Morgan Gates
Published: September 14, 2005
A new set of faces will be supporting PJC’s basketball teams this year, the new dance team.
Coached by LaRita Carter and led by Alicia Wester, the dancers will perform along side the cheerleaders during halftime at both the men’s and women’s games. Showing school spirit is just one of Carter’s expectations from the team. Carter says that the team must also demonstrate fantastic attitudes, excellent athletic abilities, a representation of the school, and a responsibility for academic success.
“They will be working very hard to please the public eye,” says Carter.
The dance team came into existence a year ago and is now the latest addition to the PJC athletics department, thanks to Athletic Director Bill Hamilton and Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. James Martin.
The dance team, however, initially was founded in the music and performing arts department where Carter served as the art director of the dance theater. She has been instructing at the college for four years and has 25 years of experience in performing, instructing, and choreographing dance.
Cheerleader Marks Skaggs, who participated in the UDA cheer and dance camp at the University of South Alabama this summer said, “Mrs. Carter’s choreography blew the other girls’ away.”
Wester hopes that with Carter, the dance program can “step it up a notch” this year.
“LaRita brings a lot of experience and unique moves to the team,” she said. “She also adapts well to the level of the team, and makes the best out of the talent the team has to offer.”