American Ninja Warrior 4 is looking for male and female fitness buffs, hikers, gymnasts, rock climbers, coaches, moms & dads, college students, park-tour runners, extreme athletes and whoever thinks they can beat the course! Why would anyone do this? YOU COULD WIN $500,000.00!!

[Complete Audition Information]

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.

In the meantime, watch the dancers strut their stuff for the judges at Tuesday night’s final audition.

Tonight, a truly outstanding group of dancers will put it all out on the dance floor, in the hope of making the team. I’ll provide photos, etc in the next couple of days. But for now, I want to wish each and every young lady the best of luck.

Here they are (minus Whitney and Sherra, who I didn’t get photos of at Sunday’s interviews. My bad.)

Alexandra, Stephanie, Kyra, and Traci

Alyson, Lauren, and Mekayla

Ari, Sonia, Cameron, and Denise

Ashley, Bernadette, Merria, and Sabrina

Chandra, Andi, and Sujan

Jenny, Melissa, Maryedith, and Cynthia

Joanne, Brittany, Brandy, and Natalie

Lucy and Dani

Tina, Shauna, Sarah, and Simmone

[Redskins Cheerleaders Auditions Info]

BIGTIME thanks to Will for sending the link the this video he produced the year before last.

Looks like fun, doesn’t it?

…and on to the next round
SpokaneShock.com
01/07/2012

In the world of professional sports, it’s often a numbers game. With only a handful of professional leagues, those who earn a roster spot have to demonstrate outstanding skills. In the world of professional dance, it’s no different.

This past weekend, the Spokane Shock Dance Team hosted its annual open tryout with nearly 50 hopefuls. By the end of the first round, that total was trimmed to 32 – including 13 returning members from the 2011 team.

Dance Team Director Maggie Kazemba opened the audition by teaching a short pom routine. Once the routine was taught, Kazemba put the Dance Team candidates to the test by performing in groups of three in front of a small panel of judges. Each judge scored the candidates on five different categories that included: appearance, choreography, performance, technique, and overall performance. The top-32 scores advanced as finalists.

The finals will be open to the public on January 18th at the Knitting Factory. The doors to the all-ages show open at 6 PM and will begin at 7 PM. Tickets to the event can be purchased in advance for just $5 (by clicking here) or at the door for $7. KHQ’s Stephanie Vigil will host the festivities.

The finalists will perform three routines – including the routine they learned in the first round – at the Knitting Factory.

“In my tenor, there is no question that this is the most talented group we have ever had,” Kazemba explained. “Every spot is up for grabs – returners and rookies alike. It will be the most competitive finals in my coaching experience. It’s going to be a great show and we hope to pack the house with Shock fans!”

To see the event through the lens of team photographer Gary Peterson, click here.

A two-second look back at last year’s finals: