The BYU Cougarettes are a dance team for

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU) is a Private education, private research university in Provo, Utah, United States. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is the flagship university of the Church Educational System sponsore ...

, in Provo, Utah. They perform at athletic events on the BYU campus and compete in national events in various genres including

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

and

hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...

. As of 2024, they have won 26 National Championships.

About the team

The Cougarettes are an audition only team. In order to be considered for the team, those auditioning must be accepted as students at Brigham Young University, must be experienced dancers, and must learn and perform the audition material provided. The dancers are required to have knowledge and practical abilities in

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

modern Modern may refer to: History *Modern history ** Early Modern period ** Late Modern period *** 18th century *** 19th century *** 20th century ** Contemporary history * Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century Philosophy ...

, and

techniques. Each year over 100 dancers audition for the team of 18 to 23 dancers.

History

The Cougarettes were originally established in 1946. In 1998
"Dance Spirit"
magazine named the Cougarettes as one of the top 25 collegiate dance teams in the nation, and in the year 2000, the Cougarettes began performing with the Cheer Squad at sporting competitions in halftime performances. As of 2024, the Cougarettes have won 26 National Championships since 1997: eight National Dance Alliance (NDA) Open Division/Jazz IA championships (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024), nine NDA Hip Hop Division IA championships (2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024), eight NDA Team Performance Division IA championships (1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010), and one Dance Team Union Hip Hop Division IA title (2017). They were also United Spirit Association National Champions in 2005 and 2006, and they won first prize in the New Prague Dance Festival in 2012.

References

External links

byucougarettes.com
Official website
byucougars.com/cougarettes
Official Cougarettes athletics website

Official Cougarettes dance
Video of 2012 championship hip-hop performance
{{Brigham Young University Cougarettes American college cheerleading squads Performing groups established in 1946 1946 establishments in Utah