After a long, competitive season for Division 1 Dance Teams national-wide, Universal Dance Association Nationals were officially underway in Orlando, Florida and teams could not be more ecstatic. The returning 2023 UDA National Champion (University of Minnesota Gophers’ Dance Team) did not come to lose. They had tons of momentum going into 2024 Nationals from their win over Ohio State University in the D1A Jazz Division and D1A Pom Division last year.
The Gophers chose to dedicate their 2024 jazz routine to the University of Minnesota 2004 team and use the same music that they did. Aerosmith’s “Dream On” pumped through the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex as the Gophers opened their routine with a bang as Sophomore Matthew Greco left the audience speechless over his standing front tuck and jaw-dropping turn combination. A few moves later, the whole team turned in synch before doing a team aerial, landing on the same foot to continue their turns!
Unfortunately, the Gophers fell just under half a point short of The Ohio State University’s fantastic performance. The University of Minnesota placed second overall in the Jazz division. However, it was not over there. The Gophers proved it with their Pom routine! The team leaped, spun and danced to their mixed Pom music in a routine featuring amazing facials, Pom shapes, and turns faster than ever seen before. The Gophers checked all the boxes leading them to first place, scoring a 98.4762 overall.
The D1A Pom national champions routine is one to remember and dancers worldwide will be looking forward to their routine next year. The continuing rivalry with The Ohio State University is to be continued!
