[Reading Express Steam Team]

The Lehigh Valley Steelhawks and their dance team Precious Metal are proud to announce a new dance coordinator for the 2012 season, Arenda DiPasquale. Arenda was born in Easton, Pa and started her dance career at the prime age of three at Nardis Dance Studio. She’s taken all genres of dance including Ballet, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Tap, Lyrical, Modern, Contemporary and Theater. After graduating from Easton Area High School in 2007 she continued her education as a Dance and Business Management major. Arenda has been a part of various dance company’s and semi pro/pro dance teams including Monarch Dance Company, Acta non Verba, Lehigh Valley Storm and Lehigh Valley Lady Outlawz. Last season she served as a captain for the Precious Metal dance team and choreographed crowd appealing routines as well as assembled the first annual youth dance clinic at Stabler arena. She has also been teaching dance technique throughout the Lehigh Valley for the past 4 years and is currently an instructor at Nardis Dance Studio. Arenda hopes to one day own and operate her own studio in the Lehigh Valley and her ambitious attitude will help to make this season’s dance team be the best in the IFL.

An open tryout has been announced to become a member of the Precious Metals dance squad for September 17th from 5-8pm and September 18th from 3-6pm. Interested dancers are invited to attend the two day tryout held at Steel Fitness Riverport, 15 W. 2nd Street Bethlehem, Pa 18015. There is a $30 cash tryout fee to be paid at the door. For more information on the Precious Metals or about the tryout, Dance Coordinator Arenda can be reached via email at arendadipasquale@yahoo.com.

[Precious Metal Dance Team]

As part of the IFL Year End Awards, the Chicago Slaughter’s dance team earned the Best Dance Team Award based in providing the most talented and most attractive dance team. Uniforms, class, routines, and crowd interaction were also factors in deciding the award.

[Chicago Slaughter Dance Team]

Extreme-ly talented, Extreme-ly dedicated, Extreme-ly supportive of their team, an Extreme-ly important part of the game day entertainment, an Extreme-ly visible role in the community, Extreme-ly gracious and hospitable, and Extreme-ly lovely. No wonder they are known as the Extreme Dance Team, in their sixth season supporting the IFL’s Bloomington Extreme indoor football franchise. The Extreme’s June 3rd game against LaCrosse provided an opportunity to meet Bloomington dance legend Stacy Terry, the Dance Team Coordinator, and her marvelous squad, plus Cassie, a former member of the Extreme Dance Team, who ventured to NFL territory and cheered for a Super Bowl team, and now is back with a new role during the Extreme home games.

The dedication of the squad starts at the top with Stacy, who has been running the Extreme Dance Team since the inception of the franchise. Stacy has run a dance studio in Bloomington for decades, and all of the members of her current squad spent time taking classes at Stacy’s Dance Factory during their dance training. So dance expertise is one aspect, but it does not take long to see that Stacy is more than that; she is a true and devoted fan of the Extreme football team.

Stacy is from the central Illinois area, as she recalls, “I was born in Peoria, Illinois. I grew up dancing, started classes in Peoria when I was four. By the time I was fourteen, I was teaching my own classes. I knew I always wanted to open a studio, but my parents insisted I go to college. After high-school, I came to Bloomington to attend Illinois State. I graduated with a BS in Criminal Justice.” But it would be a crime if Stacy did not pursue her love of dance, as Stacy says, “I graduated from ISU and then opened my own studio the following fall in 1983. My favorite type of dance is jazz or tap but I do them all.” Stacy is married, with a son and step-son, and in her non-dance time, Stacy says, “I enjoy being a mom, teaching Sunday school, and spending time with friends on my off time. I am usually really busy at work so my free time is limited.”

And one of the things keeping things busy for Stacy is working with the Extreme. After years in the Bloomington community, it was natural that Stacy would lead the Extreme’s dance team when arena football came to town. Stacy remembers, “I was acquainted with some people that were involved with the team its first season. I contacted them and offered my services. I have been doing it ever since. I enjoy working with the girls each season. Some have been with the squad all six years (note: see the recent interview with these six year vets Alice and Alicia).” A great aspect of this role, Stacy says, is, “At my studio, I work with mainly children, so it is refreshing to work with dancers a little older and in a more professional setting.”

