Elizabethtown College offers students 24 NCAA Division III sports teams and more than 80 clubs for students to become involved with. The Elizabethtown College Dance Team (ECDT) is one of those clubs, providing an outlet for the many dancers on campus.

ECDT is an audition-based dance team that aims to provide an outlet for dancers on campus, since dance is not an NCAA sport at Etown.

ECDT was established in the winter of 2013 and welcomes first-years up to seniors to audition for the team. The team performs at a wide range of events, from the numerous Accepted Students Day on campus to men’s and women’s basketball games.

When choosing where to further her education, first-year Amelia Rendzak was insistent on choosing a school that had a dance program.

 “When I was considering Elizabethtown College, my first question was whether they had a dance team before I knew anyone on the team,” Rendzak said. “After following their social media pages, I noticed how active they were with the school and that they participated in many community events. Regardless of whether I made the team or not, I simply wanted to try out to meet the girls I had admired for the past few months before officially becoming a member.”

Rendzak grew up in a dance studio her whole life, so finding a team that was the perfect fit was key. “The foundational principles of ECDT are leadership, responsibility, and determination,” Rendzak said.Our team is highly motivated to accomplish every task assigned to us.” 

By utilizing these foundational principles, ECDT hopes to shoot for the stars this upcoming season. The team is hoping to raise the funds to send the girls to Nationals, they also hope to incorporate more dances into their routines. Rendzak believes the dances will be much more challenging than in previous years.

Sophomore Gabrielle Petridge also emphasized the goal to raise funds for Nationals, while also focusing on the team’s goal of educating for service.

“We try our best to incorporate the school’s motto ‘Educate for Service’ into the team as much as we can,” Petridge said. “We volunteer whenever we can and we also put on a charity show where all proceeds are donated to the Elle Foundation for children with recurring illnesses.”

Senior captain Olivia Fabiano also believes the team centers their focus on following the “Educate for Service” motto the College has, while also promoting a positive environment.

“We really focus on the ‘Educate for Service’ motto and we try to promote positivity on campus,” Fabiano said. “We really value kindness and a strong character.”

ECDT hosts auditions every fall at the beginning of the school year for new and current students hoping to join the squad.

“I love this team, it’s like my second family and I don’t know where I’d be in college without them,” Petridge said. Fabiano would also agree. 

“I’m beyond thankful that I get to lead this team of beautiful girls. It’s my biggest accomplishment at college and they changed my life,” Fabiano said.