The newest addition to the roster of Colorado College student organizations is Tiger Eyes, a burgeoning dance team composed of around twenty girls on a mission to bring an abundance of pep and spirit to CC’s many events. With two practices under their belt, the team is aiming for official consideration by the athletics department. If their audition is approved, Tiger Eyes can be expected to perform at halftimes at basketball, lacrosse, and soccer games this year. Other performances are yet to be determined.
Tiger Eyes co-captains, sophomores Zita Toth and Taylor Steine, said that they first had the idea to start a dance team last year while on their NSO Priddy Trip together. “Both of us were on dance team in high school and we felt that CC was missing a sense of spirit that our high schools seemed to have,” said Steine. “Part of that was because of the dance team getting people pumped up for school events and stuff rather than not having anyone to do that.”
After running into several unforeseen challenges, the girls’ dream has finally become a reality. Their biggest roadblock, according to Toth, was the time commitment that their mission required. “It’s just weird how time works,” Toth said. “There’s only so many things you can do in a certain amount of time.” Nevertheless, Tiger Eyes has found a staff advisor, recruited dancers, and started learning their first dance with original choreography and music by the two captains.
They describe the Tiger Eyes dance style as a cross between cheerleading and hip-hop with jazz influences, and guarantee that it will entertain. Both Taylor and Zita have many years of formal dance training under their belts including ballet, jazz, hip-hop, and high school dance team. Currently, they both participate in the dance opportunities provided at CC including adjunct dance classes and Dance Workshop. The girls explain that while so much of their time was already devoted to dancing, they couldn’t replace the camaraderie and family atmosphere that comes with being a member of a team. Toth said, “I started doing dance team in high school and I just fell in love with it!” Now, they can share their experience and passion with other dancers through Tiger Eyes.
The ultimate vision is for the team to transition into a club sport. Eventually, Toth says they want to be able to hold auditions and get funding as a chartered organization. Until then, the girls are borrowing inspiration and costumes from the dance team disbanded in 2007, also called the Tiger Eyes.
Having been a life-long Colorado Springs resident, I am one of the few current CC students who remember the good old days of the football team. I went to their games as a kid, and my favorite part was always the halftime show when the dance team came on. Their sparkly pom-poms and fun choreography created an atmosphere of school spirit, even when the team was losing embarrassingly (which, sadly, was often).
Despite our lack of a football team now, Zita and Taylor are determined to reinvent Tiger Eyes and champion an attitude of CC pride campus-wide. The dance team has blossomed from the naïve dream of two freshmen to a full-fledged force of school spirit. Look for them on the field and around campus in the coming months!
Emily Elder