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Marquette Dance Team Leadership Project
Project type
Leadership Role
Date
April 2024
Location
Marquette University - Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Insights
How can a collegiate dance team maintain performance quality, team morale, and operational structure over the course of our eleven month season - while also balancing academic and personal schedules? Within a leadership role I have led several strategies to meet this challenge including team collaboration and relationship building, been a resource for mentorship and feedback to our younger girls, and have acted as a bridge for communication from the coaching staff to our team. By the end of the year, our team had performed at over 25 home basketball games, and countless community events. Team feedback showed improved cohesion and clarity in communication. Most important, we finished our season with a strong team bond and excited to continue.
I was able to research things other collegiate dance teams were doing to properly arrange opportunities for our girls such as finding recent music we are able to apply into our choreography and performances, uniforms that would match well with our team, and gaining feedback from our team on things they would like to see be implemented.
One of the biggest challenges was managing energy and morale during our peak academic seasons. Leading a group of peers also meant learning to find balance between friendship and authoritative figure and having to get us back on track.
This experience has taught me how to lead with both confidence and compassion. I learned to think under pressure, manage an eleven month timeline, and be a voice for others. I am proud of the team we have grown into and have been honored to played a role in this team in any way that I could have.
This project is a result of my leadership role as Captain of the Marquette University Dance Team during the 2024 academic year. My leadership responsibilities extended far beyond the performance floor—this role combined bridging communication, creative direction, team management, and school spirit ambassadorship into one dynamic experience.
Background & Context
I was selected as Captain following three years of experience on the team. This extracurricular position, though not tied to a specific class, functioned with the professionalism and structure of a part-time job. We performed at NCAA Division I basketball games and campus events, which demanded extensive planning and coordination. My role required constant collaboration with teammates, coaches, and university departments to ensure the team maintained its standard of excellence.