USUE Wins Jazz Junior College National Championship

It took Brandi Taylor Johansen eight years to make her team the best jazz two-year college dance team in the nation. The championship took place in Daytona Beach, Florida, at the National Dance Association competition last weekend where the Eagles took first in the jazz and third in hip hop.

The team started last summer practicing and attending a NDA camp in Las Vegas, Nevada, where they were the hottest team, literally. The air conditioning on The Eagle bus did not work and temperatures in Las Vegas soared to 118 degrees throughout the week.

Returning to Price, they started practicing and preparing for national competition the first week of classes including weekends and holidays. Their regiment paid off as they were recognized as the NDA Collegiate National first place team Apr. 12.

“The unity, teamwork, and shared goal among the team undoubtedly played as a crucial part of our success this last week. The commitment and effort the girls put into their performance truly paid off.” Taylor-Johansen said. “We as coaches are so proud of them.”

“This year we had a goal to make it to the finals for jazz, something we didn’t get a chance to do last year in the jazz category. We accomplished that goal with a three-point lead which is HUGE in the collegiate dance world,” Taylor-Johansen said.

“The dancers also advanced it to finals for their hip-hop routine and ended taking home third place. We are so happy with what we put out on the floor,” Taylor-Johansen said.

The USU Eastern Dance Team is coached by Taylor-Johansen and Taylor Loveland. Its members include: Skylynn Basso, Londyn Bishop, Jade Brighton Garner, Alisa Hernandez, Grace Marie Hirschi, Jalena Tracy James, Addyson Marie Kendell, Trinady Lindsey, Jordyn Chyann Manzanares, Sariah Ross, Ridley Snow, Lauren Olivia Taylor, Irylan Tomlinson and Brooklyn Yost.