Good friend of the blog, former CFL Cheerleader and hostess for the NLL Toronto Rock, Shannon Kelly, spotlights the Toronto Rock Cheerleaders

Host of the 2011 NLL Champions, the Toronto Rock! Social Media Manager, former CFL Cheerleader

[Toronto Rock Cheerleaders]

[Shannon on Twitter]

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 2012 Philadelphia Wings Angels made their home debut last Saturday night. Lots of familiar faces, and a few new ones.

Lauren

Cary

Hayley

April

Continue reading Philadelphia Wings Angels Home Debut

The Official Dance Team for the 2011 MLL Champions, the Boston Cannons, are pleased to announce their auditions for the 2012 Season.

Date: Saturday, February 11, 2012
Time: Registration begins promptly at 1:00pm
Audition starts at 1:45pm
Location: Pro-Fitness Plus
333 Boston Road
Billerica, MA 01821

Audition Process:
The audition process consists of technique drills (turns, high kicks, leaps) and a short jazz & hip hop combination. After learning all elements, candidates will perform both drills and the combination in pairs for a panel of judges. In addition, there will be a brief interview with each candidate during their final audition performance with the judges.

Candidates must bring the following items to auditions:

- $20 registration fee
- 5’ X 7’ photo (will not be returned)
- Complete registration form and waiver (will have waiver the day of the audition)
- Dance/performance resume (include business experience and education)
- Wear form fitting cropped/half top, fitted shorts/dance briefs, and comfortable dance/athletic shoes (tights optional). Hair should be down and hair and make-up should be performance ready.
-Water
-Hair and make-up supplies for any necessary touch-ups

Audition Requirements:
Potential candidates must be a high school graduate and at least 18 years old at the time of audition (there is no maximum age). They should possess dance/cheer experience as the routine will
consist of turns, kicks, leaps, etc. to highlight dance technique and training. The Boston Cannons are looking for a dynamic group of dancers, able to provide an exciting, high-energy combination of entertainment and crowd encouraging routines. Candidates will be judged on their technique, showmanship, enthusiasm, personality, personal appearance and fitness.

Audition Forms:
- Registration Form
- Waiver

About Us:
The Boston Cannons Dance Team is a professional, volunteer dance team that performs at all Boston Cannons home games at Harvard Stadium and any additional league games hosted in Boston, including the 2012 Championship Weekend.

The Boston Cannons Dance Team practices once a week for 2½ hours (Mondays) during the season (February – August) in Billerica, MA. The Boston Cannons Dance Team not only performs on the field at each game but also participates in on-field promotions and other game day fan activities. In addition, members of the dance team participate in various team & community service events throughout the season.

For More Information or Questions
Contact Dance Team Director/Choreographer, Ashley Wagner at danceteam@bostoncannons.com
Facebook Page: “Boston Cannons Dance Team”
Twitter: “CannonsDance”

[Boston Cannons Dance Team]

When I attended Soulmate Open Call Auditions last month, I ran into former Philadelphia Wings Angel Emily, and did a little catching up.

So, after three seasons dancing for the Wings, she co-founded (with best friend Cassie Russo) the Philadelphia Fight Vixens (Professional Rugby) Dance Team.

She also helped Cassie open the new CaRu Entertainment Dance Studio in Pennington. The studio opened this past September.

Emily also earned her Masters in Broadcast and Digital Journalism from Syracuse; she already had a Masters in Writing from St. Joseph’s. She’s landed some radio gigs doing financial and traffic reports, and gave me the scoop on how being a traffic reporter really works.

She does reports for radio station in Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland. From a small office in Bucks County, she logs into traffic cams across the three states and monitors police scanners. She does live and recorded (emails them an mp3) for seventeen station and says it’s pretty faced paced. One challenge she encountered is since she’s a Philly girl, she’s not quite as familiar with some the roads down in Maryland.

On Monday night at Chickie’s & Pete’s, Emily will be one of the finalists competing for a spot on the 2012 Philadelphia Soulmates.

[Hip new dance studio CaRu Entertainment brings latest trends to Hopewell Valley]

[CaRu Entertainment]

The Philadelphia Soul named Cassie Russo as the Soulmates Dance Team Choreographer for the 2012 season. Her first official duty was overseeing the second open call event at Philadelphia Airport Hilton on Sunday, November 27.

“With passion, dedication and a true love for the sports and entertainment industry, it is a distinct honor to represent the Philadelphia Soul organization,” said Russo. “I am beyond thrilled and excited to get started, we are ready to work to our highest potential and beyond.”

