The UCCS Dance Club aims to give students an opportunity to tap into their potential and engage in the art of dance for free.
The club strives to accommodate all skill and experience levels. Classes cover ballet, jazz and contemporary.
Some members have been dancing their whole lives, some are finding ways to integrate dance back into their lives and some have no prior experience whatsoever, according to club founder and president, Madaline Holguin.
For Holguin, dance isn’t just a form of exercise — it is also a great way to build community and express emotions. “It’s like having your own type of therapy. [It] helps you work through things, express yourself, and just get that mental space and clarity sometimes,” Holguin said.
“It’s an extremely supportive environment. We all learn together, we get better together, we meet new people, have fun, and then we end up in this super rewarding position of being in a performance together,” Holguin said. “If you’re on the fence about whether or not you should join, you should definitely at least try it.”
Meetings typically start with members catching up and talking before class begins. Members then begin guided warm-ups on the barre or floor along with technique work. The last half-hour of class usually involves members learning a short choreography to put their skills to practice.
As the club approaches a performance, classes focus on learning and rehearsing choreography. They have already had two performances this year, and the next is planned for April 2026. The previous performances involved both group choreographies and solos.
Dance has been a passion of Holguin’s since starting in kindergarten. She founded the club as a freshman in 2021, where she served as president. After graduating and working at a local dance studio for a year, she is back on campus to take pre-med classes and reinstate the club.
The club has no affiliation with the UCCS Dance Team, but Holguin says it is a steppingstone toward the team.
“[Members] could say, ‘I don’t know a lot about dance, and maybe I’m not good enough to be on the Dance Team yet, but I can work on my skills to get there,’” Holguin said.
There are no auditions or fees required to join the Dance Club. Meetings are held between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Fridays in the Wellness Center Group Fitness room two.
For more information, prospective members can reach out to Holguin at [email protected] or check Mountain Lion Connect.
Madisyn Caddy, Hailey Franco in Passé. Photo via The Scribe archive.