One of the largest teams at Wilfrid Laurier University was recently selected, yet the average person on campus would have been regrettably uninformed. Laurier’s very own dance team may not fit the mold of what is pictured when we talk about sports, but this group of Laurier students offers opportunities to compete in dance.
Comprised of around 40 members, the Laurier Competitive Dance team has recently been given the recognition of being one of the largest teams and is getting ready to begin its season.
Co-captains, Sam Findlay and Cristina Rotondo, both fourth-year students at Laurier, have high hopes for the team this year now that the annual audition process, which consists of tryouts for tap, hip hop, jazz and lyrical, has been completed.
The dance team hopefuls are evaluated based on their technique and dance style and the audition is completed with a short interview at the end of the day, with acceptances generally being sent out within two days after the audition. This year’s team has nine new additions and the co-captains had nothing but praise for the newcomers.
When asked if there was any one standout in this year’s group of rookies, Findlay said, “They all have something really awesome to bring to the team, [whether it’s] their personality or dance ability, [so] we’re pretty excited about all of them.”
The team seemed excited to get to work and get ready for the new season.
“[Now that the team has been picked,] we are going to be having our rehearsals every week … where everybody is going to learn the choreography for the year,” said Findlay, when asked about the coming season.
Despite the growing excitement for the new season, the team does wish to become more recognized and well-known on campus with a goal of expanding their fan base, so they are calling on all Golden Hawks to come out and show their support for the team.
“[The dance team exemplifies] school spirit and what it means to be a Laurier Golden Hawk,” said Rotondo, noticeably proud of her team. “We really just want to try to get the word out about the team and try [to] involve as many people [as possible].”
The team’s hard work throughout the year culminates with three competitions in March and ending with a final year-end show being held on campus at Laurier.