University of Toronto immunology and neuroscience undergrad Sara Da Silva and Rotman Commerce student Marium Rizvi, co-captains of the U of T dance team, are pumped up for a series of competitions in March. In advance of these stressful battles, the team will host what’s essentially a spectacular full-scale dress rehearsal at Hart House Theatre for friends, family, alumni and community members.
“Hart House Theatre is thrilled to be welcoming the U of T dance team back for another year,” says director of theatre and performing arts at Hart House Doug Floyd. “The theatre is proud of our relationship with this team. They consistently bring the house down every performance! We also work with them to provide educational opportunities for the U of T community. Every year, leaders from their troupe lead dance workshops on the theatre’s behalf.
“Both Sara and Marium deserve so much credit for keeping the tradition of high-quality dance for the team, for their community building capacity and for putting the group in a position to succeed. All this is to be applauded.”
This group of dancers has been victorious for the past two years of an annual competition that pits university dance teams against their counterparts across Canada. Marium and Sara’s optimism is rooted in teamwork and community-building. They hope the team’s winning streak for the last two years will continue.
We chat with Marium and Sara, both of whom have been dancing since the age of four, about the Hart House connection.
It’s all about campus community and school spirit
Both co-captains are looking forward to the event at Hart House Theatre. “It’s a practice in one sense, but it's also such a lovely event to have with our campus community, friends and family,” Marium says.
As noted, the team is practicing for three, back-to-back competitions in March where many different university and college teams across Canada compete. There are actually three U of T teams involved: St. George campus (Marium and Sara’s), University of Toronto Mississauga and University of Toronto Scarborough.
Marium says that although the U of T teams are in competition, they also support each other, showing genuine school spirit. “We have a great relationship with the other U of T teams. A nice camaraderie,” she explains, adding, “The best team award is the goal, of course, but there's so much more growth and team bonding that we're also looking to achieve.”
Equally so, inside her team, there’s tremendous support. “It’s not about having one star dancer or routine, it's really about being a holistic group that's able to succeed,” she underscores. “We've been able to achieve that success in six competitions over the past two seasons, which is a unique occurrence. I don't think that has ever happened before! That’s something we're very proud of.”
Sara emphasizes the team’s dedication to practicing and the advantage of having many different dance routines under their belt. “For example, on Thursdays we do an hour and a half of our ‘open’ routine, then an hour and a half of our jazz line; and on Saturdays and Sundays we do extra group work, maybe something like a lyrical small or a jazz small. So, we have a lot of different styles. This way, when we compete, we can do so in multiple categories.”
Co-captains credit remarkable team
This is Marium and Sara’s second year as co-captains and it’s clear they are doing a brilliant job. They say they owe a lot to the previous captains, Selina Tong and Lauren Cruz — the ones who first brought the team to Hart House Theatre and led it to that first year of success. “They were really helpful,” Sara says. “When Marium and I were voted in as co-captains, in the 2023–24 season, even though I had a bit of experience, I still didn't really know what I was doing! And I think we both were quite nervous.”
Sara also acknowledges the contribution of the team’s assisting captains, Hailey Goulart and Molly Plunkett. “They're helpful in teaching, choreography and administration. They're both super involved.”
Above all, she highlights the spirit of the team: “Truly, what has made us successful is that we're all here for the same reason: We all support, respect and love one another. This creates a space where we can work hard and get things done.”
We all support, respect and love one another. This creates a space where we can work hard and get things done. — Sara Da Silva
Doug Floyd’s mentorship style instills confidence
Marium believes the Hart House Theatre performance is special because competition is not top of mind. “Instead, you can focus on sharing what we're doing with the people who we care about,” she says. “Sharing it with the U of T community, including alumni … that’s important to us.
“We’re so happy to work with Hart House Theatre and support a student-based centre within the heart of the U of T community.”
Sara agrees. “Performing at Hart House is such a nice way to debut our routines. We get to see everyone's reactions and see what they think. Plus, we've also developed such a great relationship with everyone at Hart House Theatre that we love going back. We love being there. I feel like we're such professionals there because the personnel create an atmosphere where we look like professionals! I think it makes everyone feel nice to have this opportunity to feel this way!”
We're so happy to work with Hart House Theatre and support a student-based centre within the heart of the U of T community — Marium Rizvi
Both emphasize the exceptional support of Doug Floyd. “Doug has been fantastic,” Marium says. “His being our point of contact is something Sara and I truly value. He helped us plan the show and taught us key processes involved in his job. He has a mentorship style or approach that has been wonderful, providing great advice, advocating for us and making sure that we understand how valuable our team is to the school and arts communities as well as instilling confidence. We really appreciated our relationship with Doug. Working with Marketing Assistant Lindsey Middleton has also been fabulous.”
Learn more about the Hart House U of T Festival of Dance and the U of T dance team.