Rob Tebben is tall and athletic, but not necessarily imposing.

A freshman in aerospace engineering, he has a kind and easy smile and a boyish face. He always seems relaxed and at ease.

Tebben is an Air Force ROTC member and a dancer for the Dub H Hip-hop Dance Club.

“I just push myself to live the best life I can,” Tebben said.

Tebben will perform with the group at its big end-of-semester show Saturday at the Ames High School auditorium. Shows will be at noon, 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Tickets will be $5.

Straddling the seemingly antagonistic worlds of military discipline and free-form dance, Tebben is enthusiastic about keeping himself open to new experiences.

Tebben started dancing when he was in eighth grade, at the Robert Thomas Dance Center, where he said he loved the freedom and challenge of the activity and became enamored with dance.

When the instructor moved away, Tebben was the one who took over instructing the class.

Tebben described Dub H as an incredible experience that gave him an outlet for his passion for dance. The free nature of hip-hop and its style is what has kept him coming back.

In high school Tebben was a drummer and said he loves the beat of hip-hop music.

“It’s like my own heartbeat,” he said.

Tebben was originally a member of the Ballroom Dance Club at Iowa State before finding Dub H. A friend of his in the club actually introduced him to the Air Force ROTC as well.

Later, Tebben would meet other ROTC members while in Dub H. He eventually decided to give the ROTC a try for himself, he and said it has been a perfect fit.

Tebben said a large part of his decision to join the ROTC was his patriotism, belief in the constitution, and his tendency to be a bit of an idealist.

Tebben said ROTC is a lot of early mornings and challenges, but members are allowed to be as involved as they want to be. He said that as he has become more involved, he has grown to like the experience more and more.

“Joining [the ROTC] is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” Tebben said.

While the freedom of hip-hop dancing and the discipline of the ROTC life may not seem to mesh, Tebben said he finds his two passions contrast but don’t conflict. He said life is about balance, and having order and the freedom of expression together helps him express his artistic side.

“I revel in the differences between lifestyles,” Tebben said.

Tebben also likes to run and is an avid devotee of parkour, the athletic pursuit of navigating obstacles while running through urban environments.

Nikita Miles, president of Dub H and junior in marketing, said she was glad Tebben has helped choreograph for the club and been an active and passionate member. She said she’s been most impressed by Tebben’s confidence, leadership skills and, of course, prodigious dance ability.

“He’s mature for his age and nature-driven,” Miles said. “He’s been involved since I’ve been involved.”

Miles was as passionate about Dub H as Tebben, and his complex personal passions are mirrored in every one of the club’s more than 400 members.

Miles said the club was founded in 2001 with only 30 members. In the last two years alone, Dub H has grown by 20 percent.

All members of the club attend the casting event at the beginning of the semester, where they sign up with a choreographer to learn the dance they will spend all semester mastering.

“Every person in the club is an active member, because they all meet at least once a week,” Miles said.

Tebben may seem atypical for a devotee of hip-hop dance, but Miles said she has always felt a soft spot in her heart for how diverse and tightly bound the club is.

“It’s amazing to me, the diversity among our own club, but we all love the same thing,” Miles said.