VYPE: What grade are you in and when did you know you wanted to become a Ping Ping?
Laney Jones: I am a senior, and I knew I wanted to be a ping as soon as I started dancing. I grew up watching them in their white boots and knew I wanted to wear them one day.
VYPE: Most people don’t realize the hard work that goes into being a Ping Ping. Talk about how much time you spend in practice.
LJ: We practice every morning starting around 6:30-7AM, and we go until the bell rings at 8:50. Some days we have five minutes to get dressed for school, other days we have two minutes, but we use every last minute we can to clean our routines and make them perfect. We also will add in extra days of practice if needed!
VYPE: What do you love most about your teammates?
LJ: What I love most about my teammates is that they’re basically a second family. We spend every morning together and they’re usually the first people you see every day. You become family as soon as you join the team and it’s a really special bond because they’re the only other people that go through what you go through and know what it’s like.
VYPE: Do you belong to any other clubs or groups at school?
LJ: I’ve been in a lot of groups through the years, including sophomore class office, junior class office, Indian education, and I’m currently the student council spirit coordinator for the second year in a row.
VYPE: Who inspires you and why?
LJ: I can’t narrow down who inspires me to just one person. I come from a very successful and hardworking family. My family is full of incredible athletes who have instilled that work ethic into me. My family will always be my biggest inspirations for every aspect of my life. My biggest inspiration for dance would have to be my coach, Molly Heritage, because she has such a brilliant vision for everything she does and she puts everything she has into our team and making us the best we can be, in dance and in life.
VYPE: What makes being a Ping Ping special to you?
LJ: It’s a feeling unlike any other. Whenever you have the boots on you feel like you’re on top of the world, and you can do anything. We’re also involved in a lot of different community events and it’s the best feeling to be a part of such a rich Sapulpa tradition.
VYPE: What age did you get into dance?
LJ: I started dancing in 2010 when I was four years old at Art in Motion dance studio in Sapulpa, and I’m currently in my last year at that studio.
VYPE: What are your goals or plans after high school?
LJ: I don’t have any set plans for after high school, however I will most likely go to college and pursue a career in medical sales. My goal is just to have a good job and a happy family one day.
VYPE: Do you have a favorite teacher or subject in school?
LJ: My favorite subject has always been history, I’m sure it comes from my dad, uncles, and grandpa being history teachers, but it’s always been so interesting to me to know how everything came to be how it is now. I loved all my teachers the same.
