By Ashlyn Kinley, Staff Writer
While only being on campus for three years now, the Ouachita Dance Team has grown immensely and is continuing to make an impact here at Ouachita. They make their presence known on the field and on the court, building community with one another and growing in numbers. One of the team captains, Anna Weeks, describes this team as both supportive and encouraging; each member finds it a joy to show their love for dancing alongside friends. She goes as far to call them family. They have proven their talent and skills on the floor, and create such a positive environment for campus pride to be shown at games.
Team Captain Anna Weeks is one of the first members of the dance team, and dance has been a part of her life for 17 years. As she has watched this culture grow, she is thankful to acknowledge the progress they have made in just three short years.
“Our first year, our motto was ‘monitor and adjust’ because we faced several obstacles while figuring out what we wanted our team culture, style and standards to look like,” Weeks said. “We were constantly learning and adapting.” She has watched this team grow in confidence as well as skill, and is grateful to be a part of a growing community of girls and lead them as a captain of the team. When asked what the biggest lesson it has taught her, Weeks responded by saying, “Serving as captain has taught me so much about servant leadership and striving to lead the way Christ calls me to. I wouldn’t want to lead any other group of girls.” It is clear that she has found friendship within her team and is encouraged by them each and every day.
Audrey Kendrick, another team captain and original member of Ouachita Dance, seems to possess the same love for the sport. She helped create the Ouachita Dance team, and talks a lot about the beginning of Ouachita Dance and how she had this set on her heart this team before it even began.
“We had a group of girls from Conway that all wished they could dance in college but were also committed to attending Ouachita regardless of dance. With this dream in mind, we reached out to Ouachita faculty numerous times to see if we could bring it to life,” Kendrick said. “God quickly blessed us with our coaches, the Carrozzas, a little out of nowhere. Before we knew it, we were approved to have a team, coaches were lined out and tryouts were scheduled. Since making the team, we have all taken advantage of the constructive environment that Ouachita Dance has to offer.”
She goes on to talk about the “monitor and adjust” theme that Weeks mentioned, emphasizing how flexible and adaptable the team has been in the last three years. She concludes the interview by admiring how inviting and inclusive her teammates are, and how thankful she is to lead a team that has worked so hard in every aspect of the sport.
It is clear that Ouachita Dance has grown not only in numbers, but in skill over the years. Only after three years, they have created a healthy environment through the team and perform at home games for different sporting events at Ouachita. These girls get to practice the sport they love with their friends and be encouraged when they step onto the court or field. They continue to build a strong bond with one another, and, as Kendrick said, “have a lot of fun doing it.”
