Even after the whirlwind of Nutcracker season and finals dies down, summer break can feel very far away. Still, because appli­cations for intensives, internships, and jobs open in winter, now is the time to start planning for the warmer months. Find Your Focus In her Intro to Dance Studies course at Chapman University, Jennifer Backhaus encourages dancers to use the few summers they have as college students wisely. “In the beginning, a lot of students want to stay close to home, and they go back to the studios where they trained growing up,” she says. “As they move through the program, we […]

Choreographer David Dorfman, a professor at Connecticut College, says students who attend summer dance festival intensives return to campus with something in common: They’ve gone through an artistic growth spurt. “You won’t realize what you learn until weeks afterward, but it has sunk into your cells,” says Dorfman, who attended American Dance Festival’s intensive as a grad student himself in the 1980s and has since taught there as a faculty member. “All these young college students and young professionals are there doing the same thing that you are: They’re sweating. They’re trying things they’ve never done before. And you get […]

January 17–19, college dance teams from around the country gathered in Orlando, Florida, to attend the Universal Dance Association 2025 College National Championships. Teams competed in three divisions (D1A, D1, and Open, based on the size of their university and its NCAA status) and in three dance categories (Jazz, Pom, Hip Hop). Here are the dance results: D1 Jazz Hofstra University, choreographed by Zach Galasso; coached by Kelly Olsen-Leon, Kristen Olsen & Danielle Bradle University of St. Thomas UC Santa Barbara Photo courtesy UDA and Varsity Spirit. D1 Pom Cal State Fullerton, choreographed by Quinton Peron; coached by Jennie Volkert […]

Fans of college dance teams are eagerly anticipating the rematch in Division 1A between the University of Minnesota and Ohio State University at this year’s UDA Nationals. Last year, U of M took first in Division 1A Pom and OSU took second; and in Division 1A Jazz, OSU took first and U of M placed second. For sisters Ellie and Ava Wagner, this year’s Nationals will cap off nearly two decades of competing both with and against each other. Ellie, a senior at OSU, will take the mat for the last time with her teammates and against her sister, Ava, […]

If you’re a dancer who uses social media, you’ve almost certainly seen videos counting down to the 2025 “dance Super Bowl.” For those of you who aren’t familiar, these videos are referring to UDA Nationals, a competition marking the end of collegiate cheerleaders and dancers’ seasons. In recent years, thanks to multiple viral performances, the event has garnered attention from dancers and nondancers alike. Last year’s Ohio State jazz performance was iconic enough to inspire multiple Halloween costumes. In January 2022, LSU’s Tiger Girls went viral with a crisp, synchronized, first-place–winning hip hop performance to “Like A Boy” at UDA […]