At the heart of the Portland State dance team lies a sense of community that propels student athletes forward in their journey through life. Bound by their shared passion for dance, they have found a way to create a supportive space to hone their skills and nurture their creativity.
The team’s sense of belonging and camaraderie is their foundation, especially during the tumultuous times brought on by COVID-19 and the ups and downs of getting to our new normal.
PSU’s dance team typically performs at various sporting events, including basketball games, football games and other university-related activities. They showcase their talents in between quarters, helping to energize and entertain the crowd while supporting the university’s athletic teams.
Moreover, when they aren’t riling up the crowds, you can find them supporting our community at the various events they do once a month during their season.
Collegiate dance and cheer teams serve distinct roles during sporting events, each contributing to the overall atmosphere and support for their respective athletic teams.
Dance teams primarily focus on artistic expression through choreographed routines, combining various dance styles to entertain the audience between quarters and gameplay breaks. Their performances center around dance techniques, synchronized movements and storytelling through dance.
On the other hand, cheer teams emphasize engaging the crowd and boosting team spirit through cheers, chants and stunts. They lead the audience in cheers, support the players on the field or court and create an energetic environment to motivate the team and the spectators.
While dance teams showcase their artistry and creativity through dance performances, cheer teams are instrumental in fostering team spirit and enhancing the overall game-day experience through their dynamic and interactive routines.
However, heading into the new season, the dance team will have to cover both roles because the organizers forced the Viking cheer team’s program to pause for the 2023–2024 season.
Beyond the spotlight, PSU’s dance team has forged a close-knit community that extends beyond rehearsals. This dedicated group of dancers prides itself on fostering a supportive and inclusive environment, allowing members to grow as performers and individuals.
Like many other college dance teams, the PSU dance team consists of talented and dedicated student-athletes passionate about dance and performance. To become a member of the team, individuals go through an audition process to demonstrate their dance skills, technique and showmanship.
Keeping on the community-oriented theme, PSU and the dance team extend their tryouts to community colleges in the area since those schools do not have dance teams.
“Just like anything else, diversity makes us stronger,” said PSU Dance Coach Rea Bigelow in response to what makes the team unique. “We come from different areas of the city and come from different experiences, and I think that makes us stronger by having different perspectives that allow us to build a special bond.”
“I aim for a holistic approach,” said Coach Bigelow when asked about her coaching style. “Yes, I am developing dancers and working to improve their skills, but I feel like there is a solid amount of life coaching that is woven into my role.”
Through workshops, team-building exercises and mentoring programs, they inspire one another to achieve new heights of excellence. The bonds created with the team members stretch beyond just entertaining together.
Coach Bigelow holds pride in the dancers showing up for each other in ways like attending weddings and taking road trips together, which aids in the bonding aspect of team sports.
Balancing rigorous dance practice with academic pursuits is a challenge that each member embraces when they commit to being a part of the team.
Student athletes put a lot of time into perfecting their craft, and the dancers often have to juggle a lot speaking to the strength of their passion for dance. “In the peak of our season, we practice two times a week then perform at two games a week in addition to the community events we are proud to be a part of, so we work on a lot of time management and communication,” Coach Bigelow said.
For many members of the dance team, being a student athlete is a rewarding yet demanding experience. Behind the glamor of their performances, they face the daily challenge of time management, often sacrificing leisure time to perfect their routines.
The team memorizes 20–30 different routines and their corresponding dance tracks every season. This year a handful of dancers are getting the opportunity to join Coach Bigelow in Las Vegas for a mega dance conference called Pro Action—a two-day, dance-intensive meet-up and training camp for college and professional dancers.
While there, the dancers not only get the chance to learn numerous routines from those professional dancers—which they can then bring back home and teach to their teammates—but also have the chance to network with people who are dancers for professional teams. It provides them the opportunity to peek into the life of a pro-dancer and see if it is a career choice they want to pursue.
As the new season approaches, the dance team is determined to utilize their dedication to their craft, their love for dancing and their community spirit to excel on and off the dance floor for the upcoming 2023–2024 athletic season. They strive to be a powerful force that no one can overlook.
