing-themed night at Club 412, a dance studio/club on 31st Street and Eighth Avenue. Treasurer Sam Stampfer, CC '07, recounts a particularly memorable event there in the fall: "An RA brought his entire Carman floor to Club 412. These total beginners ... had a good time, even though they had no clue what they were doing."

So, why is swing dancing so appealing? "You feel so happy when you dance to such vibrant music," Nestor said. "It's stuff that makes you feel great, too, especially when you establish a connection between the two of you [you and your partner]."

Lessons are $20 for the semester. On Wednesday nights, in Lerner C555, beginners practice from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., and intermediates follow, from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.