Former Rams Cheerleader a Contestant on ABC’s Whodunnit?

Anthony E. Zuiker, creator of the CSI franchise, brings the world of murder and intrigue to his first primetime reality series, Whodunnit?, airing in nine episodes this summer on the ABC Television Network.

Whodunnit? puts 13 contestants’ investigative skills to the test in a riveting mystery reality competition. Players will use a variety of crime scene investigation techniques to meticulously uncover evidence in a series of puzzling murders and to ultimately reveal who among them is the killer. Some players will form alliances in the competition, while others will choose to go it alone in their quest for the grand prize of $250,000. The contestants will reside on a glamorous estate called Rue Manor with a steward, Butler Giles (Gildart Jackson), and each week must solve a new crime in order to advance in the game. Failure to solve the crime will lead to a player’s demise, until only three are left. In the final episode, one player will unmask the killer and take home the $250,000 prize.

Whodunnit? Premieres Sunday, June 23rd at 9pm E/PT

[Whodunnit? at ABC.com]

Flying high with the Flight Crew

Joe Shooman
The Cayman Compass
May 31, 2013

Cayman is arguably the most beautiful place in the world.

But even the white sands, clear azure seas and year-round sunshine can be improved.

How?
 Add cheerleaders, of course.

That would be the New York Jets’ Flight Crew, who came to Cayman recently to shoot their 2014 calendar. Needless to say, the girls were mostly excited about meeting Weekender, so we did our best to make that dream come true.

“We had our calendar shoot at different locations,” explains Natalie N. (the ladies only use the first letter of their surnames for security reasons.)

“We have been having an amazing time and had extravagant excursions which is a great plus. We are very blessed to be here.”

Shoots took place in a number of locations including Little Cayman, the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park and of course the beautiful waterscape that makes the Cayman Islands world-famous. There was even time for a Jet Pack session – scary, but fun, apparently.

It’s clear the girls loved their time in Cayman, even if their schedules were pretty much work, work and more work.

“The park is 65 acres of wonderful tropical, beautiful land,” offers Roselinda G.

“I had a lot of colourful leaves behind my shoot, it was such an amazing experience. We met the Blue Iguanas and also met the Rock Iguanas on Little Cayman.”

The Flight Crew also added a New York sign to the post up at Rum Point. Danielle S. says that she has taken care to process the surroundings and enjoy the experience as much as possible.

“We took a moment when we were paddleboarding to just enjoy the scenery, to take in the water and the blue sky. It will take a while to process but when we are back in New York it will sink in that we had such an awesome time.”

Cheerleading, Roselinda says, was a natural next step as she is a dancer.

“I feel like all activities like dance, cheerleading, performing – it takes a long time and a lot of dedication. You have to work hard and keep the standards up.

“Every year we re-audition to keep your spot. In the post-season you just reflect on an awesome season and just want to be out there again. You train, work hard and pray, hope and cross your fingers that you get your spot back and the dream comes true all over again,” she says.

Natalie’s in her first season as a cheerleader and says she always remembers her first performance.

“It was with the Junior Flight Crew, in our home opener against the Giants. My heart nearly stopped beating for a second as I was running on to the field with the girls. As soon as I started performing, everything fit into place and I realised it was where I wanted to be and where I wanted to do.

“People do not realise how much hard work we put into it. There is so much training but when everything fell into place it was one of the happiest moments of my life.”

Train hard

During the season, the cheerleaders rehearse three times a week, explains Danielle.

“Two of those days are working in the studio with choreographers, getting to know routines, preparing new rookies and so on. Then we go outside into the elements to learn doing that outside which can be the hard part. You train and work hard during the summer but you perform when it is cold and it could be snowing or raining which makes it more difficult.”

Of course, the girls are primarily there to whip up the crowd and add atmosphere to the games themselves, Danielle continues.

“The players know we are there for them, to cheer the team on and help them to win. We help to bring the fans closer to the players because we all want the same thing – we all want the Jets to win in the end. It’s a big family.”

As for the budding Cayman cheerleaders. Natalie has some sage advice.

“Always follow your heart and follow your passions. Even if you think you can’t do it [go for it], if you can imagine it, you can do it.

“There is a girl who has just made the team and she tried out four times before she was successful. Keep trying; work your hardest, train your hardest and you will get what you want one day.

“Never give up – it is a cliche, but it’s the truth.”

The 2014 calendar will be released at pre-season toward the end of the summer. The trip was arranged in conjunction with the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism.

