Caroline Bomback & Betsy Winick
Feb. 20, 2022
EVANSTON -- For the first time ever, Dance Marathon is adopting a new team configuration; rather than signing up with small, individual teams, each dancer has been assigned to one of four teams who worked together this year in fundraising efforts, building dancer spirit and promoting team unity.
But what would a team be without its captains? Let’s meet the amazing Red and Yellow team leaders!
Red Team: Claire & Grace
Claire Kuwana
Claire Kuwana is a member of Dance Marathon’s 120 hour club and is eager to connect even more with her Northwestern community during her last year in the tent through her position as co-captain. Check out Kuwana’s comments on her role as team captain:
Q: What made you want to be a DM team captain?
A: I wanted to be a DM team captain because I was really happy with the new team structure that was introduced this year, and I thought that I could make an impact getting new dancers excited for it too. Plus, being a team captain allows me to be directly involved in the DM community, giving me a firsthand opportunity to make it more inclusive and welcoming.
Q: What aspects of the new team configuration do you like best?
A: I like the new team configuration best because it means that no dancers are left off a team, bridging the gap between individual and team dancers that has existed in the past.
Q: What were some memorable DM moments of yours?
A: For me, all of the most memorable moments happened in the tent, dancing with my friends and laughing about how slaphappy we were by the time block eight rolled around. I also loved the lap at sunrise, because it was such a refreshing moment in the tent — and hilarious to watch.
Q: In your opinion, what is the biggest responsibility as a DM team captain?:
A: In my opinion, the biggest responsibility that comes with being a DM team captain is trying to make each dancer - out of about 200 on the team - feel welcomed in the community. Grace and I have to try to help the team bond and generate some camaraderie as well.
Grace Dyer
Grace Dyer is a sophomore who will be in the tent for the first time this year. She is ecstatic to not only participate in an in-person Dance Marathon, but to also do so as a co-captain of the red team.
Q: What made you want to be a DM team captain?
A: I wanted to be a DM team captain because I was really excited about the changes DM was making this year. Between shifting to the four team structure and no longer having a strict fundraising goal, I think DM has become much more accessible to everyone and I am grateful to be a part of it!
Q: What aspects of the new team configuration do you like best?
A: I like that the new team configuration gave people the opportunity to request a few people they’d like on their team and then for the most part scrambled all of the dancers. I think it’s awesome to go into things with a couple people you’re already comfortable with, but DM is a great way to meet new people. Approaching the team structure with the intent to make new connections is the best way to make the most out of your DM experience in my opinion. Plus we’ll all be in the same tent in March!
Q: Reflect on your past DMs — What were some memorable moments?
A: I’m a sophomore, so I’ve only had one DM before and it was more of a livestream sort of format for the most part. I could not be more excited for my first year in the tent! Even in the virtual format last year, I loved getting to know members of the DM community and it’s been amazing to get to know even more people this year, especially through my role as a team captain!
Q: What are your hopes/goals for this year’s DM?:
A: I can’t wait to be in the tent, especially since the only people who have experienced an in person DM are seniors now, I think it will be really cool for so many people to be experiencing it for the first time together! I also hope we can have an event or two winter quarters to facilitate team building a bit more within each of the four teams!
Q: In your opinion, what is the biggest responsibility as a DM team captain?
A: I think the biggest responsibility of being a DM team captain is making sure dancers on our team are enjoying their DM experience as much as possible. Dancers are welcome to participate in DM-related activities as much or as little as they’d like, but we want to make sure that everyone is getting what they want out of this experience and being given the resources to make the most of it!
Yellow Team: Sloane & Lauren
Sloane Warner
Q: What made you want to be a DM team captain?
This is my third year in DM, and I’ve met so many amazing people over the years. I really wanted to make sure that everyone involved was feeling that sense of community and the team captain position seemed like the best way to do that.
Q: What aspects of the new team configuration do you like best?
I really love that everyone is mixed together working towards a common goal. We are all able to meet new people and make new friends. Having the dancer population divided into only 4 teams instead of however many we had in the past really showcases the huge strength we have in numbers and the ability we have to fundraise for CYP and ECF.
Q: What were some memorable DM moments of yours?
Freshman year, right before the in-person tent was canceled, I got to go into the tent to help with some setup projects. It was so cool to see the tent in all its glory. I can’t wait to be in person this year. I’ve also loved being on DAR and working our yearly phonathon!
Q: In your opinion, what is the biggest responsibility as a DM team captain?
I think my biggest responsibility is making sure that all of our Yellow team dancers feel included and that they know what is happening throughout the year. There are so many events and activities that it can be hard to keep track of. I really wanted to make sure that everyone had the ability to participate in whatever they wanted to.
Q: What are your hopes/goals for this year’s DM?
I think I just want to fully experience the magic of the tent. We have such a great community that we are able to put this amazing event together and it can be successful even if it is virtual, but I think being in the tent is going to make everything feel very real and like we have accomplished a huge goal.
Lauren Malenfant
Q: What made you want to be a DM team captain?
A: I’m a huge people person and love working with others and building community wherever and whenever I can. I had a lot of fun working with the Special Events committee and doing Dance Marathon last year. I was eager to take on the opportunity to be more involved and bring people together within DM as a team captain.
Q: What aspects of the new team configuration do you like best?
A: I love how the new team configuration brings together all sorts of different people that may not have met through DM otherwise. The team structure before was limited in that most people would go in with their friends or with the student orgs they were part of, meaning it was harder to branch out and meet other dancers on other teams. With four big, random teams, dancers can meet more people through fundraising and social events, building a greater sense of DM community.
Q: What were some memorable DM moments of yours?
A: Unfortunately as a sophomore I haven’t had many in-person DM experiences, but I had an amazing time last year working on questions for trivia nights with the Special Events committee, and have met some great friends through that committee. This year, I’ve really enjoyed bonding with the other team captains and making even more new friends through committee meetings and social/fundraising events.
Q: In your opinion, what is the biggest responsibility as a DM team captain?
A: The biggest responsibility of a DM team captain is staying on top of communication. Not only do we push different DM meetings and events happening throughout the year, but we also have to be receptive to questions from our team members and be ready with information and ideas based on what they ask. It’s a lot of fun being able to listen and talk to everyone, but also something we have to be sure to stay on top of.