Top 50 College Dance Teams (1-25)

This list of top college dance teams is meant to highlight some of the awesome dance teams throughout the United States, and in no way is meant to be a comprehensive list.  We here at BDancewear.com think that if you are dance at the elite level that is college dance you are doing something amazing and deserve recognition!  This is a small list of some of the dance teams that we think are going above and beyond.  However if your studio isn’t on this list and you think it should be, feel free to leave a comment or email Brittany@BDancewear.com and we would love to write an article about your dance team.

1. University of Tennessee Dance Team
   The spirit programs, consisting of the mascot, cheer and dance teams, at the University of Tennessee continue to be among the most recognized and nationally ranked teams in the nation. They are afforded the opportunity to demonstrate their superior skills at football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, volleyball, baseball, softball, soccer, and rowing, as well as in national competition with UCA and UDA as seen on ESPN. The University of Tennessee was named the UDA National Champs in 2007, 2008, 2009. Their dance team is one of the three spirit programs. The members of the team are chosen by a panel of coaches and specialists in the field of jazz and ballet. They are chosen not just for their mastery of pom, jazz, ballet and skills but also to determine the best representative for the University of Tennessee. They make cuts until the final team is selected. They believe it is important that the team members have a basic understanding of ballet and jazz technique including proper body alignment and basic movement vocabulary in ballet and jazz. The University of Tennessee athletes are known as “The Volunteers” which comes from the State of Tennessee’s nickname, “The Volunteer State.”

2. University of Cincinnati
   An important aspect of the excitement and pageantry of the University of Cincinnati is the UC Dance Team. Along with performing at all home Football and Basketball games, the team can be seen performing at several community events and working local fundraisers around the city of Cincinnati. The team consists of approximately 35 members that make up both the Black and Red teams. They average a GPA of a 3.2. This dedicated group of individuals provides more than just entertainment. Like all Bearcats athletics teams, the Dance Team has brought national recognition to the University. Holding six National Titles and seven World Titles places the UC Dance Team among the nation’s elite. In 2009, the team was selected to represent our country as Team USA Dance at the first ICU World Championship. They were also selected to be Team USA again in 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2015. The team holds three consecutive National titles in the Hip Hop category for the years 2004, 2005 & 2006 and then won the title back in 2009 and again in 2014 and 2015.

3. University of Minnesota
   The University of Minnesota dance team has won national awards a total of 14 times and are five time defending champs. In September, 2014, The University of Minnesota spirit squads turned in plenty of strong performances at the recently completed UCA & UDA College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championship held at Walt Disney World. The Gophers claimed two national championships over the weekend, as they won the jazz and pom divisions for the fifth straight year. In January, 2013, the Gophers claimed three national championships at the 2013 UCA/UDA College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championship at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando over the weekend.

4. University of Nevada – Las Vegas
   The University of Nevada, Las Vegas Rebel Girls dance team supports the University of Nevada, Las Vegas’ primary mission of education, research and public service. UNLV’s department of intercollegiate athletics measures success by how the program contributes to the overall development of the athlete as a student and as a good citizen. The Rebel Girls dance teams goals are to lead cheers and to raise the level of fan support. The dance team strives to entertain in a positive manner, to give visual support for the team, to solicit that support from UNLV fans, and to project that support to the University and its teams. The team performs routines with perfect athletic activity in order to keep crowds attention focused on the field or floor where intercollegiate activities are taking place, for entertainment and competitive purposes and to convey a positive image. The Rebel Girls serve as public relations ambassadors of intercollegiate athletics and the University. Additionally, they appear at University activities, functions and programs and at charitable and public causes to promote intercollegiate athletics and the University. The team is responsible to uphold; reflect and project the goals and ideals of the University.

5. The Ohio State University Dance Team
   The Ohio State University Dance Team works to promote and uphold school spirit and Buckeye pride and to represent the University on a national level. Currently, the team performs at all home football games, home men’s basketball games, and select women’s basketball, volleyball, ice hockey, and wrestling events throughout the year. In addition, the team plays an integral role in the Ohio State Community by performing at pep rallies, parades, and other University-related events throughout Columbus. OSUDT also competes annually on the national level at the UDA Collegiate National Championship in Orlando, Florida. In the past three years, the team has placed in the Top 5. Most recently in 2014, they placed 3rd in the Jazz Division and 2nd in the Pom Division. The team practices two to three times per week and attends bi-weekly workouts resulting in a commitment of around 15 to 20 hours per week. Members of the team have access to all of the student-athlete resources that Ohio State has to offer including priority scheduling, tutoring, a nutritionist, etc. The best way to gain exposure to the team is to attend one or more of the several clinics that OSUDT holds throughout the team.

