Towson University Wins Dance Championship

WJZ.com

The Towson University Dance Team won the 2007 National Dance Alliance Collegiate National Championship, Division I title, and the National Grand Champion title on Friday.

The competition was in Daytona Beach, Fla. at Florida’s Peabody Auditorium and at the Daytona Beach Bandshell.

Tom Casella, the dance team coach said, “We’re extremely excited and proud to represent Towson University once again at the National Championships. The team spirit and cooperation of this group of young women makes them champions no matter what.”

The hyper-paced bump and grind precision dances are a combination of hip-hop, jazz, funk and pom routines. The Towson University Dance Team was the top seed going into the competition, winning the Division I competition beating Harvard, Xavier, George Washington and Wichita State. Teams from Japan, Canada and 78 colleges from the United States participated in the championships. Teams are invited to attend the championships based on participation at cheerleading and dance camps, as well as video qualifications from colleges and universities across the United States and select countries.

The Towson University Dance Team performs throughout the Mid-Atlantic Region, Towson University Athletic Department competitions and numerous community events. The team consists of 27 members and is coached by Towson University Professor of Theatre Arts Tom Cascella.

The National Cheerleading Association and the National Dance Alliance Collegiate National Championship is the world’s largest collegiate cheerleading and dance competition and attracts more than 6,000 cheerleaders, dancers, mascots and spectators annually. NCA/NDA, the largest privately held cheerleading and dance organization in the world, hold events for more 180,000 cheerleaders and dancers around the world.