The Gustavus dance team has been working all season to prepare for their trip to Anaheim, California at the end of March. Last year in California the team took second place at Nationals, so they are excited to return this year and compete for the top spot on the podium.

“Our next step for the competitive team is the national competition in Anaheim, California. Last year, we came home with an unbelievable score and a second place DIII trophy. This year our team will represent Gustavus again, and we are aiming to defend our great reputation there,” Junior Captain Amani Yassin said.

Last year was the first time that the dance team had competed at Nationals.

“Our goal for Nationals is really to be satisfied with our performance. We are a very different team than we were last year, so we want to go to Nationals and try our best, and hopefully improve on our performance from last year,” Junior Lindsay Ortlip said.

Earlier this season the team competed at St. Thomas and earned second place, along with an award for their choreography. The dance that the team performed at St. Thomas is the same dance that they will be performing at the National competition, and they have been working to perfect the choreography ever since.

“With every competition, we hope to have our best performance. Our main goal for Nationals is to have our peak performance. Each practice is spent meticulously perfecting our performance and choreography, and the team is working so hard to bring home the National title. I have faith that our work will pay off and we will see another success in Anaheim,” Yassin said.

The Gustavus team has spent the last year improving, but so have all of the other teams that they will be competing against.

“I think this year we are more prepared and we know what to expect at Nationals, which will help us. All the other teams have gotten better over the year. I don’t know what people are feeding their kids that makes them such good dancers, but the competition is definitely getting tougher. But we are also getting better. Our veteran dancers are able to mentor the newer dancers which has improved our team unity and also set up the foundation and legacy of the program for years to come,” Senior Kayla Warner said.

Over the past few years the team has worked to gain recognition and support for their sport. Until last year the team was considered an organization, rather than a sport. Last year the dance team earned the label of club sport, which has afforded them more recognition and funding than they had previously, but they are still not treated with the same level of athletic legitimacy that varsity sports are. The team is responsible for their own fundraising, and have to look to avenues such as Student Senate and the Advancements Office for donations.

“Becoming a club sport last year has really allowed us to expand our program and gain recognition. We have 23 dancers on our performance team which is the largest it has been in five years, and we have a male dancer this year which is really unique. We have received increased support from the Gustavus community and Gustavus is definitely more open to us, but we are still working to gain recognition and broaden our fan base,” Head Coach Jess Erickson said.

Since becoming a club sport the team has both expanded in size and improved.

“We have improved so much since we became a club sport, and we’re still working to be recognized as a varsity sport. We have gotten a lot of support from the Athletic Director [Tom Brown], which has been great,” Ortlip said.

While the team works to increase the support they receive from the Gustavus community, they have also strenghened the bonds they have amongst themselves.

“My team truly is my family, and I know that sounds cliche but it’s true. Dance is the one extra-curricular I have stuck with throughout my time here at Gustavus, and I am so lucky and thankful that I did. We support each other mentally, emotionally, and physically, and we continue to improve every day,” Warner said.

The dance team’s season isn’t over yet—the team will be performing at Relay For Life in April, in addition to competing at Nationals. At 9 p.m. on Wednesday, March 19 the dance team will be hosting a send-off before they travel to Anaheim for Nationals on March 24 and 25. At their send-off event, the team will perform the dance they will take to California, and fans are encouraged to come and watch the team perform.

“Throughout the seasons, everything we do is to work toward growth. We use each practice, performance, and experience to help us reach our goals. That’s why I think our team is so special; we don’t take anything for granted. Every time we are allowed to work together, we embrace it whole-heartedly and make it count,” Yassin said.