By Sarah Hecht
Portland Trailblazers
9/30/2011

[Photo Gallery]

The BlazerDancers are in the midst of a whirlwind NBA Madness tour of the Philippines with NBA Legend Clyde Drexler . As one of two NBA dance teams—the other being the Magic Dancers—representing the league, they’re sharing hoops with the people of Manila on a non-stop adventure.

Sunday afternoon six BlazerDancers—Eri, Rea, Michelle, Stephanie, Kimberly and CaMicha—accompanied by Performance Teams Manager Michelle Woodard began their journey and hopped a 16-hour flight bound for the Philippines.

Day one saw the tour grind to a halt before even starting. What was supposed to be a well-oiled itinerary was thrown asunder by a visit from Typhoon Nesat. Racing winds coupled with drenching rains resulted in the cancellation of NBA Madness plans for the day.

A day later, after the storm cleared, activities resumed at a break-neck pace. St. Dominic College of Asia played host to the opening events of day two. Drexler instructed eager students at a hoops clinic and the BlazerDancers taught a routine during their time on stage.

Woodard called the enthusiasm at St. Dominic’s the highlight of the day. “It was the most incredible, overwhelmingly fun experience I think for any of us,” Woodard said. “We were shocked at how enthusiastic the kids were. It was insanity. They were excited before people got there and then they sustained that energy for two hours.”

With NBA mania in full swing in Manila the BlazerDancers moved into a third day jam-packed with events. BlazerDancer Eri engaged in a very special experience. Of Japanese descent, and fluent in the language, she held an interview with TV WOWOW of Tokyo and graciously posed for a small photo shoot—sure to result with her being marketed in Japan. The media session was followed by another school assembly and the NBA Madness crew rounded out the day at a pop-a-shot challenge hosted by Coors Light.

Reception for the NBA ambassadors has been through the roof. “They’re just excited about the NBA period. There have been some really good emcees so they get the crowd going and really amped up and we’ve been told everywhere that the Philippines, surprisingly, are huge basketball fans overall,” said Woodard.

As the NBA Madness marquee event draws nearer Drexler, the BlazerDancers and the Magic Dance team continue to promote the sport to an enthusiastic fan base halfway around the world.

Stay tuned for more from Clyde Drexler and the BlazerDancers at NBA Madness!

The NBA Madness 2011 tour stopped in Manilla this week to bring a dash of excitement to local fans. The tour is a traveling event that features famous NBA alumni, dance teams, the league’s outreach programs, and of course lots of basketball. This year the Portland Trail Blazers BlazerDancers and Orlando Magic Dancers are part of the fun.

Click here or here for photos.

By Tresa Halbrooks
Titans Online
Aug 3, 2011

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — After weeks of workshops and auditions held this past May, the 2011 Tennessee Titans cheerleaders took part in their first official event. The talented 25 young women, along Titans staff, photographers, videographers and hair and makeup artists, descended upon the quaint town of Seaside, Florida over the weekend for their 2012 swimsuit calendar photo shoot. The group was hosted by the Cottage Rental Agency of Seaside, Florida, who handled all the details for their four day stay.

Photos: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3

Photos: A Special Thank You to our Sponsors

“This was an incredible trip for us and we so appreciate Jon Ervin and his team at the Cottage Rental Agency for taking such good care of us and all our needs for the shoot,” said Stacie Kinder, director of cheerleading for the Titans. “The women had a wonderful time and Seaside provided us with a unique setting that will allow us to create a totally different look for the calendar this year. It was a lot of hard work, but I am so excited to see the final product. We expect to have the calendars ready for release in mid-September.”

The 17-hour days started with an early morning sunrise photo session and continued throughout the day with various locations. Renowned photographer Erick Anderson captured the beach community in a variety of ways from the shoreline to its throwback 1960’s atmosphere with airstream trailers along with other various location shoots.

The squad was embraced by the local community, tourists and several Titans fans that made the trek to Seaside to show their support. Seaside attracts visitors from around world and major cities, including Nashville, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and New Orleans (all NFL markets).

The days were packed full, but when not shooting, members of the squad were able to partake in the fantastic hospitality offered to them by Bud & Alley’s Restaurant, Barefoot BBQ, Great Southern Café, Modica Market and the Shrimp Shack during their visit. The Titans cheerleaders also enjoyed an elegant dinner and wrap party at The Marlin Grill in The Village of Baytowne Wharf, Sandestin, Florida.

Bill Vandiver and his team at The Edge Salon styled hair for each shot along with makeup by Visage Bella for the entire squad. The four-day shoot was also captured on video with behind the scenes footage provided by videographer John Ferguson.

“There’s a lot of work that goes on behind-the-scenes to get a production of this size and magnitude completed in four days and I couldn’t have done it without our incredible crew, Titans staff and the wonderful community of Seaside,” said Kinder. “I owe a big thank you to all of those involved. It was simply flawless.”

