Dance is everywhere. Our TV screens and Twitter feeds are saturated with Miley twerking, Taylor Swift “shaking it off,” and Beyonce achieving perfection. Abby Lee Miller yells at talented little girls on Dance Moms. So You Think You Can Dance always seems to find its way into late-night Youtube binges, and Instagram feeds are cluttered with Christmas trips to The Nutcracker.

In our everyday lives, however, “dancing” rarely means much more than alcohol-induced bouncing on a frat party dance floor. “Real dance,” so to speak, can feel intimidating and inaccessible, but it doesn’t have to. Eugene is full of opportunities to move dance beyond the TV set, and there are options for just about everyone. Follow this guide to spice up your weekend routine, plan a unique date, or just try something new!

Eugene Swing Dance Club

When: Monday nights

Where: The Vet’s Club — 1626 Willamette St.

Extend your weekend (and reward yourself for surviving Monday morning) with a quirky blast from the past! The Eugene Swing Dance Club takes over the Vet’s Club every Monday for a night full of good, old-fashioned fun. A non-profit volunteer organization, the ESDC’s mission is to “enrich Eugene’s dance community and to promote west coast swing,” through this weekly event.

Beginner lessons by experienced instructors begin at 7 p.m., with additional class options for more experienced dancers. Open dancing to a wide variety of music is from 8-10:30 p.m. The evening costs $5 for members or students and $7 for the general public, but your first time is free! All skill levels and backgrounds are welcome, and no partner is necessary.

Cowfish Bar

When: Seven nights a week, dance floor Wednesday-Sunday.

Where: 62 W. Broadway

If hitting the bars is more your style, check out Cowfish Bar in downtown Eugene. Wednesday through Sunday, this bar hosts a wide variety of DJs and attracts a “diverse crowd of dancing souls.” The unique, high-energy atmosphere is worth the trip downtown and highlights the way social dance can be so much more than a glorified mating ritual — it’s a form of self-expression. Themed dance nights like “Everything Thursday,” “Freek-Nite,” and Sunday’s “Keep Your Clothes On Variety Show” keep things interesting and are a nice alternative to house parties or the usual campus bars. Pay the cover charge, buy a drink and you’re ready to dance the night away.

Celebration Belly Dance Studio

When: Times vary

Where: 1840 Willamette St.

Step outside your comfort zone and give belly dancing a try! Celebration Studio offers classes at a variety of times and levels, with pricing options for drop-in and multi-week sessions. Try the Total Beginner Belly Dance Sampler course on Thursdays from 5:20-6:20 p.m. The cost is $65 for a six week session, or $15 for drop-ins. Another course, Basics of Bellydance, is on Tuesdays from 8-9:15 p.m. and costs $48 for a four-week session. Celebration Studio instructors are trained in a wide range of belly dance styles, and the studio offers classes in other movement disciplines as well, from lindy hop to yoga. Visit http://celebrationbellydanceandyoga.com for more classes and information.

Salseros Dance Company: Salsa Dance Fridays

When: Friday nights

Where: The Vet’s Club — 1626 Willamette St.

For just $5 you can salsa your Friday night away at the Vet’s Club, thanks to Salseros, a local professional salsa company. Similar to Monday’s swing dancing, this event begins with a lesson at 9 p.m. (doors open at 8:45 p.m.) Open dancing to a live band starts at 10 p.m., and there’s a bar on site. As with the Swing Dance Club event, no experience or partner is necessary!

In addition to Salsa Dance Fridays, Salseros offers group classes and private lessons at its studio, also located at the Vet’s Club. As an ensemble, Salseros performs throughout Oregon, and more information about both performances and lessons can be found at www.salseros.com.

University of Oregon Dance Classes

When: Times vary by term

Where: Locations vary

Get your dance fix without leaving campus! The School of Music and Dance offers recreational dance classes for credit at a variety of levels. Beginner-level classes in jazz, modern, ballet  and tap are all available for winter term. Unique options like African and Chinese dance are offered as well. For more serious students, the SOMD also offers both a minor and major in dance. If you want less commitment (and optional attendance), try the Top 40 and Zumba classes at the newly remodeled SRC and incorporate dance into your workout routine. Check out the UO class schedule and SRC website for more information on both options.

