Ole Miss Rebelette Shimmies, Shakes and Sparkles On And Off The Field
It is 5:30 a.m. and the alarm clock rings. One sleepy college student rushes out of bed, splashes water on her face and brushes her teeth while slipping on her sneakers. On the way out the door, she grabs her headphones, a protein bar and fills up her water bottle to the brim. It’s a daily routine every Tuesday and Thursday morning when the birds haven’t even started chirping and most of Oxford is still sound asleep. But, just as the sun begins to peek above the horizon, Amanda Bonner is ready to go by 6 a.m.
“Every time my alarm goes off at the crack of dawn, I’m tired and my bed is so comfortable, but nothing could keep me from getting better with my team,” says Bonner.
Bonner, a senior, is an Ole Miss Rebelette and has been since her sophomore year of college. The Ole Miss Rebelettes dance team is nationally recognized and it is nothing short of an honor to be apart of the spirit squad. Each year, there are no guarantees for a spot on the team, as it doesn’t matter if you are a returning Rebelette, a rising senior or if you were a previous seasons’ team captain. For three years, Bonner has worked extremely hard to maintain her spot on the squad, constantly working to hone here dance skills while also becoming a stronger student-athlete and top competitor at nationals every season.
“We practice everyday and on Tuesdays and Thursdays, workouts at 6 a.m. come early, but this is something I’ve wanted since the first time I tried out for the team, so no time is really early enough for me if I’m doing something as a Rebelette,” says Bonner.
To the fans taking in a performance, a Rebelette means glitz, glam and glittery outfits. But, To Bonner, it means so much more. When describing what it is like to be on the team, all Bonner can think of is all the bruises and the many hours of sweat that reflects an undeniable passion. Of course, there’s also the shimmy, sparkle and shake.
“It’s so much more than what people see us doing on the field. We want to be a force to be reckoned with in the college dance world and we’ve worked really to get to where we are now,” says Bonner. “Don’t get me wrong, the uniforms are one of my favorite parts and I totally hate giving them back each year, but it’s definitely the feeling of earning it more than wearing it that gets to me.”
Earning it is not easy. The audition process is intense and the competition seems to be tougher every year. As the team continues to get better, the bar is raised at every audition. The girls who are honored to become Rebelettes recognize the importance of their hard work that allows them the right to sparkle in the Vaught each game day but, unfortunately, some girls fall short and do not return to the team in the next season.
Bonner has put in extra work since her first season, inside and outside of Rebelettes, to make sure that she is not one of the girls to lose out on the opportunity that she loves so much.
“The bar is definitely raised for us. We’re on scholarship so that means bad grades are not an option. Volunteer work around the community is an integral part of being a Rebelette and how I conduct myself when I’m out at night with friends is something I constantly have to think about as well,” says Bonner. “You know, it’s just a lot more than being a dancer at Ole Miss. You really have to be the whole package. I’ve worked so hard to make sure I’m upholding every standard that it is to be an Ole Miss Rebelette.”
Aside from upholding Rebelette standards, she is also a member of the Kappa Delta sorority on campus. Even though Rebelettes is a commitment that comes before her sorority, the sisterhood is another group that she tries to give as much of herself to as possible. One sister, Raechel Davis, says that every time Bonner walks into the house for lunch, she says hello to everyone she sees.
“Amanda is friends with everyone,” says Davis. “She’s one of the nicest, most hardworking people I know. She’s someone most people would want to be around and I know that a lot of us at KD love having her as a sister and a friend.”
Between school, Rebelettes and her sorority, time is is a precious commodity to Bonner. However, now that it is her senior year, she has set a goal to get the most out of everything she does and it shows. Teammate Morgan Domingue has been on the team all four years, just one year before Bonner made the squad. She believes that Bonner has been nothing short of an exceptional addition to the team.
“I don’t even know where to start with Amanda,” says Domingue. “She is just really great all around. She brings so much positivity and light to the team and even when it’s super hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel somedays, she has a good attitude and never slacks.”
In the little down time she has, you can find her practicing sideline dances in her room with flashcards in her hand. On her nights off of practice or during away games with no early morning workouts, she enjoys a night out her teammates or sisters on the Square.
“Being a Rebelette is a lot of fun, but days and nights off where I can go do other things with my teammates are so great. We love going to eat at Papitos and anytime one of us needs the other, we drop everything to be there for each other,” says Bonner.
While in Oxford, Bonner seems to always be in Rebelette mode. Being a student-athlete at Ole Miss is a full time job even when she’s back home in Georgia. When she’s not in the gym with her teammates or hearing the phrase “5, 6, 7, 8” in practice, she is enjoying Pure Barre classes.
“That’s what it takes. Any college athlete or spirit squad member who wants to be the best they can be knows that it’s not just a hobby, it’s a lifestyle,” says Bonner. “Everyday I try to do something that will make me a better Rebelette, whether that’s acing a test or getting more flexible.”
At first, being a Rebelette was just a part of who Bonner is, but now it is who she is. In her senior season at Ole Miss, she has been soaking it all up and enjoying every last minute. While Bonner, an Integrated Marketing Communications major, is excited for the future, she doesn’t think she’ll ever be able to prepare herself for the moment she has to turn in her pom-poms in for good.
“This is my last year to really make a splash for the Rebelettes, so I’ve been working harder in every aspect in order to meet that goal,” says Bonner. “Each time I step on the field this season, I think about how this will be one of the last times I get to do this. I actually had tears in my eyes the last game, but I am very excited to come back as alumni and cheer on the future teams.”
Before this hard-working Rebelette moves on, she still has some serious goals in sight: a national championship, landing a job, being a 3 time scholar-athlete, and of course leaving Ole Miss with memories she will cherish forever. No phrase is more fitting than “far from average” when it comes to who Amanda Bonner is on and off the field.
