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She couldn’t have choreographed it any better.
Gina Mormando, the director and choreographer of the New York Mets’ new dance team The Queens Crew, has seen her vision come to life in the most serendipitous way possible this baseball season.
As a lifelong dancer from West Babylon, now living in Bayport, Mormando has brought her extensive experience in sports entertainment to Citi Field, leading a unique and energetic addition to the Mets’ game day experience.
“What you’re seeing now is pretty much, not to sound silly, but it’s pretty much like, perfectly a dream come true,” Mormando, 41, told Greater Long Island.
The Queens Crew’s inaugural season coincided with an unexpected twist this summer: new Mets’ second baseman Jose Iglesias, performing under the stage name Candelita, released a Latin hit song “OMG” that became the team’s anthem as they gained steam and surged toward the playoffs.
The perfect alignment of music and dance has added an extra layer of excitement to the Mets’ incredibly successful season, a journey that has the team on the brink of reaching the World Series for the first time since 2015. New York is set to host games three, four and five of the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers; the teams split the first two games of the series in California on Sunday and Monday.
The Queens Crew will perform inside Citi Field and at the pre- and post-game block parties outside the stadium.
A Journey through sports entertainment
Mormando’s path to leading The Queens Crew is paved by her rich history in sports entertainment.
“I’ve been in the sports world since 2001,” she reflected, recounting her journey through various professional teams. Her career began in the Arena Football League, performing in Nassau Coliseum with the New York Dragons’ dance team, and continued with the New York Jets, where she was a member of the Flight Crew cheerleading team.
Mormando also worked in the NHL, performing with the New York Islanders’ dance team. The diverse experience across different sports leagues enabled her to hone her skills in choreography and performance, adapting to the unique demands of each sport’s fan base, she said.
Most recently, before taking on her role with The Queens Crew, Mormando served as the coach and director of the Long Island Riptide lacrosse team’s dance crew.
“The Riptide experience was incredible,” she said. “It really prepared me for the challenge of creating something new with the Mets.”
It was the Riptide franchise’s move to Canada earlier this year that paved the way for her current role with the Mets.
The Queens Crew: A diverse ensemble
The Mets new dance team, The Queens Crew, is directed by Long Island’s Gina Mormando. pic.twitter.com/7rHOAXyOCr
— Greater Long Island 📰 (@Greater_LI) October 17, 2024
The Queens Crew’s purpose extends beyond just entertaining fans during games, she said. Mormando has created a diverse group of dancers who connect with fans of all ages, delivering a family-friendly energy to the ballpark. The 18-member team, ranging in age from 20 to 32, includes dancers with various specialties — from hip-hop to ballroom to jazz to tap.
“We have kids that are ballroom dancers. We have jazz dancers. I mean, if I whipped out a tap floor, we have tap dancers,” Mormando explained, noting that the Mets’ dance team, an idea started by Mets owner Steve Cohen, is the only one of its kind in Major League Baseball.
“Every single dancer brings something so different. So when I book those 10 kids, the fans are getting a different show every time,” added Mormando; who explained that during the regular season 10 of the crew’s 18 members would perform at each game. In the playoffs, the whole roster is performing at all of the home games.
Mormando, who also teaches locally at Divine Rhythms Dance in West Islip, emphasized the importance of the crew’s balanced approach.
“It’s just such a perfect balance where everybody just looks at the performances and smiles,” she said.
Overcoming challenges
The journey to success for The Queens Crew didn’t come without its challenges. Mormando recalled that when the Mets played poorly during the season’s first two months — playing 11 games under .500 through May — the new dance team had its share of skeptics.
“There were people who loved the dancers when they saw them in person, but there were people that were hearing about it and kind of bashing it,” she said.
However, as the season progressed and New York’s performance improved, so did the reception of The Queens Crew.
“Once they saw the kids dance in person, nobody gave them attitude,” she said. “The crew became more and more accepted and enjoyed.”
Looking to the future
“We’re excited for next year because we even want to level up everything for The Queens Crew,” said Mormando, a mother of three who has taught dance to youngsters since 2001. “We want to get them out in the community more. We want to do stuff with children. Since we have so many dance teachers and I’m a dance teacher, I think it’s very important that we go to local studios.”
As the Mets push toward a potential World Series appearance, Mormando said The Queens Crew stands ready to keep the energy high and the fans engaged.
“The whole organization is buzzing with excitement over this,” Mormando said of the Mets’ playoff run. “Across the board, this is everything what we were hoping for.”
Top photo and videos taken by Brian Harmon.
