After an ugly, violent first half Saturday, the MSU Pom Squad presented a new halftime show that provided the record crowd of 10,735 with aesthetic appeal.
Originated by Pom Squad members Kayla Vaughn, Tara Hughes, Alison Taylor and Mary Barton Parker the dance routine had a Britney Spears theme. The dance included three different dance styles coordinated with three Spears songs.
Vaughn and Hughes explained the process they take when creating a new routine.
“We get our music and decide what we want to dance to,” Vaughn said. “We have certain parts of the song where we know what we want to do, and then we improvise on what we want to do for the other parts.”
The opening portion of the dance, which was done to Spears’s and Madonna’s song “Me Against the Music,” featured dance techniques that were used directly from the music video.
When the song switched over to “(I Got That) Boom Boom,” the girls transitioned into a hip-hop dance routine.
“We look for what type of dance we are doing because every girl is good at certain parts of the dance,” Hughes said. “We just decide who is going to do what based on the type of music styles we are doing.”
Completing the routine to the song Toxic, the squad finished the performance with a jazz technique.
“We ended the dance by kind of melting down to the floor with our arms to our side,” Hughes said. “Even when the music was over we just kept the movements going in order to keep the audience’s attention.”
The Pom Squad said they desperately want to be able to perform all the routines at this year’s SEC Tournament in Atlanta.
The team currently needs to raise nearly $5,000 in order to have enough money to fund the trip.
“We are trying to raise money by having a jar set up before and during halftimes of all home games,” Vaughn said. “Last year we sold calendars, but this year we are sending letters to businesses asking for donations.”
The girls said they especially to raise the money so they can be on the sidelines helping the Bulldogs during the tournament.
How does a routine come together?
* The girls pick out the music.
* Tyler Gray splices the tunes.
* The girls borrow a few steps from music videos and add their own moves to the routine.
* Formations are designed according to the type of dance and each person’s ability.
* The girls use diagrams to line the dancers into formations. Each girl then learns the choreography and adds ideas for variations.
* After learning the basics, the team reviews each eight count to make sure everyone is in sync.
* Finally, costumes are designed.