The Dukettes do it again!

Madison’s prestigious dance team clinches the national title again

DAYTONA BEACH, FL.- The Dukettes have shown us, once again, that “the work is worth it.” Yesterday, the dance team earned their second straight national championship title at the National Dance Alliance (NDA) Collegiate Championships.

In 2015, the Dukettes moved into a new division and faced a whole new level of competition. Despite the new, tougher circumstances, they won first place. This year they were determined to hold their ground. To do this, they challenged themselves even more than last year. “We wanted to step up our game and be really powerful,” said sophomore Marisa Brizzolara. “This year’s choreography was more difficult than last year’s, so the team focused on precision and uniformity. We wanted to master the technique.”

The precision and detail in this year’s performance is impossible to miss. But something you won’t be able to see by watching the Dukettes perform is that this year’s team is significantly younger. There are eight freshmen on the team, and only one senior.  “Last year we had eight powerhouse seniors, so it was a big difference to go from that to having only one. But I think in a way it made us stronger,” explained Brizzolara.

The team walked onto the national stage knowing they needed to fight even harder than they did last year. “Earning the title is one thing, but holding on to it is something completely different. It’s even harder,” remarked Dukettes Head Coach Julia Urban. “We had to defend that title, and we put so much work into it.” She emphasized the team focused on telling a story through their routine, and that the connections between the dancers became especially important in doing so. “When we perform even the most beautiful, lyrical routine with quiet music, my dancers are screaming their heads off for each other, because even though they’re all performing individually, they are performing as one unit. They are making eye contact with each other during the routine. We always talk about how we’re not going to be successful if we’re only thinking about ourselves.”

The Dukettes strive to tell a story with their routine, and this year they clearly accomplished that. Assistant Director of Athletic Bands, Chad Reep, was among those in the audience cheering for the Dukettes. “They are so good at connecting with the audience,” he said. “They are able to tell such a true story, and I believe what they’re trying to tell. That’s such an important thing when it comes to dance, and art in general: being able to convey a message and be genuine.”

With the support of JMU, the team had the opportunity to perform infront of a university-wide audience before they left for Florida. On Sunday, the Dukettes excited friends and family with an exhibition performance at the Convocation Center. This year’s crowd was significantly larger than last year’s.

Joey Sandy, a junior Dukette member, recalled, “Having that bigger crowd helped us immensely, because being able to perform in front of that many people gives us adrenaline and makes us tell a story, because we want to connect with everyone in that audience. The more people there are, the more emotion we give.”

The Dukettes placed second in prelims, with Utah Valley taking first. In finals, however, The Dukettes posted a final score of 9.620, surpassing Utah Valley’s 9.594. Western Carolina finished third with a 9.349. When asked about the rehearsal between prelims and finals, Coach Urban said, “We looked at what we needed to improve but we also made sure to give ourselves credit for what the judges thought we did well. We came together as a team and realized [finals] is the last opportunity we have to do this.”

The team had many goals this year, but more than anything, they wanted to grow. “We wanted overall growth in all areas. We never wanted to settle or plateau. We did a more difficult routine to feature the strength of our dancers. We wanted to become one unit, not only onstage, but also outside of practices -- growing our friendships,” said Urban.

When asked what sets the Dukettes apart from other competitors, the team unanimously shared: “The amount of love we have for each other.”

The team would also like to express tremendous thanks to the JMU community. “We do this for JMU,” said Sandy. “Before we went on stage, we sat in a circle and talked about what we love about this team. We do this for each other. Not to win. We want to make each other proud."

Brizzolara added, “When we get on the stage, the judges and audience can tell that we love each other, and we want to dance for each other. We’re not in it to be better than anybody else -- we just want to be better for ourselves and build each other up along the way.”

Final stats from the competition

Give to the JMU Dukettes.

And the JMU Dukettes did it again! Back to back champions! #2peat #123JMUDukettes 💜🎉☝🏼️🎉

— JMU Dukettes (@JMUDukettes) April 8, 2016