When Julian Siano slips on his black Converse All-Stars in room 106 of the White Building, he doesn't just lace them up.

He applies a layer of masking tape to the soles.

That's because Siano is in the Penn State Swing Dancing Club.

Siano, the group's treasurer, said lots of swing dancers tape their shoes to make them slick enough to shimmy across the dance floor.

"But, it's not all in the shoes," he said with a laugh. "The shoes don't make the dancer."

The Swing Dancing Club has had a presence on campus since 1998 but membership tends to fluctuate over the years.

"I say we're doing better this year. More people are coming [to lessons] and coming back," President Jason Ganetsky said.

Siano added that the club has about 15 very active members and about 600 members on its e-mail list.

The group meets twice a week: at 9 p.m. Mondays for an hour lesson and a dance until 11:30 p.m. and a weekly dance from 9:30 p.m. to midnight on Thursdays.

Monday lessons are split into two groups: beginner and advanced. Club members teach all who show up according to their experience. All club events are free.

"It's definitely a nice change to all the R&B and rap that they have these days," Amanda Perez (freshman-aerospace engineering) said after her first experience swing dancing.

However, weekly lessons and dances are not the only things the club sponsors.

Ganetsky said that the club will have a swing workshop on Nov. 6 and 7, bringing in professional instructors from Washington, D.C., to teach students.

On Nov. 6, the club will also sponsor a dance at the HUB-Robeson Center featuring live music from the Deacons of Dixieland. Ganetsky said Penn State President Graham Spanier plays the washboard in the band.

"I think it's going to be rather entertaining," Vice President Alex Richart said.

She said another aspect of swing dancing is travel.

"There's a pretty established nationwide swing dancing scene," she said.

On weekends, and sometimes weekdays, club members have the option of visiting major cities like Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York to participate in swing dancing.

"The first time I traveled I thought it was so weird," Richart said, but added that she enjoyed meeting new people. "It's a really cool community. Everyone I've met through swing dance is very friendly."

One student who attended the swing dance lesson, Allyson Raker (freshmen-animal science), said she agreed.

"Everyone there is really nice and willing to help you learn," she said. "But the club is a bit lacking on the girl part."

That's one area the club is hoping to fix.

"Every other swing place has more girls. We're backward," Secretary April Berger said.

Berger said students do not need to bring a dancing partner or have experience to participate in lessons.

"We don't care who you are, just come and dance with us," Berger said with a laugh.