Brittany Good

As we sat in a circle with our arms around each other’s backs, each dancer staring at the ground. When the announcer started the placing he began with sixth, then crept to fifth and then fourth. The longer time went and the Siena Heights University (SHU) dance team wasn’t called there were more shrieks of excitement and sighs of relief. As the man announced third, every dancer tightened their grip on their teammates’ shoulders. “At third place Concordia University,” the announcer’s voice echoed through the gym. Immediately every SHU dancer’s head popped up with grins on their faces. SHU had placed in the top two.

A first year dance team with no college competition experience had placed in the top two, something no one had expected.

As the announcer said, “And at second place, with a bronze bid to the National Competition in Daytona Florida, Siena Heights University.” Screams of excitement immediately drowned out the announcer’s voice as the senior of our team, Mishay Jones, ran up to the trophy table to receive our first trophy.

Everyone began to cry and hug. We were going to nationals. With shaky hands and voices, each dancer called their parents to inform them the team had placed second and qualified for nationals with a 92.8 score, only a few points behind first place Aquinas College.

“We have incredible energy and showmanship and every crowd we perform in front of is electrified by our routines and that is something that a lot of teams with good technical ability do not have. We are also very strong in technique and most importantly the entire team does the hardest technique and dance moves, not just one or two. So I wasn’t really surprised we did so well,” Coach Angela Sword stated about her team.

The reactions from the crowd at the regional competition only could support this statement. “The crowd was cheering and screaming as we preformed, which only made us do better. We fed off their energy,” said SHU dance team member Maddie Soave.

However, order to be ready for the much tougher national competition in the team’s future, the dancers have a lot of practicing ahead of them.

The SHU dance team previously practiced three days a week for a total of six hours, but to prepare for Nationals they  have added another two hour practice every Sunday from 6 to 8 p.m.. When a competition is approaching the team also adds an extra two hour practice on Saturdays at the local Encore dance studio, to practice in front of mirrors so they can perfect every little detail.

The SHU dance team practices consist of an hour of technique and flexibility and an hour of running the dance over and over drilling all the details. “The hardest thing about dancing is that you are basically sprinting for two and a half minutes straight, all of your energy has to go into every move. While doing so you have to remember what move comes next, do everything correctly and on time with the other dancers, and look pretty and composed the entire dance. You have judges in your face waiting for you to mess up. It’s not easy,” Soave explained.

Outside of practice the dancers also have to take the time to condition and strengthen their bodies along with a required four hours of study table a week. A dancer’s life doesn’t allow for  much free time.

Sword has no doubt that all the extra work will pay off, “If my team does not psyche themselves out and just has confidence and knows that they can do great, I really feel that we will be coming back in the top 5 finishers from nationals! I know it is a lot to expect out of a first year team, but I also know that this team has the potential.”

Nationals will be held April 10-14 in Daytona, Florida.