Barbie’s Day at the Salon

You gotta love someone willing to go to these lengths just to give a member of her team a warm fuzzy.

[Check out the photo gallery!]

“Barbie Goes Red”
By Kelli Finglass (Director, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
DallasCowboysCheerleaders.com
May 30, 2013

Every now and then I get a wacky idea that is next to impossible to execute, but I will fixate until the mission is accomplished.

Each year at auditions, I select a few Director’s Choice Awards for outstanding solos performed by the candidates. The prize? My pride and joy in my journey as DCC director – the coveted DCC Barbie.

The DCC Barbie represents determination to me because, beginning in 1992, I wrote letters and made phone calls to Mattel with the hope of partnering on a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Barbie. I have all the copies of my letters and the “Thanks, but no thanks” responses I received back from Mattel in my file of “determination.”

Long story short, in 2006 I received a phone call from Robert Best, who was a designer for the Barbie Collectible Division. Robert also was the lead designer for the annual Holiday Barbie! He was based in Hollywood, had been a judge on Project Runway and was a fan of Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team on CMT. He continued the call by asking if I would ever consider lending the DCC image to a Collectible Barbie. He mentioned he was originally from Dallas and he loved the DCC uniform and how it could translate on Barbie.

I squealed, laughed at the fact that I had been writing my annual letter to Mattel each year, never took no for an answer, and the final ask came from Mattel to me by a lovely designer who was a Dallas native!

With impressive attention to detail in designing Barbie’s makeup, uniform and boots, every detail was articulate, right down to the crystal earrings she wore. In 2007, Barbie hit the market and sold out in just three days.

Told you so!

We released a blonde, brunette and an African-American Barbie as part of the collection, and you can now only find them on EBay and similar websites.

Fast forward to the present, and I am awarding Emma Mary, a third-year DCC veteran, the artistic excellence award for her outstanding solo at Final Auditions.

Challenge: Emma has red hair and we didn’t make a redheaded Barbie, a mistake I admit now.

Blonde barbie safe in her box Because I’m a visual perfectionist, and can be “over the top” on gift giving, I was bound and determined to transform one of my treasured Barbies (that we keep locked in a closet) into a vibrant REDHEAD. I mentioned it to my staff in a team meeting, and they all rolled their eyes with one of those “you gotta be kidding” moments. (This motivates me even more, by the way.)

So, my own hair color appointment was the next week at Premier Atelier, and I thought I’d take Barbie along for the ride, and see … just see … if the experts at the Salon could help me achieve my vision of “Making Barbie Red.” My concern was Barbie’s hair was synthetic, and we’d probably wind up with “Bald Barbie” instead of a vibrant redhead like Emma.

Barbie got a consultation and giggles from the pros at Premier Atelier, and it was decided that instead of doing permanent color and foils, Barbie would get a spray on color by the fashionable Bumble and Bumble product line.

After a painful attempt at getting Barbie out of her Collector’s Edition Box without damaging the packaging, we then had to get her “unwired” from the box. We almost made the fatal decision of pulling her head off for the procedure.

Jonny and Lindsay began the process of coloring Barbie as I looked on. I was getting my red refreshed, too! When the initial color was done, Lindsay did some touch-up red to Barbie’s roots and then laid her down to process. Barbie looked as if she was in post-surgery on a steel table as she was wrapped in a towel while her hair was “processing.”


Barbie checks out her new look

At the conclusion, the Barbie was a vibrant redhead and sat in the salon chair admiring her now look! We all giggled with pride and anticipation of how shocked Emma would be to not only win the Barbie, but also be the ONLY person in the world to have an Official Custom Redhead Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Barbie!

Emma and her BarbieI felt the joy of Christmas when I presented Emma her Director’s Choice Barbie, and the DCC in the room squealed when we revealed the one and only “Emma Barbie.”

In total, I awarded nine Director’s Choice Awards from this season’s Final Auditions: Jacie Scott, Olivia Rene, Carisa Rose, Hannah Alexandra, Mackenzie Lee, Mia Greenhouse, Jennifer Alexis, Ashley Marie, and Emma Mary. A fun time for all!

Pacemates, Colts Cheerleaders, and Colts Cheer Alumni kick off the 500 Festival Parade

Just as last Sunday’s Indy 500’s flying start featured the first row of the three speediest drivers roaring past the start/finish line, the 56th IPL 500 Festival Parade needed a triple boost to match its theme, “Turbocharging Indy.” So what better way to kick off the parade with the Indianapolis pro cheer triple threat of the combined Pacemates, Colts Cheerleaders, and the Colts Alumni Cheerleaders! In addition to a routine with the three squads on their own, they then danced during the parade’s opening singing number performed by country music’s Tate Stevens.

