Amanda Rossi ’22, club dance president and a student in the entry-level physician assistant program, has been dancing for about 18 years and has been a part of the team since it was founded three years ago.

She said dance has helped her learn how to effectively manage her time as well as how to be more efficient when completing assignments.

“This dance team has been my outlet for the past three years and has given me a group of girls who share the same passion as me,” she said. “It was such an honor to be the first team to represent Quinnipiac at the UDA National Dance Competition. It was so refreshing to be back on the stage performing and doing what we love especially since last season we faced countless obstacles with the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Mike Medina, director of campus life for recreation, said he was very excited to see the dance team compete at nationals for the first time and rank among the top 10 in the nation.

“We’ve seen them perform and Quinnipiac basketball games since November 2019 and I’m glad their success could carry over to a national stage,” he said.

He credits Coach Kelley Zaleta’s eye for helping develop a strong group of students, primary first- and second-year students who, he predicts, are only going to get better throughout their time at Quinnipiac.

While the success means a lot for the club sports program, Medina said he feels it strongly benefits the university.

“Having a nationally ranked dance team will help us recruit dancers to Quinnipiac who want to be a part of a program that is well-established and brings a positive spirit to events on campus like QThon and home basketball games”, he said.

Medina also expressed excitement for the future of club dance with the new Recreation & Wellness Center that will feature a studio replicating the floor size of that at the national championships.

“The new home for our dance team will be a great on-campus addition for their practices for future championships,” Medina said.