Samantha Price, head coach of the dance team, provides a space for students to thrive physically and mentally while creating a second family. The dance team performs at different sporting events throughout the year including Midnight Madness on Sat., Oct. 30.

“I began coaching the CUI dance team in January of 2021. My favorite part about leading the team is getting to create an environment in which students can come together to create bonds with one another and continue to develop their passion for dance,” said Price.

The dance team differs from cheer in that the dance team performs styles such as Jazz and Hip-Hop, while cheer performs stunts and tumbling skills. The dance team and cheer perform alongside each other at different events.

Elisa Runtsch, a member of the dance team said, “My favorite part about being on the dance team is getting to work hard and learn a lot with a great group of girls.” Jillian Janocha said, “My favorite part about being on the dance team is cheering on other athletes at games! I love being able to support them as well as being able to bring school spirit to their games while doing something that I love.” 

The dance team provides a community for students. Runtsch said, “The greatest benefit that has come from being a part of the dance team has been the community.”  She added, “I love getting to go through college with my amazing team by my side and it has helped me both emotionally and mentally to have people supporting me every day.”

Price said, “I strive to give my dancers an opportunity to work on their physical, mental and emotional health as it is key to find a balance in all three areas of life. I encourage my students to use dance as an outlet so they can continue to work on themselves while not having to worry about other day to day pressures.” 

“Dance has helped me through challenging times by being an outlet,” Janocha stated. “It's something that I really enjoy doing so it helps take my mind off things and helps me relax.” 

Runtsch said “Dance has always provided me with a second family and that has happened once again at Concordia. My passion and love for dance and my team has provided me with a safe space to push through challenging times whenever they arise.”

Price said, “I am looking forward to having my dancers perform at Midnight Madness and other sporting events in person this year. These girls have been working so hard and I cannot wait to see them dancing all together on the court in front of the student body and fans! Go Eagles!”

Midnight Madness takes place in the gym and is filled with free food, 100 free shirts, and prizes such as Disney tickets, Lakers tickets and more. The pre-party starts at 7:30 p.m. with doors opening at 8:30 p.m. Student ID is required upon entry. 

For those interested in joining the dance team contact Samantha Price at samantha.price@cui.edu. Currently, the dance team is preparing for the spring season. Prior training is required as the styles require certain techniques. 

Tags: dance, event, team

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