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| Lindsey Mickelsen, one of the choreographers who helped to create Wednesday night's performance. |
During halftime at Wednesday’s game in the Spectrum, a combination of black leather, red lace and combat boots took the floor.
“This is what we came for,” said Matt Lundquist, a spectator and student ambassador for the university.
As the women of the USU dance teams got into formation, music began to play – the famous guitar riff of “Seven Nation Army” by the White Stripes.
“It’s always nice to see a plethora of women doing what they love,” Lundquist said.
After months of rehearsal, 38 female members of the combined Full Circle, Vilociti and My Bad teams performed their powerful and provocative military-style choreography.
“Sexiest darn thing I’ve ever seen,” said Keenan Nuehring, the Adminstrative Assistant for the Associated Students of Utah State University.
When Full Circle team members Tessa Italasano and Lindsey Mickelsen developed the choreography, they knew they wanted the overall feeling to be one that empowered women.
The two choreographers accomplished this by incorporating a mixture of shifting military formations, marching, extended fists and hands on hips.
“The dance is really sassy with a lot of stuck-up attitude,” said Misako Osterloh, a freshman member of the hip-hop team.
Though the teams previously danced at the Howl where over 6,000 people were in attendance, halftimes remain some of the girl’s favorite events.
Although Ginger Hislop has performed at numerous events over the past three years, she eagerly awaits the halftime shows each fall semester.
“The men’s basketball games are always the most fun and energetic,” she said.
Not all those in attendance, however, enjoyed the performance.
“Honestly, I was thinking that it was teaching junior high kids to dress suggestively,” said Serena Makin, a freshman member of the Utah State events staff. “It seemed like it was sending a bad message.”
Ali Davis watched the performance from the student section and was unimpressed by the apparel.
“The costuming was a little on the tacky side,” she said. “Were they trying to look like prostitutes?”
North Logan residents Catherine King and her husband felt differently.
“The costumes were good and the music was interesting,” she said.
King has not only observed numerous halftimes at Utah State, but also many of her daughter’s performances with the Sky View High School Dance Company.
“I thought it was pretty tame compared to some things I’ve seen,” King said. “It wasn’t offensive at all.”
Having worked for the USU facilities over eight years, 63-year-old Tom Stoddard has seen many halftime performances.
“I’ve watched a lot of these over the years and sometimes you don’t know what you’re going to see,” Stoddard said. “I thought this one started average, but as the routine changed, they became very good.”
Many believe the USU dance companies deserve the same recognition and performance opportunities offered to the Aggiettes.
“I thought it was very comparable to the Aggiettes,” said Drew Demler, a 54-year-old Nibley resident and Aggie basketball fan. “I liked the variation. Not everyone was watching the same thing,”
Georgene Peterson, 68, drove from Salt Lake City to see her granddaughter perform.
“All our girls kept in tune,” she said. “What’s an ‘Aggiette’?”
(k. lambert)
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