At Madison College there are many clubs and organizations where you can meet a lot of people, but if you want to form a closer bond with other students while tapping into a creative outlet, the WolfPack Diamond Dance Team just may be the club for you.

The dance team is led by Deyshia Kinsey, who has spent her whole life dancing, amounting to 16 years of dance experience under her belt.

The team is composed by and for students of Madison College, and anyone is welcome to join. The WolfPack Diamonds is “your school’s dance team,” said Kinsey.

While the team officially started in October, the project began last year when a friend of Kinsey’s casually asked if she wanted to join a dance team. Kinsey responded with an emphatic “yes.” Her friend then added they would have to start one themselves. Kinsey agreed–with some reluctance–and the rest is history.

“I’ve been a dancer for 16 years, so this is second nature to me. I need to be in a dance group. It’s unusual if I’m not,” said Kinsey.

Right now, the team has 10 members, and five performers. “Usually we do tryouts for dances,” Kinsey noted, “just to see where you’re going to be placed, and if you’re comfortable doing the dance.” The members of the team can choose what dances they want to perform.

Practices are held Mondays and Wednesdays from 6-8 p.m. Kinsey knows that being a student comes first, so the practices are limited to four hours per week.

The team is a creative outlet, and a good way to wind down after a long day at school. “It’s a stress reliever, especially if you’re in a hard program. You’re in class pretty much all day, and all you see is school work. it’s nice to be able to do something that you enjoy, something you can just do for fun,” said Kinsey.

There are no deadlines, no homework assignments, no exams.

The dance team provides a space where students can relax and be creative while dancing, and Kinsey says she can see the relief her fellow dancers exude when they dance.

Kinsey’s favorite part is the people who are involved.

“They’re pretty awesome,” she said. “It’s the friends you make while being a part of a something larger than yourself that makes the experience most meaningful.”

“After being stressed out all day, it’s nice to go and have a group of people that you bond with, especially at a two-year college,” said Kinsey. “You’re not able to be a part of a group that bonds so much.”

While attending a two-year college may make these connections and friendships a little more difficult to attain, the dance team clearly demonstrates that those deep connections can be achieved.

The dance team plans to dance at every other basketball game for the next season, as well as other activities or events that schedule them to perform. Saturday Feb. 16, the team had their first performance at a Madison College basketball game.

If you would like to be a part of the dance team, tryouts will be held next month, or you can find Deyshia Kinsey in the Intercultural Exchange in Truax room C1430 for more information.