SI.com Features SMU Pom Squad Member Amanda

Sports Illustrated (SI.com) has featured Amanda from SMU as the "Cheerleader of the Week." SI.com features Amanda and several members of the SMU Pom Squad in 32 photos this week. For the full photo gallery Click Here

From The Hornets Nest To The Royal Court

Feature on former Sacramento State Hornet Girlz Dancer Laura Sieglitz

By Nick Hunte
The State Hornet

Laura Sieglitz, senior math major, began dancing when she was 3 years old. By the time she was a teenager, she knew what she wanted to be: a Sacramento Kings dancer.

Sieglitz began auditioning for the Kings when she turned 18 and finally earned a spot on the team after her fourth try last year.

"I knew even before I turned 18 that I wanted to become a Kings dancer," Sieglitz said. "If I had the chance, I would do it all over again anytime in my life."

The former Hornet Girlz Dance Team member has an extensive background in dance. In high school she attended the Natomas Charter Performing and Fine Arts Academy and majored in dance. While there, she performed in many shows, such as "Guys and Dolls" and 42nd Street."

After high school, she continued to study dance at American River College before transferring to Sacramento State in 2006, where she joined the Hornet Girlz Dance Team. Sieglitz left the team in 2008 due to a knee injury.

Sieglitz's mother, Valinda Frost, said she remembers when her daughter began dancing in preschool. She said it has been a joy to watch her daughter grow and progress as a dancer.

"I still have a videotape of her dancing to the Nutcracker Suite when she was 3 years old and she had her pink tutu stuffed in her diaper," Frost said as she laughed. "I was every bit as proud of her then as I am now."

Sieglitz first described her experience as a Kings dancer in one word: amazing. When asked to elaborate her experiences, Sieglitz just gushed.

"Everyone is so supportive. Performing on the court has been amazing, the fans are excited, fun to talk to and fun to perform in front of. I love it," Sieglitz said.

Sieglitz said that her schedule as a full-time student and a Kings dancer is demanding. She wakes up around 6:30 a.m. every day and spends four to seven hours studying in between classes.

After her school day, she heads to Arco Arena for a 5:30 p.m. practice that sometimes lasts until 11:30 p.m.

Sieglitz said that being a Kings dancer and a full-time student is a balancing act. She said that keeping her priorities straight and having a supportive family are the keys to her success.

"I have a lot going on in my life, but having a supportive family at home helps keep me going," Sieglitz said. "I always try to stay constantly busy and constantly getting things done, which ensures that I'm able to do it all."

Frost believes that Sieglitz is very motivated, sets goals for herself and works hard at achieving them.

"She never gives up," Frost said. "She might fail at times, but she will never give up until she succeeds. She is an exceptional young woman. She's definitely the one in a million."

Preschool teacher Jenica Thompson, a close friend of Sieglitz, said she is very driven and motivated as a person and feels that she can accomplish almost any goal in life.

"She pretty much tackles anything she wants to do and she has proven that with the Kings," Thompson said. "That is a pretty high goal to set for yourself and she accomplished it. I look forward to seeing the things that she wants to do in her life."

Following her graduation in December, Sieglitz plans to pursue her teacher credential through Project Pipeline to become a high school teacher. She hopes to earn a full-time teaching position by next fall.

Sieglitz said although she plans to start her teaching career next fall, she would like to continue on as a Kings dancer for at least one more season.

She said she has never felt awkward when her fellow students and professors find out she is a Kings dancer.

"Whenever students or professors find out that I'm a dancer for the Sacramento Kings, they have all been very supportive," Sieglitz said. "They all ask me questions, they want to know what it's like being a dancer. It's been a very positive experience and it's a way for me to get to know my fans more."

Frost said she enjoys watching her daughter perform at Kings games and is proud of her accomplishments as a student and a dancer.

"She dances like nobody dances," Frost said. "I get to see her perform and shine in front of all those people and I know that there's a brain that goes along with it. I couldn't be prouder."

Sieglitz said one of her favorite moments performing as a Kings dancer are the tunnel chants that the dance team does every time before they run onto the court.

"Before I go out to the floor, I start getting nervous like, 'Oh my gosh, will I forget the first move?'" Sieglitz said. "We do this chant and then we come together as a team, which gives me confidence, and we go out there and kick some butt."

Sieglitz said beyond performing for thousands of fans at games, one of her favorite parts about being a dancer is reaching out to the community.

She said the most touching moment for her as a member of the team was when the dancers participated in a run to benefit a girl battling leukemia.

"That alone was the biggest thing for me as a Sacramento Kings dancer. That touches me the most because we were able to not only be there for the fans and the Sacramento Kings basketball players, but to be there for the people who we can really make a difference with," Sieglitz said.

Nick Hunte can be reached at nhunte@statehornet.com

Racer Girls Fundraiser A Success

GoRacers.com

The Murray State Racer Girls Dance Team recently conducted a fund raising event called Racer-I bingo, which raised over $2,500 to help the team with expenses.

"We really appreciate all the support we received from this first-time event," said Tori Tomasino, the 2009-10 Racer Girls captain. "The money raised will significantly help our team."

The funds help the team pay for registration fees and travel to their national competition in Orlando, Fla., Jan.16-17 at Walt Disney World.

The fundraiser was a fun event called Racer-I Bingo and conducted at the MSU home football game Oct. 31.

A large grid measuring 20X20 yards was divided into 400 one-yard squares. Bingo tickets were sold for $10 each, with all tickets placed into a random drawing, which was held prior. Each of the 400 squares was assigned a ticket number.

Racer-I, which is present at all MSU home games, roamed inside the grid area during the game and the lucky winner of the contest was the ticket holder whose square received the first 'road apple' from Racer-I.

The winning square was ticket 273 and located six rows from the top and six squares from the left on the grid.

The Racer Girls perform at all home athletic events and assist with other community relation activities. To contact the Racer Girls or to assist them in their fund raising efforts, please contact Tori Tomasino at victoria.tomasino@murraystate.edu.

College Dance Team Central Turns Four!

Four Years ago this week, College Dance Team Central was started on blogger as a way to inform coaches, dancers and fans alike of news relating to spirit squads around the nation. Thanks to the help of numerous coaches, advisors and dancers, CDTC has become the top College Dance Team news blog on the web and even earned mention in the 2007 edition of the Dance Team Director's Survival Guide published by McFadden Performing Arts Media (publishers of Dance Spirit Magazine).

Exciting new changes are in store for College Dance Team Central beginning in 2010, so stay tuned to the blog and please send along any questions, suggestions, comments or story ideas to collegedanceteamblog@yahoo.com. In the meantime, take a look at our new logo above and Click Here for the first ever CDTC news post featuring the Ole Miss Rebelettes on November 27, 2005!

UNH Club Roundup: Dance Team Spreads Spirit

FROM STAFF REPORTS
Fosters.com

DURHAM — The University of New Hampshire dance team recently performed during halftime at the UNH Halloween football game against Northeastern University. Despite the overcast day the girls did well and showed their spirit. Later that day they also performed at the opening of the UNH men's and women's basketball tip off party. The UNH Dance team will be appearing at all Men's home basketball games for the rest of the season. Please come out and cheer them on as they prepare for their National Competition in January.