Megan Moseley
Walton Sun
August 02, 2011

[photos]

Crowds gathered on the beaches this weekend as the Tennessee Titan cheerleaders posed for their upcoming 2012 calendar in Seaside.

Seaside was chosen as the ideal location for the shoot. Having been to Sandestin and Miramar Beach a few times, it was the ladies’ first visit to 30A.

Around 25 professional cheerleaders made the trip from Nashville, Tenn., to Seaside. They arrived Friday morning and headed home this past Monday.

When they weren’t up at 4 a.m. getting their pictures taken or posing with the sunset, they were out on the town visiting local spots such as Bud & Alley’s, Barefoot BBQ, Great Southern Café, Modica Market and the Shrimp Shack.

Stacie Kinder, director of cheerleaders for the Titans, was running around the beach gathering the cheerleaders together Friday night before taking a break to talk to The Sun.

“My favorite thing about this town is the culture,” she said. “The culture is quaint; it’s authentic and has a genuine feeling of openness and honesty.”

Kinder, who has been working hand in hand with Seaside Cottage Rental Agency, was pleased with the hospitality the squad received.

Jon Ervin, director of public relations and marketing for Seaside Cottage Rental Agency, said it was their pleasure to play host.

“We have a lot of people who come to visit us from Nashville, so it was a great opportunity for us,” he said. “They inquired about the area in May. We were glad to have them here. Nothing was finalized, however, until a few weeks ago, but everything went well. We had three days of spectacular weather and they said that it’s their best footage ever.”

The beautiful beaches were the backdrop for the Titan squad, and many of the cheerleaders were impressed by the allure and beauty of the Emerald Coast.

“It’s like a little hidden piece of heaven,” said Stephanie A., a 19-year-old Titan cheerleader and full-time student. As a matter of policy, the squad doesn’t release the full name of its members, but Anne P. said her family has been coming to Seaside for vacation since she was a kid. When she heard that’s where the shoot was taking place, she was ecstatic.

“I’m honored that we get to showcase the beauty here,” she said.

And showcase they did. Many stood by to watch the bathing beauties pose in the sunlight.

Does anyone else feel like they really need a vacation?

The Milwaukee Bucks Energee! dance team recently returned from a trip to Madrid as part of the NBA 5 United Tour. They capped a five day whirlwind of appearances, dancing, autograph signing, and sight-seeing by performing at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu. It’s home to Real Madrid, and one of the most famous football (soccer) venues in the world.

Click here to see a few photos from their trip!

Six Chiefs Cheerleaders will spend Independence Day in Iraq with members of the United States Armed Forces

Six Chiefs Cheerleaders began their 4th of July weekend boarding a United Airlines flight at Kansas City International Airport. The final destination: Kuwait and Iraq.

The Chiefs will be represented by veteran cheerleaders Summer (pictured), Krystal, Katie, Liz, Lindsay and Jeron, who departed Kansas City on Friday to begin a 12-day U.S. Military Base tour that spans across multiple branches of America’s armed forces.

While overseas, the cheerleaders will visit hospitals, MWR Centers and multiple locations on bases for meet and greets during the day. The squad will perform a variety show for troops each evening and military personnel will get a chance to meet the women after each show.

In addition, the Chiefs have donated team t-shirts and hats for the cheerleaders to distribute to the men and women of our armed forces throughout the tour.

“We were actually invited by Pro Sports MVP and they called us because there are several Kansas Brigades over in Iraq,” explained Chiefs Cheer Director Stephanie Judah. “They asked for the Kansas City Chiefs Cheerleaders to come visit. We were actually specifically requested by those troops.

“The girls are going to spend Independence Day over in Iraq with our troops, which is an amazing and special moment that they will never forget.”

While in the Middle East, Chiefs Cheerleaders will board Black Hawk Helicopters as well as other military vehicles to travel from base to base. Each show lasts one hour and consists of singing, dancing and other audience-engaging performances.

The opportunity to visit America’s service men and women is especially meaningful for Summer, who is making her first overseas military visit. Summer’s brother, Taylor, is a member of the U.S. Navy and has been deployed overseas three times over the past four years.

“Coming from a military family, I’ve seen him traveling overseas a number of times and it’s going to be interesting for me to get somewhat of an idea of what that experience is like,” Summer said.

Taylor is scheduled to return home from his final tour in three weeks, just a week after Summer will have arrived back in Kansas City.

“I’m just so excited for him to come home,” Summer said. “It’s been really interesting for me because I’ve seen the challenges he’s had to endure being away from his finance and family. He’s gone for months at a time and sometimes all you get is an email of two every few weeks. So I’ve kind of seen what it’s like from a military wives perspective as well.”

Chiefs Cheerleaders have previously toured military bases in Egypt, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Cuba, Spain, Portugal and numerous bases stateside.

Fans can follow the overseas journey on Twitter @ChiefsCheer