College of New Jersey Dance Team Granted Club Status

By Kelli Plasket
The Signal

The Student Government Association at the College of New Jersey granted the College Dance Team official club status.

The Dance Team was established in 1998, Cynthia Wittig, junior elementary education and psychology major and member of the Dance Team, said.

Two years ago, the Dance Team was given an athletic team status, Wittig said. Then one year ago, the organization was cut as an athletic team. The team requested recognition as a team club at the meeting so it can perform at campus events and games.

"We are very involved in the campus, and we are a spirit squad so that means that we support the campus in many ways," Wittig said.

In the past, the Dance Team has performed at football games, basketball games and other campus and community events. The Dance Team participates in a benefit show called "Dancers for Cancer" and competes on a national level, Wittig said.

UVSC Combines Cheer, Dance Teams Into One

By Laura Hancock
Deseret Morning News

OREM — Be Aggressive! Be, Be Aggressive! B-E A-G-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E!

Utah Valley State College administrators have aggressively altered the school's cheer and dance teams, by combining them under a Spirit Squad, creating a new coaching position to lead the Spirit Squad and eliminating another coaching position.

"What spurred it was the university status," said Phil Clegg, UVSC's director of student leadership and activities.

UVSC will become Utah Valley University on July 1, 2008, and Clegg said he wanted to be ahead of the game, so to speak.

Previously, the Dance Team and Cheer Squads held practices separately and couldn't successfully coordinate entertainment at sports games, Clegg said.

Crowds at UVSC games ranged from 600 to 4,000 people. Administrators hope the new Spirit Squad will draw more people to games, said Bob Rasmussen, assistant vice president over student life.

"I think there's a desire to have a considerable crowd of 4,000 until we get into a conference," Rasmussen said.

In 2002, the NCAA granted UVSC provisional Division I status to the 26,000-student school, but UVSC hasn't yet been invited to join a conference.

Cheer Squad coach Jeannette DeGraffenried had scheduled tryouts for next year's cheer team in April, but UVSC administrators put the brakes on them while Clegg researched cheerleading teams at other colleges and universities in Utah.

In that time, a handful of cheerleaders told the Deseret Morning News that no one communicated to them if there was even going to be a cheerleading squad next year or whether their coach would continue working at UVSC.

"There were some hard feelings," Rasmussen said.

In the end, UVSC and DeGraffenried parted ways.

"I was fired," DeGraffenried said in a message left to the Morning News.

Rasmussen denied she was fired.

He said the newly formed Spirit Squad director must work 29 hours a week, including meetings with administrators and student government leaders, and DeGraffenried wasn't interested in the commitment.

"It had nothing to do with me not wanting to work 29 hours a week," DeGraffenried said. "That was what I was already doing, plus some."

DeGraffenried did not return other messages from the newspaper seeking an interview.

Carly Condi, last year's Dance Team coach, is now the director of the Spirit Squad.

UVSC's Spirit Squad will most resemble Weber State and Salt Lake Community College cheer and dance teams, Clegg said.

The Dance Team and Cheer Squad will have 16 students each.

Condi said that practices for Spirit Squad have been productive.

"They're more excited than they've ever been," Condi said.

Many of the Spirit Squad members were dancers or cheerleaders last year.

"We're really happy that it's back," said cheerleader Kayli Oliverson. "We thought it wasn't going to go. Everyone was really sad and writing petitions about it."

The FAU Dance Team 2007-08 Season Preview

By Ted Hutton
Sun Sentinel FAU Sports Blog

It’s time for the first semi-annual Dance Team Preview. (We’ll have to do another before basketball season, and maybe a football season wrapup, too).

Let’s meet the team.

Left to right, Amy Madill (fourth year), Olivia Holmes (captain, fourth year), Amanda Ritchie (co-captain, fourth year), Stephanie Webb (rookie), Ebony Henderson (second year), Jessica Smart (second year), Amanda Cohen (rookie). Not pictured: Valerie Gentile (second year), Brittany Rivera (rookie).

That’s six returning dancers, with three four-year starters, so the DT has solid senior leadership. The fall is really a warmup for winter, which is prime time for the DT. A tryout is scheduled for Sept. 8, where DT Coach hopes to add seven more members for a total of 16.

But quality is more important than quantity, and DT Coach said she can go with as few as 12.

“Nine girls will be at the first football game (eight on the sidelines--one new rookie still needs to learn the FAU Fight Song), and we hope to have the new additions (from September 8) caught up in time to perform at the third football game,” DT Coach said.

In addition to the uniforms that debuted at FanFest, DT Coach said there will be another for football season, with the remaining ones coming during basketball.

Here’s a taste of what to expect in the newly refurbished Arena: “This year, in addition to our regular basketball time-outs and half-times, we will be doing a James Bond spy theme, a Motown theme, a Hairspray theme, a seventies theme, another country-western theme, another reggae theme, a Caribbean theme, an old-school theme, and we will have "management" dancing with us for that last one (those who have TENTATIVELY committed include Melissa Dawson, Craig Angelos, Dexter Lamont, Katrina McCormick, Danielle Daniel, and Mr. and Mrs. Brogan).

(Note to DT Coach – You need to recruit LB Ed Bradwell for the James Bond gig.)

If you want to know more about the DT members, CLICK HERE to get to page with pics and bios of each dancer.

And while I know my photography has improved greatly, CLICK HERE for many more photos of past DT performances.

I know there is another uniform coming for football season, but it will be tough to top the ones that were unveiled at Fanfest. And if anyone else but DT Coach were in charge, I might worry. But she has proved herself worthy of our trust.

KNOW YOU’RE BMI

That’s Body Mass Index, another way of saying how fat you are.

