BleedGopher
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Per Yuen:
Even the most casual of observers can’t miss Matthew Greco.
If you’ve seen viral videos of the University of Minnesota dance team performances on their way to clinching national and world championships in recent years, you’ve spotted Greco. He’s the team’s sole and first-ever male dancer, whose dizzying spins and dynamic flips always electrify crowds.
Google his name, and you’ll come across a common query that people ask: “Who is the guy on the Minnesota dance team?”
This is the dream that the 21-year-old business economics major had always envisioned for himself: Changemaker. Trailblazer.
“I wanted to be the first male on a dance team somewhere and make an impact for a younger generation of male dancers to prove to them it’s possible,” he said.
Fresh off Minnesota’s gold and silver medal wins at the International Cheer Union world championships in Orlando last month, Greco has become a national face of increasing gender inclusivity in a female-dominated sport. When Greco graduated from high school just a few years ago, there was a smattering of men on collegiate dance teams around the country, but none had ever danced for the maroon and gold.
At the high school level, boys in Minnesota were banned from participating on dance teams until 2019. Greco wanted to be the first man to break that barrier on an elite university dance team, in hopes of inspiring younger boys with big dance dreams. His ascent was fueled by the rise of social media; he boasts a TikTok following that would make many influencers salivate (over 134K and counting).
Why Minnesota? That was no accident, either.
“The first time I watched them, my jaw dropped to the floor,” said Greco, who grew up in New Jersey. “Cocky” isn’t the right word for the U’s style, he said, searching for a better descriptor. He finally settled on one: “Untouchable.”
“You just want to hold your chest as high as they do, you want to be that confident,” Greco said. “I’ve always looked up to the way they took the stage, the presence they had. I was drawn to that.”
www.startribune.com
Go Gophers!!
Even the most casual of observers can’t miss Matthew Greco.
If you’ve seen viral videos of the University of Minnesota dance team performances on their way to clinching national and world championships in recent years, you’ve spotted Greco. He’s the team’s sole and first-ever male dancer, whose dizzying spins and dynamic flips always electrify crowds.
Google his name, and you’ll come across a common query that people ask: “Who is the guy on the Minnesota dance team?”
This is the dream that the 21-year-old business economics major had always envisioned for himself: Changemaker. Trailblazer.
“I wanted to be the first male on a dance team somewhere and make an impact for a younger generation of male dancers to prove to them it’s possible,” he said.
Fresh off Minnesota’s gold and silver medal wins at the International Cheer Union world championships in Orlando last month, Greco has become a national face of increasing gender inclusivity in a female-dominated sport. When Greco graduated from high school just a few years ago, there was a smattering of men on collegiate dance teams around the country, but none had ever danced for the maroon and gold.
At the high school level, boys in Minnesota were banned from participating on dance teams until 2019. Greco wanted to be the first man to break that barrier on an elite university dance team, in hopes of inspiring younger boys with big dance dreams. His ascent was fueled by the rise of social media; he boasts a TikTok following that would make many influencers salivate (over 134K and counting).
Why Minnesota? That was no accident, either.
“The first time I watched them, my jaw dropped to the floor,” said Greco, who grew up in New Jersey. “Cocky” isn’t the right word for the U’s style, he said, searching for a better descriptor. He finally settled on one: “Untouchable.”
“You just want to hold your chest as high as they do, you want to be that confident,” Greco said. “I’ve always looked up to the way they took the stage, the presence they had. I was drawn to that.”
Yuen: The University of Minnesota’s first male dance team member is turning heads by staying real
Matthew Greco is the guy on the University of Minnesota’s world championship-winning dance team. Here’s how he found success.
www.startribune.com
Go Gophers!!