This marks the cheer and dance teams’ fourth appearance at nationals. Photo by Andrew Buckley.
DOROTHY LAKSHMANAMURTHY | SPORTS CO-EDITOR | dlakshmanamurthy@butler.edu
Surrounded by the bright lights of the national stage, the dance and cheer teams’ months of preparation came down to a few minutes on the competition floor. From Jan. 16 through Jan. 18, the teams traveled down to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida, for the annual Universal Cheerleading Association and Universal Dance Association National Championships.
The cheer team competed in two divisions, returning to familiar territory while also stepping into something new. In Division I Small Coed Gameday — the category cheer won last year — the squad finished as national runner-ups. Cheer also competed in the Division I All-Girl category for the first time, tying for seventh out of the final 11 teams.
Cheerleading coach Brenda Jamerson said that the transition to competing in the All-Girl division was driven by the team’s development and depth.
“As our girls started getting stronger and stronger, we decided to try out the All-Girl division,” Jamerson said. “It gives more athletes the chance to compete and lets us showcase different sides of our program.”
Junior cheerleader Holli Jones also expressed that her team focused on building off of last year’s success without completely relying on it.
“We knew what it took to win last year, but we wanted to treat this year like a fresh start,” Jones said. “A lot of it came down to working together and trusting the process.”
At the same time, the dance team was working toward a milestone of its own. Competing in both jazz and game day, the team advanced to finals in jazz for the first time in program history, placing last amongst the 12 final teams.
A major factor in dance’s success this season was working with professional dancer and choreographer Quinton Peron to create the team’s jazz routine.
Senior dancer Grace Nielsen explained that the connection with Peron initiated at the beginning of the season in July when Nielsen and some of her teammates attended the Pro Action Combine. Peron approached them at the event, asking if they were still looking for a jazz choreographer.
“He really sought us out and wanted to work with us,” Nielsen said. “That meant a lot, especially knowing the level of teams he choreographs for. When working with us, he kept asking, ‘Why not you? Why not now?’ That mindset changed how we approached everything.”
Sophomore dancer Libby Cruser said Peron’s choreography for their jazz dance allowed her team to truly connect to their routine’s song, “Like You’ll Never See Me Again” by Alicia Keys.
“The song is about losing someone you love,” Cruser said. “A lot of us connected that to our own lives, even to this process of nationals, and remembering to be grateful for every moment because you don’t always get it again.”
Preparation for nationals was demanding for both teams. Choreography began in October, with practices intensifying over winter break. The athletes balanced competition prep alongside their regular game day responsibilities.
Jones emphasized that although those shared hours between competition and gameday practices can be a lot, more trust and confidence were built within her team, including moments that reminded them why the work was worth it.
“The first time that we hit our All-Girl division routine, it was after a long practice, and it was the very last thing that we were going to do for the night,” Jones said. “We were so spent and so done with the day, and we were like, ‘Okay, we’re just gonna lay it all out there and give it everything we have left.’ That was so rewarding because we proved to ourselves that we can do this as long as we work together.”
