Spartanettes Discuss Love of Dance, Challenges of Running Team
Sam France
The Spartanettes are a student-run dance team that perform at some sporting events during halftime. The original club stopped during the 2016-17 school year but in 2018 Jayla Sharp and Chyna Miller decided to revitalize it. Now they have six members, who are all dedicated to the team. They practice every Monday and Wednesday. There is no experience required to join the dance team, they accept everyone who is interested in being apart of the team. “We are all here to learn and have fun together”, said team member Kayla Anderson.
Although the Spartanettes perform during football and basketball season at halftime, when there are other opportunities to showcase their skills, they love to participate in them. The team usually does their own choreography and dances to newer music. For example, they use songs from the artists Katy Perry and Da Baby. Not only do they perform to hip-hop, but jazz is another genre they dance to. “We are always open to learning and performing different styles of music and dance,” Anderson said.
The Spartanettes are a small team and have had to go through some hardships. For instance, the team started late this year because they were without an advisor, but when they got one the person ended up leaving. In fact, they have had multiple advisors come and go. The Spartanettes have also tried to get uniforms for a long time but cannot access the funds without an advisor.
Further, gaining university support is an issue. “As much as I want the team to be bigger, size is not an issue. It’s the lack of support from our Manchester community and the lack of recognition for our talent and all we have done and do for this school,” Anderson said.