WAHS Introduces New Dance Team

A couple weeks ago West Ashley High’s first-ever dance team, The Pawettes, made their debut at the Spring Sports Pep Rally the day before spring break. The team consists of 12 girls: three sophomores and nine freshmen.
“I’m extremely proud of how the team performed at the Pep Rally,” says Ellyn Bowen, the Pawettes’ coach. “They worked so hard and it was great to see all of their work pay off. I was so proud of them, they were fantastic!”
Bowen was inspired to start the team because she wanted to bring the art of dance to West Ashley High. “I was involved in the dance department for all four years of high school and it had a huge impact on my high school experience,” says Bowen. “I wanted to provide an opportunity for those students to come together and be a part of a group. I know from experience that being involved in high school can make an impact.”
The Pawettes are a diverse group of girls with a strong desire to serve the community through different service projects. For example, they volunteer at West Ashley High Varsity baseball games where they help with concessions, sell spirit wear, and cheer on the Wildcats.
After a spirited round of tryouts, the team started practicing February 1st of this year. They practice three days a week for two hours each day where they work on routines for upcoming performances but also learn fundamentals like the proper ways to stretch and different dance techniques. According to Bowen, three girls emerged early on as leaders: sophomores Kaziah Bennett and Antoinaya Grant, and freshman Chandler Kahler. “These girls have been great leaders over the past couple of months,” says Bowen.
Although the team has their leaders, they work together to make the dance routines come to life. “Each of them put time and effort into making the dance team even better,” says Bowen.
Bowen hopes the team will one day be ready to compete against dance teams from other schools. “We know that it might take a couple years, but because the team is young they want to improve and learn new skills to better themselves,” says Bowen. Next year the team plans to participate in all pep rallies and spirit events, and will dance at all home basketball games.
The Pawettes are recruiting new dancers for the 2016-2017 school year. They are holding tryouts Monday, May 16 and Tuesday, May 17 at WAHS from 4-7 p.m.