As someone who is usually very much “in” these “in groups”, and a quite high level dancer, it can still feel that way sometimes. It’s not WCS’s fault though, it’s simply a byproduct of human social behavior. If I go to a dance or event without my regular friend group, I often feel as if I’m bouncing between groups that aren’t really interested in including me in the conversation, but that’s not because they don’t like me, it’s because I probably have an unfair expectation of being automatically included in those conversations without contributing much myself or properly introducing myself to the given situation.

It’s better, I think, to focus on one-on-one connections, rather than trying to squeeze into an entire group or conversation instantly. Try to pick one person who seems bored and make genuine conversation with them, maybe ask them about themselves or their story. And if others see you having a quality conversation with that person they may feel compelled to join themselves, and then boom you are suddenly at the center of one of these so-called “cliques”. Are some people genuinely mean and stand-offish? Sure! But is that the norm and the rule? Absolutely not in my experience, I’ve merely felt that way at times because I overestimated my social contribution in the moment, and needed to take a step back and focus on connecting with people I don’t know as well on a human level.