U-M Dance Team Places Sixth at UDA National Championship
1/21/2019 4:06:00 PM | Spirit Department
ORLANDO, Fla. -- The University of Michigan dance team marked a sixth-place finish in Division IA Jazz at the 2019 UDA College Dance Team National Championship Sunday (Jan. 20) at the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex.
Following up a fourth-place finish in jazz last season, the Wolverines once again reached the finals this year. After a standout semifinals routine in a stacked division that got them into the finals and qualified them seventh, U-M's goal was to improve on its qualifying position.
"This year's routine was a little bit different than last year," said head coach Valerie Potsos. "We made some changes from semifinals to the finals. Our routine was very artistic and told a story, which was unique amongst many of the other routines that the judges saw from other teams in our division. The feedback the judges gave us was a thank you for taking a risk, being artistic, and telling the story that our piece set out to tell."
The team entered the weekend feeling confident after putting in long hours in training for the past several months and a successful "Friends and Family" event in front of more than 1,000 people Jan. 13 inside Cliff Keen Arena.
"At the end of the day, the piece will be very memorable for all that were involved, and sometimes that is the most important part," said Potsos. "People are talking about this piece, there is a certain buzz around it and our team. To me, that is a success."
Michigan's dance team also competed in the Division IA hip-hop category, placing ninth in the prelims and narrowly missing qualifying for finals.