We’ve all been there: You frantically type your winter term CRNs and press enter, but it’s too late. Your perfectly planned schedule is impossible and that one class you have to take for your major is full. Your only option is any college student’s worst nightmare: 8 a.m. class.

The future is clear. Each day will begin with yesterday’s sweatshirt, messy hair and a faint sense of panic. You will trudge across campus, usually in the rain, with a cup of sub-par coffee in one hand and your phone in the other. Week one will feel like week eight, and week eight will feel like a miserable mess … If you even get that far. In short, you’re not a morning person. Who is, anyway?

There is hope, however. Though it may not be possible to switch to an 11 a.m. lecture or put yourself on a caffeine IV, a few simple changes to your morning routine might help make that groggy walk to class a little bit easier. After all, there’s truth to the oft-repeated cliché: Fake it ‘till you make it. Pretend you’re a morning person with the help of this list, and you just might survive winter term:

1. Plan ahead

At 1 a.m. the night before class, when you’re dying to put off writing that essay, lay out your outfit for the next day and pack your bag with everything you’ll need. It saves time in the morning and wearing something other than sweats or pajamas can help you feel more awake and focused.

2. Make a routine

Are you a coffee drinker? Start each day with a Thermos to go. The caffeine helps, but the routine is even more important to get your brain going. If lattes aren’t your thing, eat a light breakfast before class, or check Instagram on the same bench on campus each morning.

3. Then switch it up

Once you’ve got your routine set, mix it up! Try a new coffee shop every Friday, or treat yourself to a donut on a Tuesday “just because.” Walk to class a new way, or switch up your bus ride playlist. The excitement, however small, will make your morning a little bit more bearable.

4. Share your pain

When all else fails, misery is better shared. Find a friend to walk to class with, or force your roommate to register for an 8 a.m. as well. Call your mom, or just smile at everyone you pass. A little bit of forced socialization might be just what you need.

Some will mark the end of 2014 by remembering arrested celebrities or outrageous twitter hashtags (#AlexFromTarget, anyone?). Others will ring in the new year with a diet, a workout regimen and a new pair of Nikes. Global color authority Pantone, however, has a different ritual. Each year, representatives chosen by Pantone from around the world meet in secret and decide on a color to represent and shape the next twelve months.

The Color of the Year in 2012 was the “spirited,” “dramatic,” and “seductive” Tangerine Tango, intended to provide a boost of energy for the new year. In 2013, Pantone chose Emerald, a “lush” green shade that evokes harmony and balance. 2014’s choice was Radiant Orchid, a vibrant pink-purple to “intrigue the eye and spark the imagination.”

The Color of the Year for 2015 is the earthy, elegant Marsala.

Intended to evoke sophistication and confidence, this rich wine color is extremely versatile. Here are a few ideas for how anyone can add a little Marsala to spice up their new year:

Style:

Wear the color of 2015 in this flattering (and inexpensive!) party dress. Perfect for a New Year’s party!

Beauty:

Marsala’s rich tones flatter any complexion and the color works beautifully as a lipstick. It works well as an eyeshadow, blush, or dramatic nail polish, as well.

For him:

Add a pop of classy color with a Marsala tie.

For the home:

Spice up your bed or couch with a beaded pillow in the Color of the Year, an inexpensive way to refresh your home decor for 2015.

For the pet:

Even your dog can join in on the fun! If you’re updating his collar in 2015, why not make it Marsala? He may not appreciate it, but he’ll the most stylish at the dog park.

Remind yourself how Marsala “enriches our mind, body and soul,” with each morning cup of coffee in this Pantone mug.