Russo is the owner of CaRu Entertainment (www.caruentertainment.com), a dance studio and performance center in Pennington, NJ where she is a professional choreographer, performer and dance instructor.

Her previous sports dance team experience includes: co-founder and choreographer of the Unofficial Dancers of the New York Giants, co-founder and choreographer for the Fight Vixens Dance Team for the Philadelphia Fight Rugby League, dancer for the Philadelphia Angels Dance Team for the Philadelphia Wings and a dancer on the New York Titans Dance Team for the Titans Lacrosse team.

In addition to sports dance team choreography, she has choreographed for competition teams, musicals, the East Coast Pro Dance Convention and the New York Columbus Day Parade. As an Angels Dance Team member she appeared on Good Day Philadelphia and as a Titans Dancer, she appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show and Live with Regis and Kelly. Russo is a graduate of DeSales University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Dance and Liberal Arts.

By Aaron J. Lopez
Nuggets.com

NBA dancers spend countless hours in the gym and perform difficult physical routines with impeccable timing.

The demands are more pronounced at Pepsi Center, where the Denver Nuggets Dancers must execute their routines at 5,280 feet and then return to the court a few minutes later looking as though they just took a leisurely stroll along the beach.

It raises the question: Are dancers athletes?

In the case of rookie Denver Nuggets Dancer Ashlee, the answer is an unequivocal yes.

Her dad ran track and cross-country at New Mexico State University, her brother played football at the University of New Mexico and her sister ran cross-country for the Lobos.

As for the 22-year-old Ashlee, she has spent about half her life on the basketball court, the softball field, the volleyball court and the ski slopes. In her youth, she also dabbled in golf, gymnastics, swimming and racquetball.

“It’s a long list,” she said. “My parents were both very athletic, so they put us in sports at an early age.”

Despite standing just 5-foot-1, Ashlee has a vertical leap that enabled her to play the front row for her high school volleyball team, and she takes pride in the fact that she once dunked a basketball on an 8-foot rim. The skills transfer to her craft as a dancer.

“Being so athletic has helped with dance a lot,” she said. “My legs are superstrong from playing all those sports. In dance, that really helps me a lot.”

Ashlee grew up in Albuquerque but always wanted to live in Denver after visiting the city when she was about 11 years old. After spending three years dancing for the New Mexico Thunderbirds of the NBA Development League, she joined the Colorado Mammoth dance team – the Wild Bunch – for the 2011 National Lacrosse League season.

When the Nuggets held dance auditions in the summer, Ashlee made a smooth transition from the artificial turf back to the hardwood.

“Ashlee’s extensive dance and performance background were apparent throughout her season with the Wild Bunch and at the Nuggets Dancers auditions this summer,” Denver Nuggets Dancers coordinator and choreographer Amy Jo Wagner said. “She is very comfortable in front of a crowd and handling the rigorous schedule of the DND, which made her an excellent rookie candidate for the team.”

Ashlee’s professional success as a dancer was hardly foreshadowed when she joined the Duke City Stars studio in Albuquerque. As a gangly 10-year-old, she started later than most accomplished dancers and her own instructor was skeptical about her prospects.

“I was horrible,” Ashlee said. “My coach tells everyone, ‘If Ashlee can dance, anyone can,’ because I was so bad.”

Ashlee eventually found her rhythm and juggled a full schedule of school, sports and dance all the way through her high school graduation. She enrolled at the University of New Mexico and is currently taking on-line classes as she works toward a degree in communications.

Ashlee would like to attend nursing school, which is fitting considering the aches and pains she has endured as a result of her active lifestyle.

The injuries include multiple sprained ankles, a hyperextended, dislocated and broken right elbow, a separated left shoulder, sprained AC joints in both shoulders, wrist surgery and a torn calf muscle.

Talented and athletic, Ashlee has persevered through it all to reach her goal of becoming a Denver Nuggets Dancer.

The hardest part might be staying healthy enough to prove to everyone that dancers are indeed athletes.

Still getting caught up with all that I did, before I went on vacation.

Back on September 22nd, Auditions for the Wings Angels Dance Team were held at the Wells Fargo Center in South Philadelphia.

Choreography was taught by returning Captain Lauren and the team’s new co-captain, Angel.

Then it was upstairs to perform the routine for a panel of judges.

Semi-finalists were chosen, who would later interview with team management.

Co-Captian Angel, Co-Director Debbie, Co-Director Dana, Captain Lauren

Cary

Meghan

Kirstin

Look for the new team this January when the Wings take the field.

[Angels Auditions Gallery]