The little-known Mocettes dance team has brought school spirit to sporting events and provided plenty of campus entertainment.
Mocettes were originally known as Southern Heat, and changed its name once senior choreographer Olivia Buzzell became involved. The team dances a mix of jazz and hip-hop numbers.
Buzzell says that before she was on the team they were known as Raider X. A coach was asked to come and start a dance program, beginning in the 2008-2009 school year.
Dancers felt as if things were taking a negative turn, so the organization dropped its coach and began to be led by the students.
“Everything is student-led,” Buzzell said. “We wanted to take things in a positive direction.”
Buzzell says she has been dancing since she was three years old and learned that improv has been one of the most important skills to learn.
“Being able to create my own and improvise has made me the choreographer that I am today,” Buzzell said.
The team danced and cheered on the basketball and lacrosse teams, but had to switch to dancing for Greek and campus events, such as Shamrock the House and Mr. Southern, once basketball and lacrosse games overlapped this past year.
This year’s team included Olivia Buzzell, Raey Reeves, Mallory Nelson, Kayla MacArthur, Sarah Carney, Kristin MacKay, Malinda Rains, Mary-Kate Gloth, Jenna Strobel, Rachel Coxon and Virginia Machado.
“I like the freedom that I get to create exactly what I want and what I feel the girls on the team can perform,” Buzzell said. “If you get someone who doesn’t know your dancers, then it’s difficult for them to choreograph specifically to your team.”
Since Buzzell will be graduating in the spring, Freshman Kayla MacArthur has stepped up to the title of captain.
“Once getting to campus in the fall of 2012, I really wanted to find an organization that I could fit in with very well,” MacArthur said. “Considering my history and background in dance, I wanted to find a dance team or club.”
In order to be part of the Mocettes, students must audition. Buzzell says that the team will bring in other dance instructors to judge.
“Performance is our biggest concern,” Buzzell said. “We want to know how they will handle the pressure, what happens when you forget moves? It happens all the time, but we have to make sure that they’re able to come back from it.”
Those interested in auditioning have a day to familiarize themselves with a few different genres and perform a partner dance the next day.
“Since we’re getting this new dance major and minor, we’re going to get better quality dancers coming to this school,” Buzzell said.
MacArthur plans for the team to dance at every home basketball game next year, and continue to entertain students at Greek events. The team does not have a choreographer lined up just yet, but MacArthur says she hopes to team up with a company called Varsity.
“I hope to be able to go to conventions, competitions and have the team go to a camp together, not only for team bonding, but also to learn new styles choreography,” MacArthur said.
She hopes to bring the team to new levels through competitions to learn new dance moves and grow as a team.
“I am looking forward to changing the team for the better, and getting more involved in campus activities,” MacArthur said. “We are very supportive of everything we participate in. We take great pride in being a part of the Mocettes, and having the privilege to be on this team.”
