7 Things You May Not Know About College Dance Teams
Commonly mistaken for cheerleaders at sporting events, we live a life pretty much unknown to most others!
Although most of the Student Body only sees us as the girls that dance at football and basketball games, there is so much more that we do. From all of the preparations for our game day routines, workouts, working on team uniformity, a lot goes into our few minutes on the court. And for us, that's just a side hobby. Many Dance Teams nationwide compete at a National competition once a year. Most teams' goals are the same: winning a national championship. But what it takes to accomplish that is so much more than anyone sees!
We workout... a lot.
GiphyFrom timed mile tests to morning workouts, we NEVER stop working out. Running, lifting, core-strengthening are just some of the things we do on the side to make sure we are always at our peak physically. And it helps us look good, too.
We practice a lot, too!
GiphyFrom learning and perfecting game day routines to learning and perfecting our national's routine, practices never stop. We typically practice 3-5 times a week!
Game-day appearance is no joke!
GiphyFrom the fake eyelashes to the full face of makeup, our final look must be approved by a coach before ANY performance.
Uniformity is a NECESSITY!
GiphyFrom matching uniforms, to the same brand and color of lipstick, to the same exact style of eyelashes, probably the most important part of any collegiate dance team is the uniformity!
Nationals is our Super Bowl
GiphyGame days can be fun and exciting, too, but the attention is on the players, as it should be. At nationals, however, we are the ones directly representing our school and competing for the National Title! Nothing compares to the feeling!
Fundraising, fundraising, and MORE fundraising!
GiphyCollegiate Dance Team Nationals isn't cheap! Most Dance Teams have to fund at least the majority of their national's expenses, which is A LOT of money! From working kids' clinics, selling clothing, having GoFundMe pages, having Bingo events, the list can go on for days!! So much work is put in outside of practice just to raise enough money to compete at a national competition.
The audition process is ... brutal.
GiphyFrom learning a dance off of Youtube a few days prior to the audition and performing it in front of judges, to executing all of the necessary technical skills (no matter if its YOUR cup of tea or not), to personal interviews, to a conditioning evaluation, auditions for collegiate dance teams might be some of the toughest days of the year.
Overall, being on a college Dance Team can be very overwhelming, but being surrounded by girls with similar interests as you 24/7 who are like family to you, make it all worth it!