THURSDAY FEBRUARY 4, 2016
MSU dance team takes the gold
INSIDE
Meet the UDA Open Jazz national champions.
NEWS:
ELLYN GIBBS Staff Writer MSU dance Takes National Championship with Universal Dance Association (UDA) Over the weekend of January 15-17, the Minnesota State University, Mankato dance team exploded the UDA stage in sunny Orlando, Florida with a dynamic jazz performance that took the national championship. For the last three years, MSU has been one of the top three contestants for the championship, but they finally achieved their goal. In addition to first place in Open Jazz, they took third place in Open Pom. Jenna Dorn, Kayla Tanberg, and Kristine Lueck are the three dance team captains for MSU. The Reporter interviewed Dorn and Tanberg, to discuss what went on behind
Upward Bound and MSU Volleyball sponsor blood drive
Page 03
SPORTS:
Photo Courtesy of the Minnesota State University, Mankato dance team The MSU Dance Team took first place in its Open Jazz routine. placed in second or third the past two years, I just expected to get the same place as before. The Reporter: What did the intensity of your practices look like before the competition? JD: Our practices can run
“I mean, you work for over five months perfecting a routine, and when you only have a minute 50 to show what you got, it’s a highstress situation.” the scenes of their winning performance. The Reporter: What was your reaction when you realized you won this competition? JD: The reaction was something I can’t even put into words. It was an unreal moment. I mean, you work for over five months perfecting a routine, and when you only have a minute 50 to show what you got, it’s a high stress situation. When they called our name, we all collapsed! KT: To be honest, I was in complete shock. Having
from 4 to 6 hours. We practice Monday and Wednesday. If we didn’t have a football game, we practiced every Saturday and Sunday from 9 to 2. Our practices consisted of running each dance through at least twice, if not more. The biggest thing to practice in dance is muscle memory. We had to train our bodies to be able to do the same thing over and over, with strong consistency in our moves to make sure that everyone was on. KT: Once winter break started, our team met an hour before practice to men-
tally prepare ourselves to be the best we could be at each practice. Our team worked really well together at keeping each other motivated through the really intense practices. The Reporter: Do you choreograph your own dances? KT: We hire choreographers to create our amazing routines. We have two alumni from the U of M dance team who choreographed our jazz dance. They have been our choreographers for the past four years earning us a spot in the top three every single year. TR: What was the hardest part of your preparation to perform? JD: There’s a lot of time that goes into what we do. We are actually all down in Mankato over winter break. While others are having their break, we are busting our butts for our goals! There are some days when we literally can’t move our bodies, and our legs are numb, but we all find a way to keep going and to keep fighting through whatever pain we have. The Reporter: What was a low point of the competition? KT: One low point of our season was when one of our best dancers, a senior, tore her ACL, meniscus and partial MCL. It was so hard not getting to dance with her at nationals, but this experience made our team grow even
closer together. We really gained a lot of trust through that tough situation. The Reporter: What was one highlight (besides winning) of the competition? JD: The transitions and how we used the floor was my favorite. Everything flowed very well. It was one of those routines that we found easy to enjoy and perform. That being said, it was one of the most difficult routines that the Mankato dance team has ever had. To put things in perspective, sixteen girls are dancing the same moves to the same song, and must execute it spot on with every count. That is not an easy thing to do. KT: For me, it was the moment before we walked out onto the finals floor. As we walked out holding each other’s hands, I remember taking a deep breath and looking around at all my best friends, thinking, “Wow, this is really it. This is the last time I get to perform with this amazing team.” It was a moment I will never forget. Dorn summed up the spirit behind the entire competition, stating, “It’s not the tangible things that mattered to us. Not the trophy, not the medals, but the feeling that we all accomplished this together as the Mankato Dance Team.” Congratulations, ladies!
Maverick wrestling climbs up the ranks
Page 10
A&E:
MSU Theatre presents Antigone
Page 07
INDEX: EDITORIAL...............4 A&E..............................7 SPORTS.................10
CONNECT: /msureporter @msureporter