With boys lined up on one side and girls directly across, Residence Hall Association Secretary Jon Dolieslager showed the boys the first and most important step when swing dancing with a girl: holding her hand.

The girls stood with their arms out in front of them, folding their fingers down. The boys then grasped their partners’ hands loosely, allowing room for the girls’ hands to turn while spinning.

What usually is thought to come naturally – learning how to hold your swing partner’s hand – took about the first ten minutes of RHA’s free swing dancing lesson.

Every Thursday, RHA provides a swing dancing night from 6 to 8 p.m. in the lower lounge of Grant Towers North. From 6 to 6:45 p.m., Dolieslager and RHA Treasurer Julie Heniff taught the basic steps of swing dancing and a few extra moves.

“No spaghetti arms. Keep your arms stiff so you can lead your partner,” Dolieslager said.

After going through the first few steps, which consisted of stepping to the side and back, Dolieslager began leading the participants through both inside and outside turns.

“The inside turn is the most difficult to teach because you have to spin twice with it,” Heniff said.

Students with previous swing dancing experience still found the lesson helpful.

“The in-place moves were new to me. I have learned to swing dance before, but I had never done those moves,” said Tim Minch, a freshman business administration major.

Other RHA members also found the program useful.

“It was so much fun. I’m in charge of planning the winter formal this year, so I wanted to learn so I could swing at the dance,” said Randi Schuricht, RHA programming vice president.

Originally, the swing dancing night was a single event planned by RHA. Because of the large turnout, RHA decided to make it a bi-weekly program. When the large turnout continued, RHA made the event weekly so students would not forget when the program was, Dolieslager said.

Besides the basics steps of swing dancing, Dolieslager has introduced different ballroom dances and the foxtrot during the swing dancing lessons and hopes to continue with the dances next semester.

RHA plans to continue the free program next semester but hopes to start collecting donations so that live music may be provided occasionally.