UNH Dance Team Official Site

SI.com Features FIU Golden Dazzler Vanessa

Sports Illustrated (SI.com) has featured Vanessa from Florida International as the "Cheerleader of the Week." SI.com features Vanessa and several members of the FIU Golden Dazzlers in 35 photos this week. For the full photo gallery Click Here

Former Montana Dancer With NFL's Cardinals

Passion for dance carries Conrad woman to career worth cheering for
BY Patrick Douglas
Great Falls Tribune

It's a bit like something out of a Hollywood script. A young farm girl from a tiny Montana town tries out and ends up being chosen for an NFL cheerleading squad.

But that's reality for Callie Yeager and her family after the Conrad native made the Arizona Cardinals' cheer team last summer.

"I thought it was neat that she would at least give it a shot 'cause she's always been real brave that way in going and trying out for something," said Callie's mother, Bobbi Yeager. "I thought 'It'd be great if it happens,' but I was always thinking 'Wow, I don't know.' "

Callie's passion for dancing began when she was 3 years old and first took classes for fun. She attended college at the University of Montana where she was a member of the Sugar Bears dance team and then went on to Las Vegas where she danced in the Tournament of Kings show.

In between, she decided to try out for the pinnacle of NFL cheerleading squads — the Dallas Cowboys.

"There's over 300 girls and they're all beautiful, they're all talented and they're all pencil skinny," Callie said of the initial tryouts. "It is intimidating but you've just gotta hold your own and be confident."

While Callie didn't make the final cut for the Cowboys in the spring of 2007, she took what she learned from the experience and used it to land the job with the Arizona Cardinals this past summer.

The tryouts required that the women showcase their talents in front of a panel of judges.

"They usually do it in groups of five and usually the first round is introducing ourselves," Callie explained. "They put the music on, and we just freestyle dance which is just moving on your own. No choreography. Then they do their first cuts.

"In the second round, they teach you a choreography portion, like something they performed at their games last year. That's a fast process. We had to learn and perform within an hour."

The second round of cuts comes the next day, followed by an interview process.

"We have to dress in business attire and that's the scary part," she said. "Then we do our final dance. They post the results on the Internet a week later and ... you're just sitting by the computer waiting for it to pop up."

Then the good news came.

"I couldn't even believe it," Callie said with a laugh. "I had to refresh the page to make sure it was me. Then I started crying. (It was) a roller coaster of emotions. Then I call everyone I know and they're screaming. It's so exciting, but then you realize that you have to move. It's nuts."

Growing Up In Conrad

Callie's mother Bobbi was a high school teacher and her dad Gary is a barley farmer. Callie was a four-year varsity cheerleader for Conrad before heading to Missoula. Even though her parents supported her love of dance, they took a sensible approach to Callie's future.

"I kind of wanted her to be a nurse or something more practical," Bobbi said. "She was always dance, dance, dance and I was always thinking 'Go for something practical.' Her older sister's a banker, her older brother is a paralegal and those are both pretty staid and true occupations and here comes Callie dancing her way through everything."

Now that Callie has made the Cardinal cheerleading squad, her path has taken a different turn. Her parents, avid Grizzly fans, didn't have a favorite NFL team but of course that's changed, and they plan to attend a Cardinals' game in December.

"She always did really well with (the Sugar Bears) and I thought 'Wow, if anybody could do this, she could.' I'd see the girls on the NFL teams and she looked just as good to me as they did," Bobbi said.

"When she was majoring in dance, I thought she could go all the way with it. I think that's about as far as you could go in cheerleading."

Down the road

Callie has aspirations to one day own her own dance studio, a dream that seems much more likely considering what she's accomplished so far.

Knowing that young girls look up to her the way young boys admire professional football players is something Callie doesn't take lightly.

"It's very special. I love it because I want to eventually open my own dance studio and teach young children. I looked up to even just the high school cheerleaders when I was little, and I wanted to be them and I know how it feels," Callie said. "It's just special to make their day and make them smile and make them dream and be able to think that they can do it, too."

Making the transition from small-town farm girl to big city cheerleader has been surreal, but rewarding, she said.

"I really miss home. I'm always still gonna be the small-town farm girl. There's 6 million people in Phoenix and there's 3,000 in Conrad with one stoplight. It's hard to even wrap your head around it," she said. "When you leave, you really appreciate what you had."

"Moving here, I knew no one and now I have 32 great friends," she continued.

"(Callie) was always just one of those easygoing kids," Bobbi said. "She always loved anything to do with dance and was good at it. I guess I should've known. I kept thinking 'She'll get tired of it,' or 'She'll outgrow it,' but she never did."

Idaho Dance Team Sees Resistance

By Cari Dighton - Argonaut
The Argonaut

After holding tryouts, finding an advisor and getting a team together over the summer, the University of Idaho dance team discovered their funding had been severed.

Because of this unexpected cut, the dance team has been struggling to get a start this year.
“I think they are doing a good job and I think the students should be behind them,” said ASUI Sen. Koji Moy. “When we have a dance team full of girls who want to participate, I think we should back them and give them air time.”

Moy, along with ASUI senators Zach Arama and Samantha Storms, has been working to make the dance team a reality.

“I think (the dance team) really does impact the school in a great way,” Arama said. “They are performers who honor our athletics program.”

ASUI senators started debate Wednesday with a resolution in support of the team’s quest to seek funding through the UI Athletic Department.

After the team failed to find support from the Activities Board, senators have now written a bill that, if passed, will allocate funds to the team from the ASUI general reserve.

The bill will be up for discussion during next week’s meeting.

“I really support the bill,” Arama said. “I think it’s a worthwhile cause and I think it’s worth supporting. It’s a case where the money we use to support the team is actually given back to the students.”

According to the bill summary, the money allocated by ASUI would help the dance team to purchase costumes, workout gear, dance tights and help out with other miscellaneous expenses.

“As far as where the funding is going to come from in ASUI, I don’t know, and we probably won’t know for a couple more weeks,” Arama said.

Arama said there is a certain amount of university supplied funding that goes toward the Spirit Squad each year. The squad consists of Joe Vandal, the UI cheerleaders and the dance team. Arama said since a portion of the funding for the squad had to be cut, the dance team got the short end of the stick.

“We are going to try to help them with that,” Arama said. “That’s our duty, you know. The students are what we care about. Even if they don’t manage to get money through (the bill), we are going to try and help them through the Activities Board to get money. We are going to do all we can to make sure they are funded.”

Another concern to senators is that UI is now the only team in the Western Athletic Conference without dancers.

“We are one of the only NCAA Division I schools in the nation that does not have a dance team,” Moy said. “We are the only one in the Northwest without a dance team. When everyone else has one and we don’t, we kind of look like a joke.”

Storms also emphasized the importance of the team to UI athletic events.

“Their sole purpose is entertainment,” Storms said. “They only exist to support athletics and entertain at athletic events. We need to help them get started.”

Former TCU Showgirl Creates Competitive Dance Team

By Anna Waugh
DailySkiff.com

When former TCU Showgirl Megan McDonald was forced to take time off from the team when she injured herself last year before tryouts, she didn't stop dancing. She started planning.

