Upbeat music from a portable speaker echoes across the Student Services Plaza.

Not wanting to let the lack of an available indoor location stop the music, the El Camino College Salsa Club organizers had their members grooving and shaking their hips under the sun.

That was Monday.

On Tuesday, the club’s second meetup date of the week, the members met in Room 233 of the Physical Education South Building. The soft floors, mirrored walls and most importantly shade from the glaring sun were much more suitable for dancing.

“Salsa Club has been a pretty big deal for some people, me included,” club president Melissa Cruz, 22, said. “It helps establish a social network at school, you get to meet new people who like doing what you do and you build a little bit of a family there.”

The computer science major has been a member since fall 2019. She has only recently taken on the responsibilities of being president and has been working hard to keep the club active and to increase membership.

According to The Union, the Salsa Club is at least 12 years old this year and the long-standing club is celebrating a return after a two-year hiatus.

“COVID-19 really affected our club. Significantly. As far as I know, we didn’t have any meetings once everything shut down,” Cruz said.

Now that classes are back in person, the club is working hard to make up for lost time.

Cruz likes to start club meetings by getting the business out of the way early.

Monday before dancing instructions began, she let the club know their days dancing in the heat were done. Rather than meeting outside the Student Services Center, the club will be in the South Gym starting Tuesday onwards.

Once the business of the day was out of the way, Zweli Barton wasted no time in beginning the lessons.

Barton, 31, is currently a professional dancer but also serves as the Salsa Clubs’ off-campus volunteer instructor. A former member himself, Barton first joined the Salsa Club back in 2013.

“I was a student at Santa Monica College but El Camino had a salsa team,” Barton said. “So I took classes at El Camino so I could become a part of the salsa team. When the instructor left I had started working in the industry and I didn’t want the team to die. So I volunteered my time as instructor.”

After being active for so many years, Barton admits that the two-year pause due to COVID-19 was hard on the group.

“It basically brought us back to square one, I didn’t know if the club would come back,” Barton said.

The instructor gives credit to the student club organizers and interest from the student population for continuing the club.

Barton led the club for Monday’s instruction, introducing the members to simple steps and techniques. Club members said he works hard to make sure new students aren’t overwhelmed while maintaining the fun for experienced members.

“As students, we try to run the club as much as possible, but there’s a lot of things we don’t necessarily know about,” former club president and current club member Erin Portway, 22, said. “[Barton] offers that assistance when we need it.”

With a busy schedule, Barton can’t always attend every club meeting but that is where the passion of the club members comes in.

Former Salsa Club member Edrin Abrigo, 22, tends to tap in as an instructor whenever Barton can’t make it. As a dancer himself and the boyfriend of the current club president, Abrigo led the club on Tuesday along with club member Alahna Alton, 17.

“I do enjoy salsa dancing, I would like to see more people be interested in it so I’m volunteering, helping out whenever I can. Teach a few classes maybe,” Abrigo said. “I’m just here to help.”

Although still students, the two dancers helped out with club instruction and spent Tuesday teaching proper techniques and answering questions. The meetings serve as dance classes where members follow along to more experienced dancers’ movements.

Portway likes that the club is welcoming to anyone willing to join in, even if they aren’t members. The classes are also inclusive.

The club teaches both how to lead and how to follow and breaks the traditional route by having both men and women in both positions, Portway said.

Club organizers insist that the point is to introduce those interested to the world of Latin dance and to have fun. Making friends is another club perk.

“I have some friends that I’ve made through the club that I’m hopefully going to have for a long time. It almost feels like I can’t get rid of them,” Portway said with a big smile.

For members that really fell in love with dancing, there is also a Salsa Team that is separate from the Salsa Club.

Led by Barton, the team is the more serious next step for those who love to dance. The team offers more advanced lessons that involve learning routines and even joining competitions.

As for the Salsa Club itself, due to the pandemic, public performances might not be possible this semester. But if club organizers get their way, old and new members alike will have plenty of time and room to dance.

On Mondays, the club meets in the South Gym from 12 to 1 p.m. and on Tuesdays, they meet in the South Physical Education building room 233 from 1:15 to 2:15. p.m. The club’s Instagram page regularly updates its schedule as well as shares videos from its practices and activities.

“If you’re trying to reintegrate yourself back into social life, if you’re trying to interact with people, what better way to do that than through dance?” Cruz said.