Since its founding in 1995, the Penn State Lionettes dance team has been known for sidelines, sisterhood, and its iconic kickline during football showdowns in Beaver Stadium.

But this year, sisterhood took on a new meaning for the team. The Lionettes include real-life sisters, Eléna and Sophia Vitale, among other dedicated dancers.

“It really is what we’ve always wanted,” big sister Eléna Vitale said. “We’ve done duets all our lives.” 

Hailing from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the senior-freshman duo has spent the last two decades practicing, laughing, and dreaming of dance at the collegiate level. From endless rehearsals at Thomas Dance Studios to training on the high school drill team, the sisters have been on three teams together and have won three national championships in a duet. 

“When we were younger, we would put on the Universal Dance Association livestream, and we would have a Penn State hat, a Penn State shirt on… I wanted to dance so badly in college,” Eléna said.

Since then, they made that dream a reality and spent the 2023-24 season side by side on some of Happy Valley’s biggest stages. 

“It’s just surreal,” Eléna said. “It’s for the best place, doing what I love the most, with the people I love the most.”

Fresh off a historic finish at this year’s Universal Dance Association National Championships, the sisters laughed about old routines and explained the power of their longtime partnership. 

“We know each other’s dance abilities and what needs to be helped,” Sophia said. “So it’s definitely helping me, with her leading me there. We definitely complement each other with our strengths and abilities.”

From competing in duets at just seven and 10 years old, the sisters know each others’ abilities like their very own and have the unique opportunity to give feedback in a truly supportive way. 

“In terms of dance, I’ll look at her first, like, ‘What do I need to fix? What do I need to do?'” Eléna said.

While it may have been a challenge for any siblings to train at the highest level, the Vitale sisters have always built each other up to find success in their endeavors. 

“It is unique because I think that a lot of people would have trouble… I love taking corrections from her because I think she’s like so much more of a consistent dancer,” Eléna said. “I thought it would be difficult for us, but it’s not at all. I need her feedback.” 

As a senior on the team, Eléna is also one of four captains of the Lionettes. While training for the team is no easy feat, Vitale explained how dancing with her younger sister brings renewed energy to her senior season. 

“Every day she’s like, ‘let’s go, let’s go,’ so it makes me more excited and want to do more,” Eléna said. “She has revived my whole, ‘why want to be here?'”

Energetic both on and off the field, young sister Sophia has been embraced by the team and enjoys the sisterhood of the community. 

“They all are kind of taking me under their wing, and I feel like kind of everyone’s younger sister,” Sophia said. “They’re all giving me such great advice about anything: school, where to go eat, dance, everything.”

“Yeah, you are like everyone’s younger sister,” Eléna agreed with a laugh. 

Exploring this new chapter together, the Vitale sisters enjoy each other’s company and have recognized many similarities along the way.

“I think we’ve come to realize we’re like the same person, so we are best friends definitely,” Eléna said. “But even best friends isn’t like on the sister-level… [We are] like the inseparable type.”

Closer than ever, the sisters enjoy pre-game sleepovers and spending time together in a once-in-a-lifetime college experience. 

“We had a practice one day where we were on property from nine to five, and it was on my birthday,” Sophia said. “She threw a surprise birthday party with the whole team.”

While the duo enjoy many practices and days together now at University Park, Eléna first remained impartial to ensure that Sophia could make her own decision when it came to college.

“I didn’t want her I feel like pressure to come here. I would try to say nothing about the team…good or bad,” Eléna said. “I just wanted her to be indifferent because I got to be indifferent and choose where I wanted to go.”

Celebrating her younger sister’s success, Eléna was thrilled to find out her sister had been offered a spot on the Lionettes while home with the family for spring break. 

“Then, she got the email that she had made the team, and I was just so excited,” Eléna said. “I was like this summer, I can teach you all the fight songs and Rock ‘N Roll… I was really excited, but I didn’t want to say anything at first because I didn’t want her to feel like she had to go here.”

“It didn’t feel real at first,” Sophia said. “You dream about being on a dance team for so long and going to college.”

While Penn State was the final decision for Sophia, the young dancer explored many options first with the support of the whole family. 

“I was always noticed like the mini Eléna, so starting out my college experience, I honestly wanted to go anywhere but here just to have a fresh start,” Sophia said. “But the more I kept coming here, I realized there is nowhere like this… It really is the best and seeing her bond with the girls on the team and thrive… They were just beyond nice to me.”

Inspired by the sisterhood of the Lionettes, Sophia realized Penn State was the place she was meant to be after visiting many schools and traveling to countless games to cheer on Eléna. 

“Our family is super close, and we go everywhere together,” Sophia said. “I was like this is the place to be, and I’m loving it.”

Joking with her older sister, Sophia reminded Eléna that next season, they would once again trade places. 

“Now you can be like, ‘Oh yeah, I gotta go watch my sister,’ like I did for three years,” Sophia said. “I hope you come back.”

“Yeah, totally fair,” Eléna said. “I’ll be back.”

Looking back on their dance careers, the Vitale sisters credit their parents with inspiring them to achieve their dream at the highest collegiate level. 

“Mom and dad are the best. They never pushed us to dance,” Eléna said. “They were just definitely in sports and put us in dance because it was a fun thing for us to do, and we just naturally loved it.”

Cheering on their daughters, the Vitale parents never miss a home football game performance and even built a dance studio in the basement of their home. 

“They love us so much, and they love that we love dance, and that we love Penn State,” Eléna said. “They love what makes us happy, and they want to be there for us every step of the way.”

Looking back on the experience of a lifetime, the sisters are grateful for the opportunity to once again dance together for one last ride.

“It was everything I expected it to be and more,’ Sophia said. “I feel like I would not have nearly the freshman experience I’m having without her.” 

Echoing the strength of the friendship, big sister Eléna agreed. 

“I’m so grateful she’s here,” Eléna said. “Now that she’s here, I don’t even know how I went those three years without her.”