By Amanda Alaniz

UPDATE: APRIL, 2 - The UTRGV Dance Team competed and earned the title of 1st Runner-Up in Team Jazz and 1st Runner-Up Overall. 

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – MARCH 28, 2025 – The stage is set. The beats are bumping. And the UTRGV Dance Team is ready to impress at its inaugural national competition.

The 16 UTRGV students who make up the team will head to the American Dance/Drill Team Collegiate Dance Competition on Saturday, March 29, at the University of North Texas in Denton.

UTRGV will be one of 21 collegiate dance teams competing. Each team will be evaluated on a scoresheet with a 100-point range, and will be assigned to the appropriate collegiate division.

While the dance team has been part of UTRGV since it opened its doors in 2015, this is the first time they will participate in a national competition.

Sel Gomez, head coach of the UTRGV Spirit Program, is in her third year as the coach and has made it a goal to shine a spotlight on the dance team.

 “When I came on board, I knew the cheer team was very competitive, and I wanted to provide that same opportunity to the dance team,” she said. “So, preparing them for their very first competition in UTRGV history, it would be something that would make the alumni proud, and make the university proud.”    

STEPPING UP

The dancers have been prepping hard for the challenge, scheduling early morning practices and rehearsing during Spring Break, spending hours going over their routine. Now, they said, they are ready to bring the spirit of Vaquero Nation to the national stage for the first time at this competition.

Mariah Alvarado, a freshman psychology major, is a dance team rookie who started taking dance more seriously in high school -- specifically because she wanted to try out for the UTRGV Dance Team.

“I’m very excited for the competition. We’re making history,” the Brownsville resident said. “We’re the first team to compete for UTRGV, and I cannot wait to see what we bring to the table.”

 Fellow rookie dancer Marissa Alvarez, a senior biology major from San Juan, said dancing with her team members is best described as being with family, as a sense of community.

“The university is relatively new, it started in 2015, so having the dance team already ready to go to a competition is really exciting,” she said. “The team is full of wonderful team members with amazing talents and so many capabilities. It’s awesome to be a part of this.”

As competition day nears, the dancers are working on perfecting their jumps and leaps, and are supporting each another through it all.

Team Captain Gabriela Salinas, a junior interdisciplinary studies major from McAllen, said she loves being part of the dance team – even powering through early morning practices – and everyone is focused to bring their best to the dance floor.

“I’m so proud of our team. I think about whenever we’re dancing, all the previous things, all the corrections, all the happy moments, the sad moments, frustrating moments,” she said. “In the end, whatever we put on the dance floor is going to be amazing.”

The UTRGV Dance Team will perform at the competition Saturday afternoon. Results of the competition will be posted on the American Dance/Drill Team Facebook page at 5 p.m.

To learn more about the UTRGV Dance Team and try-out information, visit Spirit Program website.