Any body can dance

USD’s ‘Less Than Three’ and their inclusive vision

SATVIKA NITYA / ASST. A&C EDITOR / THE USD VISTA

The only thing louder than the sound of music was the sound of applause and cheer that filled the Bosley Fitness Center room. It didn’t matter that my lungs were out of breath, or that I’d forgotten almost the entire choreography, but dancing amongst a group that just wanted to have a good time — who smiled as wide as their mouths would allow and clapped till their palms were sore and red — felt exhilarating. 

This was my experience from the first night I attended USD’s Less Than Three (LT3) dance club’s weekly Thursday workshops in the fall of 2021. 

But LT3’s history dates back to 2015, when it was born from another prominent USD club: the Filipino Ugnayan Student Org (FUSO), truly out of the simple, vital need and love for dancing.

During the annual, almost 40-year-old tradition of Friendship Games that occur in October, featuring several Pilipinx American student organizations from various college campuses, different teams engage in activities to compete against one another and earn the title of “S.P.U.F. Champion” (spirit, pride, unity, friendship). 

One such category, Roll Call, requires participants to choreograph their own dance routine and perform in front of everyone. 

Even though FUSO didn’t win in that category in 2015, they placed 7th in Roll Call, and the process of dancing together and building a space to let loose and have fun, inspired the then members to start USD’s first and only dance club that didn’t require skill or training, only the passion and willingness to dance. This is reflected in the name of the club, which is a spelled out version of the emoticon “<3”, a symbol for love.

USD Alumnius and LT3’s founder Carlo Patenia talked about the story behind the origin of LT3’s name.

“I originally wanted to call it ‘Creative’ but one day, one of my closest friends was venting about what the club meant to him,” said Patenia. “He said the club was a lot of heart. And we all agreed ‘cause this is a community where people from different backgrounds, cultures and majors can come in and be in love with dance and [with each other.]”

LT3 now follows the legacy of its predecessors through weekly workshops conducted by its board members and other volunteers. It performs at several USD events, and provides spaces for dancers and non-dancers to meet new people and cultivate relationships over dancing. Under the guidance of the current president, Katrina Baha, the club has grown, drawing in 40-50 people each week. 

As a USD senior, Baha talked about the drive behind her decision to become the president of LT3 and her goals for the club before she steps down from her position. 

“I joined LT3, because I could immediately tell that the community was different,” Baha said. “The dance community where I grew up was very white, toxic and oppressive. LT3 was the first time that I was exposed to a welcoming, diverse, inclusive dance space. We do go to a predominantly white, Catholic institution, and myself — I’m none of those things. And knowing and helping others know that such spaces exist on campus is important to me.”

LT3’s efforts have expanded immensely this semester as they ventured out from their usual niche of hip-hop to including styles like k-pop, contemporary and urban-afro. Along with USD’s Queer and Trans Student Union, LT3 organized its first vogueing and ballroom workshop in the first week of March, with guest choreographers Billy Marc Jacobs, Jaquan Cook and Friidae. They aimed to raise more awareness and create space to learn about the significance of culturally-driven dance styles.

USD sophomore Deric Fryer talked about his experience as a non-dancer attending one of LT3’s workshops for the first time.

“I’m absolutely not a dancer, but it was really cool, and it was [a] unique thing to try out,” Fryer said. “It was very inclusive, because it never felt like I was being judged even though I sucked. The environment was super supportive, and I was able to have a lot of fun while trying to keep up and learn the motions.”

LT3 hopes to continue creating a space for unjudged artistic expression for students that are yet to come into USD. Their biggest effort yet is their biggest event to date: the Diversity in Dance Banquet, on April 21. 

The event is dedicated to showcasing the range of dance styles and expressions present at USD, the event is open to students from all backgrounds to participate or attend.