As students walked into the Yuhas Room at the Rinker Center for International Programs, loud music played as about 20 students surrounded their instructor.
As she danced to rhythmic beats, she shouted loudly over the music and instructed students to move their arms right and left while swaying their hips as they smiled.
The teacher, Claudine Hyatt, is a student at Ball State University seeking a doctorate degree.
She showed her high energy and passion to the music as she waved her arms and clapped her hands to the metrical reggae beats. Nearly everyone was smiling, even if they didn't seem to have a clue as to what they were doing.
The Rinker Center was sponsoring Reggae Dance lessons Friday for any student on campus who wanted to learn or interact with international students.
The lessons are part of the 3rd Friday program, which sponsors an interactive cultural program on every third Friday of the month.
Debra Goens, the foreign student adviser and immigration specialist at the Rinker Center, has worked with the program since 1990.
"This program is still new," Goens said. "It's only in its second year, starting last spring."
Goens said the center put the program on every third Friday of the month because people would remember.
"These activities are open to anyone," she said.
Goens said students from Asia, the Caribbean, Central Asia, France and various other cultures participated in 3rd Friday.
"It's not just for international students," Goens said. "It's their chance to reach out to others."
Sarah Deville, an MBA student from Nancy, France, participated in the dance lessons.
"I didn't know any of those dance moves, but the signal-the-plane was so much fun," Deville said. "You have to twist your arms and hips like you are signaling a plane."
She said she was likely to participate in the next 3rd Friday event, depending on what the theme was.
Although the next activity on Feb. 15 is to be announced, the center also will have Latin Dance lessons in March, and a reception for graduates in April.
Freshman Katelyn Keane, who was visiting the international center for the first time, answered to an e-mail sent out to Ball State students to participate in the lessons.
"I really liked it," she said. "[Reggae dancing] is definitely new to me."
Sophomore Tim Whydrew came to the program to try something new.
"I really enjoyed the reggae and rasta session," he said. "The moves matching the music just makes it that much better. I really like also the expressions that you can allow your body to do."
Other students such as senior Derek Shelton came to express their passion for dancing.
"I absolutely love the Rasta culture, and I've been studying and reading into it for a while," Shelton said. "I really like to enjoy different types of dance like Latin dance, which I plan on participating in, come March."
With other programs coming up, Hyatt said, she would teach lessons again if given the opportunity.
NewsWatch Sports Director Karl Mandik contributed to this story.
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