In the dance world, January is an exciting season. It is the week of college nationals. College dance teams go head to head for three days competing to win the National title. Teams such as The University of Minnesota and Ohio State fill dancers’ heads with anticipation of who will get the winning title, as in the past, they’ve always been the two on top. But commonly the question is, which one will be on top this year. 

People have different expectations of what they are hoping to see from all different teams on the dance floor. Lia Burke, 12, is very passionate about watching college nationals. 

“I feel like dance has become a lot more trick based. So personally, I would love to see a lot more emotional and fluid dancing because don’t get me wrong, people have really good tricks but, dance is about dance and not about all the acro you have. So I would love to see people using their dance skills to their best ability.” Burke said. 

College dance nationals is more than just complex moves and entertainment. It focuses on art, passion, and inspiration to all people from around the world. Delaney Marbs, 11, enjoys watching the teams succeed, which motivates her through her dance journey. 

“I get very inspired by seeing the college dancers, how hard they work, and how breathtaking their technique is in their performance. So, it makes me want to put the effort and hard work into my dancing.” Marbs said.

Dance nationals include a variety of dance styles and dances. Including lyrical, kick, gameday, pom, jazz, and hip hop. Many people have their preferences on what style they enjoy watching the most. The diverse dance styles are a key factor in engaging all types of viewers. Ava Harmon, 12, is a dancer who loves watching nationals. 

“My favorite style to watch is lyrical.” Harmon said.

On the contrary side of things, Caelyn Borgsmiller, 9, loves watching different genres of dance. 

“I love hip hop or jazz.” Borgsmiller said.

Ava Harmon’s favorite part is watching lyrical for the intense emotion and story telling. Caylyn would rather watch a high energy and exhilarating routine. By including all styles of dance, it engages a big audience and fandom. College dance nationals have gotten extremely popular due to the dance world becoming more competitive and impressive. Burke, notices the popularity of dance growing.  

“I feel like dancing, as a sport, and as a community has been getting a lot more recognition lately, especially because of the really great teams that colleges have.” Burke said.