Setting The Standard: The University Of Nebraska Omaha Dance Team
Setting The Standard: The University Of Nebraska Omaha Dance Team
The University of Nebraska Omaha Maverick dance team will be hitting the UDA College Nationals’ stage this year ready to impress the judges.
The University of Nebraska Omaha Maverick dance team will be hitting the UDA College Nationals’ stage this year ready to wow the crowd and impress the judges.
They’ve been working hard and have set big goals for 2019. If you didn’t know, last year was the first year the Mavericks competed at UDA and both their Jazz and Pom routines made it into Finals. Motivated and focused, this team not only has hope for success, but they also plan to ‘Set the Standard,’ which happens to be their main motto this season.
The UNO dance team consists of 13 dancers and will be competing in the Division I Jazz and Pom categories. Although they are still newcomers to UDA, the team has collegiate competition experience bringing home top ten placements at NDA Collegiate Dance Championship.
Watch University of Nebraska Omaha's 2018 Jazz Routine!
This year, they are excited to show off in Orlando as well as get inspired by the other teams they will be competing alongside of. Many teams agree that the energy, spirit and sportsmanship of a national championship are the ingredients of great memories. Ready to make memories is freshman and first-time school dance team competitor, Joslyn Griffiths. She mentions how her veteran teammates have helped her greatly to be prepared for the unique energy this national championship brings.
“They have mentioned the feeling of walking through the castle and that makes me want to work harder and more than I ever have before,” explained Griffiths.
With only three practices a week, the Mavs have had to build strong time management. They have busy practice sessions filled with conditioning circuits, running for stamina, deep stretches, technique and skills specific to the routines and then cleaning. On top of these intense practices, every dancer on the team works at least one job—some dancers more. To help keep everyone on track, the team created a “goals calendar” listing what they have wanted to accomplish each month leading to and for competition season.
We spoke with coach Mo Marmesh, who has been with the team the past four years and has 10 years of coaching experience, to tell us more about the routines and the steps they have been taking leading up to nationals.
Jazz is a category where the top teams have found a nice balance of technique and movement quality, which happens to be one of UNO’s strengths. They have a special choreography duo who are perfect to bring that out of the team in their Jazz routine because they both have done it before.
Alumni Danyelle Kerrigan and Brooke Buda placed “a lot of interesting shapes and lines to play with and we fight to keep that style alive and not have to resort to making the routine so linear,” Marmesh said. She also told us not to miss the special turn solo at the end from senior captain, Emily Stephenson, who also happens to be Kerrigan’s sister.
Watch University of Nebraska Omaha's 2018 Pom Routine!
Last year, their pom routine had an awesome ‘Move and Shake’ mix and this year, the team is competing with a single song. Creating different dynamics is, of course, a challenge with a single song in the Pom category, however, the team and choreographer Toya Ambrose are confident in bringing something, Marmesh says is, “less traditional to the table.” Expect to get involved during this routine as there is a section that directly connects the audience to the dance after their very technical partner headspring skill.
The UNO dance team has kept the spirit year-round with multiple community events and performance opportunities and now they can’t wait to showcase what they have been working on. The Mavericks are bringing lots of family members this year for extra support but be sure to cheer from the stands as they are the only dance team representing the state of Nebraska at UDA Nationals.
Don’t forget to tune into Varsity TV to watch the University of Nebraska Omaha Mavericks Dance Team set the standard January 18-20 in Orlando, FL.
Written By: Megan Miles
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