ABOUT

Hi, I'm Caroline Childers, and I am honored to serve as the Performance President of CCDC this year. I am from Gaffney, SC and am a junior exercise science major on the Pre-OT track. I have been passionate about dance since the age of two and have competed at a highly competitive level for the past 16 years. My training spans contemporary, tap, jazz, ballet, and hip hop, allowing me to develop a versatile and well-rounded dance foundation. Throughout my time with CCDC, I have had the privilege of choreographing and performing, and I am excited to continue contributing to the club while serving in these leadership roles.

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Hello, my name is Katrina Riekstins and I am serving as the Competitive President and the Co-Performance Jazz Dance Chair for CCDC this year! I am entering my Junior year as an Exercise Science major and Dance minor. I am from Boston, MA and have been dancing since I was 3! I have been a part of CCDC since I was a freshman at USC. My dance experience ranges across all styles with strong ballet training as well as being a competitive dancer growing up. During my time with CCDC, I have been on both the Performance and Competitive teams. I have danced in each style, as well as choreographed the Competition Jazz piece last year. I also served as a Co-Vice President last year. I am grateful for the opportunity to lead this club and foster a comfortable and welcoming environment for the students of USC!

​Hi! I’m Mairead, and I’m a senior from the suburbs of New York City majoring in Criminology and Criminal Justice with minors in Psychology and Social Work. I’ve been dancing for over 15 years and have loved continuing that passion throughout college. This is my third year with Carolina Competitive Dance Club, and I currently have the honor to serve as Vice President! Throughout my time with CCDC, I’ve been involved in both competitive and performance teams in a variety of styles! CCDC has given me a space to keep growing as a dancer while also building lifelong friendships, and I’m so excited for another incredible year with this club!

Hi I'm Katie Driscoll. I am serving as the Treasurer this year for CCDC. I am a Junior from Deptford New Jersey. I have been apart of CCDC for 3 years and have danced competitively since I was 7, but dancing since I was 3. I helped cover classes at my studio and would be often teaching technique, acro, contemporary and jazz. My favorite style of dance is contemporary! My first year of CCDC I competed with the contemporary team and did performance jazz and contemporary. I continued dancing with the jazz and contemporary teams during my second year in CCDC.​

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​Hi My name is Sam Golding and I will be serving as the Fundraising Chair and Campus Relations for CCDC this year! I am a Senior Public Health major focusing on Speech Therapy I am from Neptune, NJ where I have grown up dancing since I was 3! I have been a part of CCDC since it started serving on the Exec Board for 3 years now serving as both the Fundraising and the Campus Relations Chair through the past years! I have also been a member of a few different performance teams such as Contemporary, Tap, and Hip Hop! My dance experience is in various styles but my favorite would probably Tap or Hip Hop! I am so excited to be back with CCDC this year and can't wait to plan some exciting things for CCDC and meet everyone!

Hi I'm Jade, I am serving as  Logistics this year. I am a Sophomore and am from Lexington, SC.  I’ve been dancing since the age of 3 and this year will be my second year involved in CCDC. At the age of 3 I began dancing and at the age of 4-18 I trained with The Academy of Lexington Youth Ballet. There I trained with a focus in Ballet and Pointe but also took Jazz and Contemporary. At the age of 11 I got the opportunity to attend tri-dac for dance which I attended for 3 years. For all four years of high school I was a part of my schools dance team competing in jazz, hip hop, contemporary and lyrical. Alongside with studio and team dance I got the privilege of also performing dance in musical theatre performances including Seussical, Legally Blonde, The Lightning Thief and much more! Last year I got the honor to be in the competitive small group contemporary dance where I met amazing girls and worked towards competing one dance. I knew early on that I loved the club and wanted to participate in it further

Hi! I’m Ashley, and I’m so excited to serve as this year’s Communications Chair and Performance Hip Hop Dance Chair! I’m originally from Kennesaw, GA, and I’m a junior majoring in Cardiovascular Technology with a Psychology minor on the Pre-Med track. I’ve been dancing for about 15 years and have trained in ballet, contemporary, hip hop, jazz, and tap. This is my second year with CCDC, and I’ve absolutely loved being part of both the Performance and Competitive Teams. After high school, I didn’t think I’d have the opportunity to keep dancing, until I found CCDC, which has truly reignited my passion and given me a place to grow both as a dancer and a leader. I can't wait to see what this year holds with such an inspiring and talented team!

