The Rammettes showcase their moves at their first standalone performance. PHOTO CREDIT: gorhody.com
The Ramettes took the spotlight for the first time ever this year, while the team performs at every home football and basketball game, they got the stage to themselves at their first-ever winter showcase on Friday.
The showcase included a combination of traditional gameday dances, as well as a variety of pieces choreographed by students, ranging from hip-hop to jazz to lyrical to pom and acrobatic routines. The showcases featured all 26 Ramettes performing 21 different routines.
“You can really see that they left their hearts out on the dance floor,” team manager Abby Levcowich said.
The team opened with a Lyrical Jazz routine choreographed by Valerie Pringles, the coach of the Ramettes. The dance instantly got the audience engaged and brought up the energy, setting the tone for the night. The song choice, “How Will I Know,” by Whitney Houston was a captivating mix of familiarity with a fresh spin to appeal to all ages.
A personal and fan favorite routine of the night was a lyrical acro number choreographed by assistant captain Maighen Laferriere. Each of the six dancers had the chance to shine with dynamic flips across the floor intertwined with emotionally backed sequences “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” by Celine Dion.
“[I was] absolutely blown away, getting to see something as vulnerable as the dancer’s artistry,” Pringles said. “I love the student choreographed pieces because you get a different essence of the person that did that choreography.”
For the Oliva Rodrigo fans in the audience, sophomore Lauren Ragen’s contemporary dance to “Favorite Crime” was moving. The piece included a majority of the team, unlike some of the other student choreographed pieces, and the team wore purple costumes that tied the number together.
The pacing of the show moved quickly and the different styles were mixed in to keep audience members engaged. Even when the Ramettes were not dancing, they could be heard cheering on their teammates from backstage.
“I love looking over and seeing the rest of the team screaming and pumping them up,” Pringles said. “Even though they were so tired they absolutely nailed it.”
Another standout number is their newest game-day routine and grande finale to “Right Thurr” by Chingy. This upbeat hip-hop number was dynamic and a treat to watch. It was evident that the dancers are also fans of the routine, as they threw all of their energy into the piece even though it was the final number.
In between each number, audience members got to hear from some of the dancers about what being on the team means to them which added a personal aspect to help the audience get a better understanding of how much work can go into a production such as this.
The Ramettes are the only women’s sports team not funded by the University and all of the funds from the showcase will go towards uniforms, shoes, and accessories for the team. If you would like to see more of the Ramettes, check them out at the next URI basketball game.