McDonald, a junior biology major and a dancer since age 2, decided to create a competitive dance team called TCU Elite. The team will focus on studio dance techniques and go to local and national competitions, McDonald said.

"I wanted to be a part of something and dance again," she said.

The idea came to McDonald in April.

Cristie Carpenter, assistant director of programs, said McDonald went through the Office of Student Organizations, which requires clubs to write a constitution and fill out paperwork. Carpenter said once TCU Elite became classified as a sports club, McDonald had to fill out more paperwork, attend monthly meetings and a manual training about risk management and hazing policies.

Whitley Leiss, a senior early childhood education major and TCU Showgirl captain, said the team and Showgirls are two different entities since TCU Elite is a sports club and Showgirls is backed by marketing, although she said Showgirls could compete if they raise the funds.

McDonald said 32 people auditioned this past Saturday, and 18 were selected. Auditions consisted of learning a one-minute-long jazz routine that McDonald taught, and performing the routine in groups for outside judges, McDonald said. The judges were Brian Stevens, a local choreographer who will work with the team after it is formed; Tara Roberts, a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader and friend of McDonald's and Rachael McCoy, director of the University of Texas' dance team, McDonald said.

Leiss said she is proud of McDonald for creating the team and following her passion for dance.

"Megan's extremely talented," Leiss said. "She knows what she's doing."

McDonald said this year is mostly trial and error, and having a strong team bond will help teammates learn from their mistakes.

"It's everybody's collaboration," McDonald said. "It's got to be all these girls helping and helping one another and all of us working together in order for it to work."

Annie Cummins, a sophomore entrepreneurial management and marketing major, was selected as a member of the team this Saturday.

"(Dance) is a very passion-driven activity," Cummins said. "It's one of those things that you have to love doing it, or there's no point at all."

McDonald said that while taking a year off was difficult because she missed dancing with a team, she said she did not try out this year because the team was not for her anymore. She said things fell into place because Showgirls focused more on cheer, and now she can focus more on the competitive side of dance with TCU Elite.

She said she wants this year to go well because she has put so much of herself into the creation of the team, though its reality has not hit her yet.

"Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that I started a team," McDonald said. "It's kind of surreal."

UK Dance Cats Name Walters Head Coach

By Katie Jeffries
KYKernel.com

Dawn Duncan Walters, a veteran of the dance program, was named head coach of the UK Dance Cats over the summer.
A graduate of the class of ’87, Walters was on the UK Dance Cats and cheerleading team when she was an undergraduate at UK, including the first ever Dance Cats team in 1984. The Dance Cats said Walters has already made many changes to the way the team runs.

Junior Tara Kleinhenz, a member of the varsity dance team, is excited for what Walters has prepared for the year. The dance team will now not only dance at halftime of basketball games, but football as well. This will give the team more performance practice than in the past.

“Dawn actually creates the choreography rather than having us make it up ourselves,” Kleinhenz said. “We now get choreographers to come in and help with our routines as well as making sure they are sharp enough for performance.”

Walters has created a Facebook fan page for those interested in the dance team. The page is steadily updated with pictures and descriptions so people can follow exactly what the team is doing through the year.

“The biggest change that we made this year is that the entire team came to camp over the summer,” Walters said. “The junior varsity (white team) and varsity teams (blue team) now practice together and hopefully next year we will be able to take both the blue and white teams to camp.”

The team is currently working on halftime performances but will soon be preparing for the Universal Dance Association National Competition in January. With Walters, the team hopes to be led confidently into UDA Nationals this year.
Walters said the band director and herself are working on a performance for the halftime of the Louisville game set to “Super Freak,” by Rick James, for the band’s Motown theme this year.

“I’ve already had a good friend of mine come in and do some choreography,” Walters said. “His name is Ryan Maag and I feel that it is very important to have outside choreography coming in so that we can do the best we can at nationals.”

Most team members agree Walters has created a stronger bond between the team with her exhilarating personality and motivational mindset. She will continue to unite the team with each other as well as other members of the UK Spirit Group. The members of this group include the cheerleaders, band and dance team, and Walters has already started planning events to unite this group even more.

“Dawn has a great personality,” Kleinhenz said. “She not only is a very caring person for the team, but also for people outside of the dance community. She has an uplifting attitude that encourages everyone to do their best.”

Spotlight On Chico State Expressions Captain

Campus Spotlight: Q&A with Expressions Dance Team captain
The Orion

Chico State’s Expressions Dance Team has a new team captain. Haley Clement, 21, is a senior studying agriculture with a life-long devotion to dancing. She is currently preparing for the upcoming team tryouts in September.

How long have you been dancing?
14 years now, but this will be my fourth year with the Expressions Dance Team.

What is Expressions all about?
We’re technically a recreational sport, student organization. There are about 16 to 17 people on the team and we try to perform at as many Chico State functions as possible. We perform at basketball and baseball games, at Up ’til Dawn, the Fun Without Alcohol Fair and just about anything else we have time for. We produce a show at the end of the year, and that’s our baby. We perform about 20 dances in many different styles.

What is your favorite type of dancing, and why?
Right now, it’s probably a tie. I’m really into contemporary and hip-hop. I think contemporary dancing is my best because it really focuses on a theme or an emotion and I think that brings home what dance is all about.
It is, after all, an art. I like hip-hop just because it’s fun and I can escape and be someone different.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Will you still be dancing?
I’m going to school to be a high school agriculture teacher. It is hard to proceed because I want to do dance. Agriculture is the more practical choice for me in the long run, so I’ll probably at least try to dance on the side. I’d love to get a master’s degree. I just don’t want to be done with school or dance yet.

What are tryouts like?
Tryouts are Monday at 8 p.m. but we’re not exactly sure where yet. If someone wants to try out, then they come and fill out a form. There isn’t a warm-up, but they dance a few times across the floor doing different things like turns and such so that we can get an idea of everyone’s technique. We teach four eight-counts of a routine and then watch everyone perform it. If you make the team, those four eight-counts are the beginning to the first dance you learn.

–Compiled by
Patty Conover

St. Thomas Dance Team Steps It Up With Top Honors And ‘Most Collegiate’

By: University of St. Thomas News Service
St. Thomas.edu

The UST Dance Team placed first overall and also won “Most Collegiate” honors in the Open Division at the Universal Dance Association (UDA) College Camp held Aug. 1-4 at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The dancers also received a Superior Trophy for receiving the highest honors in their individual evaluations. The Open Division includes Division II and III schools.

The UDA camp is the largest collegiate cheer and dance camp in the United States, attended by approximately 1,400 student athletes, mascots, coaches and advisers from schools across the country and Puerto Rico.

Throughout the four days, teams compete in a competition with a routine prepared prior to attending camp and take classes where they learn new routines and technique for the upcoming season.

The “Most Collegiate” award encompassed representing the University of St. Thomas to the fullest with a positive work ethic, good sportsmanship, respect and attentiveness.

“Camp for us is the perfect way to begin our season. We only practice a few weeks prior to prepare for the competition so it is not only a nice way to ease back into dancing after the summer break but also a great way to bond as a team. Even though we came home with several awards, I think our greatest accomplishment was the connections we made as teammates and the positive way the girls represented themselves and the university,” Alysia Ulfers said.” As their coach, it makes me so proud to receive compliments about our team. They are not only known as talented dancers but also as respectful and mature young adults.”

