The weekend of January 14-15, 2023 the UCSD Dance Team had their Division 1 debut as they competed in the Universal Dance Association  (UDA) Nationals at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. The Dance Team National Championship is renowned as the most prestigious college championship in the country. Although the national competition is for all collegiate dance teams across the nation, we were proud to be one of the few teams from California to compete in this competition. We left early in the morning on Thursday, January 12th, and worked towards our practice time on the floor on Friday, and competed in Prelims on Saturday. Following Prelims we had the honor and opportunity to compete in finals on Sunday. 

At UDA, there are three categories: Pom, Jazz, and Hip-Hop, and our team competes in Pom and Jazz. Our Jazz routine, “Love” was choreographed by Kate Schneiderman and Rachel Hanson. This piece was a fierce, intensive routine filled with turns and tricks that accumulated into receiving 15th place in the Jazz Division after being selected from 31 teams to go to finals. 

Our Pom Routine, choreographed by coach Kate Schneiderman, was also selected during semi-finals from 16 routines and took 8th place in Finals. This was a fast-paced, Latin themed routine that pushed our team to its fullest potential. With a variety of jumps, tricks, and turns, this routine entertained the audience and showcased advanced dance technique and strong pom visuals.

With our great and historical accomplishments this year with the UCSD Dance Team having our first Division 1 performance in Orlando, we are excited to see this program grow further and become stronger. 

Watch the performance videos here!

pom finals: https://youtu.be/lqADTHAgzY8

jazz finals: https://youtu.be/ifyfDSd5Xy4