Wet tennis shoes squeak on the wood floor as the University’s first hip-hop dance team, the Jam Squad, practices for its first event as a professional team: the University Women’s basketball game on Nov. 30 and two upcoming Portland Trail Blazers games.
The Jam Squad, in its first year as an ASUO organization, is a non-competitive, extracurricular activity for students who have skills and a passion for dance, but lack the formal training many teams require.
“I know a lot of girls who are amazing dancers but don’t have the technical abilities,” said University junior Brittany McGrath, the team’s founder and coach.
Team captain Joanna Meng, a senior, had been dancing with a group of friends for fun since her freshman year, and supported McGrath’s proposal to make the Jam Squad a formal team last year.
“We were tired of having to fight for performances or practice space,” Meng said. The team was approved as a non-funded ASUO group in January.
This year’s tryouts took place the first week of November. McGrath and the three team captains looked for ability, showmanship and dancers who worked well in a team environment.
“The first day 75 girls showed up, which was way beyond our expectations,” McGrath said.
McGrath created the team for students who wanted to participate, but lacked the free time to commit to a competitive team. Today’s team boasts 30 members.
“The girls individually are probably less stressed out and have fun with it,” McGrath said. The majority of the girls don’t want to dance for “a career, but an activity,” she said.
Anna Geiger, a team captain and University junior, said she is actively involved in business clubs, and wouldn’t have enough time to commit to a competitive team.
“It doesn’t revolve around perfection,” Geiger said of the group’s goal.
In addition to being less time restrictive, and less technically challenging than other dance teams, the Jam Squad focuses on hip-hop moves and dancers are not required to intermix jazz or other types of dance, Meng said.
“I really wanted to focus on doing it for fun,” McGrath said.
Before the team was formally recognized by the University, the girls performed at basketball games, sorority and fraternity events and local school events, although this year they are facing bigger venues, such as two Trail Blazers games during winter break.
The team is currently fund-raising by selling tickets to the Portland games that they will perform at, including the pre-game show against the Houston Rockets and the half-time show against the Toronto Raptors.
McGrath, who has performed at the NFL Pro Bowl and Trail Blazers games with her Aloha High School, said the girls are learning five dances this month and are cramming in practices to be ready for this month’s booked events.
McGrath choreographs around 70 percent of the Jam Squad’s dances, and encourages teammates and captains to get involved in creating dances.
“I choreograph when I’m tired of studying,” McGrath said, who describes it as “an outlet” for being overwhelmed with school. “It’s really important to be involved with activities other than academics,” she said.
Geiger said she is impressed with the team’s progress this year, and thinks it will be ready for its upcoming performances.
“I see (the group) getting better each year, stronger each year and getting known,” McGrath said. “I see it going all the way.”
To purchase tickets for either of the Trail Blazers games the team will perform at during winter break, contact McGrath via e-mail at [email protected].
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