High School Cheer Team Raises The Roof With 'Cotton Eye Joe' Routine

May 22, 2021 by apost team

Cheerleading and dancing are extremely popular sports for high school girls in America. The sport can be competitive and usually showcases incredible gymnastic talent as well as synchronized dance routines. In a video from January 2013, the Connally Stars Dance Team can be seen dancing to the hit song “Cotton Eye Joe” by Rednex. 

The video begins with the entire team, which appears to be over 25 high school students, all lined up in a row. A coach can be heard counting off-screen as the girls march forward in perfect formation. They march in place for a moment and then turn in unison and wait for their music to begin with their heads down.

As the music begins, one-by-one the girls lift their heads and then turn to face the crowd in unison. They move in a fluid synchronized motion and the effect is quite stunning to witness. As the song begins to pick up speed, the girls dance and jump together. They perform high kicks at a fast pace and impress the crowd. There are elements of line dancing in the routine, which go perfectly with the girls’ cowboy boots and hats.

During the first verse of the song, the dance team moves in unison and the back rows leap over the girls in front of them in an impressive show of athleticism. At one point later in the song, the girls stand together in a large circle and connect their legs before bowing together. The complex maneuver earns a loud cheer from the audience. In the end, all of the girls stand in a pose with their heads tilted, and the crowd goes wild.

The song “Cotton Eye Joe” is actually an old folk song from the American south, but it was made popular in the 1990s by Swedish techno group Rednex. The song is about a young man that lost his love to a mysterious man by the name of Cotton-Eyed Joe. This is established in the song lyric, “I'd a been married 40 years ago if it hadn't been for old Cotton-Eyed Joe."

The title of the song also refers to a popular line dance routine, which is referenced by the Connelly Stars Dance Team in their performance. The impressive dance team has been around since 1996, according to their website. The team also has its own Twitter and Instagram accounts to keep fans up-to-date on their performances.

One of their Instagram posts highlighted the team members who run their social media accounts. The post reads, “I wanted to give a quick shoutout to our social media managers, Maddie Graf, who runs the Stars Instagram, and Yazmin Castro, who runs the Stars Twitter. Make sure to follow the Stars social media pages to keep up with events and updates, and thank you for your hard work girls!” Impressive work from high school students!

Outside of just dance routines, the dance team also supports their high school football team. One photo shows the girls next to the football field with the caption, “Our officers and Stars of the week meeting the Lionettes at the Connally vs Lockhart football game! A great win for our football boys!” It sounds like this team goes out of their way to support and recognize one another.

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The 2013 video of the Connally Stars Dance Team has over 2.5 million views on YouTube. Viewers from around the world stopped to show their appreciation for all of the hard work the girls put into their performance. There are over 500 comments on the video and they all sing the dance team’s praises.

The video was a nice reminder of bygone times for some viewers. “Awesome!  When I was in my junior high, high school, and college drill teams we did kicks, formations, and splits.  Jump splits were my favorite. I wish the schools would go back to that. Loved your uniforms also,” wrote one commenter. The girls stunned the audience in their green and white sequined uniforms paired with white cowboy hats and boots. The look definitely complimented the line dancing portion of the routine.

The Connally Stars Dance Team are hard workers — there is no doubt about that. “So impressed by thes girls, doing this in their free time in addition to schoolwork. I admire your dedication, discipline and skill,” another person commented below the video. Based on the team’s website, the group focuses on teamwork, dedication and drive to succeed. 

Others stopped to add some jokes in their comments. One person said, “One of those high kicks and I'd be on my way to the emergency room, and these girls do it effortlessly--so much practice and hard work. Just fantastic.” Their athleticism and flexibility are astounding, especially while keeping up with a complex dance routine. These girls are absolute stars. 

Were you impressed by the Connally Star’s performance? Did you ever participate in cheerleading or dance when you were in school? Let us know what you think and be sure to pass this on to your friends and family members.