Students are already eagerly anticipating the 12-hour NOVAdance Marathon on Saturday, March 28, 2026. NOVAdance is a year-long fundraising and awareness effort in which some of Villanova’s greatest dancers showcase their skills to raise money for children battling pediatric cancer. The marathon is the culmination of all that effort and will take place at the Dixon Center in Cabrini this year.
On the day of the marathon, each hour is assigned a different theme, resulting in different kinds of music and events. At the beginning of every hour, there is a roughly six-minute line dance in which a video and in-person dancers demonstrate the corresponding routine throughout the Cabrini gym. Each hour is then capped off by a new song that everyone attending the event can join in on performing.
“It’s super cool, so for anybody to come in, there is never a bad time,” junior and NOVAdance Committee member Micah Bory said. “There’s always a reason to come by, so for those who maybe aren’t so involved in NOVAdance, whatever works in their schedule, I think they should 100% come because no matter what and no matter when, it will be entertaining.”
Some examples of hours from previous iterations include Greek Life and Live Music. The former focuses on performances by fraternities and sororities, while the latter allows students to freestyle to their favorite songs.
There is a Hero Hour, when the NOVAdance team honors those who have fought against the odds and continue to inspire others. Their achievements have earned them the title of B+ heroes, named after the Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation. There is also the Sidekick hour, which highlights the Sidekick program.
“It’s me and four other lovely people who run the Sidekicks program, which is a program for freshmen on Villanova’s campus to get involved with NOVAdance in terms of weekly meetings and commitments,” Bory said.
There are about 180 Sidekicks already, according to Bory, and the program is always eager to see new faces. The Engagement Coordinators program is a similar program for upperclassmen.
Bory shared that NOVAdance fundraising starts in May of each year to prepare for the marathon, with even more opportunities at the event. For example, there will be matching opportunities where one can donate, and their name will be matched to their page so they can raise even more money for NOVAdance.
“Honestly, we can’t do it without the Villanova community,” Bory said. “Sidekicks has been fundraising. ECs have been fundraising. I think tons and tons of people on Villanova’s campus have been independently fundraising as well.”
Bory applauded the hard work, effort and contributions that have gone towards making the first Cabrini NOVAdance the best it can be.
“I think the biggest takeaway that I hope everybody gets is that anybody can make change on this campus,” Bory said. “Anybody can do good. It might not seem like a lot of work donating a couple bucks here and there, but it really makes a huge difference in everybody’s life.”
Be sure to mark your calendars and take a trip to Cabrini this Saturday. Your support could mean the difference in the life of another innocent child.
