Photo Courtesy to Bret Hundley
By: Grace Replogle
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (UATV) — The Razorback Dance Team has stepped up at Universal Dance Association Nationals once again.
In 2025, the team returned to compete for the first time in ten years and chose to keep that streak going this year.
Senior Grace Olson is grateful for the opportunity to compete and represent the Razorbacks at UDA for her last two seasons. Olson says that the change has definitely impacted the team’s mindset.
“At the start of my junior year, our coach, Coach Britt, surprised us and said we were going to Nationals. It was definitely so exciting, but I was scared that our team dynamic would change.”
Olson was right; the team dynamic did change, but not in the way she thought. Olson described the team coming together in a busy season full of game days and nine-to-nine practices.
“Somehow, none of us get tired of each other, and we just really worked as a well-oiled machine, and going through nationals with them was truly a testament to their hard work.”
Being a member of the Razorback dance team is a huge commitment. They have their own practices and competitions while cheering on the Razorbacks at various events and community appearances. Olson has definitely had to manage her time wisely between practice, school, and her sorority events, but says it’s always manageable.
“I knew that time management was going to be super important for me, especially in my freshman year. When we weren’t competing, I had to learn a lot about myself in self-discipline and time management, because it’s so much fun to be in college, but school comes first.”
The UDA competition has blown up on social media for the past couple of years. Online critics are judging the dancers, coaches, judges, and schools on their performance. This season, the Razorbacks took the heat from online critics but made sure it did not impact their performance.
Whitney Stewart, a sophomore from Little Rock, says that social media has helped her and her team when looking at the different teams competing.
“I feel like the past couple of years, the exposure on this competition has been insane, and it’s definitely shown in the competition too. Even the growth from last year, it is just so busy; the environment is just so electric due to social media exposure.”
For the past two seasons at UDA, the Razorbacks have placed 8th in D1A Gameday. Even though the placement is the same, Stewart feels like the team came in more confident and was proud of their performance once walking off the stage.
“It was challenging to receive the same placement, especially because I do think our program has changed so much in this past year. We’re constantly striving for more excellence. I really do, as a team, feel like we improved so much, especially on game day, and we did make it to finals again. As long as we came off the floor feeling like we did the best that we could, and we were proud, super proud of what we did, and felt a vast improvement, it just makes me more excited for the years to come, because we have something to keep fighting for.”
One important preparation step the team takes for UDA is positive collaboration within the team. After every practice, the team circles up and shouts out their fellow teammates as a way to show their appreciation. Stewart describes the team’s energy and how everyone is always checking in on each other.
“So at the end of every nationals practice, we gave a positive pick to a new person. It was a sweet thing that helped the energy of the team, and we are all really good about checking in on each other and knowing what one another needs. Coach Britt is also really great, and she cares a lot about us and how we are doing, too, not just how we’re performing.”
Sophomore Bella Bauer prides herself on making her performances easy to watch. She makes sure that she still looks like an athlete at different events while still giving the audience that performing aspect. Some fans and critics don’t know all the training and preparation it takes for everyday events and appearances.
“We don’t try to get more points than another team. Our performance is based on how well we did within our two-minute routine on the stage, and so there’s a lot of pressure that comes with that, but also, we’re training for that two minutes. It takes a lot of training, and dance is different than other sports.”
Returning to UDA is a goal that the team has for the coming years. Bauer described how it is important to prove themselves to alumni and Razorback fans.
“I think a lot of it goes back to our alumni who built that from the ground up. Coming from the area, I’ve been around this program for a really long time, and I’ve looked up to them for as long as I can remember.”
The Razorback dance team is continuing to cheer at various sporting events and continues to strive for excellence in the Fayetteville communities. The team says they want their fans and family to know that they are so thankful for their support during this busy time. Lastly, the Razorback dance team is grateful for the opportunity to represent their school at UDA and hopes to come back for more.
