Hofstra’s dance team has once again taken home the win this season as they were named national champions. The team competed on Jan. 14 and 15 at Disney’s Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida. Preparation for the competition consisted of consecutive morning practices throughout the week and precise technique training that would ensure the dancers would execute the routine flawlessly.
Since Sept. 2016, head coach Kelly Olsen-Leon held intense practices in order to keep the team prepared and confident when heading towards the competition. The dancers practiced as if competing to ensure no changes needed to be made when the competition arrived.
“It was a great feeling to know everything we had worked for was accomplished through this championship,” freshman dancer Ashley Mantrana said. “We all wanted it so much. I’m a freshman on the team and this was my first year experiencing placing and it was amazing. But for the returning dancers, to have won two years in a row, it must’ve felt incredible.”
Olsen-Leon believes that the team’s recognition and successes stem from continuously having a team of dancers with passion, determination, talent and heart. “I felt that this win was deserved and I was proud of my dancers. I wasn’t proud of their performance alone, I was proud of the season they had,” Olsen-Leon said. “I truly believe that a season creates a champion and I certainly coached a team of champions this entire season. Their amazing performance and the win was just a way to show how hard we have all worked.”
Once the team is selected in April, the dancers get to work right away. While apart for the summer, the dancers are required to take ballet classes, technique classes, do weekly workouts and post videos in a Facebook group to share their progress. In August, they come together for the first time as a team and attend a 10-day dance camp.
The team then returns to school a week early and begins practicing. Each week they have ballet, do workouts, work on technique and learn game day routines; then the preparation for national competition starts.
Hofstra’s dance team has been nationally ranked for over 21 years and is recognized for their passionate school spirit and fierce competition on the floor. Along with being nationally ranked, the dance team has placed as World Champions and Gold Medalists representing the U.S. National Team for the International Cheer Union (ICU). The team’s drive and excited competitiveness has them ranked No. 1 in colleges on Long Island.
Hofstra is hoping to be picked to represent the USA again this year as the U.S. National Team. Whether they’re chosen or not, the team will continue to practice intensely and represent the Hofstra Pride at basketball games, admissions events and more.