Elementary education sophomore Kathryn Hale formed the group with close friend and chemistry junior Rebecca Tauscher after a frustrating experience in a larger, more competitive dance group at MSU.
“We wanted a small, intimate, laid-back group,” Hale said.
She said the idea was to start small and have a non-competitive atmosphere where students could use dancing as a form of expression and release.
The group held auditions in the beginning of the spring semester and added five new members to the group, increasing their membership to a total of eight.
Despite the group’s small size, Hale said she is excited each member is choreographing their own solos in their upcoming performance.
“We wanted a chance to showcase all of our members,” Hale said.
Hale and Tauscher said they have high hopes for the group and are looking to increase their membership for long-term success.
Prenursing freshman Shayla Woodard was looking for a way to get back into dancing.
When she stumbled upon a flyer for the ShowStoppers’ tryouts in January, she immediately decided to give it a try.
“This is what I (needed),” Woodard said.
She said ShowStoppers gives her just enough time to do what she loves, but also gets a chance to focus on her academics, which come first to her.
The club focuses on lyrical, jazz, hip-hop and tap dancing.
But it’s really tap dancing that makes the club unique from other dance groups on campus, Hale said.
“We are the only dance club on campus that I know of that does tap,” she said.
Hale is constructing a group tap routine to “Happy” by Pharrell Williams.
She said the hardest part of tap dancing is technique and making sure everyone is synchronized.
A lot of practice and planning went into spearheading the group, Hale said.
Still, she said everyone has an equal part in practice.
Members are also given equal chances to choreograph routines.
Hale said the equality and closeness of the group has created a bond and atmosphere of friendliness and passion for dance, a dynamic she’s afraid of losing upon increasing membership.
Although it won’t exactly be the same, Hale said she has plans on how to keep things organized and fair.
One of the plans she said she was keen on was going by seniority when giving out solos for future performances.
Although the group is brand new, Hale said she has plans for it to progress in the future.
She said she wanted to leave her legacy behind at MSU that will never come to an end.
“We’re leaving a part of us at State,” Hale said.
