Sachem Alum Coaches Dance at Both Alma Maters

David Maczkiewicz grew up dancing. Everyone in his family was dancing, so when he turned 4 it was a no brainer.

“I told my parents I wanted to dance too,” he said.

Eighteen years later and Maczkiewicz is still dancing. Now 22, he is an assistant coach of the Hofstra University Dance Team, and a volunteer assistant for the Sachem North Varsity Arrowettes. A Sachem North graduate from 2007, he was the first male Arrowette in Sachem history and was a three-year varsity dancer during his time with the Flaming Arrows.

“It was tough at times,” he said of the adversity he faced being a male dancer. “There are always going to be some people who are tough on you. The nice people are always supportive of you too though.”

After graduation he attended Hofstra where he pursued a degree in communications, majoring in radio production and he minored in dance. While at Hofstra, he was a four-year member of the dance team and was a captain his senior year. He originally had received scholarship money to attend nearby St. Joseph’s College, but wanted to improve on his dance skill set, so he traveled west to Hempstead, N.Y. and attended Hofstra.

In January he traveled to Orlando with Hofstra for the 2012 UDA/UCA Collegiate Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championships and coached the Pride to their highest finish ever. The team finished in second place in Division I Jazz and ultimately won first place in the Division I Hip Hop Category. It was the second time Hofstra has won a National Championship.

He’s looking forward to getting down to Orlando again in March for the NDA National Dance Team Championships.

“Sachem North Varsity Arrowette Coaches, Katie Prusinski, Sarah Engel and myself are working hard to get these girls ready to win their own National Championship,” he said. “Hearing the news of my first win as a coach has definitely hyped these girls up and they are ready to win their own this year, as well as the first National Championship for Sachem North [dance].”