Stacy is involved with a lot of the inner workings of the franchise, including selecting uniforms for her squad, as Stacy says, “The general manager and I pick out the uniforms each season. We look for a design that compliments the squad as a whole.” For the future of the Extreme Dance Team, Stacy states, “My goal is to continue to get the team involved in as many community activities as possible to help promote the team. I feel they dance team is important to the reputation of the team as much as the players.”

While other teams and cities have struggled with the strain of tough economic times, the Extreme has survived and is growing in local support, as Stacy says, “It has been incredible to see the increase in support each year from the fans in Bloomington. The Extreme is the closest thing we have to a pro football team in our area. Other cities close by have had teams but they no longer exist. We are fortunate to have had the fan base to allow us to continue to succeed in Bloomington.”

Two hours prior to kickoff and before the crowds converged on Bloomington’s US Cellular Coliseum, Stacy, with the boom box of music in tow, and the Extreme Dance Team hit the field in their warm-ups to practice their two between quarter routines. The routine between the first and second quarter required more repetition, as Stacy knew the squad had their second routine, to be performed between quarters in the second half, well under control. Then the squad headed to the locker room to get prepped for greeting the fans as they entered the arena. On this night, mascot Spike’s bobble heads were free for the first 2,000 fans, and the Extreme Dance Team not only handed them out, but Stacy and the squad were right on it, affixing the labels to the boxes to prepare the memorabilia for distribution.

Continue reading Bloomington’s Fans are “Extreme-ly” Fortunate to Have Stacy Terry and her Extreme Dance Team

For six seasons, Bloomington, Illinois has been home to the “Extreme” of the Indoor Football League (IFL), and for all six seasons, the Extreme Dance Team has been entertaining fans and cheering on the team. And for each of those six seasons, Alice and Alicia have been the one constant, the only members of each and every edition of the Extreme Dance Team, hence the “most Extreme” dancers in the league. If there was a Mount Rushmore carved to celebrate the Extreme Dance Team, Alice and Alicia be the first two set into the stone. Alice and Alicia graciously agreed to participate in an interview with UltimateCheerleaders.com prior to the Extreme’s June 3rd game against LaCrosse in Bloomington. Like their first names, there are a lot of similarities between Alice and Alicia, but also some interesting differences. For instance, one of them has never had an embarrassing moment on the field, whereas the other blacked out during a routine, but it fit in perfectly with the choreography.

Another difference is that Alice has been dancing on stage since she was a teeny tike, whereas Alicia started a bit later. Alice says, “I think I probably came out of the womb dancing! I was first inspired to dance while watching my older sister perform in dance competitions. I knew, from an extremely young age, that I wanted dance to influence the remainder of my life. I started dancing at two years old and by the age of five, I was choreographing my own solo routine with the Owner/Head Instructor of Rogers School of Dance in Pennsylvania.” Alice mentions in her on-line bio that she won a dance contest at age five, winning a trophy taller than she was. Does she remember the song and experience? “I absolutely remember the song, ‘Dinosaur Rock n’ Roll’ and even remember most of the routine! My dance instructor from Pennsylvania and I named the routine ‘Alisaurus’, a take-off of my name and the nature of the song. At my very first solo competitive event debuting ‘Alisaurus,’ I was awarded first place in my category. I was also awarded ‘Overall Top Score’ of the entire competitive event that included dancers from all over and up through 18 years of age. I still have that ‘Overall Top Score’ trophy, which stood taller than me, showcased with my other trophies and medals. I remember being a little nervous for my solo debut; however, I was so excited to showcase my choreography. My family was so ecstatic, supportive and had so much faith in me. They have always believed in me and that means the world to me!”

For Alice, dance is not just a solo activity, she has been part of many dance and cheer groups prior to being part of the Extreme Dance Team, explaining, “I have pursued all types of dance teams including competitive dance teams, musical theater dance teams and ballet companies. My cheerleading experience dates back to a young age when I participated in competitive cheerleading. I continued my love of cheerleading throughout all six years of my junior high and high school career. Each of these years, I was selected as Captain of my cheerleading team and privileged to be named an All-Star Cheerleader by the Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA). I thoroughly enjoy the sport of cheerleading, the athleticism required, and the camaraderie with fellow teammates. I currently serve as the Head Competitive Cheerleading Coach for a local cheerleading team and feel so fulfilled and grateful to be able to teach children what I love to do.”

