SpinnURs dedicated to crowd entertainment

This is not cheerleading. This is not University Dancers. This is SpinnURs.

SpinnURs is a student-run club of nine enthusiastic dancers who make it their mission to entertain the crowds of the men and women's basketball games, pep rallies and some football games.

At a typical basketball game, two timeouts a game are reserved for the SpinnURs. The group's choreography ranges from jazz, to hip-hop to pom, according to its website. Constructing dynamic, upbeat routines is a challenge that the choreographer and co-captain, sophomore Caroline Mihok, said she embraced wholeheartedly.

"I find a song that I like or that I think will draw the crowd's attention, and I make up a dance to it," Mihok said. "I've had a lot of technical training so most of the moves just like come to me; it's sort of hard to explain. It's so cool to show all these people the things that I thought of. It's really special."

Mihok choreographs most of the dances, but the team sometimes relies on the instruction of a guest choreographer, Mihok said. Once the routine is set, the team practices from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. every Monday and Wednesday in the Weinstein Center for Recreation and Wellness. The SpinnURs' time commitment heightens during basketball season and wanes during the fall, Mihok said.

"Actually what I like about it the most is that it is not as rigorous or time-consuming as University Dancers," Mihok said. "But once in season, it is a lot of performing and you get to be a part of school spirit."

The captain, junior Emily Gordon, said she agreed.

"You don't want to spend all your time doing one thing," Gordon said. "That's why I tried out for SpinnURs sophomore year, because it was more entertainment and less commitment."

Yet, the time commitment is demanding enough that the dancers grow close. Freshman Alejandra Garcia-Narvaez said she had met some of her closest friends through SpinnURs.

"The girls on the team have all been extremely welcoming," Garcia-Narvaez said. "I didn't know anyone at first, but they reached out to make the new girls feel comfortable."

Last year about 20 students tried out, four of whom were accepted, Mihok said. Only three students joined SpinnURs this year, but not as many students tried out this year, she said.

Gordon said that funding for uniforms and poms had limited the number of women who could be SpinnURs. It's also easier to manage a smaller group of women, Gordon said.

Many of the SpinnURs have a background in dance. Gordon said she had danced throughout her life, and competitively in high school. Garvia-Narvaez was on the dance team her sophomore year of high school, and performed classical dance at a company since she was four years old, she said. Mihok was a cheerleader in high school, and cheerleading captain her senior year, she said. She also competed nationally for five years with a dance company.

SpinnURs does not participate in competitions because becoming competitive as a college dance group is an arduous process, Gordon said.

"We don't have a full-time coach," Gordon said. "It's really expensive and the rules are really strict."

She said the club would have to participate in a summer camp through the University Dance Association, fill out forms, fundraise, write essays and record its performances. And still, the club would need to be selected to compete, she said.

"It definitely would not be overnight," Gordon said. "Even if we got a coach next year, it still would be three or four years before we compete. A coach is not going to send you to a competition if you're not going to do well."

The SpinnURs' job is to entertain the crowds. Mihok said the crowds were fun, but can be nervewracking.

"I find it's harder performing for small crowds because you can see their faces really well," she said. "Whereas when you perform in Robins Stadium, there are so many people that you can just focus and zone everyone out."

Garcia-Narvaez said she agreed.

"The crowds are cool when they're really involved and cheer, but otherwise it can be a little awkward," Garcia-Narvaez said.

Regardless of audience dynamics, the close-knit group, armed with smiles and poms, is commited to giving its all and showcasing its creativity and dedication.

"The most rewarding part is working really hard on a routine and then having it come together in the end," Garcia-Narvaez said.

Contact reporter Jenna Robinson at jenna.robinson@richmond.edu