For seven years, Leslie Ellis has been leading the way, teaching precision dance moves to Farmersville High School to the Farmerettes.

Through the years, the director of the Farmerettes said the program has grown from nine dancers to its current 32-person membership.

Ellis credits the creation of the junior high school program, the Southern Belles, with helping foster the Farmerettes. The Southern Belles gives middle school students a glimpse of what to expect from the Farmerettes, or other dancing related FHS clubs like cheerleading and color guard, she said.

“Most of my seniors this year were in my first group for Southern Belles,” Ellis said. “I had them in seventh grade, and I pretty much adore them. They’re great kids. Even the ones that didn’t decide to do Farmerettes, I still get to see them and hang out with them. I get to see what they did through high school, so it’s really fun. There are a lot of things that you can do with a bigger group, especially when it comes to dancing and the drill team.”

The Farmerettes have three captains this year: Layla Morris, Ivie Dupree and Sydney Jones. They also have five officers: senior lieutenant Ashlyn Starkey, senior lieutenant Sage Tackett, first lieutenant Jordan Boring, lieutenant captain Cheyenne Rogers and captain Rachel Regla. Ellis said she’s been glad to have a fun group leading the Farmerettes.

“They’re really giggly, but in the right way,” Ellis said. “They give me all the effort that they can. My officers are really relaxed, but in a good way. They know when to be serious and when to have fun. That’s our big push this year, to be able to bond as a team and have a good time while also learning.”

For the full story, check out the Oct. 7 issue of The Farmersville Times or  subscribe online. Support your community newspaper for less than $40 a year.

By Jackson King * [email protected]