“Hi CCDC! I’m Lily-K. and I’m so excited to serve as your apparel/social media co-chair! I’m from elloree, SC and a freshman at USC where I major in biology and minor and dance. I have been dancing since I was 2 in all styles, with my favorite of those being hip-hop, jazz, and tap. From my time with CCDC, I have been apart of both competitive and performance teams and I have loved every second! I’m so grateful for CCDC because it has given me a chance to grow as a dancer and continue my passion with others who feel the same, and I can’t wait to see what the semester holds!”

​Hi! My name is Francesca, and I am so honored to serve as the Social Media & Apparel Co-Chair for CCDC. I’m from the Philadelphia suburbs and am currently a sophomore studying Political Science and Women and Gender Studies on the pre-law track. I danced on my high school dance team for four years and had the privilege of serving as Co-Captain during my senior year. I was also a featured dancer in several musicals, including Mean Girls and Grease. I joined CCDC during my freshman year and have loved performing on the team ever since. I’m incredibly excited to continue sharing my passion for dance and contributing to CCDC this year!

Hey everyone! My name is Kaelee Christian, I will be a junior this year, and I am the Competitve Jazz Large Group Dance Chair. I am from Columbia, South Carolina and I’ve been dancing for most of my life. This is my third year being a member of this club and my third year being a dance chair for the club. I grew up dancing competitively and I started choreographing when I was in high school. I’ve been a dancer for CCDC as well as a dance chair. My first year I was on the competitive and performance contemporary teams and last year I was on the competitive jazz team. I am so excited ti continue my journey with CCDC this year!

Hi, I'm Scarlett I am serving as the Small Group Competition Dance Chair and Social Media Co-Chair for Carolina Competitive. I am entering my sophomore year at Carolina and have danced on the team for a year. I am originally from North Myrtle Beach and have trained extensively in a variety of dance styles. My performance credits include The Nutcracker Ballet, Mamma Mia!, Rock of Ages, and Frozen: The Broadway Musical. During my time at CCDC, I have served as the Performance Jazz Dance Chair, earned the title of Miss Senior Inspire, and performed at Spurs and Struts.

Hi, I'm Amanda Sark, I am the Competitive Large Group Hip Hop Chair and Competitive Large Group Contemporary Chair. I am a Junior majoring in Aerospace Engineering. I am from Greenville, SC. I have been dancing for 16 years, and with CCDC for 1 year. I have competed almost my whole life at various competitions, assistant teacher throughout high school, have taught master classes, CCDC dancer of the year 2024-2025 season. I am also a member of the competitive jazz, hip hop, and small group contemporary teams.

Hi I'm Arianna I have trained with prestigious institutions such as Kick Performing Arts Center, Artist Simply Human, Woodbridge School of Dance, and the New Jersey Tap Ensemble. My dedication and artistry have led me to take the stage at high-profile venues, including the Prudential Center halftime show, Madison Square Garden Pre-Game Show and the Artist Simply Human (ASH) Showcase, where I trained and performed under the guidance of renowned artist Maud Arnold. My solo and duo tap performances have consistently earned top honors across national and regional competitions—securing titles such as Miss National Teen Turn It Up, Miss Senior True Talent, Miss Senior Royal Dance and multiple 1st Place Overall Soloist and Duo awards. My technical excellence and expressive style are a reflection of years of rigorous training with industry leaders such as Kyla Heinz, Maud Arnold, John Manzari, Sydney Burtis, Ryan Fiedel, Gwen Potter and Jeffrey Foote, as well as standout performances at conventions including ASH, Radix, Monsters of Hip Hop, and True Talent. I am a repeat recipient of True Artist honors, Perfect Score awards, and Judge’s Choice recognitions, further cementing her reputation as a dedicated and inspiring performer. Now, as a dancer on the CCDC Performance and Competitive dance teams, I have competed in multiple competitions as a tap and hip hop dancer, participated in fundraisers and tabling, and now have the great honor of serving on the club's executive council.