The DU Swing and Line Dance Club is offering one of DU’s most exciting extracurricular activities this fall quarter: a weekly opportunity to dance within a community. Led and organized by club president, Matthew Denfield (‘27), Swing and Line Dance club has become a popular staging ground for community engagement, rigorous exercise and beautiful performance.
Denfield is in his senior year at DU and founded the club in spring of 2026 along with Vice President Caitlin McDonough, Treasurer Nick Scott, and faculty advisor Paula Adamo to create a space for physical movement that inspires personal growth through fun community events.
All members of the club have a distinct relationship with dance, but for Denfield dance “started out as a way to just grow my self-confidence and learn a new skill that was a physical activity that I could do and have fun with.” Denfield’s love for dance isn’t required by all members of the club to attend, though. Attendees get what they want out of meetings whether it’s to improve their skills or just to dance with people they like.
No matter what people choose, Denfield dedicates ample time every week to making this club and its goals of community engagement a reality. He has an immense amount of care for the work that he does during meetings and is trying to foster a community in any way he can during club meetings.
Every week, a pool of roughly 30 students arrive to enjoy the spirit of dance in a space where they will not be judged for choosing to express themselves through the genres of swing and line dance.
Both styles offer different opportunities for club-goers. Line dancing can be done both individually as well as in a group setting, while swing dance must be done with a partner. Regardless of how you choose to dance, the social aspect of dancing is what makes dancing special. Dancing is what allows club members to connect with each other.
Denfield wants community and the development of relationships within the club to be the central aspect of its operations.
“The whole idea is that we want this to be a space where people can show up, they can try new things, they can learn new things and they can just make friends doing it,” Denfield said.
For this kind of connection to happen though, spaces like the one Denfield provides to DU students is essential. It gives students the option to express their interests around like-minded people. Denfield pushes for this each week during meeting times. He also urges club members to be the best versions of themselves.
Denfield is open to change based on what people want out of the club.
“If they don’t like something, they can tell us, and we’ll work on changing it. Or if they really like something, we’ll try to improve [that],” Denfield stated.
Denfield’s goal is to allow members to be able to improve on what they want during meetings. Swing and Line Dance Club provides a space for people to express their passion for dance, or develop an appreciation for the art.
People of all skill levels are welcome, and improvement is actively encouraged. There is no expectation nor requirement of ability before attending a meeting. This lets members explore who they are and learn how to express themselves no matter their previous experience with dance.
For people without access to this kind of space, dancing in front of others can be a difficult and scary thing. The Swing and Line Dance Club lets people break down this fear by providing a judgement-free environment that welcomes everyone regardless of their prior relationship with dance.
A space for people to dance in is a space that allows a distinct connection with the self and others through community based engagement. This is important no matter who you are, and the DU swing and line dance club offers a safe space for people to express themselves through fun physical movement.
The club meets every Tuesday from 6:30-9 p.m. on the first floor of CCOM. If you’re interested in a community driven space centered around dance, then there’s no better option on DU’s campus than the Swing and Line Dance Club.
