This week’s Campus Celebrity may be a newbie to the Carolina Coquettes dance team, but she is no newbie to the world of dance. Her name is Meghan Sonatore and she’s a freshman Early Education major and a Dance minor from right here in Columbia, SC.
Meghan has been dancing since she was just five years old. Although she has danced in all genres, she has always loved jazz in particular. As she got older, she grew to love hip-hop as well. When she decided to come to the University of South Carolina, she knew she wanted to keep dancing.
“I knew I wanted to dance in college, so I decided to try out (for the Coquettes),” Meghan said.
Deciding to try out was not the only step to becoming a Coquette: “I had a trainer and took classes to prepare,” she told us.
All her hard work and preparation paid off when it finally came time for tryouts. Describing the day of tryouts, Meghan said, “We had to get signed in, get a number, and we learned the fight song and a jazz routine. We tried out in groups of three or four and then two days later they posted our numbers on Facebook.”
Meghan was ecstatic to have made the team. She says performing with the Coquettes is an “awesome experience” and claims the best part is “the pre-game show with all of the traditions.” Her favorite moment being on the Coquettes so far has been the opportunity to perform at this past Sunday’s Carolina Panthers game alongside the Carolina Band.
Balancing schoolwork and practices can get tough, but Meghan always tries to get her work done ahead of time. In addition to being able to do what she loves, she has made several new friends on the team and says, “The whole team gets along for the most part.”
Meghan hopes to continue dancing even after graduation by becoming a dance coach for a middle or high school team or teaching classes at a studio.
So next time you are at a football game cheering on the gamecocks, stay for halftime and see the amazing routines that Meghan and the rest of the Coquettes perform alongside the Carolina Band!