Madison Hudson
Staff Writer
As the Ontario Reign faced the Calgary Wranglers in a match up at the Toyota Arena, the University of La Verne dance team received the opportunity to perform during halftime and dominated their choreography Saturday afternoon.
Performing to Beyonce’s live remix of “Crazy in Love,” “Diva” and “Run the World,” the Leopards implemented sharp arm work, formation changes, hip-hop choreography, transitions to multiple spots on the ice, and a few spicy kicks.
Junior criminology major Anya Habeeb joined the dance this year and was ecstatic about the outcome of their performance. Habeeb loved the way the uniforms looked and felt that the choreography was clean and sharply executed.
“My favorite part of the routine was the ending because it was quick-paced and ended with a bang, an amazing way to finish a performance,” Habeeb said. “I think the performance went really well, and I was super happy with how it all came together in the end.”
Adding multiple different skills that were incorporated into the routine made the crowd go wild and continue to cheer on the team, adding great energy and positivity as the performance continued.
Sophomore Alyssa Kinsey popped out of the performance with amazing facial expressions and astonishingly clean moves. From start to finish, Kinsey was exhilarated to take on their first huge performance at the arena.
“Hip-hop skills were mainly focused on with sharp arms and movements and we also focused on precise transitions to new sports and looking as uninformed as possible,” Kinsey said. “The highlight of the routine for me was the very first part because it builds suspense for the rest of the routine although it was slower. It shows the progression into the more hip-hop style and the sharpness behind the moves.”
Sophomore Mikayla Dacapno is a second year dancer and was thrilled with the performance. Dacapno thought that it was one of the best routines so far because of the energy and having such an amazing group of girls to produce such an amazing piece, matching one another’s vitality.
“Along with the kick, the diagonal formation was really impressive and my favorite part of the routine because of the spectacular choreography that was put together,” Dacapno said. “The dance implemented mostly hip-hop, so focusing on sharp footwork and arms was huge, some were thrown in there, and it added an awesome touch to the routine.”
The pristine skills that were executed throughout the routine show how much work and dedication each dancer put into attending their practices and made sure to implement all of the skills sharply, they did just that.
Senior Jennifer Arciniega went out with a bang and performed each skill with ease. The smile on Arciniega’s face throughout the routine showed how much she enjoyed receiving the opportunity to show the arena her skills and talent.
“I loved all the formation changes, we had five, and they were all so clean, which showed the crowd how strong of a team we are,” Arciniega said. “We also have a CAB event on Thursday that some of the girls are performing in, as well as a dance showcase in April which is what I am looking forward to next.”
After putting together such an amazing performance at the Toyota Area, the next step for the Leopards dance team is selecting the new captains and attending another event on April 14 in the ballrooms to showcase their skills for the La Verne students and faculty members.
Madison Hudson can be reached at madison.hudson@laverne.edu.
Madison Hudson is a staff writer for the Campus Times.
