Shake It Like A Salt Shaker

The past few months have almost made me lose it, seriously. Time has flown by and my mind is almost gone due to these ladies. Each fall for the past five years I have been a choreographer for a few dance teams in Arkansas, and I do actually love it. Last year I went into contract with the Bryant School District to teach technique and choreograph all material for the school. The groups above are great but I am not sure I have ever experienced the drama and issues ever even during the years I cheered and coached for Universal Cheerleaders Association.

I have two squads: the top pic is of 7th grade and the bottom pic is 8th grade. Today was our last competition and even though I am very relieved I love the girls to death and I am so proud of them.

7th grade: oh did we have trials.... It is my first year to have these girls and we had a lot of work to do. At their first competition they did great. Military they placed 2nd and Kick they placed 3rd-the competition is a tough one it was at Bryant and it is a high standard comp with competition throughout the state. We also had one of girls placed in the hospital 2 days before so therefore we had to rework the whole routine. But they did wonderful. This morning was our other competition and they had more competition then we expected-the did great again. Military-2nd again (we will def be working over that hump in the Spring) and Kick they placed 3rd again. I was very proud of these 7th grade ladies.

8th grade: Oh, I love these ladies and I have had them for the past two years. They are my girls that I can just give them "the coach torri look" and they know exactly what I am thinking. Their technique has made a 180 since last year and they are just so confident this year. I was able to give them routines that I never would have imagined presently them with a year ago also. They are also my girls that I can cut up with and let them see my true personality. Most of these girls know, "Coach Jacobs" so it is always a fine line that I have to stay behind but this year it has been wonderful to let them actually "in" and it has been so fun so fun!!

Let me give you some background on them: last year they were not strong at all. And, at Bryant DANCE ranks very high up there with Football. Crazy huh? Bryant loves football and dance team. Hornet Steppers are known in this neck of the woods!!!

(Everything I am typing I have also told them, I am very honest with them. Most of the time they don't like it but it is that way -as they say ," It's the way Coach Torri rolls!!) They did not place at all last year at competitions, they were very weak dancers-we were constantly working through out off season to strengthen them and THEY did it.

I think we shocked the pants off the community at our first competition of the season. It was so amazing to have people grab my arm at football games and at the competition and say WOW those girls are amazing this year. It finally felt like the work paid off and I finally felt part of the dance community here, kinda like I earned my keep. The best thing happened when in the bathroom at competition, (yes in the bathroom) I was actually in my stall trying to hurry and someone next to me said ,"ummmm are you the tech coach for bethal ? I answered ,"ummm yes why?," really on my toes huh? And this lady went on to tell me how she could not believe the turn around of the dance program at Bethal Middle and she went on the thank me for my work. It was one of those AHHH moments... I think I def left the bathroom with my head held higher and a little more fight in me more than ever.

Okay, so back to 8th grade : First competition placements------ hold on to your seat POM 1st PLACE (yes over 35 points between us and 2nd place finishers) I had to follow through on the red lipstick bet- I make the girls wear BRIGHT red lips -they hate it. They made me bet that if they placed 1st in anything I would wear the BRIGHT RED LIPS for the rest of the competition day-it was like 1:30 and I had to wear it home so it was after 8:30 when I got home. Gotta love it! And, on to HIP HOP 2nd PLACE!!!! At this point I literally fell off the bleacher, Heather (school sponsor) and I almost lost it, we both had tears in our eyes and I was standing on the bleacher and I hit the floor-between laughing and crying I was amazed at these ladies. Can you believe WE placed in hip hop - it is always the same schools that place high in this category and we ROCKED it!! Today, they competed great again but this week we had a huge bump in the road we lost a girl off the squad on Wednesday due to a poor choice she made and we had to revise last minute. Today, they placed 2nd-HIP HOP (I know watch out) and 3rd POM- my jury is still out on our score in POM I do not agree with the score sheets on this one!!! But, they did GREAT!!

I love these ladies and I know I complain sometimes regarding the time it takes away from my family during the busiest time in our lives , football season, but I LOVE it! I love curling hair, putting bun covers on, bobby pins bobby pins, BRIGHT RED LIPSTICK, glitter and yelling my signature, "C'mon LADIES!!! It will take me a few weeks to get back to our crazy football schedule but these ladies are so worth it and they taught more this year then I could have taught my self. I saw more this year than in 20 years of dancing and cheering, God is amazing and I am so thankful he opened this door for me. I give all the glory to him. thank you!

For the girls, " Shake it like a salt shaker!"