Pro Cheer Field Trip: 2010 ChivaGirls Audition

February.

Groundhog day. Valentine’s Day. National Tortilla Chip Day. And of course…ChivaGirl auditions.

The ChivaGirls are the dance team for the MLS club Chivas USA, based in the Los Angeles area. The MLS season begins in March and extends through October. During those months, the ChivaGirls perform at all home games, make countless appearances in the community, and are involved in numerous other activities for the team. Los Angeles is home to transplants from all over the world, so there is a sizeable fan base for professional soccer here. It keeps the ChivaGirls pretty busy.

Open Calls [Click here for photos]
There was an excellent turnout for this year’s auditions. Open calls took place at the velodrome, a venue on the campus of the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA, where the Chivas play their home games. A Velodrome – for those who aren’t familiar – is a place where professional cyclists…um…cycle. They gather together, put on some spandex onesies, hop on their bikes, and pedal as fast as they can make their little legs go. I’m sure there are all sorts of nuances and complexities to the sport, but yeah, that’s what it looks like to me. I can’t tell you much else except there’s a track that goes around the room, and seating for an audience, so I guess there’s some sort of racing involved.

The auditions tool place in the center of the arena, and all day long there were people on bicycles circling the perimeter. You may see them in some of the photos and videos from auditions.

As with any audition, the first thing that happens is registration. All the dancers have to turn in their paperwork, photos, essays on what they did last summer, etc., and get an audition number to pin to their outfit.

There was a photographer and video crew on hand to filming all of the action for the special on the Chivas website. That video crew was a major problem for me. They didn’t care if I was on camera, but I tried my best to stay out of the way. Seemed like every time I turned around, I’d managed to cross into the camera’s path. I had to fight the instinct to drop to the ground like I was under enemy fire. What I did instead was sort of crouch down and scurry away like a cucaracha when the lights go on. By mid morning, I had perfected the crouch-and-scurry maneuver. They still caught me a few times though. Drat.

Veteran ChivaGirls have to line up just like everyone else, so there were a lot of familiar faces in line. A LOT of familiar faces. This was both good and bad. Good because when you have that many veterans in the mix, it shows that the ChivaGirls really have a good thing going on. Bad because even though vets have to fight for a spot on the team just like everyone else, I’d say they’re statistically more likely to make it than a total newbie, so them ain’t great odds if it’s your first time trying out for the team.

The first one I ran into was Ariel, and my first thought was “Oh SNAP.” Ariel was a ChivaGirl last season. Then last summer she auditioned and was selected to the Clippers Spirit. The NBA season is still in full swing, so what was the girl doing at ChivaGirl auditions??? My imagination immediately launched into an elaborate scenario where staring Ariel as a badass thug, kicked off the Clippers for fist-fighting with one of the little kids on the Junior Jam dance team. My other thought was that maybe she’d been caught trying to blow up the Staples Center with homemade explosives. (Sure, she looks sweet and innocent, but these days, you never can tell…)

Ariel and Monique

My heart sank. What was Ariel doing here? Had no one told her that the Clippers Spirit Director would be judging the auditions today? Wow, this was going to be SO awkward. I wanted to tell her to make a break for it while she could. But it’s not like I want to be associated with some explosives-wielding maniac, so I kept my mouth shut. Love ya, girl, but you’re on your own. (What? I’m just keepin it real.)

All of this was going on in my head mind you. I hadn’t had even five minutes of conversation with Ariel on the subject.

As it turns out, that wasn’t the case. The truth is actually pretty boring. Ariel is studying business law in college. Next semester, there will be a direct conflict between Ariel’s course schedule and the NBA schedule, and can you believe she’s putting her education first?

That’s the problem with these smart chicks. Their priorities are ALL screwed up.

Instead of giving up dance altogether, Ariel decided to return to her roots and re-audition for the ChivaGirls, whose schedule is a lot more forgiving than the Clippers. Plus, Chivas is a great group of girls. A logical choice, I’d say. Anyway, I ain’t one to gossip, so you ain’t heard all this from me. The only reason I mention it is because Ariel is very sensitive about it. Don’t mention it to her, or she might start crying and it will be all your fault. The Clippers would love to have her back and the Chivas would be glad to get her, but you know how it goes. Even when you’re giving up something great for something else that’s also great, it sucks that you have to make a choice at all. Then again, if she’s chosen for Chivas, she will be on both dance teams at the same time, with overlapping practices and games and whatnot for the next several months. So maybe in time she’d find herself looking forward to lightening her load a bit.

I had another big shock when I spotted Whitney across the room. Whitney was on the Clippers Spirit for 4 years before retiring last summer to have a baby. I looked her over good. Those sure didn’t look like the abdominal muscles of any new mom I’ve ever seen. She seemed perfectly well rested, and there wasn’t any baby barf on her at all. This didn’t add up. I immediately scooted over there and – after poking her in the tummy with my finger a couple of times – ascertained that there was no way this chick had ever had a baby. Then again, if Heidi Klum can have four kids and snap back like a rubber band each time, I guess it can be done. (It should be noted, however, that Heidi Klum is a genetic freak. Obviously.)