The team is preparing for the football season, where it can be seen on the sidelines and at halftime. The team also will be working toward attending the 2010 National College Dance Team Championships next February in Orlando, Fla., where they hope to compete for the program’s third national title.

Sam Houston State Dancers, Cheerleaders Named All-American

By Raegan Castillo, SHSU News Service
Huntsville Item

Sam Houston State University student Melissa Compian has been performing dance routines on stage since she was just a little girl.

Dancers that have years of experience, dedication and hard work like Compian make up the Sam Houston State University Orange Pride dance team.

“This year starts my eighth year of training and performing with a team,” Compian said. “Orange Pride has been wonderful! We are an extremely dedicated team made up dancers with different styles, each with a talent to contribute to our group as a whole.”

Compian, four other members of the dance team and two members of the co-ed cheerleading squad were awarded All-American statuses at the National Cheer Association/National Dance Association Cheerleading and Dance Collegiate Camp July 24-25 at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

The All-American Collegiate Dancers awarded from Orange Pride were Gloria Smith, Hillary Villman, Compian, Hannah Shields and Everest Guerra.

Awarded All-American Collegiate Cheerleaders were Nick Woodward and Holly Vonderau from the co-ed squad.

Both the dance team and the squad worked to improve their dance and cheerleading skills over the weekend at the NCA/NDA SMU College Camp with schools from across the region.

“The camp provides us with a chance to work around other teams and to show the collegiate dance world what we have to offer before nationals,” Compian said.

In order to receive an All-American award, the NCA/NDA judges nominate the dancers to perform a short choreography and the cheerleaders to successfully perform a set of six or seven skills that include tumbling, stunting and a jump.

“The camp staff watches everyone the entire weekend,” Shields said. “The last day when everyone has performed, they announce the All-American nominees. We then had to learn a short dance in 20 minutes and perform it while the whole camp watched us.

“At the final award ceremony they announced the All-Americans from all of the cheer and dance teams,” Shields said.

Last year, Orange Pride received a “half paid silver bid,” where they advanced to the NDA National Competition in Daytona Beach, Fla., and placed second. The team returned this year to receive a “gold full bid,” and will again compete in the NDA National Competition in 2010.

“This year was so much fun,” Villman said. “Although the camp is very intense and tiring, I got to share it with the girls that I love and achieve our ultimate goal of winning a full-paid bid to nationals.”

The co-ed cheerleading squad came back home with a bronze bid and new techniques.

“Being able to see all of the NCA staff showing us different techniques and stunts really helped out,” Woodard said. “I’ll be able to come back and apply it to our squad.”

NCA/NDA camps have served generations of cheerleaders and dancers around the world, according to the National Cheer Association. They teach leadership, strong support of school athletic teams, the pursuit of skills excellence and safety, and teamwork.

“Being able to go to this collegiate dance camp is a huge accomplishment in itself,” Shields said. “Not many can say they have taken their sport or hobby to this level.”

Orange Pride was also awarded the “Most Spirited Team,” the all-girls squad received third place in the All-Girl Cheer Off competition in their division and was awarded a bronze paid bid. The co-ed squad also received first place in the Co-Ed Cheer Off competition within their division.

“Being on Orange Pride has been an amazing experience. It’s allowed me to be more involved with SHSU, make a bunch of life long friends, and to compete in a collegiate national championship,” Villman said. “And being awarded All-American dancer, I was very surprised and very, very excited. I feel honored to be able to represent SHSU in this way.”

Drexel Dancer Named NDA All-American

DrexelDragons.com

Philadelphia - The National Dance Alliance has honored Drexel Dance Team member Ashley Nuel as an All-American. Nuel, a junior majoring in fashion design, was recognized by the national organization after competing in an intensive three-day audition. The Drexel Cheerleading and Dance Teams were also honored with Bronze Bids to compete in the NCA/NDA College Nationals in Daytona Beach, Fla. this coming April.

The National Dance Alliance, one of the preeminent national dance team organizations, has sponsored camps and national interscholastic competitions since 1976. Teams from across the country compete for a place in the national championship in April.

ISU Dance Team Washing Cars To Connect With Community

By Wes Horrocks
KIDK.com

POCATELLO - The Idaho State University Bengal Dancers are raising money by cleaning cars.

The group held a fundraiser car wash at Potelco Credit Union Saturday.

They planned the event as a way to interact with the community.

The money they raise will be used to help them go to national competitions. Brittney Udy, a Bengal Dancer said, "The past couple of years we've been doing really well at nationals, and to keep doing that is going to bring more people to our school which I think will make our community better."

The Bengal Dancers have won two National Championships, and have been ranked in the top three since 2004.

HPU Cheer And Dance Teams Win Paid Bids At Camp

Teams will Attend National Competition in 2010
Honolulu Advertiser

The reigning national champion Cheer and Dance Teams at Hawai'i Pacific University recently attended the National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) and National Dance Alliance (NDA) College Camp at the University of Nevada – Las Vegas. At camp, the HPU Dance Team, and Large Coed, Small Coed, and All-Girl Cheer Teams, competed against other schools winning full-paid bids for all four teams to attend the National Competition in Daytona Beach, Florida in 2010.

Other honors earned at the NCA/NDA College Camp included Sharky the Sea Warrior being selected as "Most Collegiate," and 24 HPU cheerleaders were honored as "All-American." Three of HPU's dancers were also chosen as "All-American," and the HPU All-Girl Cheer Team was honored as "Most Collegiate." The HPU Large Coed Cheer Team was named "Best All-Around Team" at camp, and all the cheer teams swept the Rally Routine Competition.

The HPU All-Girl stunt group including Savanna Sibley, Lauren Loeb, Emily Myers and Hilary Dartford won the "Top Gun Group Stunt" competition, and HPU Coed Partners Neessa Cappolla and Steven Johnson won the "Top Gun Partner Stunt" competition.

The HPU Large Co-ed Cheer Team has won seven straight national titles (2003-2009). The HPU Small Co-Ed Cheer Team has won four consecutive national titles (2005-2008). The HPU All-Girl Cheer Team won its first national title at the 2009 competition, and the HPU Dance Team has won four consecutive championships, totaling five titles overall (2004, 2006-2009).

Hawai'i Pacific University is the state's largest private university with more than 8,000 students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries. HPU is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the Council on Social Work Education, and the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission.

Minnesota Dance Team Hosts 3rd Annual Alumni Event

GopherSports.com

The 2009-2010 Dance Team hosted a potluck for the alumni at the Williams Arena club room. We began the night by greeting the alumni and looking through old scrapbooks and national's photos. We could not deny the overwhelming presence of the TCF Bank Stadium through the floor to ceiling windows. You could feel the excitement from the alumni for us and yet a hint of envy that they wish they too could perform at the new stadium this fall.