6. University of Kentucky
   The University of Kentucky (the “Wildcats”) dance team is part of the University’s spirit teams which consists of the Pep Band, Cheerleaders, Dance Team and the Mascots. The dance team performs at the home football games and men’s and women’s basketball games and other athletic events in addition to representing the Wildcats at various events on and off campus. The dance team consists of 46 dancers and two coaches. Not only are they ambassadors for the school, they also host summer camps. Each summer the dance team hosts several summer dance camps for children either as individuals or in teams from 6 years of age to 12 years of age. The younger dancers will learn fun dance routines taught in different styles. The dancers will be put in groups that will be broken down into different age and talent levels. The older dancers, 12 years and older, will learn six to eight dance routines/sideline dances that are offered in a variety of styles including Hip Hop, Pom and Jazz. The more team members that attend together, the more routines they can learn. Middle school and high school teams are welcome. There will be Hip Hop trick session and Jazz technique sessions offered.

7. San Diego State University
   The San Diego State University (SDSU) Dance Team is dedicated to representing the University in an energetic and positive manner while entertaining Aztec fans at all home football and basketball games as well as numerous campus, charity, and corporate events city-wide. The SDSU Dance Team began in the fall of 1998 by Jessica Brady, a biology student with a passion for dance. She sought to create an opportunity for students to contribute to the performing arts while pursuing their academic goals. She also hoped to provide a way to not only represent SDSU in the collegiate competitive dance arena but also provide entertainment for on-campus and athletic events. Since then, the team has grown and is nationally ranked within the competitive collegiate dance community. In February of 2000, the team competed nationally for the first time at the USA Collegiate National Championships in Las Vegas and took home 5th place. Years later the team is still going strong thanks to all of the hard work and dedication of current and previous advisors, coaches, captains, and dance team members. Members now have the opportunity to perform with the SDSU Marching Aztecs, and they also receive priority registration and an annual stipend.

8. Arizona State University
   Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, has more than one dance team. The most well known and visible team is the Dancing Devils. The Dancing Devils sport club is the dance team that performs at football games and the men’s and women’s basketball games. They also perform at various Arizona State University and Tempe community events. Another dance team is the Devil DanceSport is an official Sun Devil Sports and SORC club at Arizona State University. The Devil DanceSport represents Arizona State University in ballroom dance competitions and events, both on-campus and off-campus. This year the Devil DanceSport hosts their eighth annual Devil DanceSport Invitational! Last year, their competition saw over 170 competitors, from 15 schools and five states register for nearly 1,000 entries. Due to this popularity, the Devil DanceSport Invitational has become the largest collegiate/amateur ballroom dance competition in the state of Arizona. The competition will include amateur single-dance events and multi-dance events for individual partnerships. These events cover the American Rhythm, American Smooth, International Latin and International Standard dances; nightclub dances such as Salsa, West Coast Swing, and Lindy Hop; and many more. They also have a sport club called the Swing Devils who focuses on swing dancing.

9. Rutgers University
   The Rutgers University Dance Team performs during every home Football game as well as Men’s and Women’s Basketball games. . These performances require members to know numerous band dances, cheers, and routines to be performed on the field during Football media timeouts and as half-time shows for basketball games. While they do not receive scholarship money, they are granted book stipends, as well as a varsity letter because of their hard work. The RAC on Livingston campus is their home. This arena is where they practice three days a week, 3 hours at a time, in preparation for games, marketing events, charitable appearances, and fundraisers. Each year they attend UDA Collegiate Dance Team Nationals. With top ten placements in both Jazz and Pom, the Rutgers University Dance Team places amongst the best in the nation each year as a result of the members’ incredible technique and dedication. As a member of the Rutgers Dance Team, one has the opportunity to find one’s niche in such a large institution and represent the university through a strong tradition of success, talent, and respect. The Dance Team trains during the summer and attends a collegiate dance team camp in August. They also build their technique while learning and choreographing routines.

10. University of Colorado – Boulder
    The Buff Gold Dance Team is composed of talented dancers, both men and women at the University of Colorado, Boulder. They are a collegiate level dance team that competes annually at nationals. They are a part of the Collegiate Club Sports Department at the University of Colorado. Our role at CU is to support their fellow student athletes, especially the Collegiate Club Sports Teams. Buff Gold is a jazz and a hip hop team where team members have the opportunity to participate in both teams or just one of the two. Dancers are selected after a competitive audition in the Fall. In the upcoming season team members will perform at hockey, volleyball, basketball, rugby, lacrosse and soccer games among many others. They will also be seen participating in alumni events, the Homecoming Parade and many other events throughout the Boulder community. Their team is heavily involved in fundraising events as they are not fully funded by the University and they also participate in many volunteer programs to help their surrounding community. They absolutely love what they do!

