There are 17 members of the University of Minnesota’s Dance Team.

Sixteen were out on the floor the night they gave an epic performance that’s been viewed over 100,000 times on YouTube – and it’s only been up since January 19th of this year!

Even getting to try out for the team requires dancers to fill out a questionnaire in which they check off whether or not they can perform a series of advanced skills such as pirouettes and two-toe touch leaps. Gymnastic skills such as flips and rising handsprings (or “kips”) are “encouraged but not required.”

But we’re willing to bet only the best of the best make this small team of elite dancers.

Even as the women begin their routine by lowering their heads in perfect unison, hollers ring out among the crowd. They clearly know they’re about to see something special.

As the women move into two rows in perfectly synchronous, almost spider-like, movements, the audience watches in awe.

One of the women breaks off from the group immediately in order to perform a series of skills off to the side.

As they gather back together as a group, they show off perfectly-timed arm movements before moving into some seriously speedy spins!

It’s no surprise that the dance and cheer teams at the school have won multiple national awards – and those competitions are in addition to the exhibitions they put on and their performances at the school’s football and basketball games.

And let’s remember these are student-athletes as well. They have a full course load in addition to all this!

One of the most interesting things about the choreography is that it’s simultaneously organic and robotic – and it’s made even more surreal by an interspersed background voiceover instead of constant music.

According to the VarsityTV website, the dance team has won 18 titles since 2003.

“The team has also been chosen as Team USA twice in the last 10 years, earning gold medals in Jazz (2010) and Freestyle Dance (2010 and 2014), in addition to a silver medal in Hip Hop (2010) and Jazz (2014). Members of the dance team also perform at a variety of off-campus appearances and participate in Spirit Squad fundraisers. The commitment is year-round beginning each year at auditions.”

Commenters on YouTube certainly agree that this team deserves to be considered one of the most elite in the nation.

“Holy crap this is amazing the amount control this took is insane not to mention how in sync they were with EVERYTHING especially the fouettés like wow,” marveled one viewer.

While the team competed in the Jazz category of the College Dance Team National Championship in 2020 with this routine, they didn’t end up taking home the grand prize. That means there’s some amazing competition out there!

From the background, it appears the team is performing this particular routine at one of the local Edina, Minnesota schools, which also have competitive dance squads.

That’s certainly better than any performance we’ve seen in a school gymnasium!

The women also hold clinics throughout the year to help dancers from around the country prepare to audition for college dance squads.

They’re certainly among the best role models we’ve seen!

Be sure to scroll down below to see the team’s remarkable performance.

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Source: Travis Cahill via YouTube, Dance Team – University of Minnesota Athletics, Varsity TV