According to the DT website, in order to audition for the DT, your BMI should be no greater than 22. Curiosity got the best of me, and since there is a link to a BMI calculator conveniently following that requirement, I clicked on it.

And you can to, HERE, but be prepared for a shock.

Those of you who have seen me know that while I am not buffed like Taheem Acevedo, I am not, let’s say, portly. So, I plugged in 5’ 8”, 162 pounds (I lost two pounds during training camp). And my BMI popped up – 24.6.

OK, not bad, right? Well, the normal range is 18.5 to 24.9, so I just slipped into that category. Yikes. To qualify for a DT audition, I would have to be at 148 pounds, meaning losing 14, and I can tell you that ain’t going to happen. I would have to eat less food AND drink less beer, and those are sacrifices I am not prepared to make.

So, I guess me and my lofty BMI will have to remain on the sidelines to appreciate those that are a bit more svelte.

Loyola Dance team Places 3rd at NDA Camp

(New Orleans, LA)—The Loyola University dance team received several awards from the National Dance Alliance Collegiate dance camp in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, held from August 12th to 15th. The dance team not only received 3rd place for the Dance I and II Combined Division, they also received Most Improved Team, a Superior Rating, and a bid to the National Dance Alliance Collegiate Nationals in Daytona, Florida in Spring 2008.

The 2007-2008 dance Team members who attend the national camp are team captain Sheri Burley, biology junior from Metairie, Louisiana, co-captain Kelleigh Spencer, political science senior from Grenta, Louisiana, Brittani McClain, psychology sophomore from LaPlace, Louisiana, Christen Rhody, music industry sophomore from Metairie, Louisiana, Michelle Fazende, business administration freshman from Lafitte, Louisiana, and Sheridyn Miller, psychology freshman from Mandeville, Louisiana.

The dance team is an organization that performs at university athletic events and is also dedicated to promoting pride and school spirit throughout the school. The dance team also performs at special university gatherings and at local and regional competitions and events. Membership is open to all full time students and tryouts are held each fall.

Two Newton Natives Named To Central College Dance Squad

Newton Daily News
Special to the Daily News

PELLA — Two Newton women have been selected as members of the 2007-2008 Central College dance team.

Newton Senior High School graduates Katie Eisbrener, a Central sophomore, and Paige Hansen, a Central junior, will perform with the team during all Central home football and three home basketball halftimes. They also will perform during the annual Central College Dance Classic on Feb. 23, 2008, in P.H. Kuyper Gym.

The dance team also will compete Nov. 30 through the Iowa State Drill/Dance Team Association at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines. The squad is under the direction of head coach Cindy Wilson and assistant coach Mary Phifer, both of Monroe.

The team’s first performance will be at halftime of the home opener Sept. 1, as the Dutch football team takes on St. Thomas (Minn.) at 1 p.m. at the Ron and Joyce Schipper Stadium.

Two Prairie City-Monroe graduates — Kassi Adams and Morgan Wilson, both Central sophomores, also have been selected for the team.

Official Central College Dance Team Site: Click Here

Images Dance Team Schedules Summer Car Washes

Rochester, Mich. – If your car is dirty from a lot of summer time driving then the Images dance team at Oakland University has a solution. The squad has scheduled a number of car washes over the summer months that the team uses as a fund raiser. For a donation you can get your car washed and meet members of the team. All of the car washes will be held at the Mobil and Shell stations on the corner of Adams and University Drive in Rochester Hills with the exception of the July 28th date. On that day the event will be held at the OU Golf Course.

Images Dance Team Car Wash Dates

Saturday, June 23
Saturday, July 14
Saturday, July 21
Saturday, July 28 (OU Golf Course)
Saturday, August 11
Saturday, August 18

Visit the Oakland Images Official Site

Lifelong Dancer Qualifies For UNM Team

By Nat Holland
El Defensor Chieftain

Hard work and dedication send 20-year-old one step closer to dream career

Amy Valles started dancing at age 3 in Socorro and has continued ever since. In May, she took one step closer to her dream of becoming a professional dancer when she qualified for the Chaparrals, the University of New Mexico's dance team.

To qualify, Valles competed against more than 50 other girls and was one of only 20 that qualified for the team. Dancers had to learn a one-minute routine and perform a series of technical moves during the audition.

"It was kind of intense," Valles said. "I didn't think there would be that many there."

Valles began her career at Julie Cottom's School of Dance, and continued taking classes — up to 11 classes at one time.

Valles participated in the local Charisma Blue dance team of past years, and also on the No Limits competitive dance team from Cottom's.

Competitive teams are usually judged on creativity, execution and technical difficulty, and results are compiled into an overall team score.

During her time on the No Limits dance team, they beat teams from larger schools in Albuquerque and Santa Fe to compete in national competitions.

"I don't really know how I got so involved, I guess I wasn't coordinated enough to play sports." Valles said modestly.

Only 20 years old, her skill in dance has taken her around the country and overseas.

Valles performed with dance teams in the Macey's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York. The highlight so far, though, was dancing in London's New Year's parade.

Currently Valles works as an instructor for the Universal Dance Association, where she trains younger dancers from high schools around the country. Her goal is to eventually become a professional dancer for perhaps a basketball or football team.

"For basketball, perhaps Miami; or football, maybe the Chicago Bears," she said. "Anyone but the (Dallas) Cowboys."

The Chaparrals frequently perform at UNM Lobo events and dance competitions. Chaparral team members are required to be full-time UNM students and maintain at least a 2.5 Grade Point Average.

Team members are required to fundraise at least $375 each toward a team goal of $20,000 that pays for uniforms, warm-ups, summer training camp and travel to competitions. Valles said that anyone who is interested in donating to her or sponsoring the team should contact her at 505-517-9783.