Joliet dance team fundraising for nationals competition

A Joliet university dance team is raising money for a competition that allows teams to express their creativity, head dance team coach Maddy Smietanski said.

The University of St. Francis dance team is planning to attend the Dance Team Union Nationals in Orlando, Florida, from April 11 to 15.

Many of our members are nursing majors, too, so it’s very intense. A lot of them are in clinicals right now.”

—  Maddy Smietanski, head dance team coach, University of St. Francis in Joliet

The team has raised $3,654 of its $5,000 goal as of Monday. The airfare for 15 participants, including both coaches, is $10,000, which already is covered, Smietanski said. But that doesn’t include the rooms and meals, she said.

“Anything that we can get helps for sure,” Smietanski said. “All my girls are paying for school and working full time, too.”

Because the DTU is not part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, USF is unable to help with the costs, Smietanski said.

But the dance team held other fundraisers, too. This included a “Show-OFF” performance on Nov. 18, with 30 routines from local dance teams, Smietanski said. She also taught a master jazz/technique class for $30, Smietanski said on Facebook.

The dance team has held dance clinics, children’s camps and sold T-shirts, Smietanski said. The USF dance team is very dedicated to excellence in dance, she said.

“Many of our members are nursing majors, too, so it’s very intense,” Smietanski said. “A lot of them are in clinicals right now.”

Smietanski said she and last year’s head coach, Lily Countryman, swapped roles this year partly for that reason. Countryman, a registered nurse, now serves the team as assistant dance team coach, Smietanski said.

Smietanski, who graduated from USF in 2022, participated in the CTU competition when she was on the USF student dance team. She said she was excited to attend when she joined the team in 2019. However, shortly before her first event, the pandemic hit, and the competition that year was held virtually.

Smietanski said she especially loves DTU’s motto of “be bold, be authentic, be you,” which allows teams to focus on the routines that best express their individuality.

She said she also serves as dance coach at Joliet Catholic Academy. In addition, she gives private dance lessons and serves as a choreographer for other dance-related projects.

The USF dance team currently has a competitive team and a spirit team, Smietanski said. The USF dance team also participates in recruitment events at local schools. The team tries to stay abreast of current dance trends, Smietanski said.

The team also has new uniforms.

“They were wearing a top from Amazon and black leggings,” Smietanski said. “I said, ‘Guys, we have to get new uniforms.’ We’re trying to build the program to look like the teams around us.”

Smietanski said faith is a huge part of the dancers’ passion. They believe God provided their talent, so they need to nurture and develop it.

“We just need to figure out how to share it with everybody,” Smietanski said.

For information about the USF dance team, visit linktr.ee/usf_danceteam.

To donate to the USF dance team’s DTU fundraiser, visit linktr.ee/usf_danceteam.