Dance Company Director - Sandy Hinton

Over the last three decades, Sandy Hinton has developed the MCC Dance Company into one of the nation’s elite programs, transforming the group from a traditional drill team into a high-energy dance and spirit squad.

Hinton has directed the dance company for 33 years and has been a member of the MCC staff for 34 years.

Under Hinton’s direction, the squad has won nine American Dance/Drill Team School National Championships in Division II dance and three ADTS Collegiate Academic Championships, in 2003, 2004 and 2005. MCC won the National Dance Alliance Collegiate National Championship in Division II dance in 2001 and placed second in the finals in 2003 and 2005, followed by third-place finishes in 2006 and 2007.

In 1994, team captain Heather Hinton was selected as MCC’s first All-American dancer. DeLeah Caro was named an All-American in 1996 and 1997 and later became a member of the Dallas Mavericks dance team. Leah Mullinax, a member of the dance team from 2004-06, spent two year as member of the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders and has now joined Caro on the Dallas Mavericks dance team.

Squad lieutenant Rebecah Jones earned All-American status in 2001, as did Lieutenant Christian Guzman in 2002. T.J. Maple and Sarah Drolet were named All-Americans in 2003, and Drolet earned the honor again in 2004. In 2006, captain Maureen Semeraro was named an All-American dancer, and last year captain Layne Garrett and freshman Paige Allen were recognized as All-Americans. This summer, Allen received the honor for the second year in a row, and freshman Lesley Sanders was also an honoree.

Hinton earned her bachelor’s in physical education and speech from Baylor University in 1969 and her master’s in physical education, also from Baylor, in 1970. For the next five years, Hinton was the drill team director, volleyball coach and cheerleader sponsor at LaVega High School in Waco.

In 2004-05, Hinton was one of three finalists for the Texas Dance Educators Association Achievement Awards and was a finalist for the TDEA Teacher of the Year Award. Hinton has been selected for inclusion in “Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers” three times – in 2003-04, 2004-05 and again in 2006-07.

Hinton is also a member of Texas Dance Educators, Dance/Drill Team Directors of America and is a DTDA certified judge for drill team contests and tryouts. She is the founder and director of Starlite Summer Dance Camps, which serves as a recruiting tool for future MCC dancers.

Hinton’s husband, Mike, is also a Baylor graduate and teaches technology for Waco Independent School District. They have two daughters: Haley Honey, a University of Oklahoma graduate and teacher, and Heather Kizer, a Baylor graduate and first-grade teacher at Hewitt Elementary. Heather and her husband, Trey, are the parents of Clay, 3, the Hinton’s first grandchild.

The Hinton File

Coaching Experience

  • 1975-present: Director, MCC Dance Team
  • 1970-75: Drill team instructor, volleyball coach and cheerleader sponsor, LaVega High School

Education

  • 1970: Master's in physical education, Baylor University
  • 1969: Bachelor's in physical education, Baylor University