Music, laughter and cheers signal the presence of dancers in the Downtown Phoenix campus at 8 p.m. every Wednesday, creating a welcoming environment for dancers of all skill levels.
Roommates Jordan Gauthier, a sophomore studying biological sciences, and Sydney Cohen, a sophomore studying fashion, founded Downtown Dance in January 2025 with just an open room and each other.
Gauthier was captain of her high school’s prom team, while Cohen worked at a recreation center teaching ages 3 to 12 to dance.
Both dancers found that they missed the routine of dancing every day once they got to college. Being on the Downtown Phoenix campus, they felt disconnected from the dance clubs and teams that exist exclusively on the Tempe campus.
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Despite the lack of resources, Gauthier and Cohen have been determined to establish a dance presence in downtown.
“If you don’t really (dance) on a team in college, it kind of just goes to the back burner and you don’t get to do it as much,” Gauthier said.
In response, they began teaching self-made choreography for friends at the Sun Devil Fitness Complex. Cohen said that the duo brainstorms in their living room and then watches the dance come to life in the studio.
Gauthier and Cohen specialize in contemporary and jazz, but Downtown Dance has dabbled in every genre from hip-hop to ballroom.
“I’ve been dancing since I was 2 years old,” Cohen said. “But, I feel like I’ve learned more and grown more confident as a dancer just being able to work with someone else who has such a shared mindset as me.”
While the club started with just Gauthier and Cohen, they’ve attracted dancers from different campuses who also feel they’ve lost the opportunity to dance regularly since arriving to college.
Kirsten Sprang, a sophomore studying forensic science, commutes from the West Valley campus to Downtown Phoenix on Wednesdays to attend the club.
Sprang said there are no opportunities to dance recreationally at the West Valley campus.
She was also a former competitive dancer and said the dance is like having a second family. Losing that when she got to college was a difficult transition.
Downtown Dance is accessible because there’s no pressure, which is a different experience from joining a team. The club doesn’t ask for any commitment or requirements. Gauthier and Cohen said they want everyone interested in dance to participate, even if they have no experience.
“I was kind of losing my passion for dance, and Downtown Dance has helped me realize how much I miss dancing,” Sprang said. “It’s something that I want to do and not just something that I feel like I have to do because I’m on a team.”
Gauthier said dance is often thought of as competitive, which can deter people from trying.
For those who may be inexperienced in dance, Gauthier and Cohen offer modifications to their choreography so that anyone can participate. They value coming together as a community and building a safe environment for people to experiment with movement.
“Even the teachers make mistakes,” Cohen said. “We just laugh it off and make it all work, and it’s really fun.”
Members of Downtown Dance use their weekly meetings as a means of self-expression, allowing themselves to let go of the stressors and emotions that may be weighing them down.
Sprang said learning a lyrical routine at the end of a hard day allows her to turn negative feelings into something positive. On the days that Downtown Dance focuses on jazz, she said the confident atmosphere serves as an instant mood boost.
“This is the place I go to, whether I’m sad or happy,” Gauthier said. “It just feels comfortable.”
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Because the presence of a dance club is so new to the Downtown Phoenix campus, Gauthier and Cohen look forward to seeing how the club grows in the coming years.
“Maybe there’ll be a ballet club or a hip-hop club,” Cohen said. “So much expansion can happen.”
Downtown Dance is looking forward to its third semester, carving itself a space in the SDFC for dancers to come to every week.
They’re focused on maintaining their tight-knit community while sharing the beauty of dance with students of downtown Phoenix.
“Dance is such an emotional release,” Gauthier said. “Having people that will do it with me, whether they danced before or not, it just means a lot to me.”
Edited by Kasturi Tale, Senna James and Ellis Preston.
Reach the reporter at ajanusee@asu.edu and follow @lexijanusee on X.
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Lexi Janusee is in her first semester with the State Press. She is a freshman studying Journalism and Mass Communications with a minor in Theatre. Lexi also works for Blaze Radio, and is an on-air host for Open Mic.