After dinner, we watched videos from previous teams dating back to 1960 along with national's performances with rare moments without commentary. My favorite part of the evening was a question and answer session with the alumni. Their sincere passion for the team couldn't help but excite the new team. We were surrounded by a group of remarkable women that truly inspired me to strive for success in the coming years on both dance team and in life. They stressed the importance of setting goals and making plans of how to achieve those goals. I tried to soak up all the helpful advice that they all shared.

After the potluck came to a close, the current team wrote our mission statement for the upcoming year. Our evening with the alumni motivated us in writing our mission statement. We value the legacy that our alumni have created for us, and we want to carry on that legacy and live up to the standards they have set. Thank you to all the alumni who came on Friday, we are so thankful to have you as such an active part of our current program. We hope to see much more of you!

-Sarah Bucka, 1st year member

All Dancing And No Play: Feature On Johnson County CC Dancer Brittany

Tonganoxie Mirror

Some people dance for fun — to cut loose, escape and enjoy themselves.

For Brittany Watson, dancing is serious business. The 2008 Tonganoxie High graduate has been moving to music since the age of 3 and has done so all over the map — from right here in Kansas, to Florida and even Paris, France.

As she works toward earning an associate’s degree at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Watson has taken her dance career to another level on the school’s dance team, the Golden Girls.

The squad’s name occasionally conjures up thoughts of the 1980s sitcom with the same title about four older, single women.

“Isn’t that a TV show from a long time ago?” some have asked Watson.

Having never seen the hijinks of the series, though, Watson only knows the hectic schedule of being a JCCC Golden Girl as she enters her second year on the team.

Even in the summer, the dancers practice twice a week. And practice involves much more than going over steps. Team members stretch, run a mile, do some abdominal work, practice technique and work on specific routines. During the school year, those practices last three hours and come three times a week.

It’s a physically demanding activity and it can take a toll.

“We do it all year long,” the former Chieftain Stars dancer said. “We never really get a break.”

Managing schoolwork with dance, work and other activities requires discipline. Watson said she gets sore and often feels tired. And commuting to the campus from her Tonganoxie home everyday adds to that busy schedule.

“It’s kind of hard to stay motivated but this is our job,” Watson said.

Some of the job requirements for Golden Girls include performing at basketball games, pep rallies and other JCCC functions. But their main focus throughout the year is the national competition held each spring.

The dance team works exhaustively on a routine in preparation for the NCA/NDA Collegiate Cheer and Dance Championship, critiquing it and cleaning it in hopes of wowing the judges with a perfect performance.

“It’s really stressful,” Watson said. “You eat, sleep, breathe nationals the whole year until you get there.”

This past April, the Golden Girls traveled to Daytona Beach, Fla., for the competition. They just missed out on making the showcase stage, which is televised nationally.

“It wasn’t as good as we wanted to do but it’s really intimidating,” Watson said of the event, which involves nearly 5,000 dancers and cheerleaders each year.

With that in mind, she and her teammates already are working toward next year’s nationals, even though the event is about nine months away. This week, they are attending a camp on the Kansas University campus in Lawrence. They will have three days to learn and perfect a dance, and their performance at the camp’s conclusion is critical. The team is given a ranking and if it is high enough, the dancers can earn a trip to next year’s nationals.

That trip is important to each dancer but Watson will have an even more vested interest after becoming the team’s co-captain this summer. She will be working with captain Chrissy Birkholz of Paola to make sure the Golden Girls are on top of their game and improve throughout the year.

JCCC dance coach Erin Fine said, as co-captain, Watson will work with Birkholz and the coach on a daily basis.

“Her main duty as co-captain,” Fine said, “will be to take charge of the team motivation throughout the year, inside and outside of practice activities.”

For Watson, who said she may one day open her own dance studio, all the work and responsibilities are worth it. Besides, it isn’t like she doesn’t have some fun.

“I enjoy doing it a lot,” Watson said. “If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be dancing.”

Seton Hall Dance Team Earns Honors At UCA/UDA Camp

SHUPirates.com

SCRANTON, Pa. - The Seton Hall cheerleading and dance team enjoyed a successful trip to the UCA/UDA Camp 2009 at the University of Scranton, with both teams earning awards for their performances.

The cheerleading team brought home four trophies, including first place Camp Champion in the Fight Song Competition. The Pirates took third place in the Sideline Cheer Competition, while also earning the Most Improved Squad Award and a Superior Squad Award.

The dance team also earned the Most Improved Squad Award to go along with a Superior trophy in the Fight Song Competition.

Seton Hall competed against fellow BIG EAST members Georgetown, Rutgers, Syracuse and Villanova at the camp, in addition to numerous other schools.

Islander Dancers Have Strong Camp, Chosen For UDA Nationals

KrisTV.com

CORPUS CHRISTI - The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islander Dance Team attended UDA College Dance Camp at Texas State University this past weekend not only claiming several awards but qualified for a spot at the UDA College Cheer and Dance Nationals in Orlando, Fla.

The national competition will be held at the Walt Disney World Resort on Jan. 15-18. The completion is aired on the ESPN family of networks. The Islanders won several other awards including first place in fight song, superior performance trophy, and over 36 individual awards to become one of the top teams at camp.

"The team worked amazingly hard all summer to prepare for camp and walked away with several awards," said coach Melanie Lowry. "The girls are looking forward to a great year and would like to compete at nationals if the funds can be raised."

UCA Honeybears Take Top Honors

UCAsports.com

The UCA Honeybears Dance Team recently returned from attending collegiate camp at Missouri State University. The team of eleven beat defending champ MSU to bring home first place honors.

"It's such an exciting thing to win first place," said team captain Jennifer Gattin of Bryant. "UCA's dance team is finally being noticed. We've worked hard for several years to make this happen."

In addition to winning the home routine award, UCA also was recognized with the Most Improved Program award and a superior evaluation in fight song.

Watch for the Honeybears on the sidelines and at halftime when UCA kicks off its football season in a few weeks. The Honeybears are hosting a dance clinic for junior high and high school dance teams on Saturday, September 26. Younger girls can get in on the action at the Little Girls Clinic on Saturday, November 7. E-mail coach Susan O'Keefe at sokeefe@uca.edu for more information.

Second Round of Tryouts for UALR Dance Team Announced

Courtesy: UALR Sports Information
UALRTrojans.com

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.—The UALR Dance Team will host a second round of tryouts for the 2009-10 squad on Thursday, August 27 at 6 p.m. at the UALR Center for Performing Arts dance studio. Auditions are open to all UALR students as well as incoming freshmen.

Tryouts will consist of floor work, across the floor exercises, and a jazz, hip hop, and pom routine. Dancers will be judged on image, skills, memory, and dance performance.

Skills that the judges will be looking for:
· Single, Double, and Triple Pirouettes
· Fouette Turns
· A La Second Turns
· Illusions
· Straight Leg Leaps
· Open Side Leaps
· Switch Leaps
· “C” Jump

Dancers are recommended to wear dance shorts, nude tights, and a sports bra to auditions. Black ankle jazz shoes will be required throughout the season.

For any questions concerning tryouts or for more information, e-mail coach Sara Beth Wyatt at sewyatt@ualr.edu or contact the UALR Department of Athletics at (501) 569-3393.

