Last Saturday UCSB beat UC-Irvine by 16 PTS in the Big West tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Gauchos were swept by the Anteaters in December but won 18 of 19 since then to make the NCAA tourney for the 1st time since 2011. In addition to shining a light on the players who got the job done on the court, it is also important to recognize the spirited students who have worked just as hard on the sidelines, such as band members/cheerleaders/dancers. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Lily Hurtubise about being a captain and not being able to join the basketball team in Indianapolis this week.
What made you choose UCSB? I had a lot of different choices coming out of high school and was considering several schools. I have a lot of family in Canada but after visiting UCSB I just knew that I wanted to spent the next 4 years of my life there.
You teach at a dance studio and are a member of the United Spirit Association Dance Staff: what is your favorite part of being a dancer, and do you have time to do anything not involving school or dance?! I just completed my 3rd year on the dance staff and it was a big part of my life. My favorite part is to share my love of dance with the younger students. To see them develop the same love that I have for dance is great. It helps me in a lot of other areas of my life: I have learned about responsibility and being a team player. I have time for a few other things and am in the honors program at my school.
Last spring you were voted to be a captain for the dance team: what is the key to being a good leader? It is all about lifting up the people on your team. My style is to be understanding/accepting of all my teammates so I just try to make sure that everyone is being heard/valued.
You are a Communication major, a French minor, and are also pursuing a Technology Management certificate: why did you pick those subjects, and what is the post-graduation plan? I am trying to broaden my horizons because I want to dance professionally after college. I think I am the only student here studying all 3 of those diverse subjects! Technology management focuses on finance/management/organizational leadership so I decided to add that as well, and my dad speaks French so it brings me closer to him. I am currently looking at summer internships in marketing/PR.
What does your team do at basketball games during a normal year? We arrive super-early to warm up, do a pregame formation, and then perform coordinated cheers with our cheer team as well as some jazz/hip-hop routines. I just wish we could have done all of that this year.
What do you think the role of a college dance team is today, and how has it changed over time? For me dance is about entertaining the audience that is there to watch the sports team, while also supporting our athletic department. People have told me that there is a different energy in the arena when we are dancing/cheering for our athletes. Dance teams are primarily female, which has not changed a lot. In the past I think that dance teams were an object of decoration, which I think is unfortunate, but it is becoming more about female empowerment and being a separate entity from the male sports teams. We are there to cheer them on, but also to entertain the crowd and showcase our own talents because we have been training our entire lives.
How do you like basketball, and is that your favorite sport? You are going to get me in trouble: we also dance at soccer games but basketball is my favorite! We dance at the Thunderdome, which is smaller than most arenas, but it feels like home because during the season I am there twice/week with my friends in the crowd: it is a great environment. I hope to dance in the NBA after graduation and want to pursue both my dance/career goals at the same time.
Last Saturday in the Big West tourney title game the Gauchos had a 16-PT win over UC-Irvine: how excited was the student body to get its 1st NCAA tourney appearance in a decade? It is definitely a good feeling: in this time where there is not a lot of connection between people it was a moment of unity for our school. We are not considered a “sports” school so it was a big deal for us: people who do not know anything about us are talking about it a lot on social media. I am excited to see what happens this weekend.
Due to COVID your team has been unable to participate this season and you will not be traveling with the team to Indianapolis this week: how frustrating is it to be a dancer for a great basketball team during a pandemic? It is tough. We had plans to do other things beyond gameday (like an annual competition) but we could not get approved for that. We had 8 freshman who we were trying to integrate into our team: I could focus on the negative aspects but I know that we will come back stronger from this. As long as we can stand behind the other teams who get do their thing, that is the main goal.
You are playing Creighton on Saturday: any predictions? All I can say is that I will be cheering on UCSB from home.
I heard a rumor that your brother Taggart is an actor: are we ever going to see you on the big screen someday as well?! He was a child actor who was really into acting: he was perfect for the big screen. I grew up wanting to be like him but I decided to take the dance route. We both moved to LA with my mom for a summer, which was a great learning experience, but he decided to pursue other things and is now a ski team coach in Tahoe. His drive/motivation to entertain audiences and put on a different persona to play different characters has really inspired me as a dancer. I did a few voiceovers/commercials as a kid…but the only big screen you will see me on in the future is at a pro sports arena!