UDA College Nationals Preview - Open Division

With the UDA College Nationals upon us, College Dance Team Central previews the upcoming weekend with predictions from Dave Sanchez from the Dance Team Competitions Yahoo! Group. As moderator of one of the longest running sites devoted to all levels of dance competition, Dave takes a look at the Open Division Dance and Hip-Hop squads below.

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OPEN DIVISION DANCE

Again, this pretty much looks like a two-team race for the National Championship although Lindenwood might argue that they are going to have something to say about it after their 2nd place finish in taping. Lots of great teams looking to step up if either or both of the Top Two slip up (although neither of them will). There are twelve returning finalists, five returning semifinalists and one other former finalist. Seven teams are making Open Dance division debuts (or they haven't been here since 2000).

1. Orange Coast College: This is tough but I think Orange Coast will return to the top spot in 2007. They have tremendous talent and last year they were a little shaky in finals and that cost them the title. In prior years it didn't really matter so much if they were shaky because their talent level still carried the day – but St. Thomas has clearly taken way that margin of error for OCC. This is by no means a shoo-in – OCC has the tendency to take too many chances in choreography and while they earn points with some jaw-dropping talent – they also lose points with occasionally lax execution. OCC can't afford to do the latter if they want to reclaim the Open Dance title.

2. St. Thomas (Pictured): Basically every one who has seen their routine this year has raved about it and I am sure they have picked up the pace from what was a fantastic show in 2006. I think St. Thomas is strong in a lot of the areas where Orange Coast is a little weak – namely execution – and, on paper and without seeing either routine, they probably have a little advantage in choreography as well – certainly on a "team" basis. I know they have continued to progress as dancers in leaps and bounds but I still don't think they can match up head to head with the OCC dancers. Still, they will probably execute better and if it is better enough – they will certainly repeat as Open Division champions.

3. Lindenwood: They were 3rd in prelims last year and 2nd in taping. They seem like a pretty solid bet to finally move up afte three straight years in 4th place.

4. St. Cloud St: They had been slowly dropping down the rankings before moving back up to 7th place last year. A good showing for them at Mall of America.

5. Minnesota-Moorhead: Even thought it is only one week before Nationals – those Mall of America results haven't been as sure-fire as I might expect. This team didn't do well in taping either so I am hoping last week's result wasn't a fluke.

6. North Dakota St: They have been rock solid right about 5th or 6th place for the last few years and the competition really hasn't changed.

7. Avila University: Before dropping to 8th place last year they were a consistent presence in the Top Five. I am a little worried that last year might have just been an off-year and that they will be right back in the Top Five.

8. St. Benedict: I would have liked to see them do better at Mall of America – they have been in the bottom half of the Top Ten for the last four years.

9. California Lutheran: Burst on to the scene last year in 13th place and I actually thought they were a little better than thought. They needed to dance with a little more confidence and hopefully last year's success will have given them that.

10. Wisconsin Eau-Claire: They have been in the Top Ten forever. I say they barely hold on to their Top Ten spot.

11. Central Missouri: Just like in Hip-Hop – I hope that taping score wasn't a total fluke.

12. College of New Jersey: Good taping score and a breakthrough finish in the Top Ten last year.

13. William Jewell College: They haven't been consistent but they have at least made the finals in three of the last five years.

14. Wagner College: I would have liked to have seen a better taping score. In 2006 they were 11th in taping and 12th at Nationals. This year they were 28th in taping and they don't have a great draw.

15. Columbus State: Last time they were here they made finals – I remember this team having a lot of fire.

THE REST OF THE PACK

16. Concordia College: I like that they compete a lot but they still haven't shown that they can be a finalist team.

17. Long Island-CW Post: One finalist showing (and barely at that) in the last six years. They have a lot of experience though.

18. Indiana Southeast: They got a decent draw and they scored well in taping.

19. Christopher Newport: Great taping score but not a good performance order draw for a new team.

20. Villa Julie: This routine was outscored by their own Hip-Hop routine just a few weeks ago – still I feel like they have a decent shot at finals.

21. West Chester: They have a year of UDA Nationals experience under their belts and almost a better taping score than the rest of the field.

22. Northern Michigan: You figure a team from Northern Michigan should have at least a decent shot at some talent.

23. Assumption College: The name Assumption has a lot of cache – maybe they can pick up a few points off that.

24. Georgia College: They have some recent experience at Nationals.

25. Northern Kentucky: They have been away for a while but they were 9th place in 2001 – the last time they made finals.

26. Endicott College: They have competed three of the last four years.

27. Robert Morris: They only did Hip-Hop last year but a little experience always helps. I am actually slightly worried about this team.

