On a Tuesday afternoon, a UT practice room slowly fills up as speakers blast the one genre of music that has been consuming culture across the U.S. this year — reggaeton.
The brand new Reggaeton Dance Club at UT looks to unite the Latine community on campus through music, “one Latin beat at a time.”
Laysha Gonzalez, the president and founder of RDC reigning from Laredo, Texas, stays particularly busy. Looking to build community amongst her raza along with her need for a safe space to decompress amidst her packed schedule, pushed her to create a group that could combine the two.
“(RDC) was just kind of like putting the puzzle pieces together, it made sense,” Gonzalez said. “I would tell people and very honestly say, I created this very selfishly for myself because I needed this, because I wanted this, and always, as I created it for myself, knowing I wasn’t the only one that needed it.”
Driven by her passion for the project, Gonzalez used the marketing skills she gained from running a small business along with her radiant, inviting nature to build RDC from the ground up. From December 2022 to June 2023, Gonzalez handled the paperwork, tabling and social media advertising all by herself. Looking into the crowded practice room, her hard work paid off: five weeks into the club’s first semester, a room of 15 new recruits talk and laugh while they wait for their instructor to start the warm-up stretches.
Diego Haro, a geosciences freshman and current member of RDC, wouldn’t label himself as a dancer, instead citing the club officers’ cordialness and the club’s main focus on mental health as reasons for joining.
“I wanted to be a part of something new. Something more tight-knit,” Haro said. “They had really good values about mental health and being safe. I like that a lot, just being in a positive environment.”
Risha Rao, a public health freshman, was drawn to the club due to her dance history as well as the community the club has offered for students all across campus.
“Seeing (the officers) so passionate about their ideas, and also the overall meaning of the club of uniting people of color was really important to me,” Rao said. “That’s also a big motivator in joining.”
Both Haro and Rao mentioned how this club has already changed their lives, providing them with new friends, opportunities and a way to unwind and avoid burnout throughout the semester. Knowing the value this club holds for them was enough to bring Gonzalez to tears.
“To me, it’s like we all made this,” Gonzalez said. “But to be reminded, for a long time it was just you and a vision, and to see how appreciative people are it’s like, you’re doing something good, right?”
Gonzalez hopes the RDC legacy will continue past her years at UT, and that this new staple in Latine life on campus remains for future students forever.
“I always say, I want to come back and be 50 years old and say, ‘Where’s the reggaeton dance club?’ And it’d be here,” Gonzalez said.
Catch the RDC practicing every Tuesday from 5-7 p.m. and Wednesday from 6-8 p.m. Follow their socials to stay up to date with rehearsals and future performances.
Editor’s note: This story was originally reported in Spanish. Check out more of our original Spanish reporting on our Texan en Español Reporting page.
