Dance Team Scores Success

Audrey Owens

The Mount St. Mary’s Dance Team, a newer addition to Division 1 sports teams, competed at the Dance Team Union (DTU) Eastern Regionals in Newark, New Jersey with an outstanding performance this January.  

They received multiple top finishes as well as captured an automatic bid to The College Classic National Championship.    

Among the first-place finishes were the Pom category and the Team Performance category.  

The second-place finishes were in Jazz and Hip-Hop styles. Although relatively new to the scene, the team’s performance was one of the most successful in program history. They competed against other NCAA teams making their mark and showing out for small liberal arts schools.    

  Finishing off the event, the Mount St. Mary’s squad earned the Best Collegiate Performance Award, which is given to the collegiate team with the highest overall score across all set categories.  

Because of the award and the standout performance, the Mount secured an automatic bid to DTU College Classic Nationals which is the most recent event the girls competed in.     

April 11-12 marked the first appearance the Mount has ever made on a national stage, competing in this specific event for the first time.   

The events the squad competed in were Hip-Hop, Jazz, Pom, and Team Performance. There are two areas in which the events are split into in the convention center: Arena A and Arena B.    

Head Coach Tara Bowman was brought to the Mount after the program was elevated to the varsity level in 2023.  

Under her coaching, the program performs at the men’s and women’s home basketball games during their seasons.   

The growth the team has had in the recent years has been rapid, and Bowman praises them.   

“I love this team and the work they put in every day,” she said.

“Their dedication and effort have been outstanding. For this to be only our second season as a Division 1 program and already earned a national bid is extremely impressive, and I’m incredibly proud of them along with our lead choreographer Melanie Sirbaugh who has put together our award-winning routines.”