28. Scranton: Oh, it would be very funny if they won – or even finished in the Top Ten.

OPEN DIVISION HIP-HOP

Twenty competing teams in the Hip-Hop divisions with eight returning finalists, five returning semi-finalists and one other team that was a finalist in 2005. Seven teams are making their Hip Hop division debut.

1. Orange Coast College: After two years of trying to get the right style, Orange Coast College hit it out of the park with a look that totally absolved them of their prior sins of being too jazzy in this division. As long as they reasonably close to last years style and far away from their 2005 style (Cabaret), they should repeat as Open Division Hip-Hop Champions. Don't' really see them falling out of the Top Three in any case unless they really misfire in choreography and music.

2. University of St. Thomas: I heard a lot of raves about St. Thomas in Dance from Mall of America but virtually nothing about their Hip-Hop. St. Thomas pulled it together in the last week last year to pull ahead of Gustavus Adolphus but I don't know if they have same focus in Hip-Hop like they do in the Dance division. I am a little tempted to drop them to 4th place but I am still upset with the Missouri teams from last year. You know, fool me once . . .

3. Lindenwood: I really liked Lindenwood's Hip-Hop last year and their strong finish in taping would seem to bode well for them this year.

4. Avila University: The 2005 Champions dropped all the way to 6th place last year and that was a surprise. I look for them to move back up the rankings in 2006.

5. St. Cloud State: St. Cloud State makes their Hip-Hop debut and I expect them to do quite well. They have an extremely solid program and have been scoring well this year.

6. Columbus State: Columbus State comes back after a year off in 2006 and they should make the finals again. This was a good Hip-Hop team with good energy and they beat a lot of teams in 2005 that still made the finals in 2006.

7. William Jewell: They have been consistent in Hip-Hop even if they have dropped off in the Dance division. Not a lot of teams below them with their history of success.

8. Central Missouri: Yet another Missouri team. I have to give them a Top Ten nod based on their high taping score although I will say that I have not heard great things about them. I hope they don't make me look like – I don't know – a mule – for picking them in the Top Ten.

9. Long Island-CW Post: They have been a solid presence in the Top Ten in Open Hip-Hop and I don't see any reason for them to stop now.

10. College of New Jersey: It came down to the College of New Jersey and Wisconsin Eau Claire for my final spot in the Top Ten. New Jersey scored higher in taping and it just seems like a team from New Jersey should be better in Hip-Hop than a team from Wisconsin. I apologize for my regional bias.

THE REST OF THE PACK

11. Wiconsin Eau Claire: They took 10th last year.

12. Villa Julie College: This would be my upset special team. At least they get good coverage on their college website: http://www.vjc.edu/athletics/dance/ I think this team is in its third year and they have been competing on the Star Systems circuit – their Hip-Hop routine just outscored their Dance routine.

13. California Lutheran: They did well in Dance last year – I actually thought they were a little underscored – and this is a growing program.

14. Robert Morris: They have one year of UDA competition under their belts.

15. Georgia College: They have a fair amount of UDA Nationals experience.

16. Northern Kentucky: I keep expecting this team to do better – based on their geography.

17,West Chester: They got a little experience last year.

18.Endicott College: They haven't yet made the jump into finals in any division.

19. Missouri Valley College: I actually picked them 8th last year in Hip-Hop and then they really let me down. Plus they took 31st in taping.

20. Parkland College: They are from Illinois and they have a very young roster – which isn't such a bad thing. They are just new to the competition: Parkland Website

MSU Dance Team Skipping Break

By John Tramontana
WILX.com

It's a challenging schedule, but these women say they're up to the task.

"We practice over winter break six hours a day to train for it," said team co-captain Micha Hickey.

They're members of the m-s-u dance team and they're getting ready to compete against dozens of the nation's best in a collegiate dance competition next month in Orlando, Florida.

It can be grueling work. The team balances practice with classes, with many of the dancers pre-med and law majors. Adding to the challenge is the fact that the team doesn't even have a formal coach.

"We do a lot of our own choreography in terms of costuming, make-up, the actual dance, the music choices. all that goes to us," Hickey said.

And it's that work that keeps the women in town for the holidays, aside of a short recess when they go to visit their families.

"You make the commitment and you love being here," Hickey added.The girls sort of become your family so over break being around them isn't necessarily making you homesick."

The team will perform two dances in January's competition. As for the routine itself...

"It's really fast, upbeat so you're going, going, going. there's always different things going on," said co-captain Gina Dattolo. "Everything's catching your eye and you don't know where to look. that's what you want in a dance."

The women have a bit of a chip on their shoulders too. They didn't finish as high as they would have liked last year so they want to make an impression this time around.

"Obviously to get at least in the top 10." Dattolo said.

