A Dancer for Life
Nicole Bonniwell has a full-time career in college admissions, and serves with the Air National Guard, but can’t step away from her passion for dance.
By Katy Zillmer
Oakdale & Lake Elmo Review
For Nicole Bonniwell, dancing is a release.
After working a long day at her job in admissions at Rasmussen College, Nicole has been able to use that release for the past several months.
Not in the privacy of her own home or at a dance studio lesson, but as a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves Dance Team.
Nicole, an Oakdale native and 2003 Tartan High School, just finished her rookie season with the team this week.
“I never thought about joining a dance team,” she says.
Nicole, 25, recently earned a communications degree from the University of Minnesota.
She started dancing at age 4 at Larkin Dance Studio in Maplewood. After honing her dance skills in everything from ballet to hip hop at Larkin and with the Tartan High School dance team, Nicole says she was at a crossroads.
“I know that she was really torn when she had to make the decision to pursue dancing or to go to college,” says Nicole’s mother, Mary.
Mary says she and her husband Joseph sacrificed to ensure their children – four in all – could have a support system and the ability to pursue their goals. Nicole is the oldest in the Bonniwell family, followed by Jacob, 23, who is in the Air National Guard, Riley, 16, who attends North High School, and Madison, 13, who is a student at Transfiguration Catholic School and takes classes at Larkin.
After thinking about a long-term professional dancing career versus the opportunities she could have by going to college, Nicole says she decided to pursue her degree.
Nicole joined the Air National Guard her senior year at Tartan to secure funding for her future education.
“My dad was in (the military) for 22 years and he influenced me to look down that road,” Nicole says.
She is now in her seventh year as an air field manager with the Air National Guard and spends one weekend a month and two weekends per year training, in addition to working at Rasmussen College.
But, dancing never faded as one of Nicole’s dreams.
“A dancer is always a dancer. When I was working full time at the Guard and going to school, there would be times where I would work late and there was nobody there and I would dance down the hall in my military uniform … it’s just a way of releasing; it’s a passion.”
Dancing her heart out
Mary Bonniwell says Nicole just “took off” with dancing once she enrolled at Larkin Dance Studio. “She loved it.”
After studying all genres at Larkin, Nicole excelled in ballet and solo performances.
Tartan teacher Sara Paul remembers Nicole was well known for her dancing abilities and achievements.
“Nicole was a top student and stood out as a person that was a high achiever, in and out of school, and was very intentional about how she used her time to fit all the pieces of her life together,” Paul says, adding that her own daughter, who was 5 at the time, saw Nicole as her role model.
Nicole did take a break from dancing when she started college and continued her work with the Air National Guard, but soon recognized she needed that release in her life.
In 2006, she tried out to be a Minnesota Vikings cheerleader.
“(During) the audition process, I just danced my heart out,” Nicole recalls. “When you get away from something for so long you forget how much you miss it.
“(It) probably was good for me to have that break and … realize how important this is to me.”
She earned a spot on squad and stayed for three seasons until she graduated from the ‘U’ last May.
She says her dance experiences had entered a whole new realm of performing for crowds at professional football games. “I think they build up that first game,” Nicole says, since there are months between the audition process and the season opener. “Running through that tunnel that first time is just exhilarating.”
After she left the Vikings, Nicole focused on her career at Rasmussen College, but it wasn’t long before another dance opportunity came up – the Minnesota Timberwolves Dance Team.
“I just thought it would be fun to get into a new organization that’s starting to rebuild and grow,” Nicole says.
After auditions last July, she was one of 13 selected out of 130 women. “It was pretty competitive which makes you more appreciative and proud that you were able to get a spot on the team.”
‘Happy medium’
While Nicole chose not to pursue a full-time dance career, she says her experiences with the Vikings and Timberwolves have been a “happy medium” with her other responsibilities.
During the Timberwolves’ season, the dance team only performs at home games. Off the court, the women represent the team at public functions and charity events.
“You’re definitely committed to being out in the community and being recognized as an ambassador for the Timberwolves,” Nicole says. “We’ve gotten to do some amazing stuff. I’ve gone to the Special Olympics here and you just feel appreciated and people are happy to see you. It’s always a good feeling to be a positive person in the community.”
At Timberwolves’ games, Nicole’s family comes to support her as much as they can.
“It’s a blast; it’s really fun. We’re so distracting because we’re always waving,” her mother says.
Mary admits she did worry about her over-achieving daughter taking on so many responsibilities, but she says Nicole always seems to be able to handle everything at once.
“I think she has the potential pretty much to do whatever she wants. She has a lot of ideas, and she’s always thinking about something,” Mary says. “I know that the day she stops dancing, she’s going to be really sad, but I think she’ll find another avenue. I think that (with) the discipline from the dancing and the discipline from the military … she has wonderful tools to be successful at what she wants to accomplish.”
Ambition for lifeTryouts for next season’s Timberwolves dance team are in July.
Nicole says her philosophy is to live year by year when it comes to deciding if the team will be a part of her future plans.
“I am definitely ambitious; I like being involved. I just feel like you kind of have to take opportunities as they come and embrace them.”
For the summer, Nicole’s favorite season, she says she plans to spend time with her family on their boat, and take up a new hobby, perhaps yoga.
Nicole celebrated her 25th birthday a few days before the Timberwolves’ last home game, April 14.
Her mother says, “I think she is an amazing young woman. I admire how she just sticks to everything she does. When the going gets tough, she doesn’t get down. I love that determination that she has.”
