Wish granted: How the BYU Cougarettes helped 11-year-old Livi live her dream
After a TV timeout with seven minutes left in the first half of the BYU-West Virginia basketball game at the Marriott Center on Saturday night, the 26-time national dance champion Cougarettes took the court for their performance, which they do at every game.
The first portion of the Cougarettes' dance was an impressive hip-hop routine to a remix of the song "2 Step," but halfway through the dance, BYU's legendary mascot, Cosmo the Cougar, carried out a dancer — smaller than the rest — that wowed the thousands in attendance.
This 11-year-old girl was put in the front of the other Cougarettes, and nailed the choreography to perfection. After the routine was over, Cosmo lifted her on his large, furry shoulders, and carried her off the court to roaring applause. It was like he was carrying a champion out of the ring.
But Alivia Natter was already a champion before her performance on Saturday night. In August of 2024, after six rounds of chemo, Natter rang the bell. She was cancer free.
Livi's Wish
Before February 2024, Alivia, or "Livi" as her family calls her, was a 10-year-old girl who loved 10-year-old things. She loved her family, Taylor Swift, and most of all she loved to dance.
Natter has been dancing for as long as she can remember, and takes part in competitive dancing in her hometown of Temecula, Calif.
But in February 2024, Natter began to feel very sick. Doctors discovered a lymph node in her groin and by March, she was diagnosed with stage three Non-Hodgkin's anaplastic large-cell lymphoma.
She started chemotherapy treatments within 24 hours of her diagnosis. Six treatments every three weeks from March to August. She had to pause her normal schooling and dance regimen, and had a very different summer compared to her peers.
Today, Natter is back in school and has reintegrated into her hectic dancing schedule.
In December, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps fulfill the wishes of seriously ill children, contacted the Natter family to see what Alivia's wish was.
Her wish? To dance with the Cougarettes.
There aren't many college dance teams that reach national popularity across the general public, but the Cougarettes have transcended that with countless viral videos.
Perhaps their most famous video to date was their dance to "Rolex" by Ayo & Teo, with Cosmo at the forefront. That 2017 video currently has 13 million views on YouTube.
"I've been wanting to be a Cougarette since I was little," Natter said.
She found out two weeks ago that her family would be flying to Utah, and that she would get to fulfill her wish. She wouldn't just be watching a practice, or gathering for a single photo op, but she would spend the weekend going to their spring clinic, practicing with her favorite dancers, and performing at the BYU men's basketball game.
Eight days before the game, Natter was sent the choreography that she needed to learn. Only eight days to nail the most important choreography of her life.
She met the Cougarettes the day before the big game, and was welcomed with open arms by all the dancers.
"They made her feel so special," Livi's mom, Steffani, said.
Livi capturing thousands at the Marriott Center
Livi's performance is currently sitting at over 120k views on the Cougarettes' instagram account, and the reaction from around the arena was unforgettable.
Many fans were brought to their feet and some were even brought to tears.
It's not every day that an 11-year-old gets to spend time with college students and athletes. Not only did Natter get to meet all the Cougarettes, but she even got a picture with the No.1 high school basketball player in the country in BYU commit AJ Dybantsa.
While everyone in the arena was in awe of Livi's moves, the people who were most proud of her, were her parents, Steffani and Dylan, and her older brother, Davis.
"It definitely brought tears to my eyes," Steffani said. "A year ago we were watching her thinking it would be her last time.
"She was tough and positive through everything. She always had a smile and kept dancing even if it was just at home in the living room," she added. "My thank you hasn't been enough for what they did, how the coaches and the team treated her. It's definitely something we will never forget."
If Livi's current skills are any sign of what's to come, it's likely that this won't be her last time performing in the Marriott Center.
But until then, Livi can continue her life as a normal kid who loves to dance — cancer-free.
To see the full video of Livi's performance, search @BYUCougarettes on Instagram.
