Colleen Rockwell ‘18
Staff Writer
Merrimack College’s Dance Team goes to Daytona, Florida to compete in Nationals each year. In order for the team to get from Merrimack to Florida, the team must raise money to fund part of their trip. The dancers put on an annual show called Merrimack’s Best Dance Crew which this year, was on Tuesday February 16. This is one of many fundraisers they have during the year. Dancing with the Stars is held in the fall and money is also raised during their annual dinner, as well as the end of the year showcase. The team raises just over one thousand dollars from these events.
When the dance team involves students with their fundraising events, it often causes the audience to laugh out loud because most of the participants have very little to no dance experience. A sophomore participant, Dylan Scott said, “I was so lucky to be in a crew with all of my friends, so it made the experience that much more fun.”
Even though the Merrimack’s Best Dance Crew performance was not sold out, the audience members were very enthusiastic and loud. There were many laughs from the audience throughout the nine numbers that were in the line-up. The audience thought the dance off at the end of the performance was hilarious, as everyone was laughing hysterically and cheering the dancers on. Emily Bertolami, who is a sophomore said “I thought [the show] was very put together and the dances made me want to start dancing.”
The event had a great atmosphere, and everyone could tell that a lot of hard work was put into creating an event that is directed toward the community of Merrimack. Alina Porzio who is a junior, as well as one of the team’s captains said, “A lot of planning goes into every show we do. We actually rented Roger’s Center and picked our dates way back in May for both show dates and dress rehearsal dates.”
The team works with the Roger’s Center’s staff on those days to make sure everything goes smoothly on the night of the performances. Along with rental dates, the team advertises as much as they can either on social media or by selling tickets on Main Street.
These events are a nice way for Merrimack’s community to come together and support the dance team on their road to Nationals.
