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IQALUIT- One by one, people entered the Catholic church hall, peeled off their down coats and exchanged their heavy boots for heels and soft leather shoes.20.

Kirk Mitchell and Shirley Allder do a little two-stepping at the Iqaluit Social Dance Club's Monday night gathering. - Carolyn Sloan/NNSL photo

The music filled the room as the instructors began their lesson, demonstrating the steps as others watched.

Kirk Mitchell is a newcomer to these gatherings. He started coming to the Iqaluit Social Dance Club’s Monday night lessons last January in the hopes of learning a few steps.

“It was my introduction to Iqaluit,” he said. “It’s just been a lot of fun.”

So far, he has learned the two-step, waltz, foxtrot and merengue. As a social club, there’s no sense of competitiveness or expectation. It’s simply about the joy of dancing.

“There are no prerequisites,” said Mitchell. “It’s easy to learn.”

Instructor Bob Loehr was part of the group that started the Iqaluit Social Dance Club back in 2001.

“We used to go to the Legion and the first four songs would be either jive or swing or country or whatever, but we could never get more than a half a dozen songs to dance to,” he said. “So we started a club.”

Belinda Mack, now an instructor with the club, is also one of the original members. Dancing is a great thing to do on a cold dark night in Iqaluit, she said. It gets people out of the house and gives them some fun exercise and an opportunity to meet new people.

“We’re trying to draw more people just for the love of dancing,” said Mack. “I like teaching because I like seeing somebody enjoying it as much as I do.”

In addition to Monday night lessons, about once a month the club hosts a themed dance, which is also open to the public.

On Dec. 13, the group has organized a Latin Christmas Dance at L`Association des francophones du Nunavut.

The group is also hoping to host a New Year’s dance as well.