Florida State Golden Girls

'We're crazy, but we're dedicated'

By Jennifer Jefferson
Tallahassee Democrat
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"They are not cheerleaders. They do not stunt. They do not tumble. They are dancers," coach Wendy Crawford said.

They are the Golden Girls, Florida State University's official dance team, and they excite the crowd at home basketball games with their three performances and corresponding outfit changes. They never do the same routine twice. They'll be performing tonight when the Seminoles take on Coastal Carolina University at the Civic Center.

“They were ranked, like, 30-something,” Crawford said, remembering when members convinced her four years ago to coach the team. “Now they are fifth in the nation, so we are pretty darn happy about that. I put too much effort into this when I was in school to let it die.”

When Crawford was a Golden Girl, the team always placed in the top five at the National Dance Association's Collegiate Nationals. The Golden Girls have since reclaimed the No. 5 national ranking, and they hope to better it at the national competition at Disney Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando in January.

Dance teams from universities across the country send in video performances to compete to be ranked in nationals, but only 30 teams are selected.

Luckily, being in the top five comes with perks: They don't have to pay the $15,000 it would have cost the Golden Girls in fees and expenses to go to nationals. It is money the team would have had to raise on its own.

“We're almost guaranteed to go straight into the finals,” Crawford said. “It's all about fighting for the title once we're there.”

Sweating for success

Being one of the 20 Golden Girls isn't easy.

When Crawford was a student at FSU, 300 girls tried out for the team. These days, about 100 girls try out over three days, and no more than 20 make the final cut.

Freshman business student Jennifer Efstathion said trying out was “sort of intimidating.”

Efstathion has been dancing since she was 3 years old. A former dance teacher in Jacksonville was a Golden Girl and suggested that she try it.

Her experience thus far has been “amazing and so much more than I thought.”

The girls practice twice a day, four times a week. The first practice is from 5:30 to 7 a.m., and there is an evening practice from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., sometimes until 10 p.m. The team usually gets the weekends off from practice, but the girls are preparing for nationals, so they practice every day until Saturday.

One recent Saturday, they practiced with guest choreographer Ricky Ruiz from 12:30 to 7 p.m., with an hour break. There is no time for their muscles to get cold, and when it's time for the water break, they flee the practice room.

A Golden Girl needs to be “easy-going, adaptable and willing to work hard,” said Kristy Griffith, a senior dietetics student and Golden Girl.

“It's not for everyone,” said Taryn Heinemann, a Golden Girl and senior sports management student.

“We're crazy, but we're dedicated,” Crawford said. “They're not pretty girls with low IQs who don't have a good GPA.”

The team's grade-point average is 3.66. Some members are studying organic chemistry and are pre-medicine students. There are four dance students on the team.

“There are more years than not when at least one girl doesn't make it back on the team," Crawford said. "We have people who make the squad and every two years, someone ends up quitting.”

Feature On ECU Dancer Laura Lee

Lee Beaming About Birmingham
By KEVIN TRAVIS, Sports Editor
Washington Daily News

GREENVILLE — The stunning blonde-haired, blue-eyed sophomore sat on a bench and looked out onto the field at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium on a warm, sunny mid-December afternoon.

It was an unusual position for Laura Lee, a Northside High School graduate. Lee is used to being on the field performing with the East Carolina University Dance Team.

“I love being out there performing,” Lee said. “I like making the audience cheer and getting everyone excited.

“The halftime shows at football look really good. We’ve seen them on video and we’re really proud of them.”

Though Lee is passionate about dancing in front of a packed house at Dowdy-Ficklen, she’s equally excited about performing at a bowl game. She’ll get that chance Saturday when the Pirates (7-5) square off with the South Florida Bulls (8-4) in the PapaJohns.Com Bowl in Birmingham, Ala.

“I’m really excited because it shows how hard we work and it really pays off,” Lee said. “It’s nice (the administration) is letting us. It’s really an honor. I’m really glad we get to go.”

Lee and her Dance Team partners will leave for Birmingham by bus Thursday morning. They’ll look to pack in a lot during a short amount of time.

“We’ll probably get there in time for supper and check into our hotel and then we’ll have some free time,” Lee said. “On Friday we’ll have a rehearsal and then we’ll spend some time at the mall. We’re going to have our band banquet and it will be a nice dinner. We’ll get to dress up. They’ll have a slide show and some pictures.

“We’ll have a second rehearsal some time that day and then Saturday is the big day. We get to perform at pre-game and at halftime.”

Lee’s family and friends will be able to watch her as the game will be televised on ESPN2. The game kicks off at 1 p.m.

“That makes me more excited knowing we’re going to be on television,” Lee said. “I’ve already told all my family to turn to ESPN2 and watch me. I told my mom (Beth Lee) to film it. I want to watch the game afterward to see if I’m on TV.”

