The Wright State University Dance Team hosted a showcase on Sunday, March 30, offering a sneak peek of their upcoming nationals performances. The team is set to compete at The College Classic in Orlando, Florida, on April 12–13. If they qualify, they’ll advance to the finals.
Prior competitions
It has been three years since the Raiders have traveled to nationals. In previous years, the team would compete in the National Dance Associates College Nationals.
At the NDA College Nationals, the Wright State Dance Team has consistently placed in the top five across multiple categories. In the Emerald Jazz division, the Raiders have earned top-five finishes nearly every year they’ve competed. They’ve also been strong contenders in the Game Day category, regularly securing top placements.
This season marks a new chapter, as the team begins their competitive journey anew at The College Classic, aiming to re-establish themselves as a force on the national stage.
Current season
The team has been practicing and improving their routines for about a month now. Coach Lacey Loges put the choreography together for both performances the team will take part in. This year, the Raiders will compete in the Division I Team Performance and Division I Game Day categories.
Throughout the 2024–2025 season, the dance team has remained active on campus and in the community. They’ve performed alongside the Competitive Cheer team at sports games, bringing energy and Raider pride to every event.
Many of the girls on the dance team have a cheer background, but had no intentions of participating in college sports. However, once they found the dance team, dance soon became a huge piece of their lives.
Annie McWilliams is a senior on the dance team and serves on the executive board as President and Captain. She has been on the team since 2022; since she joined, the team has progressed from six girls her first year to a roster of ten who travel to nationals. In multiple seasons, the team has reached their biggest goal, which was going back to competing nationally.
"It does take a lot of dedication and commitment, that was one of our big things, as well as advertising our team," McWilliams said. "We also just want to get that commitment to want to go to nationals and to reach that goal."
Being on the team means a lot to each of the girls on the squad. For many, it is a privilege to be a WSU dancer, as well as a blessing to be on the team.
Tess Lane is a junior and in her first season for the raiders dance team. She has been dancing since a very young age and was involved in gymnastics as well. Lane transferred to WSU in Fall 2022, where she noticed the dance team at Fall Fest and at multiple basketball games, and decided to get back out there and enjoy her passion.
For Lane, being on the team means being a leader, letting others be seen and heard by all and making sure all feel welcome no matter their level of skill or background. As many others on the team, Lane is extremely excited to travel with the team to nationals.
"I would love to place, I really think we can do it for gameday and performance. We put in so much work, there's no reason we shouldn't place," Lane said.
The team has put in a lot of hard work and dedication to put their best foot forward at Nationals in just a few days. They scratched their routines multiple times during the choreography stage and now have an unique and entertaining dance to hopefully secure a title.
Alexis Brackney is a freshman on the team, she has no prior dance experience but came from a cheer background, where she cheered for 12 years of her life. Coming from a cheer background with no tumbling experience, Alexis wanted to try something different, which is when she found the WSU dance team and started her dance career.
"Being on this team means growth. I feel like this is where I belong because I don't have that dance background," Brackney stated.
The team is ready to travel off to nationals, and secure a placement for either of their dances in the College Classic. They are hoping to make connections, create new memories and come out of nationals with a great experience.
Cheer on the Raiders April 12 and April 13 in Orlando Florida, or by watching through The College Classic website for a livestream of the event.
