Sophomore, and Birmingham native, Summer Wales, is a member of the Tiger Eyes dance team here at Auburn University. The dance team is comprised of 14 talented young ladies who are a part of the magic that goes into Auburn’s halftime shows! Whether its dancing in front of 86,000 plus fans, strutting her way down the Tiger Walk, or simply dreaming of the day she might own her own studio, Summer tells HC Auburn all about herself and the joys of being a part of the Tiger Eyes!
HC Auburn: How many years have you been dancing?
Summer: I’ve been dancing since I was 2.
HC Auburn: Are you hoping to continue dancing after you have graduated?
Summer: Yes, I would love to! My goal is to be able to choreograph for high school or college dance teams and eventually open my own studio!
HC Auburn: How early do the Tiger Eye’s begin practicing for the upcoming season? Also, how many hours/days a week is practice?
Summer: We have a short camp at the end of May to get the new team together. The veterans teach the rookies all the things they will need to begin practicing over the summer so that they will be fully prepared for Preseason Camp. Preseason Camp, also known as band camp, starts at the beginning of August. During Preseason Camp, we have dance from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for two weeks straight. It can be very tiring, but it is a lot of fun at the same time. Once school starts we start our regular season practices, which are held Monday through Friday from 3-5. And lastly, we practice for about 3 hours on gamedays, which usually call for some very early mornings!
HC Auburn: What is your favorite part about being a one of the Tiger Eye’s?
Summer: My favorite part about being a Tiger Eye is walking around on gamedays and being able to interact with the fans. The fans make me forget about waking up at the crack of dawn to get ready and the long, sweaty practices. They make it all worth it.
HC Auburn: What is it like performing in front of 86,000 plus fans? Would you say it motivates you or makes you nervous?
Summer: It is one of the most amazing feelings ever. Of course, I get some nerves before we go on, but mostly it’s just excitement. The adrenaline you get from walking onto that field in front of all of the screaming fans is unbelievable.
HC Auburn: Is there a specific performance that has been your favorite thus far?
Summer: My favorite game to dance at was the Florida game last year. My entire family came down to Auburn just to watch me and we also had a brand new show that night, so it was extremely exciting!
HC Auburn: Other than dancing at halftime, where else can we find the Tiger Eye’s throughout the year?
Summer: You can find us all over the place during the fall. We perform at all of the pep-rallies and parades during the fall. Also, you can find us walking around campus on game days meeting with all of our fans!
HC Auburn: Are you involved with anything else at Auburn?
Summer: Not as much as I would like to be. Between dance line and school, I find myself lacking free time. But one of my top goals for my sophomore year is to get more involved around campus! I already have 2 organizations that I’m looking to join!
HC Auburn: What advice would you give to girls hoping to someday be a part of the team?
Summer: It was my dream to be apart of the team, but I never thought my dreams would actually come true. You just have to practice hard and have faith!
A few Tiger Eyes meeting fans before they danced at Tiger Walk!
Performing our pregame performance for the Iron Bowl!
Dancing at Jordan-Hare for the very first time!
Marching to the stadium with some of the Majorette and Flag Line members!