Joining the UL Ballroom Dance Club as a Shy College Freshman

All through high school, I was shy and introverted. I was the kind of guy who didn't look forward to lunchtime because they didn't know who to sit with. So when college came around, I made a decision. I told myself that my freshman year, I would be different. I would be more outgoing. I would be more social.

Like a lot of students, I was excited about college and everything it could be. New people. New chances. A fresh start. But I noticed something fast. Making friends is not easy when all you do is go to class and go to work. You can sit next to the same people for a whole semester and never really know them. The chances I was waiting for were not just going to show up. I had to go find them.

So in the fall of 2018, I walked into my first UL Ballroom dance class by myself. I was 19. I was a freshman at UL, studying pre-med biology. And I was nervous.

I did not show up because I loved dancing. I showed up because I wanted to build my confidence and improve my social life. I figured if I could learn to dance with a girl, that might make it a lot easier.

That first class, I felt out of place. I did not know the steps. I did not know anyone. My feet felt heavy and my brain felt slow. I was sure everyone could tell I had no idea what I was doing. I almost did not go back.

But I did go back. And here is the thing nobody tells you: the fear does not last. After a few classes, the room started to feel familiar. The faces started to feel like friends. The steps that made no sense at first slowly started to click. I was not great. But I was getting better. And getting better felt good.

Then the club held tryouts for instructors. I almost talked myself out of it. The shy kid in me said I was not ready. But a bigger part of me wanted to keep growing. So I tried out. And I made it.

That changed everything for me.

Teaching forced me to step up. You cannot hide in the back of the room when you are the one in front of it. I had to learn the moves well enough to explain them. I had to stand up, speak clearly, and help people who were just as nervous as I had been. Every class, I was face to face with my old self. New students would walk in scared and stiff, just like I did. My job was to help them relax and have fun. Helping them helped me. The more I taught, the more my own confidence grew.

Over time, I became part of the leadership group for the club. It was a student organization, run by students, for students. I took on more than just teaching. I handled our social media and a lot of our recruiting. I wanted more people to find what I had found. So I learned how to get the word out. I tested what worked and what did not. I figured out the simplest, fastest ways to bring new people in. Looking back, that was my first real taste of marketing, even though I did not call it that yet.

But the part I remember most is the people.

(Chung Thang in the Charizard Suit with fellow UL Ballroom Dance members )

I met some of the best people of my life in that room. People who showed up every week. People who cheered for each other. People who did not care if you messed up a step, because they had messed it up too. That club was not really about dancing. It was about belonging. It was a place where you could walk in alone and leave feeling like you were part of something.

I did not know it at the time, but that room is where the idea for Parish Nights was born. I did not have a name for it yet. I did not have a plan. But the feeling stuck with me. The feeling of a warm, fun place where a nervous beginner could show up, be welcomed, and find their people. Years later, that feeling became Parish Nights.

So if you are reading this and you feel nervous about coming to dance, I get it. I really do. I was that person. I walked in shy, scared, and sure I did not belong. It turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made.

You do not need to know how to dance. You do not need to bring a partner. You do not need to be confident yet. You just need to show up. The rest will come, one step at a time.

Ready for fun Friday Nights?
(Young Adults Ages 18-30s)

Newcomers are welcome!