Oregon State Dance Team

Last week, College Dance Team Central featured the dominating dance teams of the Big Ten Conference. This week, CDTC shifts gears to the West Coast where there are less competitive squads but no shortage of dance talent. In honor of Oregon State's big football upset of USC on Saturday (where the OSU Dance Team got plenty of face time on the Fox Sports broadcast!), CDTC presents a few photos of the Oregon State Dance Team. The squad is part of the OSU Marching band and the below pics are from the official website, found Here

Big Ten Dance Teams Dominate The Competition

A College Dance Team Central Exclusive Feature

There is no Bowl Championship Series poll for collegiate dance teams, but if such a ranking system were in existence you can bet that one conference would dominate the Bowl season year in and year out. When it comes to building competitive dance programs, no group in the country can rival the schools of the Big Ten Conference.

The Minnesota Dance Team has emerged as a real dance team dynasty in Division IA, as the Golden Gopher’s squad has won each of the last four UDA National Championships. But the other 10 dance teams (The conference actually has 11 schools) that hail from Big Ten campuses are not far behind. All you have to do is look at the results from the 2006 UDA Collegiate Nationals: Four Big Ten schools qualified for the finals, finishing in the top-14, including 4th place Wisconsin, 7th place Illinois, and 8th place Michigan in addition to the national champions and another four teams (Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, and Northwestern) advanced to the semi-finals, meaning that eight dance teams from Big Ten schools placed nationally in the Division IA competition, by far more that any other conference group in the country. The conference’s success extended to the Hip Hop competition, as four Big Ten schools placed among the finalists, including Minnesota’s 2nd place finish.

The remaining three dance teams from Big Ten schools have had success competing in the National Dance Alliance (NDA) national championships. The Purdue dance team took 4th place in the Division IA competition at the 2006 Collegiate Nationals, the Penn State Lionettes captured 7th place, and the Ohio State Dance Team finished 8th in the Bandshell on Daytona Beach.

Unfortunately, it seems that the Big Ten has lost one of its most successful teams, as Indiana University has decided to discontinue its pom squad. The IU team, as with all of the squads from Big Ten schools, brought a great deal of class and talent to the competitive dance scene and College Dance Team Central encourages all fans to sign the online petition to reinstate the squad (link on right of the home page).

Below is a small profile of each of the Big Ten dance teams along with a team picture of each squad. The 2007 Collegiate Nationals should be every bit as exciting as they have been in the past, with Minnesota gunning for a fifth straight championship. Can one of the Gopher’s fellow Big Ten programs supplant them as the top dance team in the country this season? We’ll have to wait and see!


Illinois Dance Team
Dancers: 19
National Competition: Universal Dance Association (UDA)
2006 Nationals Finish: 7th in Division IA, 12th in Hip Hop
Auditions: April, 2007
Website


Indiana Dance Team
IU decided to discontinue the Dance Team after the 2005-06 school year
National Competition: Universal Dance Association (UDA)
2006 Nationals Finish: Semi-finals of Division IA, 10th in Hip Hop
Website: N/A


Iowa Dance Team
National Competition: Universal Dance Association (UDA)
2006 Nationals Finish: Semi-finals of Division IA, 13th in Hip Hop
Website: N/A


Michigan Dance Team
Dancers: 16
National Competition: Universal Dance Association (UDA)
2006 Nationals Finish: 8th in Division IA, Semi-finals in Hip Hop
Auditions: April, 2007
Website


Michigan State Dance Team
Dancers: 15
National Competition: Universal Dance Association (UDA)
2006 Nationals Finish: Semi-finals in Division IA
Auditions: April, 2007
Website


Minnesota Dance Team
Dancers: 18
National Competition: Universal Dance Association (UDA)
2006 Nationals Finish: National Champions (4 straight titles), 2nd in Hip Hop
Auditions: April, 2007
Website


Northwestern Ladycats
Dancers: 12
National Competition: Universal Dance Association (UDA)
2006 Nationals Finish: Semi-finals of Division IA
Auditions: April, 2007
Website


Ohio State Dance Team
Dancers: 15
National Competition: National Dance Alliance (NDA)
2006 Nationals Finish: 8th in Division IA
Auditions: See website
Website


Penn State Lionettes
Dancers: 24
National Competition: National Dance Alliance (NDA)
2006 Nationals Finish: 7th in Division IA
Auditions: April, 2007 (with prior clinics)
Website


