Students at the University of New Haven were more than thrilled to line up for a new type of circus as the Elite Step Team held their “Cirque de Elite” end of the semester step show.

Dodds Hall was occupied by the lines that seemed to wrap around its front door entrances, as anxious students waited for the show to start. Elite was prepared to handle these crowds as members from different organizations and clubs on campus lent a helping hand with the show. The Black Student Union, Caribbean Student Association, Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha Inc., and Lambda Alpha Upsilon helped co-sponsor this event.

Captain and president of Elite, Brooke Smith explained how the show’s theme was created. The team’s theme committee, specifically designed to come up with themes for their shows, costumes, and deliberate how the show will be carried out, decided upon “Cirque de Elite.”

The show embodied the popular Cirque du Soleil act known from around the world. Members of Elite were seen dressed in dramatic costumes, performing acrobatic stunts, and interacting with the audience as they came down the aisles of Dodd’s Hall. There were also performances by UNH’s own Monsoon Dance Crew, and 5, 6, 7, 8 Dance Team.

Ring leader of the event, Tisha Wosencroft did her part by having audiences participate in the raffles held that night. But, Elite was not the only step team present that eventing; the University of Bridgeport also did their routine following the show’s theme.

Captain, Breeann Cooper commented on how much effort it took to put the show together. “It took a lot of practice to put this all together. We had practice every day as the date came closer,” Cooper said.

Cooper said the event took close to two months to plan, and the effort was campus wide due to the amount of volunteers and cosponsors that helped make this event happen.  Other schools did show a particular interest in the event by contacting the captains and telling them that their school wanted to be a part of the show.

Both of the captains did seem more than satisfied with the turnout and execution of the event. This event has been held for the past four years, and it seems that the Elite Step Team plans on keeping this a tradition that students on campus and off campus can always look forward to.