Warner University Adding Dance and Spirit Squad for 2010-11

LAKE WALES, Fla. – Warner University’s growing athletics program will add a dance and spirit squad for the 2010-11 season.

The addition will create new opportunities for dancers seeking a quality education to continue to perform at the collegiate level. Earlier this school year, the NAIA took steps toward being the first collegiate governing body to host Cheer and Dance as a National Championship sport when they named it one of their emerging sports.

The fan-friendly program should add to the excitement that the other Warner athletic programs already bring to the Warner campus and create more opportunities for involvement in the Lake Wales and surrounding area communities.

If interested, please contact Courtney Hall, the current cheerleading coach at courtney.hall@warner.edu

Michigan Dance Team Preparing For Run At National Title

By Michael Rothstein
AnnArbor.com

In a brick-lined room with blue mats on the side, the 21 women were mostly silent. Instructions and criticism from the coach cut through the still air inside the dance studio at Michigan’s Central Campus Recreation Building.

Two days remained until their departure for the only competition the University of Michigan dance team would compete in all year, nationals, an annual chance to dispel the pom-pom label and show a wider audience their skills.

They finished practice late on Tuesday night with one hip-hop routine, two minutes of sweat and flying through the air like Cirque de Soleil minus the trapeze.

Behind the easy cheers and routines performed at games, nationals are what it's all about for members of the Michigan dance team.

They are not on scholarship and usually shell out between $4,000 and 5,000 a year to participate. Some take second jobs for this. Others have sacrificed spring break because they could pay for one trip, and dance team took precedence.

All for this week.

The national championships at Disney World, where Michigan will head Thursday for this weekend’s competition, are the culmination of a year’s worth of work.

The routines are as intricate as a football play, the synchronization as critical as a race car driver hitting all of his marks along a track, the rhythm as important as tempo to a golfer striking a perfect iron.

Over and over, they work on tricks. This particular day they have been struggling with handstands and a difficult maneuver requiring two dancers to interlock arms, one to jump on another’s back and then fly into the air still attached to their partner. They jump 3-to-5 feet. All that’s missing is a skateboard or snowboard to qualify it as an extreme sport maneuver.

“That’s one thing,” 21-year-old captain Kimberly Lehnert said. “I think we’ve gotten so used to trying new tricks and trying new things that we’re not afraid to just throw ourselves. And we’ve had people get hurt.”

In that moment, as your bones and ligaments scream just watching, it’s an easy realization.

These women are athletes. No question about that.

“Say that louder,” Lehnert said.

Then she laughs.

Throwing T-Shirts into the crowd and waving the pom-poms and yelling ‘Let’s Go Blue’ is a small part of what they really do. More visible, for sure, but there’s a reason the 21 team members - only 14 compete in nationals - show up two weeks before school starts for intense two-a-day practices, complete with three hours of conditioning and technique to go with learning the actual routines from the Los Angeles-based choreographer Dee DeFillipio.

It’s because this stuff is hard. Painful. And the long hours are the only way they can improve on last year’s sixth-place finish in jazz and 11th in hip-hop.

“I’ll dance with a broken wrist,” one dancer said Tuesday night as she walked and then sat along the mirror on the far side of the studio. “It’s no big deal.”

With no trainer available and the routine and intensity growing as each week progresses toward this one, Michigan’s coach, Valerie Stead Potsos, says she averages a couple of hospital visits a year with her athletes.

Slipped discs, injured backs and in the case of the one dancer, a potential
broken wrist.

Nothing that a normal team on scholarship at school doesn’t go through.

“A lot of us have been doing this since high school, middle school,” said the team’s other 21-year-old captain, Olivia Dunn. “Back then, nobody was like ‘Oh, those are the national dance championships.’ No one cared what Kimmy did outside of school, that she won a solo competition for dance that weekend. I’m sure she didn’t walk around screaming it.

“Now that you’re at a bigger university, you wish, at times, it was more known because you hear all these other sports teams doing so well.”

Instead they settle for this: When they show up at nationals, many opposing teams marvel at how Michigan’s athletes balance intense course loads with an intense practice regimen. Dunn is going into engineering when she graduates. Lehnert is visiting a New York City law school in two weeks.

That’s for a few weeks and months from now. Right now, their concentration is placed in the wood-floored room in the CCRB with the glass wall overlooking the entrance to the facility, the one where crowds have sometimes gathered unsure what they were watching.

Inevitably, someone recognizes them as “those are the girls on the court. What are they doing,” Lehnert said.

The answer is simple. Trying to win a national championship.

