Dancing with the Herd - The Starting Seven

Dancing with the Herd: The Starting Seven Seven women. One HERd. One goal. $12,000 for Marshall Women’s Athletics.

Meet The Starting Seven: Lesley Thomas, Jody Shy, Molly Fisher, Deja James, Emily Suter, Kylie Fisher, and Niesha Campbell — seven women with different backgrounds, talents, and connections to Marshall, coming together to dance for a purpose much bigger than themselves. Through Dancing with the Herd, The Starting Seven has set a goal to raise $12,000 to support all 12 of Marshall Athletics’ women’s programs and the continued work of the HERd Leadership Circle.

About the HERd Leadership Circle: The HERd Leadership Circle was created to Equip. Engage. Empower. Marshall women student-athletes by connecting them with women leaders, alumni, donors, and members of the community. Through mentorship, leadership development, professional networking, and meaningful relationship-building, the HERd Leadership Circle helps prepare women student-athletes for success during their time at Marshall and well beyond graduation. The program is built around the 3 Ps — Partner. Participate. Promote. — creating a community of women committed to investing in the next generation. $12,000 Supporting 12 Women’s Programs: Funds raised through Dancing with the Herd will help the HERd Leadership Circle support women across Marshall Athletics and enhance opportunities for student-athletes representing 12 women’s programs: Dance, Cheer, STUNT, Swimming & Diving, Softball, Women’s Golf, Women’s Tennis, Women’s Basketball, Volleyball, Women’s Soccer, Cross Country, and Track & Field.

Dancing with the Herd is a student-led, fundraising event, planned within the Honors College and presented by Marshall Health Network, where famous Marshall University couples and groups perform choreographed routines while raising money for student-centered funds at the Marshall University Foundation and the Big Green Scholarship Foundation. We have partnered with the Marshall Contemporary Dance Company, and each couple has been paired with a team of student or faculty choreographers to bring their performance to life. During the event, a panel of judges will provide feedback and scores. The winners of The Marco Mirrorball Trophy will be determined using a rubric that weighs both the judges’ scores and the total amount of money raised. Your donation directly supports the participating couples and the student-focused causes they champion. 

The event will take place on Friday, November 20, 2026, in the Brad D. Smith Foundation Hall. For additional information, please contact Connor Waller at waller45@marshall.edu or Piper Cook at cookpi@marshall.edu.