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The Oregon State dance team has performed during home football, men's basketball games and at Autzen Stadium during the Civil War.

Dance team stepping to new beat

Oregon State Athletics Department not "cutting" squad, budget issues mean dance team shifts to club sport, team must fund themselves

By: Nick Lilja

Posted: 5/9/08

Mark Massari, the senior associate athletic director, is adamant.

"We're not dropping, cutting, eliminating or removing the dance team," Massari said.

Contrary to that statement, information began to circulate in the middle of the week about the removal of the dance team from Oregon State athletic events. Students began talking to other students, and rumors began to fly.

"They cancelled the dance team," said Brandon Williams, a student in exercise and sport science. "That's messed up."

The Oregon State dance team performs during fall and winter sports, most frequently at football and basketball games.

The team became a function of the Oregon State Marching Band about four years ago. The band is funded through donations, student fees and the athletic department.

Recently, the marching band's budget has been the topic of discussion regarding where the money is spent. A large portion of funds goes to scholarships, trips to other schools and new uniforms, leaving little money left over and not much on the horizon. It's a budget stalemate.

"We just don't have any new funds to give to [the band]," Massari said. "We aren't cutting their budget at all."

That left band director, Brad Townsend, with a decision: how to manipulate the budget and please the most people while maintaining a quality product at Oregon State athletic events. He wants the women to remain a component of the band but continue to perform as their own entity. The dance team took a hit but was not eliminated.

"We have their full support," dancer Marissa Gorman said. "They still want us to perform."

Many students and fans remember the cheerleading team being "grounded" in the spring of 2006. At the time, Marianne Vydra said the decision came because of "many injuries and chronic back pain with our men, and in light of the fact that recently a cheerleader from Southern Illinois just broke her neck by performing a routine stunt."

This decision was decided to due a budgeting issue rather than safety precautions.

"We're giving them a chance to fund themselves," Massari said. "They will still be attached to the band and perform at the games, just as a club sport."

For now, they are looking for funding and new dancers.

"The difference is now we are now dependant on donations and the fans." Gorman said.

The first difference fans will notice come fall is the lack of entertainment at football games as the team will no longer perform at halftime.

Nick Lilja, sports editor

sports@dailybarometer.com