Whether students have been dancing for years or have two left feet, OU Vibrations is a dance group for all, no matter the experience. Since its origin in 2017, OU Vibrations has always provided classes and groups welcoming all levels of dance. This sentiment shows, as this year the group gained a record-breaking number of auditions this year.
President Erin Brennan, a senior studying psychology, credits the success to the OU Vibrations’ involvement on social media and the connections they make within the group.
“We have over double the team that we did last year,” said Brennan. “Last year was 23 or 24 (people). This year, we have 51 girls on the performance team alone … I'm so happy that so many people found us and are able to dance with us.”
Brennan is a major advocate for opportunities for newcomers as well.
“There are a lot of dances that are really good for people with little to no experience because it kind of helps build that rhythm and that technique,” said Brennan. “Then we have other dances like our jazz (and) contemporary dances that do require more technique prior to joining (Vibrations), so we have something for everyone.”
The group has recitals every semester, as well as occasionally dancing during halftime for OU’s basketball team, among other sporting events. They also partake in fundraising during the Bobcathon and Take Back the Night, where the group dances for a cause. Updates on OU Vibrations’ performances can be found on its Instagram.
OU Vibrations’ Instagram has 555 followers, which consists of dancers, alumni and other fellow supporters thanks to the social media managers Madi Liming, a junior studying English and Madison Cather, a senior studying dance and environmental science.
“Typical dance families are dancers coming from very competitive, toxic environments but this is family; there's none of that,” said Liming. “(It’s) girls, supporting girls (and) alumni supporting newbies. It's really good to see, especially old presidents …They'll come back at the end of the year; we have a spring show they'll come back and they’ll watch.”
Liberty Temple, a sophomore studying psychology, was one of the many people who auditioned and made the team this year. Although Temple expressed the nerve-wracking feeling of auditioning with a big group, she is already leading the choreography for some classes.
“I'm super excited to have that opportunity to teach and show my peers my choreography,” said Temple. “I'm excited to be a part of a team again.”
With the overwhelming turnout this year, Brennan and the rest of the team are excited and looking forward to the new skills and talents this year's dancers will bring to the dynamic of the team.
“Any chance that we can dance for the school… be able to dance more and for girls to really show what they can do, (is a chance we’ll take),” said Brennan.