Lee, who also performs with the team during ECU’s home basketball games, said the dancers put in long, grueling hours to stay in shape and perfect their routines. Along with the training, Lee juggles her schoolwork and a job. She’s been able to handle it all as Lee earned straight A’s this semester.

“I’m so excited,” Lee said. “When the semester started, I knew it was going to be hard to keep up my grades and do Dance Team. We practice all the time, pretty much every day, along with workouts on our own.

“It just made me work harder. I knew I had to keep up my grades so, every chance I got, I would study.”

Not long ago, Lee was also putting in several hours working to obtain her pilot’s license. She earned her license in August.

“I was so excited to get that,” Lee said. “It’s the best thing in the world. I felt like I really accomplished something and I think I made my dad (Larry Lee) really proud because it’s something he wanted me to do, and I wanted to do it for him. He loves flying and I want to love it as much as he does.”

Lee is happy that the Pirates have taken off this year as well, as ECU is playing in its first bowl game since 2001.

“I’m really glad they’re doing good,” Lee said. “I know they were in a slump for awhile. I used to come to the games when I was younger and they would win. Then, all of a sudden, you heard about how they were losing.

“It’s really great because you have a lot of students that want to go to the games and they’re cheering. I actually have some friends who are driving down (to Birmingham) to go see the game. It’s awesome that we’re getting such great support from the students, the fans and the community.”

Lee is hoping to see that trend continue next season. She said the more fans who pack into Dowdy-Ficklen, the better.

“The more the merrier,” Lee said. “I like having everyone out here. I love it when it’s packed.”

The excitement continues for the Pirates on Saturday at historic Legion Field, site of the PapaJohns.com Bowl. Packed stadium or not, Lee will be smiling with each dance move she makes.

FAU Dance Team Helps Raise Breast Cancer Awareness

In order to raise breast cancer awareness and to honor an eighteen-year-old team member who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, the FAU Dance Team performed a specialty "PINK" routine at their last basketball game. The novelty routine was a raging success, and Owl fans continue to be amazed by the team's diversity.

In addition to novelty routines like the breast cancer dance, the team also performs themed half-times to a wide variety of music, incorporating different styles of dance such as jazz, lyrical, hip hop, country and tap. With sizzling new outfits and uniforms for every energy-packed performance, the 2006-2007 FAU Dance Team is creating quite a stir on campus--as well as highlighting women's health issues.

Special Thanks to the FAU Dance Team for pictures and update

To visit the FAU Dance Team site: Click Here

St. Thomas Hosts College Dance Teams Saturday

The second-annual Tommie Invitational College Dance Team competition will be held this Saturday at UST's Schoenecker Arena in St. Paul.

Doors open at 8:30 a.m., and the competition begins at 10 a.m. Admission is $5 ($3 with UST Student ID). Park free in campus lots just south and east of football field. Enter arena just east parking lot at Cretin & Summit Avenues

Concessions available for purchase through the duration of event.

The Tommie Invitational is the only collegiate dance team competition in the state. The event features both MIAC and Division I/II categories, plus exhibition performances by the Minnesota Timberwolves Dance Team and the national champion University of St. Thomas Dance Team.

St. Thomas University

Rend Lake Laker Girls Dance Team Wins Competition

By Nathan Wheeler - RLC Correspondent
November 30, 2006
Benton Evening News

O'FALLON - The Rend Lake College Laker Girls dance team brought home the Grand Champion Award for best overall performance this weekend at an AmeriDance Incorporated dance competition in O'Fallon. It was the squad's first competition so far this year.

“There were 19 other performances during the competition and we were chosen as the best performance!” said Coach Lyndsey Moore. “That is quite an accomplishment for our first competition.”


In addition to being Grand Champions, the Laker Girls' Hip Hop routine won the hearts of spectators and parents, as well as a First-Place trophy in the Open Division and Best Dance.

“The girls were really nervous, but they really pulled together as a team and performed very well!” Moore stated. “I was very pleased with their performance.”

The “Grand Champion Award” is awarded to the best performance of the entire competition and entitles the team to attend the AmeriDance International Competition in Orlando, Florida, Moore explained.

“These girls put in so much hard work and hours of their time, and as you can see ... it has really paid off!”

The Laker Girls hope to continue their success competing throughout the year and to qualify for the National Dance Alliance's Collegiate Dance Team Nationals in Daytona Beach, Florida.

The Laker Girls are Mindy Thackrey (Mt. Vernon - Team Captain), Jennie True (Desoto), Katie Furlow (Christopher), Nikki Furtak (McLeansboro), Heather Mitchell (Benton), Jamie Williams (Benton), Sarah Falknor (Herrin).

Visit the Laker Girls' Home Page: Click Here