SI.com Features KU Rock Chalk Dancer Claire

Sports Illustrated (SI.com) has featured Claire from Kansas University as the "Cheerleader of the Week." SI.com features Claire and several members of the KU Rock Chalk Dance Team in 17 photos this week. For the full photo gallery Click Here

FIU Cuts Cheerleading, Golden Dazzlers To Stay

By Jorge Valens / Asst. News Director
FIU Student Media
Additional Miami Herald Article

Cheerleading program: Few alternatives to survive


The FIU cheerleading program has been eliminated as part of Athletics’ $1 million budget cut for the 2009-10 fiscal year.

“This economy has forced us to make some very tough choices,” said Athletics Director Pete Garcia in a written statement to Student Media. “The decision to discontinue our cheerleading program was one of them."

The decision to eliminate the program comes after the University’s move to cut all funding to the Golden Panther Band. Athletics is currently reaching out to local high school marching bands to perform at football games.

According to Richard Kelch, director of media relations for Athletics, the department would save $45,000 annually by eliminating the program.

However, head cheerleading coach Maria George told Student Media that the budget for the cheerleading program is in fact $25,000.

George said she offered Athletics to coach the program for free and without an operating budget, but Athletics declined the offer.

Kelch said the department would still need money to run the program, even without George’s salary and operating budget, and that Athletics would be open to keep the cheerleading team if they were able to secure a recurring sponsor.

“The key word is recurring,” Kelch said. “We don’t want to find ourselves in the same position next year.”

The Golden Dazzlers, the University's competitive dance team, will continue to be funded and will fill the void left by the cheerleading team during games.

The Golden Dazzlers have 18 members and perform at all basketball and football games as well as events such as Midnight Madness and Freshman Convocation.

Their style, however, is more focused on hip hop and jazz dance routines rather than traditional cheering routines.

George said she thinks that Athletics wanted to go in a different direction.

“Athletics is trying to move toward a more professional cheerleader, which is a dance-type program such as the [Miami] Heat,” she said.

Athletics would not comment on why the Dazzlers were chosen over the cheerleading program.

George said she now must contact students who have committed to FIU specifically to be a part of the program.

“A lot of my student-athletes, they chose FIU because of our cheerleading,” George said. “I’ve got kids all around the country coming in to cheer here, that I’m making calls right now to tell them we don’t have a program.”

“I was so proud to say that I was an FIU cheerleader,” said cheerleader Sasha Velasco, a newcomer to the team. “I was looking forward to progressing [in the program] and being on a team that would push me to my limits and now they just pulled that right from under me.”

The cheerleading team has been the recipient of much success, most notably placing fourth in the Small Coed I-A division for the 2009 NCA/NDA Collegiate National Championships in April.

“We go to Daytona, Florida for college nationals every year, which is like the Rose Bowl of our sport,” George said. “They’re cutting a program that produces award-winning cheerleaders.”

The team is currently exploring alternative options to raise funds.

“We’re looking into other avenues to see if we can perhaps get enough support throughout the FIU community and the community in South Florida to help us stay as an organized sport,” George said.

The cheerleading team is currently seeking corporate sponsorships and has organized various fund-raising events on and off campus.

On June 24, the team set up in the Graham Center Pit to collect donations and create awareness about their situation.

They also partnered with the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity the following day for a fundraising party.

Lastly, on June 26, the cheerleaders organized a car wash.

Fliers have been posted in various spots throughout the Graham Center, informing students the different ways they can help and a schedule of their fund-raising events.

Student government has become aware of the cut and is discussing options with Athletics.

“We are looking at all alternatives in helping maintain the cheerleading program,” said Student Government Council at Modesto Maidique Campus President Anthony Rionda. “We understand the position the Athletic Department is in in cutting their budget but [we] are working our best to help this program continue.”

The cheerleaders, both veterans of the program and newcomers, are responding to the cuts with surprise and disappointment.

“I’m still in shock,” said co-captain Jenny Mesa. “We weren’t prepared for it.”

According to veteran cheerleader Erika Otero, however, this is just a minor setback.

“We really are title hungry,” she said. “This is going to be a stepping stone but we’ll get there.”

The final option for the team is to limit the amount of competitions they attend and become a student club, which receives funding from the Council for Student Organizations.

Role of College Cheerleading Becoming Controversial Issue

Sports Illustrated (SI.com) explores the role of competitive cheerleading in college athletic departments.

HAMDEN, Conn. (AP) -- They jump, tumble and work the crowd. They also bristle at being called cheerleaders.

"We don't even use that word anymore," said Tori Maynard, a senior on the University of Oregon's competitive cheer team. "It's a stereotype. People don't understand what competitive cheerleading is."

Maynard and others involved in competitive cheer say it is a sport, similar to gymnastics. A smattering of colleges agree, some seeing it as a cheaper way to help comply with Title IX, the federal law that requires schools to offer equal athletic opportunities to men and women.

To continue article Click Here

SI.com Features ASU Spirit Squad Member Logan

Sports Illustrated (SI.com) has featured Logan from Arizona State as the "Cheerleader of the Week." The ASU Spirit Squad was formed after the school combined the cheer team and dance team into one organization last year. SI.com features Logan and several members of the ASU Spirit Squad in 33 photos this week. For the full photo gallery Click Here

Redhawk Becomes Sea Gal

By Katie Farden
SU Spectator
Media Credit: Courtesy Sea Gals

With four wins and 12 losses last season, the Seattle Seahawks ended 2008 leaving most of their fans with dim hopes for next year. Seattle U students and alumni still have cause to head down to Qwest Field, however, even if it is only for the half-time show.

Senior criminal justice and forensic psychology major Pia Gillan recently earned a spot on the Sea Gals, a professional dance team that performs at Seahawks football games.

When Gillan first found out she made the team, she was in disbelief.

"You have to wait for an hour to find out, and that's the worst part," she said. "When they first called my number I was in shock, I had to double check to make sure it was me."

Gillan has been a member of Seattle U's dance squad, SU Dance Team, for the past two years.

Her dance coach, Kate Kelly, wasn't surprised with Gillian's success at the Sea Gals tryout.

"She is one of the best performers I have ever coached," Kelly said. "She just has that air about her."

Performing in front of a large audience is one aspect of her new job Gillan says she is most excited to take on.

"I'm really excited just to be in the stadium interacting with the crowd," said Gillan who was born and raised in Guam and danced competitively in high school for Skip Entertainment Studio.

Before dancing on the SU Dance Team, Gillan spent her freshman and sophomore year playing rugby for Seattle U.

"Rugby was a lot of fun, especially because we played it a lot in Guam," she said. "But I really missed dancing. It's not that I didn't like rugby, but I do wish I had tried out for the dance team earlier."

The most unforgettable moment of her two years on Seattle U's dance squad, she said, was her initial audition.

"I had never really auditioned before, and I was nervous choreographing my own dance," she said of her 2007 tryout. "But I got through it."

Gillan auditioned for the Sea Gals in late April at Qwest Field. The try outs, which held three rounds of cuts and personal interviews, proved to be far more overwhelming than the Seattle U dance team auditions.

"At the SU audition, there are about eight girls there, and everyone knows your name," she said. "At the Sea Gals audition, there were over 200. You're just a number."