Barnhart Brunch. Cheesy Grillers. Carson Late Night. Any University of Oregon student living on campus is all too familiar with this holy trinity of dorm food indulgence. Practically every weekend starts with a made-to-order calzone and ends with an all you can eat breakfast binge, plus a massive grilled cheese somewhere in between. This freshman year ritual is cliché for good reason; but for some, the novelty is starting to wear off. While we’re stuffing our faces with Whammies, it’s easy to forget the other great things dorm food has to offer. If you’re looking to switch up the way you gain the Freshman Fifteen, try a few of these hidden gems.

Fresh Marketcafé – Global Scholars Hall

The glory of Fresh Marketcafé’s pasta bar is no secret; lines of people dying for a bowl of Killer Mac can get frustratingly long around dinner time. A few tweaks to your basic order, however, can take this comfort food to another level. Try the Killer Mac with pesto and chicken, or take freshman Lauren Butler’s advice and add alfredo and pesto to your spaghetti! If you’re lucky, you can try the gnocchi, freshman Sydney Meyer’s favorite. “They only have it as a specialty every once in a while,” Meyer said. “But I love how it reminds me of when I traveled to Italy.”

Killer Mac + Chicken + Pesto: 4 points/$7.50

Spaghetti + Alfredo + Pesto: 3 points/$5.75

Gnocchi: 3 points/$5.75

Gastro Grub – Hamilton Hall

Located at the back of Hamilton’s Grab ‘n’ Go Marketplace, Gastro Grub offers a surprisingly large selection of comfort food that’s guaranteed to fill you up and remind you of restaurants at home. Try the Fish n’ Chips. They’re fried to order, and well worth the calories! This spot is also well-known for its all-day breakfast menu. Why trek downtown for waffles when you can get one slathered in Nutella and caramelized bananas on your meal plan points? Don’t forget to check out their ever-changing specials as well.

Fish n’ Chips Basket: 3 points/$5.75

Waffle + Nutella + Caramelized Bananas: 3 points/$5.25

DUX Bistro – Living-Learning Center

This on-campus venue is definitely worth a visit, especially for the espresso bar. The coffee is good, but the unique smoothie and hot drink options are even better. Check out the Zen Master smoothie (don’t let the odd green color throw you off)! This blend of green tea, ginger and fruit packs a flavorful punch, plus it gets you going with a little caffeine. If green tea isn’t your thing, get the Apple Chai Steamer, a sweet and spicy hybrid of everyone’s favorite fall drinks. Beyond beverages, DUX Bistro’s custom salad bar beats a boxed salad any day, and freshman Madeline Streech raves that the Caprese sandwich is her “reason for the freshman fifteen!”

Zen Master Smoothie: 3 points/$3.75

Apple Chai Steamer: 2 points/$3

Custom Salad: 5 points/$5.95

Caprese Sandwich: 4 points/$5.95

This Friday and Saturday night (Nov. 21-22), dancers from the University of Oregon and other local companies will perform the final installment of the Dance in Dialogue series, or “D.i.D.” This four-part performance series began in January and culminates this weekend as dancers present works by a wide variety of talented choreographers in an intimate, community-focused setting. Even if you don’t consider yourself an expert in the art form, check out this show. You certainly won’t be bored, and you just might walk away with a new appreciation for modern dance.

Choreographer Margo Van Ummersen, an initiator of the D.i.D. project, describes the series as an answer to the “craving” in the Eugene area for “more situations where artists are inspired to create work in a community setting.” The program is designed to showcase both the process and the final product of modern dance and emphasizes experimental, collaborative work. Audience interaction is also encouraged, as suggested by the series’ title; each show concludes with audience-artist Q&A session, intended to foster meaningful conversations about the works presented.

The works themselves are artistic and often quite mesmerizing. Some dancers move in perfect sync to absolute silence. Others fling themselves across the stage, their faces painted with anguish. Taylor Theis’ duet featuring UO faculty member Sarah Ebert is especially stunning. The two dancers move in unison under a large hanging set piece in a dance intended to “[expose] two singular bodies in process – rumination, decay and birth,” according to the D.i.D. Facebook page. Other pieces incorporate elements like video or voice recording to enhance the production’s collaborative focus. As a whole, the show is diverse and well-executed.