TCU Dance Team Shines At Fiesta Bowl

The TCU Dance Team definitely made an impression in front of a national television audience at the Fiesta Bowl. Below is an article on the squad from the Thaindian News and the team was featured in a photo gallery on SI.com as well.

For the full gallery, including the photo here, visit SI.com

The TCU Dance Team Added More Color To The Fiesta Bowl
By Meena Kar
Thaindian News

The crowd at the University of Phoenix Stadium was in high spirits cheering for their respective teams. The battle between the TCU and Boise State fans could be felt as there were loud cheers echoing among the gaggle of people. The TCU dance team were boisterous and backing their team. The sprightly, animated group of girls were all there to provide the needed support and encouragement to their team. The frenzied crowd were inspired by the TCU girls to add more excitement to the game.

The stadium was looking flamboyant with the purple color predominant on one side. The other side of the noisy stadium looked equally colorful in a patch of blue and orange. The young beautiful ladies of the TCU dance team added an extra aura to the Fiesta Bowl and turned out to be one of the much talked about aspect of the night’s game.

The mother of one of the three TCU girls went to the extent of buying tickets on both sides of the stadium to get a glimpse of her daughter over a wide range. She had to spend a good amount for buying the tickets though. The encouraging mother was sitting amidst the Boise fans at one point of time too, but to be able watch her daughter prancing and backing the TCU team from all possible angles.

With the presence of the TCU team, the excitement and entertainment quotient was present in equal dosage in the Fiesta Bowl. Even though TCU didn’t end the night on a winning note, the TCU dance team rather managed to carve a niche for themselves among the crowd present at the venue.

Akron Dancer is Miss Ohio Teen USA

Green resident new Miss Ohio Teen USA
By Kathleen Folkerth
Akron.com

GREEN — Bridget Linton is no stranger to competition.

The Green resident, who has competed internationally as an Irish dancer and now is on The University of Akron (UA) Dance Team, was crowned Miss Ohio Teen USA in October and will represent the state in national competition next summer.

Linton said she competed against more than 60 Ohio girls in the state pageant, which took place in Portsmouth.

“It didn’t really hit me until the next day that I won,” she said.

All the contestants competed in swimsuit and evening gown rounds Oct. 9. The following day, the contestants went through a round of interviews with judges, and then the field was narrowed to 15.

During the final day of competition Oct. 10, the semi-finalists competed again in swimsuit and evening gown competition before five finalists were announced. The five were asked a random question, with Linton’s being about what life lessons are learned through athletics or competition.

Linton said she had no idea the question would be about something she is so familiar with. She has been an Irish dancer since the age of 4 and has competed in the United States as well as in Ireland and Scotland, she said.

Her background as a competitive dancer helped contribute to her success at the pageant, she said.

“It taught me what hard work means,” she said. “You really have to work to be successful, so I learned I have that competition feeling inside me. It also taught me the poise and elegance you are supposed to have.”

Linton is the daughter of Kathie and Darrell Linton, a Green Middle School science teacher and track coach, and a 2009 graduate of Green High School. She is a freshman at UA and is majoring in broadcast journalism.

It wasn’t until this past year that Linton explored the world of pageants. She participated in the Queen Pageant at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton last spring and loved the experience.

“I was one of the princesses, and I got to escort (Hall of Fame inductee) Bruce Smith into the ceremony,” she said.

She looked into other pageants and found out about the Miss Ohio Teen USA program, which is a stepping stone to the Miss Teen USA pageant.

“I thought, I could do this,” she said. “It seemed like a great experience.”

She submitted an application and was named Miss Uniontown for the competition. To prepare, she worked out to stay in shape and also practiced possible interview questions with her mother, she said.

While she’s pleased with the outcome, it wasn’t all about winning, Linton stressed.

“Mainly I was just going in to have fun,” she said. “But it turned out in my favor.”

After the first of the year, Linton will begin to prepare in earnest for the national competition, which will take place at the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas in late July or early August. The pageant has been televised in recent years, but Linton said the decision as to whether this year’s event will be telecast has not been decided, which is why the date is not definite yet.

The pageant provides Linton with training and transportation. She does have some required appearances around the state in 2010, and she said she’s looking forward to that.

“One thing I want to do is travel to different schools to promote pageants and tell younger kids to have self-confidence and stay true to themselves,” she said.

Linton said she is taking the year off from Irish dance competition because of the pageant, but she is working as an Irish dance instructor for the O’Hare School of Irish Dance.

“It was hard balancing both of them,” Linton said. “I decided I will take one thing at a time.”

With the UA Dance Team, Linton performs at every UA men’s and women’s basketball game. The Dance Team also is preparing for national competition this spring.

She said the pageant officials will work with her and her school schedule.

“I’m keeping busy,” she said.

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.