Bisonettes Walk Away With Championship in Atlanta

Before my current writing life, there was The Hilltop, Howard University’s and the Nation’s Oldest Black Collegiate Newspaper, where many of the questions and themes I still explore first found their voice. What follows are my early published works, preserved in their original form.

From The Hilltop Archives

Originally published in The Hilltop, Howard University — February 28th, 2003

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Bisonettes Walk Away With Championship in Atlanta

The Bisonettes always give the crowd what they pay for. 

 

They bring a unique flavor to center court during halftime performances. 

 

It could be their hip hop, reggae or old-school style that keeps students entertained and intrigued by their moves and rhythms. 

 

Last Saturday, the Bisonettes took their performance on the road as they headed south and represented Howard at the Eighth Annual Black College National Cheerleading and Dance Team Championships in Atlanta. 

 

They got their first taste of competition and added a new level to their dancing. 

 

The Bisonettes went head-to-head with Florida A&M University, Jackson State, Morris Brown and Southern, just to name a few schools who competed in the dancing category. 

 

The most important competitor was the five-time champion, Tennesse State University. Each team had a shot and none of them were able to dethrone the reigning champs.

 

The Bisonettes, the rookies, were the equivalent to David who knocked off the Goliath TSU.

 

Beginners' luck had nothing to do with the success of the Bisonettes. 

 

"This season we pulled together despite all problems and improved our level of competition. For six weeks we've upped our level of dancing 110%," said Horecee St. Cyr, the Bisonettes' Competition Director.

 

Captain Nia Wallace agreed and said, "We worked so hard. We had a dream and a goal to go to the competition and win."

 

The cheer competition hosted by ESPN2 in Daytona Beach showcases cheerleaders of a much lighter hue. 

 

The Bisonettes are far from being cheerleaders.

 

Although the movie "Bring It On" gave black cheerleaders recognition, however, there is still a lack of ethnic representation at the national cheerleading level.

 

So, The Black College National Championships was created.

 

Founder Kay Brown had a vision in 1994 to enhance the skill level of local recreational and high school cheer squads. 

 

Her goal was to ultimately bridge the gap in cheerleading fundamentals without losing the style and originality of the black cheerleading community.

 

The Black College National Championships is a subdivision of The Cheerleading Source, a cheerleading training company, of Stone Mountain, Georgia.

 

The five first schools to ever participate in the BCNC were Fayetteville State, Bowie State, Jackson State, Savannah State, and Clark Atlanta University. 

 

In 1997, the Dance Team Division along with the Co-ed Partner Stunt Division was added to the competition.

 

It's 2003 and more than 80 teams participate in the BCNC.

 

Howard and nine other HBCU started competition at 12 PM on Saturday, Feb. 22 and continued throughout the day.

 

"Going to the competition was intimidating, yet we remained confident. We knew we would bring something new to the competition," said Wallace. "We weren't focused on any other school; we concentrated on our strengths." 

 

It was a rough season for the Bisonettes.

 

They had to overcome many obstacles including budget issues, time management, weather and lack or facilities. 

 

In preparation for their performance, the 11-member team dedicated over four hours of practice, five days a week for the past to weeks.

 

It paid off.

 

Though hundreds of miles from D.C., the love and support they received was incredible. 

 

Spectators, including a former Ohh Laa Laa member, gave them praise. It wasn't just their dancing that impressed the crowd, it was their leadership, maturity and commitment that was recognized.

 

The Bisonettes were the only team that came to Atlanta without a coach or supervisor. Led by Captain Nia Wallace and Co-Captain Marletta Boyd II, they were in good hands.

 

It was their dancing that eventually won them the title.

 

When they were announced, it was "the team from the Nation's Capital." 

 

They froze.

 

Once they realized they won, yelling, screaming and crying followed.

 

"We were so happy that we won. We worked so hard and this was our dream and goal," said Wallace. "I was so proud of my squad."

 

No one member got all the glory because it was a collective effort. It was the mix of St. Cyr's Choreography and the teams dance capabilities.

 

St. Cyr has been dancing for 13 years and brings her extensive experience to the team. 

 

"It's very difficult to choreograph with different dancing styles and dancing capabilities. We all worked together," said St. Cyr. "My motto is perfection and presentation. Everything [the performance] was perfect and no flaws."

 

St. Cyr gets her motivation from her team; they all choreograph and feed off each other.

 

So, what's next for the Bisonettes?

 

They will be performing with award-winning style at the March 3 game against Delaware State. 

"We put ourselves in a high profile competition so people will pride and dedicated to our work," said Wallace.