After three exceptional previous performances at nationals, the Bearden dance team took home its fourth straight national title this weekend.
The Bulldogs won the pom category this year for the first time since 2019. The previous three titles were in the game day category (third place finish this year). Bearden also finished seventh in the nation in jazz.
The program’s long-standing success is obviously a product of their incredible talent, but the family atmosphere and continued support from the team’s alumni helps to motivate all the current dancers.
Bearden dance alumni Emma Mañalac said she wants to always be there for them.
“I find it important to support and encourage these athletes because even on their hardest days, it is affirming to know someone is in their corner,” Mañalac said.
Current Bearden dancers hope to live up to this legacy for future generations of the team.
“I hope to set an example that the future dancers can look up to, the way the alumni did for us,” sophomore Abigail Standifer said.
Bearden dance alum Sydney Schriver, who helps coach the team currently, had an older sister go through the program, so she knows the importance of getting support from the athletes who have been there before.
“The dedication they have to reach their goals inspires me,” she said. “It makes it easy to cheer them on.”
Added Standifer: “Hearing the parents and alumni in the stands reminds us of why we are here. We just want to make them proud.”
With the recent combination of the “large” and “super-large” divisions, Bearden competed with nearly double the teams from previous years. This alteration forced teams that have been consistently dominant in the super-large division to compete with the reigning champs, Bearden.
Since the Bearden dance team’s first national title in 2018, prioritizing improvement has allowed them to win eight titles to date.
“The degree of discipline, hard work, and support these athletes provide for each other allows them to achieve their goals,” Schriver said.
Added Mañalac: “We are taught early on the importance of not only being a team, but to rely and trust one another.”