When students enter Mudd Hall on Monday nights, the first thing they hear is bachata playing through the speakers. The second thing they hear is the squeaking of sneakers on the floor as Break On 2’s Club Annex rehearses.

Delila Gonzalez, a senior studying theatre, leads Club Annex as its captain, teaching participants how to dance anything from salsa and bachata to cumbia.

Club Annex is only one of three components of USC’s Break On 2: Latin Fusion, a dance team founded in 2004 that also has a performance team made up of 42 members, along with a smaller competition team.

Gonzalez said she was initially hesitant about auditioning for Break On 2. However, after she got onto the competition team, she quickly fell in love with it.

“I don’t think people understand how communal dance can be,” Gonzalez said. “It sounds so cheesy, but it genuinely brings people together.”

After Break On 2 renewed her passion for Latin Dance, Gonzalez began teaching Latin dance to high school students in collaboration with the Los Angeles Conservation Corps.

“[Latin dance] essentially consumed my whole life,” Gonzalez said. “I don’t only teach it [at USC]; I also teach it at a high school.”

Victoria Ocampos Acosta, a senior studying business of cinematic arts and the president of Break On 2, originally did not make Break On 2’s performance team. But she was accepted after attending Club Annex for an entire year and auditioning the following fall. Ocampos Acosta said being part of Break On 2 has been integral to her experience at USC.

“I love the team so much. It’s a huge part of who I am at USC, and it plays a big role in my journey here over the last four years.” Ocampos Acosta said. “It creates a home for a lot of people, including myself. Break On 2 is not a Latino-exclusive club. We have members from all different nationalities and places, but it becomes a home because we spend so much time together.”

Kaeley Cooper, a senior majoring in law, history and culture as well as social sciences, is the competition team captain at Break On 2. Cooper said she loves the energy of the group’s salsa nights, where even strangers feel connected to her through celebrating Latin dance.

“What I gained from it [is] not only a sense of community and the incredible people that I’ve met through the team but also getting to appreciate the culture and demonstrate and expose it to a variety of people,” Cooper said.

Every first Friday of the month, Break On 2 hosts salsa nights with live music. According to graduate student Nathan Justin, the longest-tenured current Break On 2 member, these salsa nights have been an introduction to Latin dance for many students over the years.

Justin has been in Break On 2 for six years, and it has been his home throughout his entire career at USC. For him, clubs like Break On 2 matter because they help connect people at such a large university.

“I think it provides an outlet for people to meet each other,” Justin said. “Partner dance is a fantastic way for people to work together to make a dance happen, and that kind of teamwork naturally makes a lot of good friends.”

Bella Duarte, a junior studying psychology, is the co-creative director of Break On 2. Duarte co-choreographs all of the pieces the team presents throughout the fall, as well as the opener for their spring showcase. Duarte said the cultural aspect of the dance team speaks to her most both as a choreographer and community member.

“It’s important to have a group such as Break On 2 because there’s someone who can represent a minority on campus, represent something that’s just so bright,” Duarte said. “I think whenever we enter a room, there’s just so much color, so much vibrance.”

Duarte joined Break On 2 because she was in search of a community at USC that helped her connect with her culture.

“Break On 2 is probably the best community I have found here on campus, because I feel so at home,” Duarte said. “They make me feel so loved, and they’ve helped me embrace my Mexican side of my family.”

Justin emphasized Break On 2’s role in celebrating Latine culture. Being able to do different types of dances from across Latin America has been amazing while building a community at USC, Justin said.

“I think a lot of us say Break On 2 is a family, and it really is true,” Justin said. “It’s been my family throughout my entire time at USC, so we’re all united with a love for dance, but we don’t just dance — we also look out for each other.”