For students interested in dance, the University of Minnesota’s U-Swing club offers an educational space to explore swing dancing and its history. 

The group meets weekly, providing students with an instructed lesson centered on East and West Coast styles of swing dancing, followed by a social dance where participants can freestyle and get to know one another. The group begins the semester teaching basic skills, later building toward more advanced swing styles. U-Swing also educates students on the dance’s historical roots in Black culture and jazz music. 

U-Swing hosted its last event of the semester on April 29, with a lesson on the Shim Sham, a style of line dancing, along with an end-of-year celebration during the social dance. 

Fourth-year student and club President Haleigh Keane said the group follows the same lesson structure each semester to allow flexibility for students to attend when they are able. One of Keane’s favorite parts of leading the group is seeing people enjoy learning swing and the social aspect it provides for members and attendees.

“People usually laugh at first when I say, ‘You should come swing dancing,’” Keane said. ”They are like, ‘I am not a dancer.’ My best friend, she made fun of it for about a year, and then at the beginning of the fall semester, she finally came to one and now she loves it.”

Besides teaching swing dancing, the club’s officers teach a bit about the style’s history.

“We try to teach the history, especially since we’re at a predominantly white institution,” Keane said. “The most famous swing dancer, Frankie Manning, we try to teach a little bit of history about him because it’s important and all the music we’re listening to is by Black artists.”

Prior to this academic year, the club met in Peik Gymnasium, according to club Vice President Ella Dacko. In 2023, Peik Gymnasium was shut down and proposed for future demolition.

Dacko said the club has seen a noticeable decrease in participation since meetings moved to the Barbara Barker Center for Dance on the University’s West Bank campus. This, in addition to a loss of club leadership to graduation last year, has decreased weekly participation.

But the group has remained a close-knit community and continues to welcome new and experienced dancers, Dacko said.

“I’ve made so many close friends through the club,” Dacko said. “I like that we get to find people that like to dance, but also I really love to swing dance, and I like to share that passion with other people.”

Dacko will be a U-Swing co-president next year and looks forward to exploring how to grow the group and build engagement with students on campus.

Keane and Dacko said outside of U-Swing, members also enjoy participating in other local swing groups off campus hosted by TC Swing and Wabasha Street Caves — both local event halls in Minneapolis. Keane added current members continue to connect with former members who have graduated at these events.

Elanor Nymoen, a second-year student and a current U-Swing officer, said as someone with no prior dance experience, club activities were accessible for her, and she hopes the group will be more active on campus.

The group plans to increase advertising on social media, pursue funding opportunities for events and continue involvement in local swing dance communities.

Linus Ng, another club officer and one of next year’s co-presidents alongside Dacko, said he hopes to increase the club’s visibility on campus and spread awareness of its benefits as a social and physical activity. Through hosting more events and improving outreach, Ng said he hopes to attract more people to U-Swing.

“I’m excited to be able to just make it more popular,” Ng said. “It’s a low-key club that is more for fun and to teach people about the joys of dancing and how you can meet other people in a non-stressed way.” 

Julieta Hernandez, a senior who started attending U-Swing last year, said the welcoming environment for beginners like herself is what made her keep coming back and she hopes to attend community swing events outside of school. 

“My main takeaway is that I should have done this sooner,” Hernandez said.