Sisterhood. Empowerment. Virtue.
All About Banks Collage Elite Empire Dance Team
Our Philosophy
Banks Collage Elite Empire is a Majorette dance team based in Charlottesville, VA. We strive to empower the youth in our community through movement and dance. Our practices and teambuilding activities have allowed us to build a foundation based on sisterhood, fostering friendships and connections amongst our dancers that will last a lifetime. Beyond this, it is the goal of our coaches to serve not only as choreographers and teachers, but mentors who are able to provide valuable advice and life lessons that will assist dancers through all walks of life.
Our 3 Pillars: Sisterhood. Empowerment. Virtue.
Sisterhood: Encompasses our ability to collaborate and work together. We move and dance as a team, and keep each other's best interests in mind. Even through our differences, it is our goal to uphold the respect of each individual who decides to join our team.
Empowerment: We believe that every dancer possesses a unique talent waiting to be unleashed. Our mission is to build confidence and empower dancers of all levels and backgrounds to discover, hone, and showcase their skills in an inclusive and supportive community.
Virtue: We believe that dance is not just a physical expression but also a reflection of one's inner virtues. We strive to cultivate a culture of virtue within our community, emphasizing the values of integrity, respect, empathy, and perseverance.
Team Building
In order to build friendships and keep a fun, productive environment we implement activities and time for the dancers to get to know each other and from connections outside of practice.
Some examples from the past include bonfires, pool trips, jumpology, game nights etc!
During the week of competitions we also have spirit week!
Senior Captain: Symora
Senior Co-Captain: Saniya
Mini Captain: Saiani
Senior Captain: Symora
Senior Captain: Symora (2020-Current)
Senior Co-Captain: Caja (2025-Current)
Senior Co-Captain: Italiyah (2025-Current)
Junior Captain: Ella (2024-Current)
Junior Co-Captain: Tameah (2024-Current)
Junior Co-Captain: Mikaelah (2024-Current)
Mini Captain: Gianna (2024-Current)
Mini Captain: Niyah (2024-Current)
Mini Co-Captain: Amira (2025-Current)
Meet Our Captains!
Previous Captains & Co-Captains
Senior Captains:
Alloire (2015-2020)
Senior Co-Captains:
Heaven (2015-2020)
Ayana (2015-2020)
Akira (2021-2022)
Kennady (2021-2023)
Saniya (2023-2024)
Junior Captains:
Lamira (2015-2020)
Caja (2020-2022)
Italiyah (2022-2024)
Junior Co-Captains:
Cayden (2021-2022)
Italiyah (2021-2022)
Ella (2023-2024)
Mini Captains:
Italiyah (2019-2020)
Saiani (2023-2024)
Mini CoCaptains:
Kaliyah (2019-2020)
Meet The Coaches
Coach Alloire
Alloire Thomas has been dancing for 10+ years. Her experience is mainly in Majorette, Hip Hop, and Latin style dancing. She has also taken classes in contemporary and heels. She has been with Elite Empire since the very beginning, and became the captain in 2015 until she graduated high school in 2020. She has been a head coach and choreographer for the team since 2018.
Coach Ashley
Ashley Rush has been a coach for Elite Empire since 2019. She brings the energy to every practice, and works hard to make sure each dancer is taken care of. With a background in cheer, she has a knack for cleanliness and showmanship. She primarily works with our mini dancers, but her influence spans across the entire team.
Coach Shawna
Shawna Banks is both a director and coach for Elite Empire. From administrative tasks to choreography, she ensures that the team is prepared each time they hit the floor. She has been with the team since inception in 2014, and dedicates the majority of her free time to dance. As a coach, her goal is to always push for growth, and she sees every opportunity as a chance to grow and learn.
Coach Kennady
Kennady Johnson has been dancing for 8 years. When she was younger, she trained in Ballet, Tap, Jazz and Hip Hop. For the past 5 years she has been dancing in the Majorette/Band style. Upon joining Elite Empire in high school, she became the Head Co-Captain. Now she dances for Emerald Desire at George Mason University. Recently, she began helping out as an assistant coach for the team. She strives to see the dancers continue to grow, and works hard to ensure their success!