If you haven't seen it yet, the University of Minnesota's dance team recently did a performance to Aerosmith's "Dream On" that went viral in January 2024. But it wasn't simply just a performance. It was a homage to the former dance team from 2004 who performed an "iconic" routine to the same song.
It was the first time the University of Minnesota won a back-to-back jazz routine at the UDA College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championship. The 2004 team was also the first Minnesota team to win a double national championship, winning first place in both the Jazz and Pom divisions.
"We kind of did it this year to create a love letter to the legacy and those past alumni," said senior Sophia Hedlund. And despite the pressure to live up to the 2004 performance, the dancer shared that "the coaches had full faith in the team."
The team began choreographing in September 2023. Before the UDA national championship in Orlando in January 2024, some alumni observed the routine and had a positive response to it. This gave the dancers full confidence for the competition.
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Though they earned second place in the competition, their performance quickly gained a lot of traction on social media. "It's cool to see the outside dance world reacting and appreciating this sport, because it's bringing so much attention to dancing, [which it doesn't usually receive]," Sophia said. "We knew we could create something special to this song. And we were able to call it ours forever."
