Sisters Lexie and Madelyn “Maddie” Guerra are sharing the stage once again as members of Loyola’s competitive dance team.
Maddie, a first-year student at Loyola, will join Lexie, a third-year member on the team, on the court for performances at basketball games as well as in competition against other dance teams in their conference.
Lexie, 20, and Maddie, 18, grew up in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana. They both began their dance training at the age of two at Modern Conceptions of Dance in Meraux, Louisiana.
While they have performed solo, the sisters said they enjoy dancing together whenever they can.
“We’ve been with each other everyday of our lives, so we’ve always been pretty close,” Maddie said.
At Loyola, they both are majoring in business marketing but still find time for their passions in dance. A big part of why Maddie joined the team was because of her sister.
“Having my sister there can make it more of a relaxing process, and she’s my comfort person,” Maddie said. “Dance can be really hard growing up.”
The duo rehearses with the dance team Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings and takes a tumbling class on Monday nights.
The sisters said this busy practice schedule is nothing new to them.
“It’s in our blood now,” Lexie said.
Although they’ve trained in multiple styles of dance, both sisters say they love hip-hop.
Lexie said their common interest creates a sense of competition between them.
“If one of us is picking up the combo faster, it encourages the other to do better,” Lexie said.
Both Lexie and Maddie favor jumps over turns, though they find time to work on all aspects of the different dance styles.
Plans for after graduation are still up in the air for Maddie, who is only a freshman; however, Lexie said that she’d like to try out for a professional team like the New Orleans Pelicans dance team.
Through their dedication, they said they are trying to set a great example for anyone pursuing a dance career, as well as setting a great example for a healthy sister bond.
“We love dancing with each other and hope others get to bond through dance the same way we did!” Maddie said.