Three dozen pairs of bare feet stumble across the wooden floor of Carmichael Gym’s dance studio, missing a few steps to the newly learned Cha Cha. An unfamiliar tune sounds playfully across the room, coercing the feet in sync with the music, as if under the spell of the Latin beats.

Across the room, more experienced couples maneuver gracefully along the floor, reacting elegantly to the moves of their partners. Laughter fills the air as toes are stepped on, introductions are made and men try to figure out where exactly to put their hands.

This was the scene of Wednesday night’s ballroom dance practice, hosted by Dancing With Wolves, an active club sport for the past several years. Not only can students and the general public learn a variety of dances — including the Tango, Swing, Cha Cha and Rumba — the club also gives them the opportunity to dance competitively across the nation, a featured part of the program since 2000.

“I started dancing in September of 2007, and I have since competed in South Carolina, Atlanta, New York City, Raleigh, Charlotte and Maryland,” member Kimberly Spence, a sophomore in biological sciences, said. “There is also a competition for new dancers in December and one in Ohio and Washington, D.C., that I haven’t been to.”

Members are not required to compete. However, most dancers do participate to gain the experience of entering the glistening world of competitive dancing, according to instructor Emily Rosebrough, a senior in psychology. Many of the veteran team members, she said, are national champions in their prospective ranks, and N.C. State usually performs extremely well in competition, having couples advance to finals and even place in the top three.

The club separates itself from others in that, in addition to the unique competitive nature of the sport, dancing requires traits not seen in other sports. Generic dancing requires a sense of grace, composure and endurance, Rosebrough said. Ballroom dancers, however, also need to cater to the actions, and sometimes mishaps, of their partners.

“Not only is it a great activity, but it is also the one activity that builds an equal relationship between a man and a woman based on teamwork and trust, which is something I believe can be carried over into the home and workplace.”

The relationship between partners in ballroom dancing can be described as extremely intimate and dependent, she said. Although camaraderie is a necessity in team sports such as football and basketball, the comfort and trust needed to dance with another person is rarely seen in more popular activities.

Some members of Dancing With Wolves said the weekly meetings provide the perfect outlet to meet a wide range of people, in addition to getting some exercise and learning something new — and it’s gaining popularity throughout campus.

“[Dancing is] one of the things I do for myself. It gives me the opportunity to instruct and lead,” Rosebrough said. “Now I have people coming up to me on campus saying, ‘You’re the girl that teaches ballroom lessons!’ It’s a great feeling.”

Other than helping students use those two left feet, one of the club’s main goals is to encourage members to broaden their horizons and venture out onto different paths, Rosebrough said. Dancing With Wolves also strives to present students with a unique experience and a place where they can feel accepted.

By indulging in such an unusual craft, ballroom dancing allows its members to meet a wide variety of personalities and interests, while at the same time learning the dances that have stood the test of time. Spence describes it as a club that “attracts a lot of really cool people who are open and accepting to different kinds of individuals.”

As practice draws to a close, couples make arrangements to meet during the week to continue working on their routines. One by one, the dancers find their shoes and socks and grab their IDs before walking through the door.

When asked to describe ballroom dancing, neither Spence nor Rosebrough could find the right words to reply. After a long pause, Spence let out a deep sigh.

“There are so many reasons to dance,” she said.