Becoming A Marching Wildcat

As I continued to get comfortable, I became uncomfortable. I wasn’t dancing. The thing that had centered me for so long was getting away and I had to find it again. I heard about “The Caged Cats” dance team and was interested. They were a group of ladies that usually showcased their talents during basketball season, as a part of the half time show. They were also known as the “knock off” version of the “The 14Kt Gold Dancers (14K)”, a team in which I would soon become a part of. I went to the interest meeting, tried out and became a member. I can’t remember my audition piece. Hell, I don’t remember if there was one ( I know y’all are like, “This chick can’t remember shit.” LOL). If so, it was likely not very difficult for me. By now, I had been technically dancing for about 5 years and had performed in front of hundreds to thousands of people. So, I was more than comfortable in this arena.

Very soon after I had joined “The Caged Cats”, I quit. The ladies weren’t as organized as I expected or preferred. In addition, we were required to join the gym and that made no sense to me. My thought process was that the degree of physical exertion required for performance pieces should provide the amount of strength, endurance and flexibility for physical fitness. In addition, who was gonna fund my monthly gym membership? It definitely wasn’t going to be Babalu.

And then, I heard it. A voice that I would know very well was announcing the upcoming “14K” tryouts. It went something like this….”Attention ladies, if you are interested in becoming a part of the “Marching Wildcats'” “14Kt Gold” dance team, for Fall 1995, please join us at the band field next week.” I was standing in the lobby area of LLC, on the second floor. I was excited. Little did I know…. I was about to embark on one of the most memorable parts of my college experience…..becoming a Marching Wildcat.

There I was, standing on the band field with my white T-shirt, and black biking shorts that were covered by the black V-cut shorts that were required for all new-comers. I was surrounded by existing members (freshman and upper classmen) and the team’s leader. He was responsible for choreography, while the upperclassman were responsible for making our lives miserable. Everyone played their role to a “T”. There was one particular upper classmen (who would be a thorn in my side) that stood out. Not because she was the captain of the team but because she had an unforgettable personality ( to say the least). She stood before us with a constant, intimidating smirk on her face, sort of giving us an heads up of what was to come. No worries for me though, I was always up for a challenge.

Our audition piece was choreographed to “100% Pure Love” by Crystal Waters, a piece the ladies had performed in one of their half time shows, in the previous band season. The choreography was clean, crisp and dynamic. I loved every minute of it. With every eight count, I grew more and more excited. I was precise, and executed every move as if my life depended on it. I needed to to do this. I needed to continue Ms. Nichols’ legacy and show her how much I appreciated her changing my life. Needless to say, I breezed through the audition and made the cut…….