LU Dance, under direction of cheerleading coach, set for Saturday’s debut as Club Sports program
9/8/2022 6:07:00 PM | Dance
In its first season as an official Liberty University Club Sports program, LU Dance, the 21-member competitive dance team formerly known as “The Flamettes,” will be guided by Nicholas Thomason, head coach of the Liberty Cheerleading team.
Thomason, a South Carolina native who transferred to Liberty from North Greenville University in 2016, is currently pursuing a second master’s degree while working as a business data analyst for Liberty. He is serving as the interim LU Dance director while a search for a full-time head coach continues.
“Coming from a place of leadership, I know what needs to happen to make them successful … to make sure that they’re matriculated well to their role, getting prepared for the games (including football and basketball) and upcoming competitions,” Thomason said. “Giving them daily encouragement and giving them feedback on what they are doing will allow them to progress to a higher level.”
He will be overseeing the performance quality of the dance routines and assure that they meet the university’s standards, reflecting the light of Christ to the community and the world that could tune in to televised performances and competitions.
“I will be providing that clear sense of direction and streamlining or bridging that gap between what the school would like to see and what they as a team would like to do,” Thomason said. “I’m going to act as that intermediary between the two. Their vision aligns with the school’s vision of trying to compete in a highly competitive environment and representing Christ while doing so.”
The team will make its 2022-23 season debut, sporting new uniforms with the Liberty University logo, at Saturday’s Flames Football home opener against UAB at Williams Stadium. LU Dance will be performing on the field with the Spirit of the Mountain Marching Band during the pre-game festivities and again during a timeout break. Team members will be located in the student section and continue to dance throughout the game when the band performs and music is played.
LU Dance, which made its first appearances at the Flames Football home games last season after previously performing primarily at men’s and women’s basketball games at Liberty Arena, will play a key part in creating an upgraded game day atmosphere at Williams Stadium this season.
“We are trying to create a bigger presence on game day, as a lot of big SEC and ACC schools have done, with a lot going on and more people involved on the field,” Thomason said. “That develops buy-in for the crowd. A lot of what we’ll be doing this year is building traditions and fan involvement and adding LU Dance will enhance that while giving the team a chance to be on the field and compete. Cheer, band, dance, and the mascot (Sparky) all work as one cohesive element to add to the atmosphere.”
He said performing in front of an anticipated record crowd for Saturday’s 6 p.m. opener will be an opportunity to demonstrate new dance routines and raise the spirits of the fans who are cheering the football team on to victory.
“This is the culmination of everything we’re doing, getting ready for college football game day and making sure we’re all on the same page with our preparation,” Thomason said. “Dancing in front of an audience that large will instill confidence so that when they perform in competition and they are judged on it, they will be prepared to handle the pressure.”
Team members will also participate in a two-day camp led by National Dance Alliance (NDA) instructors at the end of September, a requirement for participating in the NCA & NDA National Championships from April 5-9 in Daytona Beach, Fla.
“That’s where they will develop the routine for competition and game day dances and sideline material as well, so that they can perform it at their best on the field in front of a crowd,” Thomason said.
He said several factors go into judging dance competitions, including how well they perform, the creativity of the routine, and cohesion within the team.
“(Judges) look for perfection,” Thomason said.
He said the competitive dance platform LU Dance will be performing on in Florida will allow the team to showcase its skills on a national stage.
“A lot of the teams that they’re going up against are big-named programs, some of which are the same that we play in football, such as BYU and UConn,” Thomason said. “Then, there are others such as NC State that will be there (at NDA nationals), along with the University of South Carolina, Texas Tech, Middle Tennessee, Clemson, and Georgia Tech. Those are big schools that we want to compete against in the future in athletics, and LU Dance will be able to compete head-to-head against them first, so we’re trying to develop a highly competitive team.”
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer