As 18 women, dressed in unique black mini-dresses finished with
shiny stripes and a matching tie outlined in silver glitter,
huddled for a pre-show pep talk, “energy” was what they
called for. They wanted a to give an exhilarating performance for
their family and friends last Tuesday night.

The ladies put in everything they had, dancing to a mix of
artists ranging from Dolly Parton to Missy Elliot. Their dances
were definitely full of “energy” and diversity. The
girls integrated a wide range of moves, blending a little hip-hop
with a little bit of ballet and even some pompom routines.

The Michigan dance team dances for a range of events. It
performs on the sidelines of all home football games and
men’s basketball games. Occasionally, the squad performs at
soccer games or other university events, including pep rallies,
Greek events and specialty performances.

“School spirit and crowd interaction during the
performances are my favorite things about this dance team,”
junior Justina D’Agostini said.

Other members cherish the bond between teammates.

“The togetherness is what I like the most about this dance
team — we’re like a tight-knit family,” said
senior Lorin O’Toole, who has been part of the team since her
freshman year.

“My favorite experiences are not during performances, but
during the practices,” coach Valerie Potsos said. “As a
team, we work together all year. The camaraderie that is formed
lasts a lifetime. Together, we go through peaks of challenges and
rewards. Dance team is a lot of fun, but most of it is hard work,
determination and dedication. Most importantly, we do it
together.”

The dance team practices on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and
Saturdays for a duration of about three hours per practice. But the
ladies do not think this demanding schedule is a burden.

D’Agostini said the performances make the practices
“all worthwhile.”

The team’s activities do not end with university
functions. The dance team is involved in many events outside of the
University as well.

The ladies attended a Universal Dance Association camp in
Bowling Green this summer and took first place in that
competition.

“It’s a four-day dance-intensive program that
involves technique classes, learning and being evaluated on
multiple routines and two competitions,” D’Agostini
said. “We proudly represented the University of Michigan in
both the fight song competition and the home routine competition,
taking first place in both.”