Watch NDA Nationals LIVE Beginning Friday at 1:30p ET

By: Jessica Baker 

What did you expect - ballet dancers on pointe? Classic dance technique is pretty prominent at the NDA National Championship, but what really makes waves is the weird, the wild, and the WOW.

Once you watch a few of the performances it becomes pretty clear that you’re not at your everyday dance competition. The originality of the themes, theatrics, costumes and choreography is really impressive and sometimes downright weird. And when we say weird, we mean out of this world, awesome.

Extra-Terrestrial Talent
Fasten your seat belts; we’re taking a trip to outer space and have landed on planet Hard Rock Live. A group of aliens are taking the stage now… at least that was the case in 2015 when this gorgeous, green crew danced an amazing routine complete with *stellar* costumes to top it all off. 

Creepy, Crawly, and Crushing It
If space travel isn’t really your thing, don’t worry, there are plenty of other routine flavors to choose from. Creepy and crawly, the arachnid inspired dance had the audience in a trance as they weaved their way around the stage with mind-blowing transitions and hard-hitting synchronization.

Theatrical Action
The level of competition at nationals has really pushed the limits of coaches’ and dance teams’ creativity. The standard routine we’re used to seeing, now tells a story complete with costuming and make-up fit for the professional stage.



“Riveting” Performances
Hitting a flawless routine while channeling famous  WWII icon Rosie The Riveter? “We Can Do It!” History is sure to repeat itself this year, with more and more teams working pop culture into their routines. 



The competition kicks off on Friday afternoon, and you can expect the weird, and the wild, and the WOW, because these teams always bring their best. 

Can't make it to Orlando? You can watch the entire weekend LIVE right here on Varsity.tv.