Success For Miami Dance Team

The Times Gazette

Team takes first overall, gets “Most Spirited” award, receives bid to National Dance Championship

OXFORD - The Miami Dance Team continues along a successful path with an impressive start to its 2006-07 season. On August 6, the team returned from the University of Louisville, where they participated in the 2006 National Dance Alliance (NDA) Collegiate Summer Dance Camp, with three awards to boast.

Miami placed first in Division 1A in the Team Dance Competition, received the "Most Spirited" award voted on by peer dance teams, and was awarded a bid to the NDA National Championship held each Spring in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Chelsea Starks, of Hillsboro and a 2005 graduate of Hillsboro High School, is a member of the dance team. Starks is a sophomore majoring in political science and minoring in family studies.

The first-place Division IA finish in the team dance competition is a first-time accomplishment for Miami. The team beat out powerhouse schools including The Ohio State University and Purdue University and established itself as a team to beat in the upcoming season.

Team Captain Miranda McKirnan said, "We came to Louisville with the intention to represent Miami and build upon our recent success as a nationally-competitive team. We finished at the top not because we have talent, but because we have the ability to effectively leverage our talent through corporative team work. That's what this sport is all about."

The competition took place during the four-day summer camp. In addition to learning individual routines, the team learned one "team routine" containing Jazz, Pom, and Hip-hop choreography which they competed with on the final day of camp. Teams were required to show strength in all three dance styles in order to place well in this competition. Each squad is also asked to choreograph a section of the team routine themselves in an effort to highlight the squad's technical strengths and versatility.

The success Miami had in Louisville did not stop with their first-place ranking. The Miami dancers also qualified for the 2007 NDA National Championship to take place in Daytona Beach in early April. This is the team's fourth year of qualifying for the nationally acclaimed championship. Later this year, they will participate in a "taping" submission in an effort to win a paid bid to the National Championship. Miami has previously been awarded paid bids for the 2004 and 2005 championships, placing fifth and seventh respectively in Division 1A.

The Miami women were recognized for qualities extending beyond their dancing ability in being awarded the "Most Spirited" squad at camp. This award is given to the most motivational and inspirational squad as voted on by all teams in attendance and is a true depiction of admiration by fellow competitors.

The members of the Miami Dance Team also enjoyed individual success during their visit to dance camp. McKirnan, a senior, and freshmen Laura Siedlecki were asked to audition to become NDA dance instructors. Camp attendants asked to join the NDA staff receive this honor after demonstrating exceptional dance technique, style, performance, and leadership during the numerous classes taught during camp and work within their team environment. Siedlecki was also honored during camp by being named All American. Those who decide to audition for All American must perform a Jazz routine previously taught at camp and demonstrate strength in turning and leaping.

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About the Miami Dance Team: The Miami Dance Team is the official performance and competition team of Miami Athletics. The team performs at all home basketball games, and various campus events. The team is technically based and specializes in styles of jazz, pom, and hip-hop. For more information about the team, including auditions, visit MUredhawks.com under "Athletic Department." For more information about the NDA Collegiate National Championship, visit Nationalspirit.com.

FAU Dance Team Shines Under New Direction

Courtesy of the FAU Dance Team

The Florida Atlantic University (FAU) Dance Team has undergone an extensive and exciting revision under the management of its new coach and choreographer, Dyanne Knight Loput (pictured right). A former UM SunSation, Orlando Magic Girl, and Heat Dancer, Loput brings a wealth of experience to FAU's dance team. She is also a former coach of the FIU Golden Dazzlers; during her tenure, the Dazzlers were NDA National Champions.

Back from UDA camp in Clearwater, FL where they won three first place/superior trophies, the FAU Dance Team held its fall audition last week and added four more girls for a total of eighteen fantastic dancers. The girls are especially excited about the plethora of new costumes, music, choreography, and the overall contemporary vibe that now permeates every aspect of the team.

FAU's dancers have been working diligently all summer long, and the team welcomes the new season with eager anticipation.

For more on the FAU Dance Team Click Here

UW Stevens Point Dance Team Cleared of Hazing Suspicions

By Alison Struve
WSAW.com

Practice is back on for the UW-Stevens Point Dance Team. Their status was in doubt after some racy photos were posted on the Internet that some believed showed new members being hazed.

Now that a student panel has found the team not guilty of hazing, the young women hope the community will give them another chance.

Team co-captain April Mallow says they just had tryouts for this year's team last Thursday, so they couldn't have hazed new members in the spring. And that's what the team told the student panel earlier this week. They explained the pictures show college kids having fun, but were misinterpreted by a lot of people.

April says after a party, one of the team members posted photos on the Web so the other girls could see them. She says they were all shocked and disappointed when someone reported the Web sites to UWSP, since they didn't think they were doing anything wrong.

"I guess we'll just learn our lesson and next time be more cautious, not only with what we put online, but what we do in general, so that people don't get the wrong impression," Mallow says.

April says she's glad her peers judged the case because they understood the situation. And now, the team is getting ready to perform and defend their national championship.

