Alabama State Stingette is dancing in her mother’s footsteps

When Carlotta Ruff first stepped onto Alabama State University’s football field as a freshman member of the Sensational Stingettes dance line in 2002, she never imagined that more than 20 years later her daughter would follow in her footsteps and make history. 

Ruff and her daughter, freshman dancer Cailyn Harris, are the first mother and daughter to both become Sensational Stingettes in the troupe’s 49-year history, according to James Oliver, the longtime band director for Alabama State’s Mighty Marching Hornets. Since being named a Stingette in August, Harris has performed with the dance team throughout football and basketball season.

As the director of bands since 2000, Oliver, who announced his retirement in December, said the milestone holds personal and historic significance, especially as the dance troupe, founded in 1977, nears its 50th year.

“I taught her [Harris’] mother when she was a student here, so to now see her daughter earn her place as a Stingette is truly an honor,” Oliver said. “It means a great deal to witness a former student trust this program enough to send their child to Alabama State University. That kind of continuity warms my heart. … I congratulate them on making history together.”

Harris takes pride in being a legacy Stingette while building her own path.

“I am proud to dance in [my mother’s] footsteps but also make a name for myself,” she said. “My technical background [in ballet, jazz and contemporary dance] allows me to bring something different to the team.”

Her mother agreed. 

“You are a better dancer than me,” Ruff told her. “Watching you do everything I could not do is liberating. You are my wildest dreams.”

Harris learned early in life that her mother had once been a Stingette. 

“It was cool knowing my mom was part of something so big,” Harris said. “Growing up, I loved hearing stories about her time on the team.”

Harris said high expectations followed her when she stepped into Tullibody Hall, which houses the band’s facilities.

“I felt pressure at first because my mom was a Stingette and my dad was a head drum major,” she said. “Everyone already knew who I was. But the love from my family and friends eased the pressure. I realized everyone was genuinely happy for me.”

Becoming a Stingette isn’t easy to do, Ruff said.

“Many young ladies dream of this moment,” Ruff said. “Cailyn earned this. Nothing was ever handed to her.”

The most important lesson Harris said she inherited from her mother is to have confidence.

“My mom reminds me that I am capable of anything I put my mind to,” she said. “I repeat that during performances.”

Ruff said a lot has changed since she last danced on the field in 2003, when she served as captain of the Stingettes.

Her time as a Stingette was shaped by discipline, long hours and a strong devotion to excellence, she said.

“We were very physically fit with strict diets and long practices,” Ruff said. “Pre-drill days in white T-shirts were not for the weak. We did our own hair and makeup, and our coach designed all our uniforms.”

The team’s choreography, technique and presentation have expanded, and social media has heightened the visibility of the team. 

“We were allowed to be human during performances,” Ruff said. “We did not have hundreds of recording phones or harsh online commentary. We focused on our team and improving. I empathize with today’s dancers who face constant scrutiny.”

Ruff also noted the advancement in performers’ technical training, with many Stingettes now having extensive backgrounds in ballet, jazz and contemporary dance.

“Modern artistry blends with tradition such as the capes, the hairstyles, the prancing and the sharp, stinging movements. … Sisterhood remains at the heart of it all,” Ruff said.

The balance between skill and sisterhood mirrors how the Stingettes were first imagined.

In 1977, band director Thomas E. Lyle partnered with Patdro Harris, then a drum major and band’s choreographer, to found Alabama State’s first official dance line for the Mighty Marching Hornets. Lyle selected young women from the ASU Flag Corps and initially referred to them as the Bamarettes before later christening them the Stingettes.

If the original Bamarettes could see the dance line today, Ruff believes they would be proud. 

“They would be amazed that the fire still burns,” she said. “The Stingettes remain every little girl’s dream.”

On and off the field, the connection between mother and daughter remains strong. Ruff said they love to debrief after each game performance, discussing everything that happened and sharing their experiences.

As the dance program approaches its 50th anniversary, Harris sees her team as the ongoing evolution of what the Stingettes have always represented.

“They represent strength, talent and greatness,” she said.

“I want people to remember that I brought something different because of my technical training. But I also want to be remembered for my sisterhood and how I treated others.”

As an Alabama State student himself during the early years of the dance program, Oliver has witnessed its development firsthand.

“I arrived on this campus in 1975, two years before the Stingettes were officially founded in 1977, so I have watched this team grow from the very beginning,” he said. “To witness a mother-and-daughter legacy emerge now shows the lasting impact this line has had across generations. Moments like this remind us why being a Hornet is so meaningful.”

While Ruff and Harris are the Stingettes’ first mother-daughter legacy dancers, Ruff is certain they won’t be the last. 

“With so many phenomenal former Stingettes, more legacies are inevitable,” Ruff said.

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