Idaho State Bengal Dancers Feature

National champions, super fundraisers, community supporters, oh yea, they're pretty good looking

By Todd Itami
ISU Bengal

The 2007 USA Hip Hop champions are one of ISU's most valuable assets. These 17 girls are truly amazing.

It can be conceived that perhaps in some remote notion of the idea of the University's dance team that they are just a group of really good looking girls who also know how to dance. This somewhat chauvinistic stereotype is immediately put to rest once you put forth any effort to discover the true nature of the group.

The first thing that stood out to me with the group is the intense level of physical and mental effort put into the team. Not only do the dancers work-out, take dance classes, and teach dance on their own, but they are required to practice another 9 hours with the team (12 hours during competition season).

On top of team dance practices, there are also four hours a weak of team work outs including weight training, spinning, ballet, and aerobics! Add this to the week-long summer dance camp and showing up a month before school starts for daily practices, and you have one of the hardest working groups of students on campus.

If we were to end the dialog here, I would hope that you would be sufficiently impressed, but there's more.

We could all take a page out of the fundraising book of the Bengal dancers. Each girl is expected to contribute to the fundraising effort. By day one of school, the dancers had already raised some $11,000 for this academic year. With shirts, calendars, performances, commercial appearances, kids clinics, choreography workshops with high schools, and a end of year dance concert, this team is the top fundraising group pound-for-pound on campus.

But they get a scholarship right? Well, yes, they do get a $750 scholarship each semester. I find it ironic that most of the girls have fundraised that much before midterm of the first semester. In fact, each girl is furthermore required to pay several hundred dollars in equipment and other dance related expenses.

Not only do they win national championships and place runner-up in the national NDA competition in Florida for the last three years, but they are SMART! Bengal dancers are academics. Accounting, dental hygiene, radiographic science, and nutrition are just a few of the competitive programs that Bengal dancers graduate in each year.

The student coach Lindsay Tucker for example, was accepted to Harvard as an undergrad and is currently a doctorial candidate in the Audiology department.

Dana Smith, owner of one of the largest and most successful dance studios in Pocatello, DSDS said, "A lot of my girls aspire to be on the Bengal Dance team from a young age." The dancers are definitely a community influence interacting with high school and youth groups, not to mention other community organizations. The Bengal Dancers are an invaluable tool for recruiting and improving Idaho State University.

So much more can be said about this dance team. I am just totally impressed by the level of dedication to our university by these girls. If we only had more students like the dancers.

Georgia Red Hotz To Compete At Nationals

By Marianne McGoldrick
RedandBlack.com

The Red Hotz, the University's competitive dance team, already has received a bid to attend the National Dance Association (NDA) College Nationals competition in April.

The 12 members of the Red Hotz dance team traveled to Myrtle Beach, S.C., the weekend of Aug. 17 to attend the "NDA Cheer and Danz Camp."

Teams traveled across the nation from universities such as Penn State and NYU to take part in the weekend's rigorous dance schedule.

Not only did the Red Hotz walk away with a bid to Nationals but also four individual nominations for All-American titles.

Team captain Kate Nichols, a junior from Marietta, and Katelyn Andrews, also a junior from Marietta, were named All-Americans.

"We had 11 hours in the car, 25 hours of dancing and several hours of working past fatigue and frustration," Nichols said. "It all resulted in All-American titles, a spirit stick, a blue ribbon, a bid to Nationals and, most importantly, learning how to support and respect each other and have fun together."

The Red Hotz continue to be the only team in their division to compete without a coach.

"A lot of people don't know that we are student-led. We don't have a coach," said lieutenant Lauren Kelley, a sophomore from Roswell. "It can definitely be a challenge, but a good challenge."

Nichols agreed.

"Some may think that not having a coach is a disadvantage. But honestly, it teaches all of us how to use our own individual strengths to best benefit the team," she said.

Although competitions do not begin until the spring, the Red Hotz already are planning for the upcoming season.

"I would really like UGA to know our name better this year through more performances around campus and Athens," said co-captain Orian Edelman, a senior from Roswell.

Last year, along with participating in regular competitions and placing fourth at the NDA Nationals, the team performed at University philanthropic events such as HERO and Greek Grind.

"We have 12 very talented dancers that love to perform and represent UGA on a regional and national level," Nichols said.

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