College dance team places as national runner-up

National Dance Photo Album

The Coffeyville Community College dance team placed as runner-up at the American Dance/Drill Team National Championship on March 29 at the campus of the University of North Texas in Denton. 

The CCC team competed at the Division II level against seven other schools including Tarleton State, the University of Wisconsin, Blinn College, Pearl River Community College, Cowley College, Trinity Valley, and McLennan Community College.  Blinn College of Brenham, Texas, won the Division II competition.

The CCC dancers performed a two minute routine choreographed by head dance coach Amy Folkerts.  Folkerts also serves as a recruiter and admissions adviser at CCC.

The routine Folkerts choreographed included material acquired from a February dance clinic held in Tulsa, Oklahoma that featured Shane Sparks.  Sparks is known for his MTV shows “America’s Next Dance Crew” and “So, You Think You Can Dance.”

Pictured with the national runner-up trophy are as follows:
Front row: Colby Harkness, freshman from Leavenworth; Shayla Williams, sophomore from Wichita.
Back row: Amy Folkerts, CCC Dance Coach; Britt’Ney Ogans, sophomore from Tulsa; Kelsey Martin, sophomore from Wichita; Megan Walterscheid, sophomore from Coffeyville; Kerry Lee, sophomore from Coffeyville; and Tiffany Holloman, freshman from Coffeyville.

Three judges critiqued each team at the event.  Team scores were determined by a variety of criteria including appearance, content, showmanship and execution/technique.

“I was really pleased with the critiques since we have such a small group and had only two weeks to work on this routine,” said Folkerts.  “Most teams have two to three months to work on this national routine.”

Dancers who competed for Coffeyville included Britt’Ney Ogans, sophomore from Tulsa, Oklahoma; Kelsey Martin, sophomore from Wichita; Megan Walterscheid, sophomore from Coffeyville; Kerry Lee, sophomore from Coffeyville; Tiffany Holloman, freshman from Coffeyville; Colby Harkness, freshman from Leavenworth; and Shayla Williams, sophomore from Wichita.

The dancers also got an opportunity to view a professional dance squad at the competition.  “At the awards ceremony on Saturday night, the Dallas Mavericks dance team performed and that was a great experience for the team to see,” said Folkerts.

CCC is looking to expand the dance team next school year.  Fifty students are being sought for the program.

“There will be two all-girl teams and right now we’re looking to have an all guys team of eight to ten,” said Folkerts.  “Ideally I would like someone with some studio experience.  Performers are our biggest thing, people who can entertain the crowd.”

Folkerts, who danced this past year for the Tulsa 66ers basketball team and in college with the K-State Classy Cats, will be holding tryouts on April 27.  The tryouts will begin at 8 a.m. in Nellis Hall.

Registration forms for the tryouts are available on the college web site. Scholarships will be offered directly following the tryout, according to Folkerts.

For more information about the dance team, please contact Folkerts at 620-252-7350 or via email at amyf@coffeyville.edu.