Hip hop dancing? That’s what that guy does on that “Darrin’s Dance Grooves” video, right?

It’s not as easy as it looks, say the members of ISU’s hip hop dance club.

“It’s a lot like the dancing on music videos,” says Rommibelle Castaneda, junior in apparel merchandising, design and production and club member. “It’s great to get a workout and not have to worry about turns and technique.”

The club is open to everyone, regardless of experience or skill, says Carin Skowronsky, president and co-founder of the club.

“We get a good chunk of members from [other ISU dance groups], but a good majority are from outside the [dance] major,” she says. “We have a handful of people who come every week who have never danced before.”

The club, which meets from 8 to 10 p.m. every Tuesday in Room 198 of the Forker Building, has quadrupled in size since the first meeting in January, she says.

“We had about 15 people at our first meeting, ranging in experience from beginners to experts,” says Skowronsky, junior in marketing. “I taught a piece I had choreographed, and it was kind of crazy with the variety of experience, but it turned out to be a success.”

The club gives aspiring choreographers a chance to hone their craft, she says.

Club members have the opportunity to collaborate and experiment with different styles when designing dances for the club’s performances.

“If you watch hip hop dancers, you can see their personalities,” Skowronsky says.

“You can put in your own style and your own attitude even though we’re uniform in our movements.”

She says while about two-thirds of the club is female, more men join the club’s ranks at each meeting. The guys occasionally feel the routines are tailored to the female dancers, she says.

“Sometimes they’ll complain,” Skowronsky says. “They’ll say there’s too much booty moving or hip-shaking, but they look good.”

Anthony Rodari, sophomore in child and family services, says he loves being in the club’s male minority. “It’s great,” Rodari says. “You get so much attention.”

The hip hop dance club holds two major performances a year, Skowronsky says, with shows in the spring and fall. This fall’s performance will be on Dec. 8 at the Ames Community Auditorium.

“We’re looking forward to performing at the auditorium because we can really take advantage of all the space there,” she says.

“We hope a lot more people will be able to attend, too.”

Skowronsky says members of the club are also looking forward to performing at a Minnesota Timberwolves basketball game this spring.

“We’re going to be performing a four-minute piece for the pre-game show on Feb. 21,” she says. “This is a really big thing for us – we want to show everyone that people from Iowa can get out there and dance.”

Skowronsky doesn’t plan to stop after showing an NBA crowd what the club can do.

She says she wants the club to continue to travel and perform in larger venues.

“I hope to do something really big [with the club],” Skowronsky says. “Maybe Disneyland.”

As the hip hop dancers plan to display their moves for audiences across the nation, they also intend to learn from a variety of guest artists.

Club members welcomed New York dancer and choreographer Lowry Champion to Tuesday’s practice.

“Lowry came and taught us the background of hip hop culture,” Skowronsky says. “She started us off with some basic moves and taught us everything from the Brooklyn step to some old-school hip hop to basic floor work. She really showed us up.”

Amy Martin, lecturer and dance teacher in health and human performance, says Ames’ central location in the United States allows dancers to experiment with dancing styles. She believes the club can help ISU dancers add perspective and variety to their moves.

“I’m hoping to bring in other people from this area and from both coasts,” Martin says. “Hip hop is really different in the east and west and there’s a sort of fusion of style in the middle. The dance world changes really quickly, and if we can get people exposed and make connections for them, they can make the moves their own.”