The 2025 United Dance Association (UDA) Nationals took place on January 17-19th at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida with high-energy performances that will be remembered for years to come. Over the weekend numerous teams performed various dances in genres such as jazz, hip-hop, and pom, an energetic dance style where pom poms are used.
This particular event serves as every dancer’s “Superbowl” becoming popular during last year’s event, reaching even non-dancer audiences. Two routines from last year’s nationals caught the attention of many dividing the world over who should’ve taken first place: University of Minnesota’s Jazz to “Dream On” vs The Ohio State University’s to “My Way.” It came as no surprise that the world had been eagerly awaiting this showdown once more and these two schools met all of our expectations.
Sisters, Ava and Ellie Wagner, two popular names in the dance community, take sibling rivalry to the next level by competing in separate college teams that just so happen to be each other’s biggest competition. Ava dances for the University of Minnesota and her older sister Ellie for The Ohio State University. Despite being each other’s biggest rivals, they are extremely supportive of one another, often seen hugging each other backstage before they perform, while their parents wear split shirts supporting both of their daughters’ teams.
Minnesota took a more lyrical approach to their performance in the jazz category this year with a stunning rendition of “This Woman’s Work” by Kate Bush. Senior, Ava Wagner stood out in all white, surrounded by dancers dressed in black. As always, Minnesota’s impeccable technique was on full display, they raised the bar with their ability to tell an emotional story, execute complex choreography, and maintain perfect timing, leaving the audience completely captivated and speechless. The most memorable moment came during finals when senior Matthew Greco ended the piece by falling to his knees, crying over Ava, instead of the turn sequence he performed in the semi-finals. This powerful change in the ending left an emotional imprint on the audience, with every person in the room feeling exactly what they were intended to feel.
“The dancers of Minnesota portrayed strong emotions throughout the dance that made it stand out amongst the other routines,” said Lowellville senior, Joslyn DelSignore
This year, The Ohio State University performed an electric jazz routine to the song
“Bolero” which you may recognize as the ending credits of Moulin Rouge! Initially, the routine seemed perfect, quickly capturing your attention with its precision and speed. It wasn’t until about halfway through the routine during one of their turning sections that the timing completely fell through, potentially jeopardizing the team’s chances of making it to the finals. Amazingly, they made it through to the finals where they were able to clean up the section and ultimately perform to the best of their ability. Naturally, the dance world had a lot to say about this.
In the end, it was the unwavering perseverance and resilience displayed by The Ohio State University team that ultimately helped them claim victory in the D1A Jazz Category. Despite facing intense pressure after the incident at Semi-Finals they were able to push through, remain resilient, and defend their title. However, the outcome of the competition sparked some controversy on social media and many believe that because of the Semi-Finals, the University of Minnesota should have been the overall winner.
Joslyn DelSignore said, “I think that it should’ve been Minnesota who took home the win in the jazz category. Ohio State’s was good, but it had a lot of technical issues that Minnesota didn’t. I think the only reason they did so well was because of all of the praise they received from last year.”
Minnesota’s second routine in the D1A pom category was nothing short of spectacular. It was a fierce technical routine with challenging music that even went silent at some points, they were able to stay on time, stay together, and execute their choreography with power and perfection.
The Ohio State University’s pom routine lived up to every expectation. It was undeniably one of their most precise performances of the weekend, once again showcasing the remarkable power and unity of the team. The true showstopper, however, was the stunning onstage costume change, a jaw-dropping moment that left the entire venue in awe.
Opposite of what happened in the jazz category, it was Minnesota’s pom routine that came out on top for its remarkably clean and prestigious routine leaving The Ohio State University to take home second. Ironic enough that people didn’t like the outcome of the pom category either.
“I liked Ohio State’s better because it was a lot cleaner, minus a couple of turn sequences, they had clean ripples, and the flipping of the skirt outfit change looked really good. Minnesota’s was fun to watch, but had a lot going on which made it look messier compared to Ohio State’s who did less, but looked cleaner doing it,” says Joslyn DelSignore.
Like Joslyn, many fans on social media felt that The Ohio State University should have taken first place in the pom category instead of the University of Minnesota.
As always UDA’s Nationals provided the dance community with unforgettable and iconic routines that will be remembered for years to come. We will all be waiting impatiently for next year’s routines and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for every team.