11. Temple University
    The Diamond Gems Dance Team, as part of the Temple University Spirit Squad, strives to entertain, energize and inspire at designated Temple Athletic contests and promotional events at the direction of the administration of the Temple Department of Athletics. The Temple University Diamond Gems is a group of 20 talented women from all over the East Coast. With three to four practices per week, games, and appearances, these young women balance their hectic dance team schedules while maintaining the title “student athlete” and working hard in the classroom. The team performs at all football, and men’s and women’s basketball games as well as volleyball contests. They also compete in the annual UDA College National Dance Team Championships in Orlando, Florida where they recently placed 8th in the Nation for their Hip-Hop performance. As one of the faces of Temple University, the Diamond Gems strive to bring positivity and enthusiasm in support of their University to the Philadelphia area and beyond.

12. Florida State University
    Florida State University’s Golden Girls is a dance team comprised of 23 young women who cheer for the hottest team in the ACC. However, according to their coach, Wendy Crawford, they are not cheerleaders. They do not stunt or tumble. They are dancers. They are the Golden Girls, Florida State University’s official dance team, and they excite the crowd at home basketball games with their three performances and corresponding outfit changes. More than 30 years ago, Florida State University established the Golden Girls dance team to entertain the crowds during football and basketball games. Now, over 100 girls try out each year, with the few selections practicing near-daily to support all Seminoles teams (including volleyball). The girls are all students, and most work part time jobs, hold internships and participate in charitable events across Tallahassee. When not involved with school or employment, the team competes on a national level in the world of dance. The Golden Girls currently rank No. 1 for dance teams in the ACC, and are in the top-ten nationally. Even the current Miss Florida Victoria Cowen (3rd runner-up at the 2015 Miss America Pageant) was a Golden Girl.

13. University of Michigan
    The University of Michigan Dance Team performs on the sidelines of all University of Michigan home football and basketball games and is a competitive dance team that competes nationally each year in Orlando, Florida. This team represents and supports the University of Michigan through spirit and has consistently placed in the Top 10 at UDA College Nationals for the past 10 years. The team was also awarded The Most Collegiate Award at dance team camp in August 2012. Founded approximately 20 years ago, the team is composed of 25 undergraduate students that come from a variety of majors, but share a common passion of dance. Recognized under the University of Michigan Athletic Department, the team practices four to five days a week along with several weekly appearances and games. You can find the team supporting University of Michigan Athletics at many varsity sporting events including all home football games, men’s and women’s home basketball games, soccer, tennis, and wrestling. The team also supports the University and its students at other campus events throughout the year. Additionally, the Michigan Dance Team represents the University at the Universal Dance Association’s (UDA) National Cheerleading and Dance Team Championship held in Orlando, Florida every January.

14. University of Wisconsin
    The University of Wisconsin Dance Team is one third of the Spirit Squad. The UW Spirit Squad is a highly visible, enthusiastic and talented group of student-athletes with a primary purpose to support Intercollegiate Athletics and serve as ambassadors for the UW. The Spirit Squad is comprised of the Cheerleading Squad, the Dance Team and the Bucky Badger Mascots. All three teams represent Badger athletics and the University at various public relation events. The Dance Team is a proud and respected group of collegiate student-athletes that support Badger athletics. They perform at all home football and men’s basketball games, along with appearances at various Public Relation events and University functions. Typically, the Dance Team also supports the football team at one away game per season and at a Bowl game. Not only are the UW Dancers athletes, but they are also ambassadors that represent the University of Wisconsin. Since 2001, the Dance Team has consistently been ranked in the top ten at the UDA College Dance Team National Championships. Spirit Squad members are well supported student-athletes of the UW and have access to some of the best athletic facilities in the country, along with quality Sports Medicine care, dedicated time from Strength and Conditioning coach and use of the Fetzer Student Athlete Academic Center.

