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[Complete Audition Information]

By Ed Yevelev
Lodi News

After fulfilling a personal dream by joining the Oakland Raiderettes, Harmony Rebeiro has made a career of molding future professional dancers.

Her newest launching pad will be right here in Lodi.

It was 10 years ago that Rebeiro opened up her first dance performance studio in French Camp, a tiny two-room space in a warehouse that drew around 40 students. She would add another, larger Dance and Cheer Stars in her native Manteca that took in over 150 pupils.

And tomorrow at 11 a.m., a musicand food-filled celebration will mark the grand opening of her newest location, over on 167 Commerce Street. Classes officially kick off on Feb. 6, with the studio providing youth classes in tap, ballet, jazz, hip-hop and lyrical dance, as well as cheerleading.

For Harmony and her husband and co-owner, Paul, it was a fast, wild ride to this new spot — and it all came together during a New Year’s trip to Philadelphia.

“We had been talking about franchising. I got a phone call saying there was a studio that was going to be going out of business, and if we were interested,” said Rebeiro, who now lives in Lathrop.

“We had a meeting on the Tuesday that we came back, and we decided Thursday we’re gonna go. We’ve had the keys for two weeks, and everyone’s really excited, and our staff has really come through.”

Indeed, ace instructors are what Dance and Cheer Stars carries in bunches, and what Rebeiro thinks set her brand of dance studios apart. Not only has every teacher gone on to dance with NBA or NFL teams — including fellow Raiderettes — but each one has done so after coming through Rebeiro’s studio.

In other words, those who want to eventually compete at the highest level can find an avenue through Rebeiro.

“What makes us unique is that I have shown I can turn the kids into professionals,” she says. “We have kids that don’t want to be professional, they just want to come and dance. And we have that. But if they want to take the next step, get jobs and work in the industry, we’ve had a huge turn-around and I think that makes us different.”

With her little son, Bryce, in her arms, Rebeiro walks into her newest studio on Wednesday afternoon, fresh from teaching classes back in Manteca. As she gives a grand tour of the spacious location — featuring two sizable dance practice rooms, with the office walls painted in a bold scheme of pink, black and white — Rebeiro is undeniably amicable, but above all else, exudes knowledge and passion about her craft. She talks about trying out three different times before becoming a Raiderette for the 2005 and 2006 seasons; about the importance of teaching kids ballet, despite its unpopularity, because it truly contains “the fundamentals of dance”; and her love for the challenge of tap dancing, which she reverently calls a “big puzzle” that “messes with your mind and your feet.”

“Kids will come in and be like, ‘It’s so hard, dance is so hard,’” Rebeiro said. “I always tell them, if dance was easy, I wouldn’t have a job. You need someone who can teach it.”

Our good friend Phil was at Buffalo Bandits home opener a couple of weeks ago.

Check out Phil’s blog and photos of the Bandettes here.

[Buffalo Bandettes]

The New England Patriots Cheerleaders will hold an open audition for the 2012 squad on March 3, preceded by an optional audition workshop this Saturday.

Women who are at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma or GED are invited to attend both the recommended optional workshop and the open auditions.

The workshop will prepare candidates for the audition process. It will take place in Gillette Stadium’s Putnam Club West. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. and the workshop ends at 2. The registration fee is $100.

The open auditions on March 3 will take place in Gillette Stadium’s Dana Farber Field House. Candidates will perform two designated routines and a freestyle combination. They will be judged on dance ability, showmanship, overall appearance and level of physical fitness. Judges will narrow the field to up to 65 participants to be invited back for final auditions on March 17. A more detailed description of the audition process can be found at www.patriots.com/cheerleaders.

The 2012 Patriots Cheerleading Squad will comprise 24 to 30 women. The squad rehearses twice a week and performs at all Patriots home games. In addition to performing in front of nearly 70,000 fans, a spot on the squad can provide some great perks. The cheerleaders will travel to an exotic location in April for the Patriots Cheerleaders Swimsuit Calendar shoot and cheerleaders have visited deployed military troops in more than 25 countries. Patriots Cheerleaders have also appeared on local and national television, including Entertainment Tonight, E!, Inside Edition, Fox News, Late Show with David Letterman, On-Air with Ryan Seacrest, Good Morning America and the CBS Early Show, and in magazines including Sports Illustrated, Maxim and Muscle and Fitness.

The Patriots Cheerleaders are also seeking non-performing promotional models. For details on how to apply to become a Patriots Cheerleader promotional model, visit www.patriots.com/cheerleaders.

By Joshua Love
Titans Online
Jan 24, 2012

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Mission Accomplished! Titans Cheerleaders Brintley, Jalanda, Jessi, Stormi, Tanzye, and Titans Cheerleader Alumni and 2007 Pro Bowl Representative, Jennifer, have made it home safely after a weeklong goodwill trip visiting military bases in Kuwait.

Photos: Gallery 1 | Gallery 2

Sponsored by the Morale, Wellness, and Recreation (MWR) department of the military and accompanied by Pro Sports MVP, the six ladies visited Camp Arifjan, Camp Virginia, Camp Buehring, Camp Morrell, Ali Al Salem Air Base (The Rock), and Camp Patriot. On each stop, our very own Titans Cheerleaders treated the troops to a one-hour variety show performance, which involved singing, dancing and interactive skits.

“Being able to bring a smile to the troops and let them know that Americans still support them was the highlight for me,” said Titans Cheerleader Stormi. “If Stacie (Director of Cheerleaders) said she needed people to go to Iraq next week, I would be the first one to volunteer. I would never pass up an opportunity like this again.”

Stormi is also the wife of an active duty officer stationed at Fort Campbell, who will be deployed this coming summer. Additionally, she works for the USO on base, serving as one of the Titans most military-involved cheerleaders.

Each day in Kuwait was accompanied with a new adventure, a new exciting task, and meeting new wonderful people who are serving our country. Among the numerous incredible activities in which the cheerleaders participated were visiting a K-9 unit and assisting a few Airmen in building a temporary hanger. They also flew in a Blackhawk helicopter with the 1-108th AV Brigade, and ate dinner each night alongside U.S. troops. Additionally, the ladies visited the wounded in the military hospitals and were able to meet our own Tennessee National Guard Unit in Camp Arifjan.

“I knew that this experience would be enlightening, however, I was not prepared for the emotion that came with you standing face to face with the men and women that sacrifice their time with their families to protect our country,” cheerleader Tanzye said. “As a teacher, I have a special place in my heart for the soldiers that left their children to serve. I will forever be in their debt and they will forever be in my prayers.”

The goodwill trip was an effort to show support, appreciation and love to our men and women serving in Kuwait by offering a small piece of home to our fellow Americans on the other side of the world.

Titans Alumni Cheerleader, Jennifer said, “I didn’t want to come home. It was an extraordinary, life-changing experience, one that I will remember forever. Our military is, without a doubt, filled with our nation’s finest individuals.”

“It is amazing to visit our troops when they are serving our country,” said Stormi. “I think we each got something different out of the trip. It brought comfort to me knowing when my husband deploys to Afghanistan this summer, hopefully someone will be able to bring a piece of home to him while he’s there.”

Click here and check out the latest NBA dance team gallery on SportsIllustrated.com!