Alicia shares her contrasting dance journey, “My dance story is a little different than most. I didn’t even know I wanted to dance until junior high, whereas most people dance from a very young age. When I was going into 7th grade, I decided to participate in poms, which at the time did not hold tryouts. The squad was over 90 girls and we took up the entire gym floor at basketball games. I haven’t stopped since then! Dance is my number one stress reliever and has always made me feel good about myself. I absolutely cannot imagine my life without dance at this point. It brings me pure fun and joy and I always try to make that come across when I perform. My favorite type of dance is hip hop. I love the music, the hard hitting motions and the attitude I get to portray!”

Both Alice and Alicia were born outside of Illinois, but from different directions. Alicia started her life in bluegrass country, recalling, “I was born in Lexington, Kentucky because my dad was going to seminary school. We moved to Quincy, Illinois when I was still an infant because my dad got a job as a pastor of the Free Methodist church. We then moved to Bloomington because both of my parents are from here and they wanted to be closer to family. I have lived here since I was four.” Alicia remained in the area for college, as she adds, “I went to Heartland Community College on a scholarship and majored in Elementary Education and later transferred to Illinois State, graduating in 2009. I got engaged a week before graduation and planned a wedding and got married during my first year of teaching. Last year I taught first grade and now teach second grade.” Alicia now teaches in the same school district that she attended from elementary to high school.

Continue reading Bloomington’s Alice and Alicia are the “Most Extreme” Dancers in the Indoor Football League

The Lady Spartans, the dance team for the La Crosse Spartans indoor football team, will be “freezin’ for a reason” this weekend as they participate in the annual Coulee Region Polar Plunge. The event is held annually to raise money for Special Olympics Wisconsin and the La Crosse Parks & Recreation Department. The Lady Spartans will be contributing an impressive $830 to this year’s cause, which is looking to improve on last year’s $200,000 fundraiser.

Members of the community will take the plunge into the icy river waters just off of Pettibone Beach in La Crosse all day tomorrow. The Lady Spartans will be hitting the icy waters at 1:18 p.m. tomorrow afternoon. The forecasted high temperature for tomorrow is 33 degrees. La Crosse’s plunge is one of 12 held throughout the state of Wisconsin.

[La Crosse Lady Spartans]

The Allen Wranglers, professional indoor football team, has announced its new dance team, The L.A.W., Ladies of the Allen Wranglers.

Top row: Chelsea, Soundrea, Brittany, Naomi, Brooke, and Briana
Bottom row: Samantha, Raven, Brehn, Catherine, and Grace.
Not pictured:Kristen

The team will be headed up by Dance Team Director Kamwin Bryant. Bryant is from Antlers, OK. She has 5 National Championships in competitive cheer and dance. Bryant was a competitive gymnast for over 11 years. She has cheered for Eastern Oklahoma State College, University of Central Oklahoma and the University of Oklahoma.

Bryant has danced for the AFL Oklahoma City YardDawgz and is currently a NHL Dallas Stars Ice Girl. She has coached gymnastics, cheer and dance and choreographed state cheer and dance routines.

“I am so excited to be working with such a great organization as the Wranglers and I am ready to introduce The L.A.W. Dance Team to Allen during the Wranglers inaugural season,” said Bryant.

Bryant will be joined by Assistant Director Christina Swanson. Originally from Bossier City, La, Swanson has been dancing since she was three. She is a trained in multiple dance styles. She was captain of her college danceline at Northwestern State University. She won the title of Miss High for the state of Louisiana. She also placed in the top ten and won a talent award at Miss Louisiana. She has choreographed for junior highs, high schools, college teams, competitive studio teams and solos. Swanson also started a dance program at her local boys and girls club while in college. While Swanson was the director of a studio she took several of the teams to national dance competitions. She is currently a Dallas Stars Ice Girl.

The L.A.W. Dancers
Naomi – Dallas, TX
Soundrea – North Richland Hills, TX
Raven – Allen, TX
Brooke – OKC, OK
Grace – Richardson, TX
Samantha – Irving, TX
Briana – McKinney, TX
Chelsea – Plano, TX
Kristen – Port Neches, TX
Catherine – McKinney, TX
Brittany – Flower Mound, TX
Brehn – Plano, TX

The L.A.W. Dancers will perform at Allen Wranglers home games at the Allen Event Center, in The Village at Allen. The Wranglers inaugural season begins Feb. 28, season tickets are on sale now and single game tickets will go on sale Feb. 7. For more information call 972-912-3111 or visit www.AllenWranglers.com.

Brooke and Briana

Grace

Raven