An unprepared audience member might be thrown off, however, by the occasional grunting noise, angsty voice-over or long pause in an awkward position. D.i.D. certainly isn’t Dance Moms: it’s modern dance, and that often translates to the average eye as just plain “weird.” If you’re new to the genre, try to remember to look beyond first impressions. Duet partners may be so intertwined, you feel uncomfortable, but in the next moment, there will be a burst of movement that’ll take your breath away. Even a piece that begins as a laughably strange combination of clown face-paint, balloons and harp music eventually evolves into a powerful statement about violence and death.

D.i.D. is experimental art, and that can manifest into a lot of different things. It’s strange, but that isn’t always bad. From start to finish, Dance in Dialogue has something to share — as long as you’re willing to look for it.  As an audience member, it was up to me to uncover the meaning behind the pieces, and I enjoyed the process. Go see this show with an open mind, and you will leave with a better appreciation of what these people love to do and what they have to say. You won’t regret it, and you definitely won’t forget it.

“Dance in Dialogue” runs at 8 p.m. on November 21st and 22nd in the Dougherty Dance Theatre in Gerlinger Annex. Tickets are $5 for seniors and students, and $10 for the general public. Visit the D.i.D. Facebook page for more information.

The University of Oregon’s Pocket Playhouse, or “The Pocket” is a student-run organization that gives students an opportunity to direct and produce plays independently and provides many opportunities for those interested in theatre to get involved on and offstage. The Pocket produces four to six shows each quarter, many of which are original productions. Friday night marked the second performance of this quarter’s fourth Pocket play: “Our Own,” written and directed by Emiro Blom.

The play was written about “trials and tribulations” of “living on your own in ‘the real world,’” said director Blom, via email. Before the show began, he described it as a very short play designed “for our own generation.” I appreciate that concept: Live theatre is definitely losing appeal with college students, partly due to length. At just 27 minutes, “Our Own” was certainly short enough. The play itself, however, failed to deliver and left me rather confused and uncomfortable.

“Our Own” followed recent college grad Rodney and his roommate Eric over the course of a few days. The play was comprised of short, choppy, conversations in Rodney and Eric’s apartment. Karsten Toppelman and Nikki Zaretsky gave commendable performances as Rodney and as Eric’s girlfriend Annie, respectively. Both actors obviously gave a lot of thought to their physical characterization and committed fully to their roles leaving their performances were far from boring.

The entire play, in fact, consistently kept my interest. The format was interesting, and allowed for a very fast pace, but unfortunately, the writing contained little plot or character development and as an audience member, I was left pretty confused. In general, dialogue felt unnatural and stilted and though some awkward moments seemed intentional, the overall effect went too far. What was intended to be realistic and conversational came off as forced.

Beyond that was the attempt to tackle several extremely heavy issues within the very small scope of this play. In 27 minutes, “Our Own” covered infidelity, complicated romantic relationships, overdue rent and debt, domestic violence and, ultimately, suicide. These issues were thrown at the audience with little development within each scene. Conflicts and discussions escalated far too quickly and what began as a simple argument developed into throwing furniture at a remarkable pace. Opportunities for meaningful dialogue were passed up in favor of expletives and angry physicality, which might be more realistic, but ultimately does not translate well to the stage.

The plot of “Our Own” accelerated fast and as an audience member, I struggled to keep up with both emotion and comprehension. I left the theater a bit dazed and hopeless, trying to make sense of the multitude of complicated issues that had just been clumsily thrown in front of me. I do appreciate the attempt, however. With a lot more time and exposition, this concept has the potential to be a compelling piece of theatre. It’s important for our generation to experience live theatre, and it’s important to discuss the issues that “Our Own” presented. It’s even more important, though, to do so thoughtfully and carefully.

“Our Own” gives its final performance on Saturday, Nov. 15 in Villard Hall at 5 pm. Admission is free for UO students. For more information on the Pocket Playhouse, and how to get involved, visit http://uopocket.blogspot.com/ or the Pocket Playhouse Facebook page.