Shaking it up on the Pom Team

From competitive dance to university pom

Since the age of 12, Mackenzie Wong (BCom ‘25) has been immersed in the world of competitive dance, drawn to the thrill of performing in front of large audiences and expressing her emotions through movement. Joining the University of Toronto Pom Team allowed her to continue this passion in a slightly different format, as well as find a supportive space to grow and be her most authentic self. 

Understanding pom

Pom is a high-energy style of dance that combines jazz, hip-hop, and some aspects of cheer. Mackenzie explains that “the difference between pom and cheer is that pom focuses more on the dance technique and choreography, while cheer focuses on tumbling, stunting, and vocal cheers. Our U of T cheer team actually doesn’t use pom poms at all anymore, while pom uses pom poms to emphasize arm movements.” The team performs at all of the University’s football and basketball home games, makes appearances at other sports games and holiday events, and competes against other university pom teams each season.  

Facing stereotypes

The belief that pom and dance are not “real” sports fails to recognize the high level of athleticism and dedication involved. Mackenzie shares: “One major misconception about the Pom Team is that we’re just pretty faces and that you don’t need any real talent or skill to join the Pom Team. Since dance in general has a reputation of “not being a sport,” it’s difficult to convince people on the outside that we need to put in a lot of time, money, and physical effort.” She handles such misconceptions by believing in the team’s efforts, understanding that their motivation comes from within, not from those who dismiss their hard work.  

Difficult decisions

As the co-captain of the Pom Team, Mackenzie must balance her responsibilities as a team manager, coach, and team member all at once. As a result, she chose to focus on pom as her main extracurricular. This meant making the difficult decision to leave the Rotman Commerce Arts Group (RCAG), which she had been a member of since her first year. However, she continues to show her support by attending the group’s events: “I think it’s really important that RCAG is blending business and arts. Sometimes it feels invalid that I would even want a career in a more creative industry rather than in finance or consulting, but RCAG is a space for people like me.”  

One major challenge that Mackenzie faced last year was that she felt less connected to the team, due to her role as co-captain: “It became less fun and less rewarding because it felt like I didn’t have time to make real connections with team members, or that they didn’t want to connect with me because I’m captain and that’s “scary.” It was kind of sad, and so I had a moment where I was grappling with the decision of staying captain for this year or demoting myself so that I could feel accepted.” She ultimately decided to continue as a co-captain, introducing two new positions and hiring a coach to help the team feel more united and run more smoothly this year. 

Key takeaways

Mackenzie’s involvement with the Pom Team has greatly influenced her approach to collaboration, from the classroom to the workplace. Being on the Pom Team requires an incredible amount of teamwork and coordination, which has led her to value clear communication and internal deadlines for group projects. As well, when choreographing routines for the team, she must consider the unique strengths of each dancer and set them up so that they can shine: “I’ve found it’s usually best to put someone in a comfortable role, especially in a brand new team that has never worked together before. If the team is working together over a longer period, it’s good to ask them if they would like to work on improving skills and areas that they aren’t so comfortable with yet, and then to pair them with someone who is comfortable so that they can grow together.”

She also gained valuable leadership insights from this experience, such as the importance of prioritizing each team member’s individuality, which strengthens the team. She has learned that “being a leader is hard work. The mental challenge of whether to act as a leader or a friend has a fine balance, but there’s a time and place for everything.”

Over the past year, as Mackenzie felt increasingly distant from the team, she realized that she had to be more proactive in making social plans with others: “Although it sucks to think that people won’t just invite you to do something just because, it doesn’t mean that they don’t want to get to know you or hang out with you. Breaking down that barrier outside of practice (and outside of the workplace) is important to maintaining respect inside of the workplace, and showing the people that you lead that you, too, are just a human being.”

Interested in joining?

Mackenzie emphasizes the importance of one’s ability to perform and project as an aspiring Pom Team member: “We look for excellent technique, enthusiasm, and performance quality. I want to be able to stand all the way at the back of the stadium bleachers and have you catch my eye.”  

If the Pom Team has piqued your interest, auditions are taking place on September 28. More details and sign-up instructions will be shared on the team’s Instagram page (@uoftpomteam), so stay on the lookout! 

By Jaclyn Wang (BCom ’25) | August 27, 2024