15. University of Arizona
    The University of Arizona Pom and Dance Line is an integral auxiliary of the nationally renowned “Pride of Arizona” Marching and Pep Bands. The primary goal of their line is to perform sideline routines and halftime shows at UA all home football and men’s basketball games. In addition, the Pom Line is a separate performance group, competing nationally while also providing outreach to the community through appearances, performances, and volunteer work. Over the years the University of Arizona Pom Line has competed in United Spirit Association (USA) Collegiate Nationals in Las Vegas and California as well was the Universal Dance Association (UDA) Collegiate Nationals in Florida. They first began competing in 1999 and they are the 2002 USA National Champions. The Pride of Arizona Pep Band and Pom Line made a guest appearance on FOX & Friends with Brian Kilmeade during Super Bowl XLIX. The Pom Line was also cast in the Halftime Show with Katy Perry. The University of Arizona Pom Line feels it is important to reach out and support the Tucson community. They have had the opportunity to participate in events supporting the other outstanding organizations including the Salvation Army, NAMI Walk of Southern Arizona, Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and Girl Scouts.

16. Cal State University – Fullerton
    The California State University at Fullerton Titans Dance Team is both a competitive and performance squad. The University’s Spirit Squad, which includes the Titans Dance Team, foremost purpose is to support Titan Athletics, enhancing game excitement and crowd involvement. They are also committed to promoting Titan Athletics through creating a cooperative spirit between the teams, the student body and the athletics community. Additionally, they perform their routines at exhibitions and local high school competitions. On the competitive side, they compete in two major competitions during the year. Their main competition for the year is held in Orlando, Florida, sponsored by the Universal Dance Association (UDA). They are proud to say they have been champs for 13 out of the past 15 years including this year in Jazz and also hold one National title in Hip Hop! This past season they competed in the Pom Division for the first time in Cal State Fullerton history and placed 2nd!!! You can see this competition on ESPN/ESPN 2 throughout the year… so tune in (check your local listings for times and dates). The other primary competition is held in Anaheim, California, which is sponsored by USA (United Spirit Association). They are proud to announce that they have placed first there in 2006-2008 and 2010-2014!

17. Saint Joseph’s University
    The Saint Joseph’s University Dance Team performs at all Hawk basketball home games, as well as campus events such as Hawk Hysteria, Hand in Hand, and more! In the last few years, the team has also been fortunate enough to dance at a few 76ers home games and several Phillies’ games alongside the Philly Phanatic. They even performed at one of the World Series games at Citizens Bank Park in 2008!! The Dance Team competes annually at the UDA College National Dance Competition in Walt Disney World and is currently a nationally ranked Division I team! They are the National Champions in Division 1 Pom and Division 1 Hip Hop. All dance team members have extensive dance experience, with backgrounds in ballet, jazz, hip hop, lyrical and tap. In addition, the Saint Joseph’s University Dance Team is active in the surrounding community and welcomes opportunities to perform and volunteer at charity and community events.

18. Boston College
    The Golden Eagles Dance Team, along with the Color Guard, delivers a high energy visual impact on Game Day! As part of the “Screaming Eagles” Marching Band, the Golden Eagles perform in parades, pep rallies, halftime shows, and on the sidelines at home football games. During the spring semester, the Team dances at many home athletic events as well as Boston College’s Arts Festival. The Golden Eagles have traveled from Los Angeles to Louisiana to Montreal, and have performed with the Dropkick Murphys, Macklemore, and in the 2012 Presidential Inaugural Parade. The time commitment is pretty high. Not only dodo they rehearse close to 7 hours a week, September through November and must participate in all home football games and predetermined Marching Band functions, with the potential opportunity to travel to away and post season events.

19. North Dakota State University
    The North Dakota State University Bison Dance Team is a highly spirited program which prides itself on school pride, spirit and talent. Team members play an important role in the support of Bison Athletics and North Dakota State University. The team performs at home football games, basketball games and special events throughout the season. In addition, the team competes nationally in Orlando, Florida at the UDA collegiate National championship where they have taken home the national title in Division 1 Pom in 2012, 2013, and 2014.

20. University of North Dakota
    The 2014-15 Dance Team is be a combined sideline and competition team consisting of 12 to 18 members. Dancers perform at all home football and home basketball games and compete at four to 6 competitions a season including UDA Nationals in Orlando, Florida. Being on the UNFD Dance Team is a wonderful experience, but is a serious time commitment. The Dance Team commitment is three to five days a week. All practices, assigned games, events and competitions are mandatory. There are several fundraising events throughout the year to provide support for travel representing the University of North Dakota. The Dance Team has practice and event commitments over semester break.

