Spotlight: Bianka Texidor, professional dancer

By Isabella Fernandez de Cueto •

NSU 2024 graduate and former Sharkette, Bianka Texidor, was a dancer for the Florida Panthers in the 2023-24 season.

Texidor, from Orlando, began dancing at 6 years old. When she joined NSU in 2020, she was unsure about her future, both in dance and at NSU.

“I didn’t think I would continue dancing in college, but I did decide to major in dance. I did mostly virtual classes, which made learning about dance difficult, so I started to contemplate transferring out of NSU. A main reason I stayed was the Sharkettes,” Texidor said.

The Sharkettes is a dance team that performs at NSU sporting and community events. Texidor danced with the Sharkettes for two years. She also served as the team’s recognition chair, where she recognized and celebrated her teammates’ accomplishments.

Texidor said her experience with the Sharkettes helped shape her into the person and dancer she is today.

“The Sharkettes is a tight-knit community, and I saw so much growth in my confidence and dancing on top of growing and maturing as a person. They left such an impact on me, and I don’t think I would have ever auditioned for any professional teams if it wasn’t for the Sharkettes,” Texidor said.

Shanygne Bitna, who had been coaching the Sharkettes for about a decade, saw Texidor’s potential early on.

“From the first time I saw her dancing and performing, I knew she would be on a professional dance team. She has always had the qualities of a professional dancer,” Bitna said.

In August of 2023, Texidor auditioned for the Florida Panthers Dance Team as a way of introducing herself to the world of professional dance.

“I initially wanted to take a whole year to just train for auditions before I attended any, but I later decided I would attend a few auditions solely for the experience, not really expecting to make the team or anything,” Texidor said.

After a week of auditions, Texidor became a member of the team. Texidor and The Florida Panthers Dance Team performed at 52 home games for more than a million people during the 2023-2024 season, culminating in the team winning the 2024 Stanley Cup.

“Seeing the impact us dancers had on the audience was such a nice feeling, and being able to experience that environment and be a part of it was amazing. This was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Texidor said.

Coach Bitna kept up with Texidor’s season and is excited to see her dancer’s dreams come true.

“I saw her work so hard for this for two years, so seeing it pay off as she achieves her goals makes me so proud, and she is only going to continue to grow,” Bitna said.

Texidor has advice for her fellow Sharkettes and other dancers who want to get into professional sports dance teams.

“Embrace who you are and be yourself. That is how you set yourself apart from the rest during auditions,” Texidor said.

Texidor looks forward to dancing with the Florida Panthers Dance Team again when the season starts back up in October.