Purdue Dance Team
Dancers: 15-20
National Competition: National Dance Alliance (NDA)
2006 Nationals Finish: 4th in Division IA
Auditions: See website
Website


Wisconsin Dance Team
Dancers: 20
National Competition: Universal Dance Association (UDA)
2006 Nationals Finish: 4th in Division IA, Semi-finals in Hip Hop
Auditions: April, 2007 (with prior clinics)
Website

Michigan State Dance Team To Hold Lil' Dancers Clinic

Lil' Dancers Clinics 2006-2007

Join the MSU Dance Team for the next Lil' Dancers Clinic held on Sunday October 22, 2006 at 2:00 PM!
*This is a ONE day event.*

The MSU Dance Team always looks forward to their annual Lil' Dancers Clinic for Kindergarten-8th graders! The clinic is an excellent opportunity for those young dancers to have fun while spending a day with the MSU Dance Team. The dancers are divided into age groups to learn a dance appropriate for their age. Snacks are provided. Friends and family are welcome to stay for the duration of the clinic or come back at the end to watch and videotape the dancers performances.

For more information on the Lil' Dancers Clinic please Click Here

Syracuse Dance Team Alumni Balance New Lives With Old Passions

By: Brittany Henning
The Daily Orange
10/3/06


Laura Bochner's turning point came when she auditioned at a casting call for a 13-year-old female dancer. Among thousands of other anxious young dancers, she lined up on the giant gym floor. They were not asked to dance but were told simply to stand still while judges dismissed those who didn't have "the look."

The judges decided Bochner did not have what they were looking for. She didn't give up, but Bochner never handled rejection well.

"With typecasting, you can be amazing but you're not going to get a role if you're not what they're looking for," said Bochner, a 2004 alumnus of Syracuse University and former member of the SU Dance Team and the Knicks City Dancers.

Bochner wanted to go to college for professional dancing until her parents suggested a more stable profession. She found, however, that as a dual major in business and communications, she was still able to pursue dance.

Bochner auditioned for the Knicks City Dancers three months after graduation, making it to the final round until getting cut. Determined not to let her passion slip away, she tried out again the following year and made the team.

When she tried out for SUDT, there were more than 100 other girls, but the Knicks City Dancers attracted nearly 500 people. The group was cut down to 50 people for the second day, including former Knicks City Dancers hoping to return for another season.

Both audition days were long, beginning when dancers arrived at 7:30 a.m. and ending around 8 p.m. Bochner's final audition was live on Fox News and judged by online voters at Knicks.com. She waited four long days until they announced she made the team.

Bochner doesn't know for sure how Knicks City Dancers are selected, but said there is no specific typecasting.

"You are who you are, everyone on the team is different, very diverse," she said. "Everyone has her own look."

Alexis Heos, another SUDT 2004 alumnus and current Boston Celtics Dance Team member, began dance and gymnastics at the age of 3. Despite a shoulder surgery at age 5, she competed in regional and national competitions for about 13 years. Heos was a backup dancer for 98 Degrees and Joey McIntyre for Kiss 108 FM's summer concert until joining SUDT.

The Boston Celtics Dance Team auditions were held in five cities, attracting about 600 women.

"At Syracuse everyone is in school and around the same age and essentially in the same place in their lives," Heos said. "Now, the ages range from 18 to 28, some are still in school, some are working professionals and others are married."

Bochner was a member of the Knicks City Dancers for a year while working a full-time job at media buying firm, Horizon Media, which allowed her to leave work early for games. She said it was tough to manage two jobs, but many of the team members do it.

Bochner is now the assistant coach of the Knicks City Kids and working full time at Horizon Media. She said coaching 6- to 13-year-olds is different, but a good experience.

"Kids can be all over the place," she said. "Sometimes it's hard to keep them focused. It's amazing what these kids can do."

Heos is currently in her second year of earning a master's degree in public policy, taking classes part time. She is also managing a full-time job with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Division of Banks. She anticipates taking an extra semester for the masters program to manage her time next semester with two classes and a thesis to finish.

"I'm going to kill myself to get through finals this semester," she said. "But it's worth it. I love being back in school and the dance team is one of those lifetime opportunities that you just have to seize when it comes along."

Heos said if she is selected to join the Boston Celtics Dance Team again next year, it will probably be her last year because of nagging injuries that may need surgery or rest. After that she would like to go back to coaching gymnastics and teaching dance classes in addition to her full-time career.

"Basically, I'm exhausted; I'm sore," Heos said. "I'm being pulled in eight different directions at once and I wouldn't change a thing."