Mizzou Club Dance formed in the fall of 2011 to provide students a place to stay connected to dance on campus. The club offers two distinct tracks for participants: an open recreational team and a competitive team.
“It gives people an opportunity to decide how involved they want to be in it,” captain Marissa Mulligan said. “So if they can only go once a week, then that’s a good fit, but if they also still want to be more of a competitive dancer, like I can say, pretty much all of us grew up doing competition dance, and it was something that we just wanted to carry into college with us.”
Captains choreograph the competition dances and prepare detailed lesson plans before each practice. In addition to working on team routines, every member has the opportunity to choreograph and teach classes with a variety of styles.
“It’s definitely challenging at times … since sometimes we don’t have a coach,” first year Liv Mohart said. “It’s hard, but our captains work so hard, and they work together before practices, to prepare. Like they’re already prepared when we get there, so it’s really nice for us to just be able to put our 110% out in practice.”
The club’s executive board oversees membership, scheduling, choreography and safety requirements. Some of this year’s leadership includes Mulligan’s co-captains Anna Weber and Alyssa Roudabush, and risk manager Jordan Miller.
“I feel like kind of me and Marissa placed a lot of goals our freshman year,” Weber said. “And we wanted to be able to achieve those with the team, and I feel like both of us were really passionate about it.”
The team competes in the Division I-A category, the highest competitive level in collegiate dance. This division is typically dominated by large universities with fully funded, professionally staffed programs. Despite being fully student-run, Mizzou Club Dance matches up against these top-tier teams from across the region and even performed in Mizzou’s talent show at the Missouri Theatre.
“Homecoming and Greek Week are like my favorite performance times,” Weber said. “I mean, I love doing our pop and jazz and everything too, but doing it like in front of your friends, on your own campus and not traveling to somewhere you haven’t been before is a lot of fun.”
The club competes in three events annually. The club’s most recent competition was the Universal Dance Association Missouri Dance Challenge on Nov. 22 in St. Charles, where they competed against several other top-placing teams.
“I think I’ve definitely learned that like dance is more than just a sport, like it’s not just about the dancing,” Mohart said. “Sometimes it’s also just about the people you do it with, and like how you put yourself out there, and it’s a special thing.”
The club spreads its brand through its Instagram page, where leaders post updates, practice information and videos from performances. They also reach high school dancers during the Missouri State Dance Team Competition, where it volunteers and hosts a table to answer questions. Many prospective members hear about the club through this event.
“It’s just a nice thing to be a part of something else that very few people are a part of, so it kind of like sets us apart, but it’s also like, we love doing it,” Roudabush said.
Besides their dues, which pay for costumes and fees, the club fundraises through a Snap Raise campaign at the start of each season. The club also hosts smaller profit-share events with local restaurants such as Chipotle.
Four senior members–Weber, Mulligan, Avery Walker and Maura Clerc–will graduate this year. With their departure, Roudabush, a junior, plans to take on additional leadership responsibilities next season to help fill the gap.
Edited by Killian Wright | [email protected]
Copy edited by Ella McGuire and Emma Harper | [email protected]
Edited by Alex Gribb | [email protected]