Cindy Freeman is the founder and Head Coach of the Avila University Dance Team. Freeman has worked in the Athletic Department in a variety of capacities for the past 17 years. Her role in the department includes her current responsibilities of managing the athletic website and providing game management for the softball program. Freeman founded the dance team in 2000. Aided by her many years of involvement with dance, she has been able to recruit well trained dancers to participate in her program.
With these dancers she took her team to the UCA/UDA College Nationals Dance Championship where they finished 7th place in the nation as a first year team. In 2001-2002, the Glitter Girls second year of existence, they returned with a 2nd place finish from College Nationals. The team was on ESPN a number of times as a result of the 2nd place finish. In 2002-2003 and 2007-2008, the team won the Heart of America Conference Spirit Squad Championship. Coach Freeman was also recognized as the Heart of America Conference Spirit Squad Coach of the Year. During the 2004-2005 season the dance team placed 3rd in the jazz division and came home with a NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP in the Hip-Hop Division at the Collegiate National Championships. The team was seen on ESPN and ESPN 2 multiple times. The Glitter Girls brought home bronze medals with 3rd place finishes in the open hip-hop divisions at the 2008-2009 & 2009-2010 UDA Collegiate Championships. The Avila Dance team has finished in the top ten each year they have competed at the collegiate national championships.
Coach Freeman w's work at Avila University has not gone unnoticed as she was selected to serve as a judge for the 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 & 2011 UDA High School National Championships. In 2007 she was also invited to serve on the judging panel for UPA at their national competition in Minneapolis, MN.
The Avila University Dance Team was featured in an article in Dance Teacher Magazine in June 2004. The article was a profile on how to start a new and successful collegiate dance program.
Freeman's objective as a coach is to recruit not only talented dancers, but quality students into her program. Freeman's goal is for every dancer she coaches to feel that they have been a part of something special when they leave Avila University. Freeman is married to Steve Freeman and has two children, Mandy, a former dance team member and coach at Avila and Brad, both graduates of Avila University.
