The Carolina Coquettes dance team is an elite and integral visual component of the Carolina Band, and a prominent organization on the USC campus. Comprised of experienced dancers from across the United States, the Carolina Coquettes perform with the Carolina Band at all functions and perform in a variety of styles ranging from jazz and high kick to pom.
The Carolina Coquettes rehearse daily throughout the fall season and members are selected through a highly competitive audition process in the spring before each football season. Members participate in all rehearsals and performances and receive a scholarship for their participation in the Carolina Band.
2023 Coquettes Auditions
Auditions consist of two rounds and take place in the spring. Round 1 is a video submission (see audition procedures for more details). Round 2 is a live, in-person audition held on the University of South Carolina campus. Two clinic sessions will be held to assist interested students prepare for the auditions, or just to improve dance skills. Please register using the sign-up form below beginning January 1, 2023.
Coquette Audition Procedures and Frequently Asked Questions
Meet the Coquette Captains
MJ is a senior Public Health major here at USC with a minor in physical education and athletic training. She has been a member of the Carolina Coquettes for the past three years and is excited to carry out her fourth and final season. Outside of Carolina Band, MJ is a member of Sigma Alpha Omega sorority and Dance Marathon. MJ has been dancing in various styles since the age of 4. She has danced at various studios throughout the midlands of South Carolina, as she grew up in Elgin, South Carolina, very close to campus! In middle school, MJ started playing trumpet and continued her musical career as a percussionist in the marching band at Lugoff-Elgin High School. As her mother was also a Coquette when she attended the university, MJ had always had her sights on the team and since she found a love for both dance and marching bands, she realized what a perfect fit it could be. MJ is so excited to step forward (on her left foot first, of course!) into this season with this amazing team for another great year.
Megan Pickett is a pre-vet biology major and dance minor at the University of South Carolina. Along with the Carolina Coquettes, she is a member of Tri-Beta Biological Honors Society, Carolina Club Dance, and Carolina Dance Science. Megan has been dancing since the age of two and started competing by age eight at Miss Donna’s School of Dancing, located in Charlotte, NC. Megan is trained in tap, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, hip-hop, and ballet. She also served as an assistant teacher and choreographer at Miss Donna’s in addition to a special-needs dance program based out of the studio called A Chance to Dance. In high school she cheered on the varsity squad for three years as a flyer until her senior year, when she transferred to the Mountain Island Charter School Ladybirds Dance Team and served as a co-captain. Dancing on a collegiate dance team was always a dream for Megan and she is so glad that she is able to help lead the team in her senior year. She is excited to see the growth of the team over the season and can’t wait to be back on the field!
Kortnei Seabury, instructor
Kortnei Seabury is the Carolina Coquette Instructor. She is a Troy University “Sound of the South” Dance Team alumni, where she served as a captain for her senior year. She was also a member of the Troy University Basketball Dance Team and held the captain position for two years. During her years at Troy, Kortnei worked with several high school marching band dance teams across Alabama, providing instruction and choreography for their marching seasons. She was also a clinician and choreographer for the Troy University “Sound of the South” Summer Leadership Camp for dancers. After graduating from Troy with a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education, she returned to Troy to choreograph and participate in the Alumni Marching Band shows. Kortnei now lives in the Columbia metro area with her husband, Bailey, the Carolina Band Drumline Instructor/Arranger, and daughter, Quinn. She is in her eighth year teaching as a 5th grade math and science teacher at Langford Elementary. Kortnei is excited to continue dancing and begin her sixth season with the Carolina Band Coquettes.
Questions about the Carolina Coquettes? Call the USC Band Office, 803-777-4278 or email uscbands@mozart.sc.edu