Auditions set for IU Columbus cheer and dance teams

Indiana University Columbus is going to be holding tryouts for its first competitive cheer and dance teams later this month.

IU Columbus is now in its second season with varsity athletics, and its first year as a full member of the NAIA, joining the River States Conference. The Crimson Pride programs include men’s and women’s cross country, baseball, and softball, women’s volleyball, and men’s and women’s soccer. IU Columbus is adding men’s and women’s basketball and competitive cheer and dance teams this year.

Current and prospective IU Columbus students who are interested in joining the cheer or dance team for the 2024-25 school year are invited to audition. Auditions will be held February 24th at Ceraland Park on South County Road 525E in Columbus.

A morning session will be for dance tryouts, and the afternoon for cheer; but students are welcome to audition for both.

In December, the school announced that Pati Lara has been chosen as the first coach. Lara is coming from Texas where she was director, head instructor and choreographer of the Elite Academy of Dance for more than 20 years. She trained from the age of four at the British ballet and graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso. Lara moved to Columbus in December.

To apply for the session and get additional information on how to prepare for the audition, you can email Lara at pati.lara@iu.edu before Feb. 17.