Being a part of any team or club is a great relief for those who are entering college in a foreign place with so many unfamiliar faces. I am grateful for my university’s dance team for giving me comfort in an unaccustomed atmosphere, but there is a lack of respect and recognition from the executive staff members in regards to this team. During my time as a leader of our student-run, college dance team I have learned just how hard it is to convince top-level executives in the athletic department that we are equally as important as any other group on campus. Dancers are athletes, and anyone that believes otherwise should attend a practice or two. They will certainly be surprised at how much dance as a sport has changed, and how we are moving away from Balanchine’s ideas of the ‘frail’ and ‘beautiful’ ballerina.
As dancers, we not only understand the word, ‘discipline’, but we truly live it. Our team has always consisted of girls that are determined and persistent in achieving goals for the betterment of our “club” dance team. Our team’s number one priority is to promote spirit, school pride, and generate crowd involvement at athletic events. While this is the team’s motto to live by, it should not be used to belittle or disregard the amount of athleticism dancers possess. It is all too common for members of a college dance team to have to pay for items out of pocket due to lack of financial support from the school...and yet, because of the love of dance, the desire to represent a university, and the hope of one day being recognized as a valuable addition to an athletic program, young women (and an increasing number of males) are willing to pay this price. But at what cost? Are dance teams giving so much that it makes it too easy for those ‘top level executives’ to assume that dance team is a free bonus to their program?
It is understandable that dance team is not the athletic department’s first priority, but when this team’s enhancements are consistently pushed to the back of the line due to ‘budget issues’, it makes a girl skeptical of whether or not athletic departments still believe in the exhausted ‘Good’ol’Boy’ Network mentality. Throughout the years, many athletic departments seem to be stepping back when it comes to helping dance team progress. It reminds one of the old saying, “Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?” Dance team members can overlook having to pay to be a part of this organization because they possess a tremendous passion not only for dance, but also the university. Most dance teams perform at fall and spring athletic events, and never ask for much in return because we have always been pleased just to be able to represent our school in a positive light, but when all is said and done dance teams deserve to be treated like the athletes that they are.
People who have never cheered or danced likely see dance and cheer teams as one in the same. For example, individuals that run our athletic department lump us together when it comes to holding us to the same expectations. This is not completely unreasonable, but what is wrong is that we do not have the same resources that our cheer team enjoys. Many college and cheer dance teams have a good relationship, but there is tension that has been present since the beginnings of spirit squads that stems from the competitive nature for each team to succeed. This bitterness has persisted all this time because it hurts to see another team receive more attention and aid towards their program when both teams essentially complete the same tasks. We both attend workouts, practices, and perform at a multitude of events from a variety of sports at our university. Unfortunately, we must make this work without the benefit of an athletic trainer, dedicated practice space, priority scheduling, or even a coach. It is difficult to understand the reasoning behind this treatment, which is why it feels unjust. Since we are viewed as the same group in the eyes of athletic departments, should we not be fully treated the same way?
Currently, our team practices in our Varsity Gym, which is essentially just an open space with basketball goals and lots of activity happening. This team does not have access to the dance department’s rooms because the ‘club’ is not a part of the dance department. As a collegiate dance team, mirrors are needed to ensure that formations are clear and moves are being done with uniformity. As of right now we create workouts on our own, and although this gives us a sense of pride, it can be dangerous when we aren’t completing the exercises correctly. An athletic trainer is not only needed to prevent injuries, but also to assist in creating a workout that will challenge the team to become stronger athletes. Other sports teams in the athletic department are given multiple athletic trainers, and they even have their own workout facilities. Keeping this in mind, it would be assumed that giving dance team one athletic trainer should not be an issue. As stated earlier, our team performs at many athletic events. Some of these events can start as early as 1 p.m., which interferes with our team class schedules. If dance team has the same treatment that our cheer team and other athletic teams receive in this situation, then why can we not support our university without having to sacrifice our academics? Even little things like having access to an athletic trainer, a training facility, and especially, priority registration would help our team tremendously.
Picture this...
As Monday starts off lightly you proceed to a day’s worth of classes, only to attend team practice later in the evening. At 6 a.m. on Tuesday morning workouts is your first assignment on today’s agenda, and classes begin almost directly after. When you finish working out and attending classes, you take off for another team practice. As Wednesday approaches, you attend a few hours of classes and go home to begin getting ‘game day ready’ for the wrestling match you and your teammates are set to perform at tonight. Thursday is a full day for you because not only do you have another early morning workout followed by classes, but you have also been asked to perform a halftime routine, time-out dance, and sideline stingers at the men’s and women’s basketball games.
Imagine a week that consists of everything above, and in most cases, a little more. Now, imagine feeling like it goes unappreciated and unnoticed. Our relationship with our school and athletics’ staff could be much worse if being compared to other schools. Some dance and cheer teams do not have any connections with people in athletics, and unfortunately their work and dedication is always overlooked.
As mentioned earlier, dance teams have shown athletics that we are fine with settling, so why would athletic departments change anything if they are already getting what they need from us for free? Athletics might not intentionally disregard how much dance teams do for their schools and its sports teams, but their main concern revolves around making money in order to function. This is somewhat rational, but there is a lack of focus and representation towards our team because the idea is that we do not bring anything to the table financially.
While in some cases this might be true, what athletics neglects to acknowledge is that dancers have family members, friends, and others that attend sporting events for the sole purpose to see their loved ones perform. Most families buy season passes for both football and basketball seasons only to see their daughter dancing. On top of the funds we bring to the athletic department, representing our school in a favorable and respectful manner is something dance team values deeply.
At the end of the day, college dance teams can occasionally be given the “middle child” treatment, and it seems that efforts get overlooked. At my university, Athletics likely will not add dance team into their department of sports before I graduate. I have hopes that in the near future, dance team will finally get the recognition they deserve. When this happens I will not be upset that I never experienced dance team functioning as a sports team. Instead, I will gain satisfaction knowing that I contributed to this great and seemingly impossible achievement. That is what being a team is all about; wanting what will bring the greatest outcomes for the group as a whole, and not just for the self.
