Melissa Brennan, a former member of the Branford High School dance team, recently helped the dance team at Assumption University finish in second place at the National Dance Association (NDA) College Nationals competition held in Daytona, Florida. Brennan and her teammates with the Assumption University dance squad took second place in Division II at the NDA Nationals, earning an Innovative Choreography Award, and also finished in third place for the Pom Division at the competition.

Brennan started dancing at local studios at the age of three before dancing competitively with the team at Walsh Intermediate School. Brennan went on to win state championships with the Branford dance team in all four of her seasons with the Hornets, becoming the first athlete in program history to accomplish that feat. Brennan, who was a captain of the team as a senior, also won three jazz titles and two hip-hop titles with Branford at the New England Championships during her high school career.

After graduating from high school, Brennan continued her dance career at Assumption University in Worcester, Massachusetts, serving as a spirit captain for two years. The team took third place in the Division II pom competition at the NDA Nationals during Brennan’s freshman season. After the COVID-19 pandemic restricted the team from competing off campus for two years, Assumption’s dancers were determined to come out strong this season and accomplished their goal by earning runner-up honors for Division II in the national competition.

Brennan will graduate in May with a major in human services and rehabilitation studies with a concentration on occupational therapy. She plans to get her master’s degree in occupational therapy.

Information courtesy of Laurie Brennan