Dance is a Sport
Image courtesy of Jessica Pulver
By Claudia Carrion
Jessica Pulver, 22, the co-captain of the Dance club is working diligently with her team and the athletics department to make their club a part of sports.
“Our club is meant to be a sport because of how our dynamics work,” said Pulver. “Unlike with clubs, it is mandatory that everyone is on board with our practices and competitions, every member must be present.”
The way the club operates often gets lost in translation when new members are recruited. The Dance Team “club” acts like a real sport; they practice and compete like athletes.
Pulver and her team are working closely with the CUA athletic director to finish the process of transitioning the club to an actual sports team.
“Our club has a lot going on: We have costumes to buy, appliances, competition travel, sometimes we hire a choreographer as well,” Pulver said. “I just hope the club becomes a sports team, we’ve worked so hard.”
Before spring break, the Dance Team won first place at the Orlando Convention Center in Florida.
“We got first place in the team performance! And we stood as the 5th finalist for the jazz dance,” said Pulver. “The competition lasted for two days, my team and I got to stay in a high-end hotel together.”
Any CUA student with dance skills can audition to join the Dance Team. Pulver explained that triple turns, devil turns, alice contours, aerials, back handspring, and other tricks are encouraged.
“Performance is a huge thing. I know girls that have got on the team based on performance and they have put in that work to bring those technical skills later and they have excelled tremendously,” said Pulver. “The team is co-ed, boys are welcome too!”
The Dance Team meets twice a week during the regular semester basis, and they accommodate every member’s schedule. They practice at the DuFour Athletics Center in room 210.
If you are interested in joining the CUA Dance Team, please apply by visiting the website on the Nest or their Instagram page at @catholicuniversitydance.
