Built by passion, united by dance

By Sofia Santiago

Rider basketball halftimes and timeouts would not be the same without the energetic choreography and sharp technique of the Rider Dance Team. Their one-and-a-half minute routines are known for hyping up the crowd during games and delivering fierce performances.

However, behind these seemingly effortless routines, there are hours of hard work and preparation. 

This year, tryouts for the dance team took place over the course of a four-day-long process, starting on Sept. 14, and ending on Sept. 17 in the Yvonne Theater. During the first three days, dancers learned three routines, which they then performed both solo and in groups on the last day onstage in the theater. 

“We got to do auditions earlier this year. Last year there were just some complications with the club, so we had to do auditions way later. But doing them sooner actually is so much more helpful because we have more time to prepare the team for success throughout the year,” said Destiny Gardner, senior entrepreneurial studies major and president of the dance team.

The past few years have been rocky for the team, navigating difficulties securing practice space and club suspensions.

Maddie “Quigs” Quigley, a senior musical theater major and the vice president of the dance team, explained, “It just felt like no one was fighting for us. It was like we kept pursuing and we kept trying to get the dance team back up because it was that important to us, so it feels pretty good now.” 

Throughout the process, candidates were also asked questions about why they wanted to join the team, and what commitment meant to them. Their answers, along with their execution of the choreography were all factored into the decision of whether or not they would make the team.

“We’re looking for face, we’re looking for energy. Of course, we’re looking for technique, but I think that the biggest thing with the dance team … What’s most important is we want confidence,” Quigley said.

Amber Peynado, a sophomore human resource management major and the treasurer of the dance team, recalled her experiences, saying, “The audition process was actually a little bit harder than last year, but it was pretty smooth. Everybody was very welcoming. Everybody was encouraging. Everybody tried their best. It didn’t feel like a competition. It felt like a community coming together to make the team.”

The team’s first rehearsal was on Sept. 21 from 9 to 11 p.m., and their practice schedule consists of meeting for two hours, three days a week. To start practice, the team does a full-body workout targeting their stamina and strength. They then learn new choreography or work on perfecting what they have already learned. 

They prioritize synchronization, when the whole team is keeping their arms or legs at the same angles and hitting the same beats of the song at the same time. 

Freshman entrepreneurial studies and dance major Genesis Washington commented on her experience on making the team. 

“The choreo was definitely more than what I thought of. [The choreography is] definitely faster, definitely more technique based … It was definitely a challenge, but it was fun,” said Washington.

Throughout the season, the team aims to learn and perform at least one new routine a week. The dances are all made by Gardner and Quigley.

“I choose songs with a lot of energy, something that people will get hyped to. I also try to choose songs that are trending or that a lot of people know, so that we grab the audience’s attention,” Gardner said.

“I actually came into school with no hip-hop experience at all, and now I choreograph hip-hop. I’ll rehearse from 9 to 11 [p.m.], and then I’ll go home, I’ll choreograph for like an hour and a half or so, and then the next day at rehearsal, I’ll teach that choreography … there’s always combos going,” Quigley said.

At the end of practice, the team cools down by stretching and participating in a hype circle, in which every member of the team has the chance to be in the center. 

Quigley highlighted the importance of bonding as a team, “We dance to connect. That’s what makes it so special.”