Granite Bay Grad Dances From Grizzlies to Hornets

By Megan Wood- The Press Tribune
Granite Bay Press Tribune

Ali Bryant will soon swap her Granite Bay cheerleading uniform for Sacramento State’s dance team duds.

Bryant, a dancer since she was 8 years old recently auditioned for the Hornet Dance team and was notified last week that dance would definitely play a part in her college career.

Bryant has been in the advanced dance class at Granite Bay High School all four years of high school. She danced on the Emerald Dance team her freshman and sophomore years before joining the cheerleading squad her junior year. Her senior year, Bryant was voted captain of the cheerleading squad.

Bryant begins practice with the Hornet Girlz this summer and will attend several community events with the dance team.

Next year, as a freshman at Sacramento State, Bryant will perform at home football and basketball games with the Hornet Girlz and will make appearances at Raley Field.

Before graduating next month, Bryant will travel to Disneyland to perform and attend a workshop with the cheerleading squad. Bryant will dance one last time on the Granite Bay stage in the spring dance show May 21 and 22. The show takes place in the Granite Bay High School Theater at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10.

Spotlight: Alabama Crimson Cabaret

Taylor Daily Press

Jennifer Jan Tocquigny has been a member of the nationally ranked Crimson Cabaret college dance team at the University of Alabama for four years. Her team performs at each of the Tide’s basketball games, as well as, for 98,000 football fans. Each year the Crimson Cabaret competes at the UDA College Dance Nationals in Orlando, Fla., where they have consistently placed in the top 10 college dance teams. Tocquigny was on the Fairview High Pom Squad for four years, captain of the team her senior year and a professional cheerleader with the Colorado Rapids while in high school. She is the daughter of Carla and Rick Tocquigny of Boulder, Colo. Her grandmother is Janell Rohlack of Taylor.

Rice Spirit Squads Stepping It Up

Despite lack of funding, student-run spirit groups are rising to the challenge of a growing athletics department
The Rice Thresher

Two Bowl trips, a $27 million dollar renovation of the basketball facilities and the signing of one of the winningest basketball coaches in the nation are all just parts of Athletic Director Chris Del Conte's vision for the future of the Rice athletics. Simultaneously, with neither the resources of a full-time staff nor the ability to raise six-figure alumni donations, students leading the Rice spirit squads have been working to move their teams in a direction parallel to Del Conte's vision.

The Owls' cheerleading and dance teams have both been through many changes in recent years after making concerted efforts to improve the quality of their performances. Their goal has been to significantly bolster student support on the sidelines.

"Both of [the squads] have improved tremendously," Megan Dodge, director of marketing, said. "I think a lot of it has to do with the passion of their leaders."

Since the beginning of the academic year, Dodge has been assigned as the liaison between the athletics department and the spirit squads. The seemingly arbitrary addition to the director of marketing's work description exemplifies a confusing trend in the relationship between the groups.

There exists a long-standing gray area when it comes to categorizing the spirit squads as either clubs or parts of the athletics department. In the past, this self-imposed relationship worked well for both parties. But a concerted effort has arisen from the leadership of the student groups to improve their on-field performance, and when added to the current financial troubles, the students feel as though their efforts have been stifled by an inefficient system.

Balancing act
For the cheer squad, there is one piece of the system in particular that brings the most challenges: The coaches of the squad are students taking on an extreme additional burden.

"Athletics sees cheerleading as our job, as our number one priory," said senior co-captain Nina Xue. "But we don't get treated like that's our number one priority."

Xue and junior co-captain Darren Arquero were central figures in pushing for a squad with improved skill. To get the team where they wanted them to be, the captains arranged for the team to train every week at a gym located in Sugarland, Tex. While the move has manifested itself in strong on-field performances, problems arose when it came to deciding how to pay for these kinds of endeavors.

"Darren and I have to talk to athletics, run a team, do all the administrative stuff and we are in charge of fundraising," Xue said. "And then we work, and we have school."

The presence of a full-time coach, she claims, would significantly lighten the burden on the students and increase the squad's ability to raise funds. But the team is stuck in an enigma. While a coach would ease the burden of fundraising, they do not have up-front money to pay for a coach.

"Chris Del Conte said throughout this year, 'Prove to me that you guys do deserve a coach,'" Russ Dean, Associate Athletics Director, said.

Xue believes that they have done just that.

"[Del Conte] thinks that we would be more legitimate if we were really coed, but that is because he doesn't understand the sport," she said. "Just because we don't have huge guys launching us in the air doesn't make us less legitimate."

But the fact that they are the only cheer squad with no full-time coach in the conference has implications beyond the quality of their performances. The athletics department pays for one of the members of the squad to be certified by the National Cheerleading Association every year, as conference regulations require there to be a certified coach present at every practice for safety reasons.

Cheerleading has one of the highest rates of injury of any sports - ESPN has named it the most dangerous sport for girls - and the burden of keeping the squad safe falls on the shoulders of the on-field captain.

"I am the one that is legally responsible if people get hurt on the team," Xue said. "If we had a coach, they could watch everything. [But] when Darren and I are involved in all the stunts, we can't see everything that is going on."

While safety in the practices is left up to the members of the squad, the medical resources that are available to any varsity athlete are given to the cheer squad, as well. But the gray area makes it difficult, at times, for the system to deal with the cheerleaders. For example, when Arquero was injured last year though cheerleading, his request for a motorized scooter from health services was repeatedly denied, because he was not classified as an athlete.

"Going through that process is very difficult," Arquero said. "It is basically [saying] that we are not being appreciated."

Owning the squad
While the two squads carry many of the same responsibilities, the dance team has responded to their unique relationship with athletics in a different manner.

"We are highly self-governing," senior Jennie Wilburn, captain of the dance team, said. "People take up their responsibility. It is a lot of work, but people do a good job of trying to spread it out."

The members of the dance team take turns creating choreography for their performances, a point in which the squad takes great pride. Without the safety hazards associated with some of the cheerleaders' routines, the dancers have been able to place that same emphasis on constantly improving without seeking out extra help. Instead, Wilburn said, the members have simply been putting in more time and effort.

Many other dance squads dedicate themselves to traveling for competitions in addition to supporting their teams. While this may be a potential direction for the team, they are currently focusing on raising the bar for their game-day performances.

"I think that as we slowly take our steps to make ourselves more serious, the student body takes you more seriously, and athletics will too," Wilburn said. "It is something that will happen over time as long as people remain committed. I don't think people realize how much time we put in. We put in as much time as some varsity sports."

Wilburn says that despite the team's recurring problems with funding, she understands the difficulty that the athletics department has when it comes to defining the position of the spirit squads.

"I would say it is not because they don't want to help," she said. "I think they want to do everything that they can for us."

When it comes down to it, the most important issue for all parties is supporting Rice athletics. The spirit squads saw the models put forth by the highflying connections between Chase Clement and Jarett Dillard, and they have been trying to raise their level of performance to coincide with the increased national recognition.

"I would never want to say that I am comparable to Dillard or Clement," Wilburn said, "But at the same time, when we do a lot for a team we don't feel the same appreciation."

And they intend to bolster the resurgent basketball programs as signs of support for the immense amount of money and resources placed into those programs, as well.

