by Jessica Jones
Prepping for the Game
The ASU cheerleaders and Stingettes aren’t the only ones who are in prep mode for the Magic City Classic. The Honeybeez are also sharpening their skills and perfecting their moves for the big day.
“As of now the team has been working out to get our stamina up for that day because the band has the parade that morning then the game,” Jassmin Oliver, a returning Honeybee, said. “For the parade we have been coming up with different cute sequences that will please the crowd, as well as show off some skills. And for the big halftime show all of the girls come up with two eight count moves, and we try and see which dance move looks cute where. When we figure that out we drill, drill, drill until everyone has the routine down.”
The Importance of Beez
As a plus sized woman, the Honeybeez dance team is especially important to Oliver who has been dancing most of her life. But being a part of a team wasn’t always an option for her.
“Dancing has always been a thing I loved to do, so as far back as I can remember I’ve been dancing. I just wasn’t always a part of a team because of my size,” Oliver said.
For Oliver, and other dancers, a plus size dance team means size doesn’t matter.
“I think it’s very important to have a plus size dance team because everywhere else people say it’s wrong or “we” can’t do or it doesn’t look good to do the same moves as the smaller girls,” Oliver said. “Dr. Oliver (the dance instructor) and the Honeybeez say that they’re wrong, it‘s ok and it is possible for full-figured women to dance however they want to. And we encourage everyone big, small, short, or tall to go out and do whatever it is that they love to do whether it is dancing, modeling, or some kind of sport. Don’t let society keep you from doing what it is you love to do.”
The Pressure is on
Even though some might argue that it’s “just a game”, there’s still the pressure of wanting to execute the perfect dance routine.
“It’s always pressure for the Honeybeez to do well every game, but especially for Magic City Classic,” Oliver said. “There is always the pressure of us outdoing our routine from the previous year. So we have to work even harder to come up with bigger and better moves so that we can continue to be the crowd pleaser.”
The expectations are high, but she isn’t worried. In fact, she finds the thrill of performing in front of a large crowd exciting.
“The feeling of dancing in front of such a large audience is amazing. Like I stated before, my first game was a Classic,” Oliver said. “I was very nervous that game, but now it’s like my favorite game to perform. I’m more comfortable in front of huge crowds like that. And as far as their expectations, we try our best to please everyone and we work very hard to be better than our previous years. And from my years of being a Honeybee the routines get better and better each year. So I’m very confident that we will exceed the crowd’s expectations.
