Ned Baker and Ashley Thompson, who have no qualms about their affinity for baked goods, Disney Channel Original Movies and Texan slang, are Dance Marathon’s newest emcees. The two friends agreed to answer truthfully in a game of 20 questions.
Where are you from?
NB: Detroit, Michigan.
AT: Dallas, Texas.
How did you guys meet?
AT: He was coming out of rehearsal for Presidential Roulette, and I was going into rehearsal for that year’s rock show. And I had homemade banana bread.
NB: She’s very outgoing. I was in the crowd of people and she said, “Do you want some banana bread?” and I said, “Always. I’m Ned.”
AT: And I said, “I’m Ashley, and here’s some banana bread.”
NB: A friendship built upon banana bread, but far reaching to all kinds of baked goods.
What is your go-to dance move?
NB: It’s sort of fish dancing. It is a very unrestricted sort of flowy kind of dancing with lot of flailing limbs and eccentric moves.
AT: If I’m casually dancing, it’s a high-knee, rotated in a circle with my hands in the air. But the more delirious, the more primal and tribal my dances become. I beat the ground sometimes.
What would you name Jay-Z and Beyonce’s child?
NB: Arthur came to mind, but that’s the most boring name in the world.
AT: Would his name be Arthur Z-Knowles? It’s better than Apple or Cupcake.
Who do you most admire?
NB: Paul Newman even though he’s dead. He was a great actor and race car driver, and he made cookies and salad dressings and he encouraged kids to be rebellious. And he was a looker.
AT: Katherine Lee Thompson, she is my 18-year-old sister, and she is the inspiration for every day of my life.
Who or what do you think you were in your past life?
AT: I was a ferret.
NB: I sometimes wonder if I was John Wilkes Booth. But he was kind of a bastard. I would be something goofy like a whoopee cushion.
What is your spirit animal and Patronus?
AT: My Patronus is a griffin. This is because I once thought I was a lion and then I once thought I was an eagle, and then I realized there was a combination. And it’s brilliant. My spirit animal is a ferret.
NB: I always thought it would be cool to have a Patronus that’s a giant squid, because then people would just freak out, but I think honestly it would be a penguin. Same for my spirit animal.
Who is your dance icon?
NB: Janelle Monáe.
AT: Ned Baker during Rockband. You really inspire me.
What would your unisex fragrance name be?
NB: Oh Hell No.
AT: Spoon. You decide if it’s the action or the utensil.
If you were to eat dinner with any person dead or alive what would you order?
AT: Obviously we’d be at Olive Garden, so kids mac n’ cheese with milk.
NB: Hamburger.
Which historical figure would you most want to take to Homecoming?
NB: I still got to say Janelle Monáe.
AT: Elton John, as long as he wore the platform shoes with the goldfish in them. And that would only be to show off his platform shoes with the goldfish in them.
Which of the 7 deadly sins are you most guilty of?
AT: Sloth. But not when it comes to dancing.
NB: Gluttony. Big eater. Need to trim down on that.
Why did you want to be a DM emcee?
AT: I was on Dancer Relations last year, and the job is to pump up the dancers. And I loved that and I think keeping people on the sunny side is a special skill of mine. And I wanted to do that on a macro level.
NB: I danced my freshman year, and that was the last time before I always had another commitment on the weekend of DM, but I’ve been trying to get back since it was the highlight of my year. And my pledge father, Ben Singer was one of the emcees that year. He was a mentor to me and I said if he can do it, I can. And I wanted to do it for years but it was only this year where I found Ashley and said, “I think I can do it. This could be the year.”
What’s your signature catchphrase?
AT: Ya’ll.
NB: Woohoo.
AT: Let’s combine them.
Together: Ya’ll, woohoo!
Which pastry do you most identify with?
AT: An apple turnover. They serve them at Dixie Stampede, which is owned by Dolly Parton. It embodies pastry and Dolly Parton.
NB: There’s this café up on Noyes and I forget it’s real name but I call it the Cinnamon Explosion, and that’s what I would be.
What is your favorite Disney Channel Original Movie?
NB:Don’t Look Under the Bed.
AT: Either Brink or Luck of the Irish because I do get to watch it yearly.
If you could treat Helen Keller out to dinner, where would you take her?
NB: Edzo’s. Early dinner.
AT: Olive Garden. I have 20 dollar gift cards and I like their mac n’ cheese.
Describe yourself in a hashtag?
NB: Should I hashtag woohoo?
AT: #lifeofatexan or #yall
What superpower would you have?
AT: Teleportation. It’d be so cool to just get to go home.
NB: Stop time. Like Clockstoppers.
What is one thing you want to say to the kids of the B+ foundation?
NB: I am super jazzed to meet you guys.
AT: Yeah, I’m excited. Woohoo ya’ll.