Under the bright lights of the floor mat, an LSU gymnast may feel alone and anxious.
Luckily, just feet away, 15 backup dancers stand in purple and gold leotards.
LSU gymnasts can be seen lining the stage syncing their movements along with select steps of the performing Tiger, and what may look like typical sideline antics to some is actually a form of team bonding for the No. 7 Tigers.
“Normally in the past, we’ll maybe do just one person’s routine,” said junior Sarie Morrison. “But this year, we made an effort to sit down thinking, ‘OK, what can we do in everyone’s routine that would be fun on the sidelines and get the crowd into it too?’”
According to sophomore Rheagan Courville, LSU coach D-D Breaux also had a heavy hand in the decision to formalize the dancing, which occurred sparsely in years past.
“One day, we were in the gym, and D-D said, ‘I want to get y’all to be in sync with this and make this a thing everyone can catch on to,’” Courville said. “So we practiced it, and we just made it a point to do it every single time.”
LSU has used its dancing as a way to build team chemistry, an aspect Breaux said is stronger in this team than those of the recent past.
Breaux said the team has adopted a sense of togetherness and ownership; Morrison went as far as describing her teammates as sisters.
“We feel each other’s pain and each other’s victories,” Morrison said. “It’s going to make for a better season for us. … We know we’re good this year, and we have a chance to do amazing things.”
LSU sophomore Lloimincia Hall said the support is more than moral.
“[Breaux] almost made a joke behind it, saying, ‘if you don’t know your routine, just look on the sidelines,’” Hall said.
She also said the hopes of getting the crowd more involved at meets has been a driving force behind the newly refined backup dancing.
“The judges are people too,” Hall said. “So if they see that you’re having a great time, and the audience is into it, why wouldn’t they want to give a great score?”
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A LSU gymnast wears a warm-up jacket Jan. 4, 2013 before a meet against NC State in the PMAC.
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LSU sophomore all-around Llominica Hall vaults Jan. 4, 2013 during the Tiger’s 196-194 win over NC State in the PMAC.
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LSU junior all-around Maliah Mathis springs off the vualt Jan. 4, 2013 during the Tiger’s 196-194 win over NC State in the PMAC.
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LSU junior Mckenzie Fox twirls on uneven bars Jan. 4, 2013 during the Tiger’s 196-194, home-opener victory over NC State in the PMAC.
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LSU sophomore all-around Jessie Jordan poses on uneven bars Jan. 4, 2013 during the Tiger’s 196-194, home-opener win over NC State in the PMAC.
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LSU sophomore all-around Jessie Jordan flips over uneven bars Jan. 4, 2013 during the Tiger’s 196-194 win over NC State in the PMAC.
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LSU junior bars specialist Mckenzie Fox spins on unven bars Jan. 4, 2013 during the Tiger’s 196-194 win over NC State in the PMAC.
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LSU senior all-around Ericka Garcia poses on a balance beam Jan. 4, 2013 during the Tiger’s 196-194 win over NC State in the PMAC.
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LSU senior all-around Ericka Garcia backflips on a balance beam Jan. 4, 2013 during the Tiger’s 196-194 win over NC State in the PMAC.
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LSU junior all-around Kaleigh Dickson rehydrates before her balance beam performance Jan. 4, 2013 during the Tiger’s 196-194 win over NC State in the PMAC.
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LSU junior all-around Kaleigh Dickson flips on a balance beam Jan. 4, 2013 during the Tiger’s 196-194 win over NC State in the PMAC.
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LSU gymnastics head coach D-D Breaux (right) congratulates LSU junior all-around Kaleigh Dickson Jan. 4, 2013 after Dickson scored a 9.75 on her balance beam performance in the 196-194 win over NC State in the PMAC. Breaux secured her 600th career win with the victory.
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LSU sophomore all-around Jessie Jordan tumbles over a balance beam Jan. 4, 2013 during the Tiger’s 196-194 win over NC State in the PMAC.
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LSU junior all-around Kaleigh Dickson jumps through the air Jan. 4, 2013 during the Tiger’s 196-194 win over NC State in the PMAC.
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LSU junior all-around Kaleigh Dickson smiles and jumps through the air Jan. 4, 2013 during the Tiger’s 196-194 win over NC State in the PMAC.
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LSU junior all-around Kaleigh Dickson slams to the ground to finish her floor routine Jan. 4, 2013 during the Tiger’s 196-194 win over NC State in the PMAC.
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LSU sophomore all-around Jessie Jordan flips in the middle of her floor routine Jan. 4, 2013 during the Tiger’s 196-194 win over NC State in the PMAC.
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LSU sophomore all-around Jessie Jordan tumbles in her floor routine Jan. 4, 2013 during the Tiger’s 196-194 win over NC State in the PMAC.
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LSU junior all-around Maliah Mathis poses during her floor routine Jan. 4, 2013 in the Tiger’s 196-194 win over NC State in the PMAC.
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LSU sophomore all-around Rheagan Courville poses to start her floor routine Jan. 4, 2013 during the Tiger’s 196-194 win over NC State in the PMAC.
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LSU sophomore all-around Llominica Hall screams during her floor routine Jan. 4, 2013 in the Tiger’s 196-194 win over NC State in the PMAC.
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LSU sophomore all-around Llominica Hall flips during her floor routine Jan. 4, 2013 in the Tiger’s 196-194 win over NC State in the PMAC.
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LSU sophomore all-around Llominica Hall finishes her floor routine Jan. 4, 2013 during the Tiger’s 196-194 win over NC State in the PMAC. Hall’s routine was the second-highest scoring of the night, netting a 9.95 from the judges.
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