Elon University’s dance team is continuing to raise expectations before the season, said Coach Elly Dirks described the team’s growth mindset as a valuable component throughout each performance.
“Our motto is to rise up,” Dirks said. “We want each performance to be better than the one before and to continue that growth all the way into nationals.”
Senior dancer Sarah Whiting agreed with Dirks and said the team’s aspirations continue to rise with their recent success. She attributed this toward the talent around the roster.
“I think expectations definitely go up every year,” Whiting said. “I feel like our team somehow gets stronger even when we don’t feel like it’s possible to go up more.”
Elon’s dance team has enjoyed a successful three year period thus far. In 2022, they won first place in the hip hop category at nationals and followed that up with two consecutive second place finishes in 2023 and 2024. Three members, including Whiting, remain from the 2022 team.
Elon has additionally finished third place in the pom category for three straight years. Its 93.8 score at last year’s pom category was its highest in that competition within the last three years. It was also the closest they had come to first place with the margin being 2.1 points. Whiting described the result as encouraging, noting it was also the closest Elon had come to first place.
“That was a huge win for our team,” Whiting said. “If we can continue to do that, we’ll start reaching those places, and that would be an even bigger accomplishment.”
Dirks added that the experience Elon Dance Team has is beneficial when it comes to nationals. She said the atmosphere can be challenging which makes it more important to have the right mentality.
“It’s unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before, even for dancers who competed with their studio or high school dance teams,” Dirks said. “Being able to maintain control and the proper mindset amidst that atmosphere can be really difficult your first time, and I’m really happy that we have quite a bit of experience on the team to help the first years handle the pressure.”
So far, Elon’s dance team has picked up right where last year’s team left off, receiving a silver bid for nationals at the National Dance Alliance camp.
Whiting said it was a great opportunity for seniors such as herself to demonstrate leadership toward some of the younger members.
“It’s a good time for upperclassmen to practice leading by example and showing the freshman how to keep their calm when we dance,” Whiting said. “Sometimes it’s a bit of a mental game, and so the better that we can lead, the better the freshman will feel.”
The dance team has plenty of time to prepare for nationals. They perform in multiple sporting events such as football, basketball and soccer.
Dirks said each sport has its own benefits. She noted the crowds at football games offer a glimpse of the environment at nationals, while basketball games provide a similar structure for competitions since the court dimensions resemble the dance floor.
Whiting said performing in fall and winter sports offers a chance for the dance team to make any necessary adjustments on their technique and mindset before competing at nationals.
“It gets you used to picking up choreography and making changes really quickly which is very crucial when it comes to nationals,” Whiting said. “I think basketball and football season are essential in that it is so fast-paced, and we have to be ready to adapt at all times.”
Whiting said the coaches will often hold discussions with the players about what could be the same or different at nationals — something she found to be beneficial.
“We talk about things that we’re doing really well, and things that we could work on whether that be performance or body language,” Whiting said. “I love having those check-ins because after football and basketball season, we definitely use those times to constantly prepare and better ourselves.”
More importantly, Dirks said the events and evaluations give everyone on the team a better chance to learn everyone’s strengths, along with their own abilities. She said she believes when nationals arrive, everyone has an understanding of each other’s skills.
“I think that helps with us learning everyone’s styles when it comes to corrections and skills,” Dirks said. “It also allows them to learn themselves a little bit more as a dancer in this setting which is beneficial because by the time we get to nationals, we got those things worked out where we’re able to coach, and the dancers are able to adjust in ways that are effective for them.”