Lyndsay Krisel
Equinox Staff
Every year, the Keene State College dance team has begun its season with a kick-off performance at Midnight Madness with a unique routine that has created much excitement among the students.
However, to the misfortune of many Keene State College students and athletic teams, the annual Midnight Madness event was not held due to lack of funding this year.
It has had an effect on the sports teams of our community, in particular, The KSC dance team, who often receive a lot of hype and publicity during this event.
This year however, the team made its first appearance at Pumpkin Lobotomy to show off its spirit and enthusiasm for a new season full of moves.
Junior Emileigh Liebetruth commented a bit about the differences in performing at Pumpkin Fest this year instead of Midnight Madness.
“Nothing compares to Midnight Madness,” Liebetruth stated. “But we always try to amp it up at Pumpkin Fest. It’s just different, because our closest friends will come to support us at Pumpkin Fest, but almost the entire school comes to Midnight Madness.”
Liebetruth said one of the team’s main goals for this year is to get recognized by the school and the town of Keene in general.
“We are really going to try to perform for all of the athletic teams this year, since we have been strictly dedicated to the basketball teams,” Liebetruth mentioned.
Student-run by sophomore Lisa Garamella and junior Kellee McNeill, the team said they hope to see a new change-up in routines and team bonding this year.
Team Captain Kellee McNeill discussed how performing for the school benefits and prepares the team for its competitions.
“We often find that we want to do well in front of our friends,” McNeill said. “So that puts us in the mindset that we need to be in to do well in front of judges as well.”
Liebetruth said performing for the school is like a preseason game for competitions.
She said they use the opportunity to prepare themselves, train their bodies, get facials, and it is really just a time for the team to bond with both their school and teammates, and show off what they have worked so hard to do.
McNeill explained some of the new and different things they are doing this season.
“The past two years the team has been run by the same girls, this year there are no seniors, just myself and Lisa running the team, and we’re feeling pretty confident about what we’ve done so far,” McNeill said.
“We are really trying to bond this year as a team as well,” Liebetruth added. “We have been organizing team socials, and things that will bring us together outside of the team, so we have all become really close.”
Team Captain Lisa Garamella mentioned the team did a breast cancer walk together in October, and also does big sister/little sister relationships within the team, where the older girls will choose freshmen as their little sisters, and do fun activities together outside of dancing.
“We’re like a family,” Garamella said. “And its fun all sharing a common interest in dance because you can literally be out at a party with your friends and just bust a move, and its completely normal because its what we do all the time.”
Liebetruth said dancing is a passion of hers that she is able to share with all of her teammates.
Aside from it being a great release from stress, she said it is also a good form of self-expression.
“It is such a great feeling to be able to do what I love around others who love it as well,” Liebetruth said.
Liebetruth said the captains have a few expectations in store for the team this year, including competitions, but also plan on becoming more local and known around Keene as well.
The KSC dance team’s next performance will be at a new social function that is being organized for this year known as The Kick-off, Tip-off, similar to Midnight Madness. This KSC pep rally will give our teams the chance to perform and be noticed by the community.
This event will hopefully take place on Nov. 11 or 17, so students will get the chance to get out there and support both the dance and basketball teams as well.
Lyndsay Krisel can be contacted at lkrisel@ksc.mailcruiser.com