The Saginaw Valley Dance Team (SVDT) is a club sport on campus. They won two national titles this past April at the Dance Team Union competition. They continue to dance and compete throughout the school year.
Jennifer McNally, a current graduate MPA student, and the team’s head coach, spoke about the team.
“As the coach, I can 100% say that the dance team brings students to SVSU,” she said. “This last year, we recruited 15 new members and 7 of those dancers chose SVSU in part because of the dance team.”
“Most dancers are not ready to finish dancing when they graduate from high school,” she said. “SVDT has become a school in Michigan where dancers want to continue to enjoy their passion.”
“We also bring the school spirit with a little bit of sass,” she said. “I am a firm believer that we all have different loves and passions, and sometimes it is hard to find common ground. [Some]thing where we can all find that common ground is school spirit. Our team works hard bringing the school spirit wherever we can.”
Taylor Piro, a fourth-year social work major and president of the club, also spoke about the team.
“I’ve been on the team for 4 years,” she said. “The dance team … is my entire life. I am so proud to be able to represent my school in a fun and innovative way. I’ve danced my whole life, and the fact I get to dance in college makes my heart so full.”
“When dancing, I feel proud … that I can achieve anything,” she said. “Dance brings a different view on school representation, being able to express our love through movement. We dance to show our love and support for our fellow athletic teams.”
Isabella Maola, a second-year professional accounting major, is also on the team and serves as the recruitment chair and treasurer’s assistant.
“The dance team … has allowed me to meet lifelong friends and provided me with the most amazing experiences and opportunities,” she said. “The lessons and structure I have learned from being on this team will stick with me long after college.”
“Dance allows me to forget about all of the other things I have going on and just be present in the moment,” she said. “It requires hard work, but every second is worth it.”
“Our dance team brings school spirit and entertainment to SVSU as we perform at various sports games and events in our community,” she said. “We host dance clinics which have brought new students and attention to SVSU.”
“We represent our school in a professional manner locally and nationally whether we are competing … or dancing on the sidelines”, she said.
“If you are interested in joining our team, I would greatly recommend attending our clinics and reaching out to us! Try-outs are held in the Spring each year,” she said. “If you have dance experience and would like to continue dancing or get back into it, you should definitely try out.”
The next clinic will be held on Oct. 6. More information can be found on their Instagram accounts, @svdanceteam and @svdt_recruitment.
