The Lion Line Dance team took home the Open Hip Hop national title at the 2023 UCA/UDA College Cheerleading and Dance National Championships in Orlando, Florida.

The Lion Line’s Head Coach Whitney Schneider said that this is the team’s 10th National Title since 2008. The title was awarded on Jan. 13 after several months of rehearsal for both their Hip Hop and Jazz routines.

“This team has been preparing since July when they learned their Nationals jazz routine,” Schneider said. “They learned their Nationals Hip Hop routine at the end of September and officially put their focus on the routines in November. We have been doing technique and workouts in preparation for nationals since the summer.”

Schneider said the team had a special season this year with only eight returners to the team and 11 new dancers who had never competed at the college level.

“Through much adversity, this team continued to work together and came back this season better than ever,” Schneider said. “Together they made a promise to give their all and lift each other up to be the strongest team they could. They did so much more than just that. Proud is an understatement.”

Despite Lindenwood moving athletics to Division I, Schneider said that the team wasn’t impacted in any specific way by the move but believes it to have motivated the athletes to practice, perform, and train at a higher level.

Schneider said Lion Line performs at sporting events with different halftime routines at every football and men’s basketball game.

“Game day routines are usually shorter routines choreographed by members of the team or routines learned during our summer camp from UDA instructors,” Schneider said. “Lion Line also performs in the community at other schools and events.”

Schneider said that the final performance of the Lion Line Dance Team will be at the halftime of the Men’s basketball game on Feb. 25.