On February 19, Niagara College’s new dance team hit the stage for their first-ever performance at the Knights Varsity basketball teams’ final home game of the season.
The dance team- also known as the dance pack – was created by NC student and team captain, Te-Andra Johnson, and local dance instructor and team coordinator, Emma Andrews, with a goal of building a team of passionate dancers that represent the NC spirit by performing at community and college events.
Johnson, who is a Protection, Security and Investigation (Customs Border Services) student, has been dancing most of her life and wanted to use her knowledge and passion for dance to create a sense of community for fellow dancers at NC.
“The college didn’t have a dance team and coming from a creative arts background, I wasn’t interested in any of the sports teams offered,” said Johnson. “I thought creating a dance team would be a great way to sprinkle in some entertainment during college sports games along with other local community events where the college could be represented.”
Andrews, a dance instructor at NC, first met Johnson in January when she attended one of her classes. They bonded over their shared love of dance which inspired them to work together to form the new NC dance pack after holding auditions in early February.
Johnson currently choreographs the team’s dances and hosts practices at the Daniel J. Patterson Campus on Thursdays from 7 to 8 p.m. She hopes to arrange performances for the team throughout the spring, summer, and into the following school year at local sporting events, festivals, and more.
Currently, the dance team consists of six members with plans to grow to 15 members in the coming years.
“As we perform at future college events, I hope to raise more awareness of the dance team and generate more interest among students,” said Johnson. “My goal is to have a team of 15 dancers and compete in local competitions for next year,”
Those interested in learning more about NC’s dance team or free dance classes held at the college can contact Emma via the dance team’s Instagram account: @niagaracollegedance