21. University of Delaware
    The University of Delaware Dance Team is a Nationally ranked team who competes annually at the UCA/UDA National Championships in Walt Disney World. The 15 to 18 member team performs regularly at home football and basketball games, travels to post-season play with the basketball teams, and also performs at other sporting events as available. In addition the team also performs at various university, and community events such as Homecoming, Parent’s Weekend, variety shows and charity events. The Dance Team performs jazz, hip hop, and pom style routines with skill and technique attained through years of dance studio experience. The team practices three to four times a week for two to three hours each practice, as well as participation in AM workout sessions two to three times a week in order to maintain optimal fitness. The season begins in August with camp, and concludes with the basketball tournament in March. Auditions are held in April to select the following year’s team. Each member receives a partial scholarship applied to their tuition.

22. Hofstra University
    The Hofstra University Dance Team (HUDT) is an exciting and competitive collegiate dance team that performs at University athletic events as well as other events held on and off campus. The members of the team support the Hofstra athletic programs and promote general school spirit. They are a group of dedicated individuals that are determined to improve in their abilities and entertain audiences with their exhilarating routines. HUDT has developed into one of the premier college dance programs in the United States. The Hofstra Dance Team has been nationally ranked for the past 20 years and has been in the top ten for 18 of those years, top five for 16 of those years, top three for 9 of those years, and has been named National Champions in 2006, 2012, and 2013. The team is currently Nationally ranked 4th in Jazz and 2nd in Hip Hop and Internationally ranked 2nd in Jazz Doubles. The team has also competed locally and is ranked #1 among colleges on Long Island. Due to the team’s demanding schedule, they dedicate approximately 18 hours per week toward practice, athletic events, University events, technique, and weight/strength training.

23. Southeastern Louisiana University
    The Southeastern Lionettes is the official dance team of Southeastern Louisiana University and is one of the University’s Spirit Groups. They promote school spirit and support athletic events on and off campus. Homecoming gives them a great opportunity to give something back to the community and show everyone what they are made of. The Southeastern Lionettes bring Southeastern spirit to the community during Homecoming with various performances and a spirit competition for junior high and high school students. They have had a highly successful year and feel it is due, in part, to the wide range of support from both Southeastern and the surrounding area. The Lionettes are chosen in the spring and it is a full year commitment. They are selected based on their advanced jazz, pom and hip-hop abilities as well as their academic and fitness accomplishments. The Lionettes compete nationally in the annual UDA College Dance Competition in Orlando, Florida, during the month of January. In only their second year of national competition, the Lionettes placed eighth in Division I of the 2002 College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championship in Orlando. At the 2015 competition, the Lionettes finished 3rd in the Division I Hip Hop category and 4th in the Division 1 Jazz category.

24. Sacramento State University
    The Sacramento State Hornet Girlz Dance Team provides quality entertainment for the Athletic Department. The Hornet Girlz are the dancers you see on the sidelines at nearly every game, from football to women’s basketball, dressed in sparkly green and gold costumes and are not to be confused with the cheerleading team. Unlike the majority of college dance teams, the Hornet Girlz main purpose is not competing for national trophies. The team is completely focused on providing a spirit squad at Sacramento State University. They believe their job is really important because they serve as ambassadors to the school and because they can get their friends and the crowd involved in different things. This group of energetic and hard-working young women not only performs at Athletic events, they are involved in other campus related activities such as Dorm-Move-In-Day, Homecoming Week, and The Choreography Showcase through the Dance Department. In addition to performing on campus and studying, they are very involved in community outreach. They participate in the Breast Cancer Awareness walks, the Relay for Life and Vision walks among others. Also, the Dance Team annually hosts a dance clinic for the community, performs at local high schools and the Shriners Children’s Hospital. Obviously, being part of the team is not easy. It is time consuming and hard work!

25. St John’s University
    The Red Storm, the St. John’s University Dance Team, has been in existence for over 40 years, and is rich in tradition and pride. Every year 15 to 20 young ladies with diverse dance backgrounds, perform during time-outs and halftime of all home basketball and soccer games and some away games. One of the many games where they have performed has been the halftime show for the Red Storm basketball team at the Madison Square Garden in New York City with 19,000 excited fans screaming. The thrill of dancing on the floor of the world’s most famous arena must be amazing! The Dance Team has also made appearances at other sports events. While a major part of their season is spent supporting the varsity Red Storm sports, the Dance Team competes annually and is currently ranked 3rd in the country amongst Division I squads. Although there is no dance major at St. John’s many girls on the team take advantage of the close proximity to Manhattan (located only 20 minutes from campus), and attend classes at famous Broadway Dance Center and STEPS on Broadway. Members of the St. John’s Dance Team are superior ambassadors for the University and New York evidenced by their selflessness and contributions to their community. The team is actively involved in the Breast Cancer Walk, the Foundation for Fighting Blindness, and Special Olympics.

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