With the Pacemates in their Memorial Day weekend traditional checkered tops, the Colts Cheerleaders in uniform, and the Colts Cheer Alumni in their blue tops and silver poms, the parade had a perfect injection of energy! And if you remember, last November Colts Cheerleaders Megan (above) and Crystal Anne (below left) had their hair shaven during a game to support Colts coach Chuck Pagano, who was fighting cancer. Well, Megan is now an alumni, and Crystal Anne is back on the squad, and their locks are returning quite nicely!

We asked veteran Colts Cheerleader Allie (pictured above right) about this unique performance venue:

What was it like to perform on the unique “stage” to open the parade?

Allie:
Performing at the start line of the Indy 500 Parade was exhilarating and surreal. We were joined by 50 of our Alumni, as well as the Indiana Pacemates, to perform a short dance number around an Indy 500 pace car centerpiece. After that performance wrapped up, Tate Stevens (winner of this season of The X-Factor) emerged from the pace car, surprising the crowd, to perform his hit single, “Holler If You’re With Me”.
Dancing to his flawless live performance in front of such an electric crowd coupled with a finale of streamers and confetti shooting in to the stands made for one of my top five favorite appearances in my three years as a Colts cheerleader!

What was the experience of walking in Indiana’s largest parade like?

Allie: Having the honor of leading the 2013 Indy 500 Parade down the streets of Indianapolis surrounded by a crowd of nearly 300,000 was something I never envisioned having the opportunity to experience! My cheerleading career has consisted of a number of local small town parades, however, the Indy 500 Parade was in a different league. At a certain point on the parade route, I began to compare the experience to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The animated floats, character balloons, and energetic crowds were dazzling!

Did you like being able to perform with Pacemates and ICC Alumni?

Allie: The Indianapolis Colts are in our 30th year as an organization so being able to celebrate that accomplishment with members from each of the 30 squads was such a special opportunity. We met at the training facility to practice a couple weeks before our big performance and were able to get to know the alumni and hear stories of their experiences. One highlight was hearing from one of the original Colts Cheerleaders about a surreal and hilarious moment while browsing an antique shop and finding a photo of her 1984 squad for sale!

What are you looking forward to as next big events for the Colts Cheerleaders this summer?

Allie: This is an exciting time to be a Colts cheerleader. We have a few photo shoots coming up in the next couple of weeks including our annual swimsuit calendar, our training camp to prepare routines is upon us, and most exciting of all is that the beginning of another winning football season is just a few months away! GO COLTS!

Thanks Allie for sharing your thoughts about this experience!

So the parade gave us a chance to see the cross-section of seasons, with the Pacemates still cheering on the Pacers in the Eastern Conference championship series, and the Colts Cheerleaders preparing for an NFL pre-season that will be here before we know it. Maybe both the Pacers and Colts can add another parade to Indy’s future: championship parades! “Holler If You’re With Me” on that one Tate!

Click on this link for a bunch more photos.

MVC Swimsuit Calendar Voting

Vikings.com: The 2013 Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders Swimsuit Calendar is in the works! Now we just need to decide which MVC should grace this year’s cover…….so we are asking Vikings fans to help us with the selection process! We have paired the TOP 8 cover model finalists, selected during our audition process for the 2013 team, and now we need you to vote each week and let us know who you think the MVC representative should be on our cover. We have paired the ladies up – so week by week you can select which MVC should move to the next round for a chance at the cover. [Here] are the match ups to get us started! This year’s version of the Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders calendar will be unveiled during the week of July 4.

Click here to cast your votes!

Week #1 Matchup: Lauryn vs. Jeanne

They’ve Got The Moves Like Jaguar! Jacksonville Cheerleaders Roar Into London For Sizzling Calendar Shoot

By Sunni Upal
Daily Mail

The cheerleaders from the Jacksonville Jaguars took to the streets of London this Bank Holiday weekend in a photo shoot for their 2014 calendar.

The group from Florida, known as ROAR, were pictured in the capital to shoot the calendar which is scheduled to be launched in August.

The photo shoot comes after the Jacksonville Jaguars agreed to play one of their eight NFL home matches at Wembley Stadium for each of the next four years.

More photos here.