Ponies With Attitude bring it during homecoming week
The usual cheerleading squad consists of long ponytails, high kicks and elaborately choreographed routines. The Ponies With Attitude does not quite fit this model, but they were still able to bring it on at the annual Powder Puff football game.
PWA was an unlikely cheer squad, due to their all male participation. However, the team showed off several complicated moves, including both a kick line and a pyramid. They gained a massive fan base within the student body after their halftime performance at the Powder Puff game, and joined the Chevals in their routine at the homecoming pep fest.
PWA was able to start due to senior Dan Justesen’s interest in creating a halftime dance routine for the Powder Puff game, because there had been dance teams in the past. He was faced with a bit of a challenge to recruit the boys, but eventually met his goal of 10.
PWA team captain Justesen said, “It’s really hard finding guys that want to dance in front of a big crowd in skirts and aren’t afraid of the spotlight, so I struggled finding 10 guys for a long time.”
A large aspect of PWA is it shows a gender reversal that the boys believed would fit appropriately with the theme of the Powder Puff game; girls playing football is also a major reversal in gender roles.
Junior and team member of PWA Pad Dabruzzi said, “The whole premise of Powder Puff is that it’s a gender reversal, so we thought it’d be fun to have male cheerleaders.”
Cheerleading is a sport that commonly takes a lot of confidence and ability to be in front of people. The PWA team members clearly possessed both of these traits to be able to pull off their routine.
Justesen said, “I just love dancing in front of people. It’s like the best part and when everyone cheers for you, and after you put in a ton of work on it, it just feels really good.”
The PWA used their dancing to entertain others and to try to make Powder Puff a spirited and fun event for both the parents and students to remember. They really wanted everyone to have a good time and get excited for the homecoming game.
Senior and PWA team member Sam Luloff said, “The goal of PWA was just to have a good time and get other people to have a good time. We wanted to go out there, let loose, do some dancing and have people laugh and enjoy it.”
For those worried that they missed the once in a lifetime PWA performance, or those who just thought it was hysterical, don’t worry just yet: The boys may return sometime in the future to do another routine.
Junior and PWA team member Luke Manning said, “I think we’re trying to get together to do some practicing and then hopefully dance during Blast Week.”
PWA brought an exciting new twist to school spirit, and created some uproar with the students, allowing for plenty of pony pride at the homecoming football game. They broke down some barriers for themselves and the rest of the school, and hopefully everyone can remember their message of self confidence.
Dabruzzi said, “It’s a great group of guys, we get together and have fun dancing. It’s just a lot of fun and a great way to express ourselves.”
Olivia Weirtz is a senior and Print Editor-in-Chief. She started as an In-Studio anchor her junior year with The Pony Express and has since switched to...
Hannah Anderson • Nov 25, 2015 at 1:04 pm
I loved the lead, describing the typical cheerleading halftime show and comparing it to the ponies with attitude (PWA) halftime show at the powder puff game. The use of well-intentioned details of PWA made for a great story. The writer’s descriptive, fun, lively, amusing writing style fit the article’s tone and mood.
Kleio Vrohidis • Nov 24, 2015 at 8:11 am
Very well written Olivia! I really liked reading this article because the way you described the team was exciting and you had a great tone. Your hook was very good too, it made me want to read more.
Mary Burchill • Nov 23, 2015 at 5:12 pm
The lead immediately had me entertained and hooked to continue reading! Your descriptive and fun writing definitely fit the theme and tone! I also loved how you set up the story, it all flowed well and I followed it and kept interest to the very end! Also explaining how PWA began and what the ‘motives’ for the boys were is a great side of the story! All around a clever and interesting article I loved it!
Isabel Boedigheimer • Nov 23, 2015 at 1:33 pm
Great article! I loved the vocabulary you used and the tone you spoke in throughout the article. You really display how the boys felt about it; that it was a let loose, fun, enjoyable time. I also like that you asked about the future of PWA and that they were able to provide some information like that they are working on something for blast week. I like the quote from Pad where he talks about how Powderpuff is gender reversal so PWA had the same goal. All around a very strong and great article!