Dance Team Places Higher at Nationals

The NMU Dance Team made program history for the third time in three years, recording its best finishes at the College Classic National Championship in Orlando. The team placed 8th in Pom and 9th in Jazz at the Division II level.

"We put everything out on the floor, and it showed," stated an post recapping the competition on the team's Instagram account. "Every routine, every moment and every ounce of passion we've shared all season led us here. Thank you to everyone who supported, watched and believed in us. This team is something special, and we're just getting started."

The NMU Dance Team has recorded a steady progression of increasing success since 2024, when members achieved the noteworthy milestone of qualifying for national competition for the first time in history. In 2025, they topped that by advancing to and placing in national competition finals, taking 9th place in Pom and 14th place in Jazz.

During a videotaped College Classic Backstage interview at this year's competition, two NMU Dance Team representatives were asked about being part of a self-run organization, which isn't typical, with the two captains and two officers handling everything from choreography to financials. Their combined responses were:

"It's a lot of hard work, and communication is key. Everybody's ideas are valued on our team. It doesn't matter who you are, or if you're a freshman, sophomore, junior or senior. All constructive criticism is valued. We usually just, we sit in a circle and talk to each other like adults. We're a very understanding group, and we have gotten to know each other very well this year. So we have a very welcoming space, and we just feel like we're comfortable talking to each other and explaining what the problem is and how we're going to fix it."

According to the NMU Rec Sports website, the dance team is made up of "dedicated and talented dancers who represent the university in a positive and spirited manner. Members have diverse dance backgrounds and draw on each other's strengths to succeed as a team."

NMU Dance Team members serve as ambassadors on campus and in the community. They perform at home football, volleyball and basketball games, as well as various university events. They also compete at collegiate competitions throughout the Midwest and at the national level.