Weekly effort put in for halftime shows

posted in: Fall, Sports | 0

While most sports fans go to football and basketball games to see the competition, the atmosphere would not be complete without the halftime performance from the Pacific University Dance Team.

Sophomore Leah Klaas, said dancing is one of her favorite things to do and one of the reasons she is at Pacific today.

“Since I’ve danced for a really long time, whether or not a college had a dance team or dance presence on campus was actually a really big decision for me in choosing my future college,” said Klaas.

The level of commitment required for this team is very convenient, also something Klaas is happy about.

“It is a more informal way to continue dancing without it interfering with my academics or taking up credits,” said Klaas.

Dancing, to these women, is more than just the couple minutes spent out on the field or court at halftime. It is a way to build friendships, temporarily escape schoolwork and relieve stress. The production is hard work too.

“There is actually more that goes into performances than most people would assume,” said Klaas. “Aside from learning and perfecting the actual dance moves for the routines, we need to learn formations, which add an aesthetic appeal to the dance,” said Klaas.

A lot of variables get thrown into the mix from time to time, with things like illnesses and scheduling conflicts that change the number of participants.

“Our coaches also have to dedicate a lot of time into the behind-the-scenes stuff, like getting approval from administration to perform at certain events or collaborating with coaches and gym staff to get us access to the fields and courts,” said Klaas.

With the recent communication with other universities, the team hopes to host the first collegiate dance competition in Oregon this year.

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