The girls did plead responsible to underage drinking, so the panel put the team on probation for six months. And the captains will do a workshop for the cheerleaders and mascots about the dangers of underage drinking and hazing.

The team plans to perform for UWSP's Homecoming on October 21.

FIU Golden Dazzlers To Unveil Calendar

The FIU Golden Dazzlers will introduce the first ever 2007 Collegiate Calendar at an unveiling party at Oxygen on September 27, 2006. The Golden Dazzlers, directed by FIU alum Brenda M. Popritkin, will use the calendar as the squad’s main fundraiser for the 2006-07 school year.

For more information please visit the FIU Golden Dazzlers

Delaware Spirit Teams Shine at Summer Camps

Sept. 6, 2006
UDaily

UD's mascots, dance team and cheerleaders competed--and placed--in a variety of spirit events held Aug. 9-12 at the Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) 2006 College Spirit Camp at the University of Scranton, in Scranton, Pa.

During the four-day retreat, the dance team, cheerleaders and mascots mingled with colleagues and competitors, learned new techniques and practiced routines for the upcoming semester.

UD's dance team took third place for home routine (a dance prepared only for the competition), first place for fight song routine and received the Superior Trophy for Excellence for their training at the camp.

“I'm very proud of the team,” Nicole Zehnder, dance team head coach, said. “There was a lot of competition at the camp--a lot of representation of teams from the CAA [Colonial Athletic Association] and Atlantic 10--and we had a very young team. It was a really good experience for everyone, because the older team members were good leaders, and the whole team really proved to themselves that they can hold their own.”

YoUDee took second-place mascot honors at the camp--a feat, Sharon Harris, assistant director of public relations and mascot coordinator, said, that wasn't easy, given the challenging competition.

“I'm always very proud of the team's accomplishments,” Harris said. “Attending UCA spirit camps is a great way for the mascots to improve their skills, and the students have a great time performing with other college mascot performers.”

UD's Cheerleading Team took second place for their cheer, won the Most Collegiate Award in Division I and walked away with the Game Traditions Award--an honor given to cheerleading teams with the best track record of excellent performances during games.

“UD was the life of the camp, and the team was always ready to go,” Andy Brown, UD head coach and fitness coordinator, said. “The camp was a really great experience for all team members, and a really inspiring experience for me. I am very proud of them all, and we're looking forward to a great season ahead.”

Article by Becca Hutchinson
Photo by Kathy Atkinson

Jacksonville State Diamond Girls; Making An Impact In The South

A College Dance Team Central Exclusive Team Profile

An elite dance team at Jacksonville State in Alabama, the Diamond Girls are a part of the larger Marching Ballerinas, the dance line for the JSU Marching Southerners band. While the Ballerinas are celebrating their 50th year of entertaining JSU fans at football games, the Diamond Girls were formed just three years ago as the group’s competitive dance squad. The Diamond Girls dance team consists of 12 dancers, and are choreographed by Joy Andrews.

Andrews, who also choreographs routines for the JSU Ballerinas, is a dance teacher that has her own studio in Alabaster, Alabama. The team practices several times a week doing ballet and jazz technique, and prides themselves on having an exceptional kickline. While the Diamond Girls have only competed in regional dance competitions so far, the squad has already won many judges awards and regional titles over the past three years.



This year, the Diamond Girls won the regional title with their Jazz Dance, including a Kickline at International Dance Challenge in Panama City, Florida. They were asked to come back for an encore and won “most entertaining” of the competition with their Hip Hop routine. At Applause Talent in Chattanooga, Tennessee, they won a regional championship with their Jazz routine and recorded the overall high score at the event.

Andrews’ daughter, Jessica, is the squad’s captain and has already won the overall senior solo division and a Judges Award for her “Style and Pizzazz” at International Dance Challenge in Panama City.

With the number of aspiring dancers trying out increasing every year (approximately 80 auditioned for the Ballerinas squad this year, while another 20 attempted to earn a spot on the Diamond Girls team), Joy Andrews is building a tradition of excellence at Jacksonville State. And while the Diamond Girls have not competed in national collegiate competition yet, fans can catch the dance squad making a name for themselves while entertaining fans all over the south.

For more on the Diamond Girls and Joy's Dance Company studio Click Here

Introducing The LSU Golden Girls!

Taking the field with the Tiger Band at LSU for the first time in 1959, the LSU Golden Girls represent the oldest and most established danceline on the LSU campus. The line consists of a very talented group of dancers who are chosen each spring by a special audition. Membership is open to all students who are on campus or are entering freshmen or transfer students. Students in college (including transfer students) must have a 2.0 grade-point average in order to audition for the line. Previous dance training is highly recommended. Most of the girls on the line were members of their hometown dance studios, high school dancelines, and/or cheerleading squads.

All students chosen for the LSU Golden Girls receive a music activity award of $640 for the fall semester. The Golden Girls are one of the feature units with the LSU Tiger Band and perform for all home LSU football games and selected campus events, as well as, away games with the full Tiger Band.

For the official Golden Girls site Click Here

For the Golden Girls fan site with pictures and info Click Here