"Our team can do things that would have been impossible in previous years," Xue said.

But the reshaping of an entire department cannot happen overnight. There is a mutual recognition, though, that the process will have to take a great deal of effort and communication.

"We will try our hardest to give them all the tools to be successful that we can," Dean said. "Now, every sport will probably want more, but of course we will sit down with them."

Penn State Lionettes Take Fourth

Lionettes' best finish in recent history
Gopsusports.com

University Park, Pa. - The Penn State Lionettes Dance Team went from the sidelines of football and basketball games to the spotlight after placing in fourth at the National Dance Alliance (NDA) competition in Daytona, Fla. earlier this spring. It is the first time in the Lionettes' history that they have placed in the top five in the NDA championship and they did it in an incredible fashion by coming in fourth place.

Dance team advisor Sue Sherburne has been a leader and mentor for the team since her arrival in the spring of 1997.

"It's a huge accomplishment without having a full-time coach," said Sherburne, who is also an Assistant Director, Academic Counselor & Coordinator of the Nagle/CHAMPS Life Skills Program in the Morgan Academic Center at Penn State.

Sherburne continued to say that between herself, the choreographer and the team captains, they work together to ensure that the void from the lack of full-time coaching does not keep the talented team from excelling.

There are 26 girls on the dance team and trials for the competition squad began in October. Sixteen girls and two alternates were selected, with 15 actually competing in the competition. Senior Sydney Klein, who competed in the NDA all four of her collegiate years, was the Lionettes' Nationals Coordinator this year. She was responsible for scheduling flights and getting the team where it needed to be to compete.

Despite all of the preparation it wasn't always smooth sailing for the team, though, as there were obstacles all the way up to the final event with three girls becoming injured in separate incidents. One of the injured was senior Ashley Herbick, who broke her foot during basketball season. Despite being upset that she could not perform in her senior year, she remained a motivational and inspirational person for the team to go on and win. The two alternates joined the competition team and worked together to incorporate the changes that occurred on such short notice. Another alternate had to be added to the competition team just in case any other accidents happened.

The fourth place finish in Daytona was exciting and very rewarding for everyone, and Sherburne added that she was especially proud for all the effort they put in since the majority of the year is spent performing at football and basketball games, leaving only about a month that is fully devoted to preparing for the nationals.

Aside from performing at the games, the team was actively involved with THON, and maintains a 3.6 team GPA.

"It's not just about winning," Sherburne said. "It's about everything else they've done to get there."

Both the dance team and cheerleading squad compete in the NDA championships. A total of 220 schools competed and the Lionettes were one of 17 dance teams competing in the Division I Athletics group.

UC Dancers On Top Of The World

By Lauren Bishop
Cincinnati.com
Also: UC Dance Team Sweeps Dance Championship, WLWT.com

Best in the nation, and now best in the world.

That’s what the University of Cincinnati Dance Team can claim after winning gold medals in jazz dance, hip-hop and freestyle dance at the first-ever International Cheer Union’s World Cheerleading Championships in Orlando over the weekend, three months after the team won its fourth national hip-hop title in six years.

“They were unbelievable,” said Lisa Spears, who is in her 11th year as the team’s head coach. “They put on an outstanding performance.”

The International Cheer Union chose the UC dance team to represent the U.S. at the world cheerleading championships after the team took first place in hip-hop and fourth in dance in January at the Universal Dance Association – College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championship at Walt Disney World.

The team held four-hour practices four to five times a week for two months to prepare for the world championships, lengthening and refining the hip-hop and dance routines they performed at nationals and learning a new freestyle routine, Spears said. The team’s varsity squad is made up of 17 students from all over the country, who have an overall grade point average of 3.4, she said.

Team members knew little about their international competition, which included teams from more than 40 countries competing in the dance and cheer events. The event was also part of a campaign to make competitive dance and cheer part of the Olympic Games.

In the end, the UC Dance Team’s greater experience compared with teams from countries that were new to competitive dance and cheering won out, said dance team captain Julie Dota, a 23-year-old senior math major from Youngstown. Still, they were stunned when they heard they swept all three categories.

“We really couldn’t believe it,” she said. “I would have never expected any of this to happen.”

The world championships ended the dance team’s season, but auditions for the 2009-2010 team take place May 30.

Information: http://gobearcats.cstv.com/spirit/cinn-dance.html

Towson Dance Team Takes Home 11th National Title

WJZ.com

Towson, MD "We Are the Champions" could very well be the theme song for the Towson University Dance Team. They're just back from Daytona after winning their 11th straight National Collegiate Division l title.

Ron Matz has more on the 27 women who make up this amazing dynasty of dance.

The Towson University Dance Team has done it again, winning the Collegiate National Championship Division l title.

They took a chance with a new routine, depicting a battle between good and evil.

Coach Tom Cascella is proud that the girls took a chance.

"It was difficult for them to take a chance with this routine, so I was happy that we won. But I was happier they were willing to take a risk and do a routine no one else has ever done," he said. "We could have lost, but they didn't let that influence their decision of what they wanted to do and how they wanted to take our team in another direction.

They defeated 20 other teams in the competition in Daytona, bringing home a big trophy.

Their intensity is shaped in practice.

"We work very hard in practice--Tuesdays and Thursdays three hours usually after classes and then on the weekends pretty much all day," said junior Jennifer Maletto.

Practice does make perfect. At least 150 young women auditioned this year and only eight made the team.

But for the seniors looking ahead, it's been a bittersweet moment.

"I can't believe I'm finishing up. It has been a lot of hard work but all the girls, we've become so close. So it's really great. It becomes emotional when you're a senior and you're out there for your last time and it hits you that it's done," said senior Dana Richmond.

"It never gets old. I was really happy for them because they worked so hard," said Cascella.

More than 15,000 people watched the competition in Daytona. The 2009 Collegiate Championship is the largest college cheer and dance championship in the world.

UALR Dance Team Tryouts and Prep Classes Announced

UALR Trojans.com

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.—The UALR Dance Team tryouts and prep classes are set for the 2009-10 squad. Prep classes will be held on Tuesday, May 5 and Tuesday, May 12 both a 4 p.m. at the UALR Center for Performing Arts. Tryouts for the team will be held on Saturday, May 23 at 10 a.m. at the same venue.

Tryouts will consist of floor work, across the floor exercises, and a jazz, hip hop, and pom routine. Dancers will be judged on image, skills, memory, and dance performance.

Skills that the judges will be looking for:
· Single, Double, and Triple Pirouettes
· Fouette Turns
· A La Second Turns
· Illusions
· Straight Leg Leaps
· Open Side Leaps
· Switch Leaps
· “C” Jump

Dancers are recommended to wear dance shorts, nude tights, and a sports bra to auditions. Black ankle jazz shoes will be required throughout the season.

Prep classes are strongly recommended for dancers to attend. Dancers will learn the routines and cover skills during these sessions. Questionnaires will be filled out during the classes. Dancers can bring a dance resume, but it is not required for auditions.

Scholarships will be offered to dancers who make the 2009-10 squad.

For more information about tryouts, please contact UALR dance team coach and choreographer Sara Beth Wyatt at sewyatt@ualr.edu for visit UALRTrojans.com.