Every January, the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex lights up like never before, hosting the annual Universal Dance Association National Competition. This competition inspires many dance routines for schools, such as Miami Palmetto Senior High’s very own Variations dance team.
UDA is an organization that hosts and organizes yearly dance competitions. University teams from all over the country compete in various dance styles, demonstrating their passion and dedication to the art form. While these schools are performing on the floor, they are also inspiring and motivating the audience, including MPSH’s Variations.
The Variations are a staple in MPSH culture, highlighting the school’s talent and dynamic energy. This year, the team was fortunate enough to attend the 2026 UDA competition, serving as a source of inspiration and motivation for the team.
The trip served as a motivating example of the discipline required to compete at a national stage. It emphasized that success in dance depends on connection and precision as a group.
“UDA definitely motivated my team and me by showing an example of how much hard work and time a team puts into their dances and how it makes them look almost identical to one another,” junior and Variations member Sloane Segrera said. “In dance, it’s not how you dance individually but as a team, so seeing all of these college-level teams work so well together definitely makes our team want to put in the hard work to connect as they do on stage.”
Along with gaining inspiration from watching performances at UDA, the trip energized the team as they eagerly waited to see whether fan favorites would dominate or if an underdog might steal the spotlight.
“LSU, Minnesota and Ohio were definitely fan favorites, but for D1A schools, Texas Tech, SDSU and Cincinnati caught my eye. Texas Tech definitely dominated the Pom division with their difficulty and cleanliness, while SDSU dominated Jazz and Cincinnati with Hiphop, which had really creative light-up shirts with difficult choreography,” Segrera said.
While the Variation team experienced the spirited energy of UDA, many other Panthers have witnessed the competition firsthand.
“I went for the first time [UDA] because of a soccer tournament, and it was surprisingly at the same time,” junior and varsity soccer player Emma Parra said. “My little sister’s a dancer, so being able to go with her made me happy, especially seeing her so inspired because she wants to be there one day.”
Moreover, the Variations were also able to unwind and enjoy a day at Disney’s Magic Kingdom Park. The experience gave the dancers a chance to relax, explore the park and share wholesome moments.
“The Disney part of the trip helped the team bond by being able to experience each other and just have fun outside of working hard and dancing,” sophomore and Variation dancer Mia Tejera said. “We got to create new memories and not have to worry about anything.”
Along with the relaxing recharge came countless memories, including carefree moments filled with laughter and bonding.
“A moment that really stood out to me with the team was when we went on Splash Mountain together, and we all had a lot of fun. We were all trying not to get wet, and it was funny,” Tejera said
Witnessing masters in their field allowed the dancers to create lasting memories and enjoy a refreshing break at what is referred to as “the happiest place on earth”.
