Champion Dancers Still Relegated to Hallways

Champion Dancers Still Relegated to Hallways

Title IX states, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance”, but rumor has it, Roosevelt’s very own Dance Team has been forced to raise every dollar they spend.

Senior Anna Given agreed that she definitely viewed dance team as a sport (seeing as they have practices almost everyday after school, and major competitions to attend), but she said she felt like the fundraising they did covered their costs well enough that they never pushed the subject of Title IX. Given explained most of the money they raise comes from the dance showcase they do at the end of the year. By selling tickets, they’re able to cover the cost of getting to and from state competitions. Every other dance team at the showcase volunteers their time. Their leading expense, it seems, was the cost of their competition choreographer. While most of the year, they choreograph their own dances for competition season, they hire a professional to choreograph for them. Apparently, it’s paid off with them taking the state title last year. In addition to ticket sales, the dance team makes money having carwashes and holding dance clinics for try-outs.

Overall, Given seemed to think that the fundraising they did was enjoyable and acted as a good bonding experience. But how about next year? Will the fundraising be as easy as it has been in the past? Should we make sure all team sports are receiving some sort of funding even if for now, they’re raising enough money by themselves? These are definitely questions to be revisited at a later time. And hopefully, dance team will have the school’s support behind them when they are.

Featured Photo: Dance team’s first place award, nestled in the back of Roosevelt’s trophy case. Photo by Allison Bullard

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