Melinda Buckner Lovelace
what team(s)(High School, College, Professional) were you a member of and what years were you on the team?
Uvalde High School Highsteppers 1978-79. Southwest Texas Strutters 1986-87.
What was the size of the team?
Uvalde HS was approximately 60. SWT Strutters was around 90.
Did or does the team size change from year to year?
Yes, I’m afraid the number has dropped since I was in school and that saddens me tremendously.
Did you have any dislikes about your time on the team?
Not that I can remember but I probably didn’t love all the rehearsing and I do remember high kicks in the hot TX sun was pretty tough.
What is your best memory from your team?
Marching out onto the field just before a performance or before a competition. What a rush!
What type of dances did your team do?
Drill, high kick, jazz, all kinds.
Was the uniform the same as it is now?
Oh no they have changed significantly over the years.
How did being a part of your team help you to do what you do now?
Being a part of a team helped me learn to rely on others and made me try harder and strive to reach higher goals as others were relying on me…the strongest link is only as strong as the weakest link. I also gleaned so much from Barbara Tidwell, the inventor of Strutters at SWT. She taught me to use my skills in not only in dancing but singing and writing and taught proper etiquette & manners that I still use to this day.
Did you go travel to any special places while with your team?
Yes, while in Strutters, I travelled to Hong Kong and Seoul Korea to perform for Wansong Air force Base and on the Kim Lee show.
What do you miss the most about being a part of the team?
We were like sisters and very close on and off the field. I guess I miss so much about drill team and dancing…I even dream about it to this day.
What dance experience do you have, as a dancer/teacher/director?
I was in ballet, tap, jazz and gymnastics for about 10 years prior to being on dance teams and kept up with ballet even when I attended college.
What are some of the highlights as your time as a dancer or teacher?
As a Strutter I sang with another Strutter at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo!
What do you believe is the most important part of drill team?
Learning to give your best effort when others are counting on you no matter what you are dealing with personally.
What life lessons did you learn by being involved in drill team?
Respect for others and myself, pushing myself farther than I thought possible when doing the high kicks for Mrs. Tidwell!
Anything extra that we could include on a bio of you on our website?
When Mrs. Tidwell first heard me sing she urged me to get the mic and get up in front of people, at first I was so embarrassed but she talked me through it and said I needed to use my God given talent. Many years later, I was the lead singer in a country band and we were pretty good! and I know without her pushing me, I’d have never had the courage to do it. And yes, you can use anything on my page. If you look at my photos on my Strutter page, I made every pose as a little girl standing like a Strutter and I even had a Halloween costume made just like the Strutters uniform! I idolized them! And then became one.
Back to Interviews Page