Whitney and Lyndsi

But as it turns out, that was all lies, damn lies! Ariel doesn’t beat up small children, and Whitney isn’t somebody’s baby momma. Whitney, like Ariel, is not able to fit the insane schedule of an NBA dancer into the rest of her life right now. Whitney, like Ariel, is not able to keep her swerve off the dance floor. So Whitney, like Ariel, decided to audition for Chivas.

I continued to take mental inventory. I saw Liz…Ashley…Alheli…Tiffany (good grief, what was that girl wearing?). I saw my homegirls Nicole, Laura and Kelley. I saw Monique (although I didn’t realize it at the time.) I saw Alana and Linette, who had both taken a year off from the team. I saw several girls I’ve seen at other auditions – Ashley G, Brittany, and Marissa automatically went on my list of people to root for. Only then did I realize that girl I’d walked right by like a total stranger a few minutes prior was Monique. I can’t explain it. It’s not like she grew a moustache or something. All she did was change the color of her hair. And yet she looks totally different. It was the most severely delayed double-take I have ever experienced.

After registration, candidates headed down to the main floor to stretch and warm up. Down there, I ran into my homeslice Kelley again. While I’m busy telling you everyone’s personal business, I might as well let you know that Kelley has some news of her own. No, she doesn’t beat on small children. No, isn’t pregnant – not that it’s any of your business, NOSY. Miss Kelley is getting married this fall. And before you ask, yes, she did schedule her wedding around the Chivas home games. Is this girl a team player, or what?

Anyway, this wedding was super exciting news to me, because when it comes to weddings, I have a LOT of good ideas. I watch “Say Yes to the Dress” on TLC every week, so I was ready to weigh in on the wedding gown issue. Then I found out she already has a dress. Bummer.

But that doesn’t matter, because I have plenty of other suggestions. One of my girlfriends from work got married last summer, and I had compiled an extensive file of ideas for her wedding. She didn’t use any of them, but that is obviously because she has no flair for drama or sense of adventure. (And yes, I said that right to her face.) So here I am with all these good ideas and here comes Kelley with her big honking diamond ring.

Ok fine, you already have the dress. Let’s talk about the cake, the bridesmaids, the maid of honor, the flower girl, the rings, the flowers…What about this? Or this? Or even this?

I bet you haven’t even thought about balloons, have you?

Oh boy, I could talk about wedding themes all day long. It’s such a rich subject.

And there’s plenty of time to rethink that dress. I can get you free batteries for this one. Call me!

I was going to suggest this one, but I have other plans for that dress. I told Aimee if you shorten it a little, you could make some really foxy ChivaGirl uniforms. So far she isn’t convinced.

When it was time to get the day started, ChivaGirls Director Aimee Edmundson gathered the group together to explain what to expect. It was going to be a long day.

She also introduced choreographer John Peters (who I refer to in my head as Cool Kid #1) and with that, it was time to do some dancing. The first combination was to Kesha’s “Tick Tock.” Super. Cute. Former ChivaGirls Jessica, Michelle, and Erica spread out to help demonstrate the choreography. (“Former” because all three have since become Laker Girls. Off with the red and white, on with the purple and gold.)


Laker Girls Director Lisa Estrada (in gray) with Laker Girls Jessica, Erica, and Michelle.

It went quickly – at least to me. The girls learned it and had some time to run through it. John divvied them up into smaller groups and they took turns performing it full out. I was really impressed with the level of talent in the room. The dancers really brought their “A” game this year, even more so than last year.



Several of the rookies from last year’s team clearly had The Eye of the Tiger. It was wonderful to see how they’d grown in just one year. Ariel, Alheli, and Emi really stood out for me. Ariel’s showmanship was on display the whole morning. Alheli’s dancing has grown by leaps and bounds. And Emi…I ain’t mad at her. Last year Emi had a JLO moment at prelims last year, with the big hoops and the lil skirt. It was cute, but not what you usually see at auditions. This year, she was so poised and polished. My little girl is all grown up!



Linette, a former ChivaGirl, had taken a year off to focus on school, but she was back this year, hoping to rejoin the team. She was not playing around either. The look, the dance, the performance, it was all there. She did exactly what you’re supposed to do when coming back from hiatus: made it look like she’d never left.

And speaking of leaving, I experienced a little pang when I realized who wasn’t there. Sandra, Serena, Jebbel, Dalila, and Marie. I guess everyone has to retire sometime, but dangit!

I was pretty darn proud of the vets. There were also a few newbies who showed up looking and performing as if they could be veterans, and that’s exactly the way to do it if you want to make any pro team. Starkisha had the brightest smile out there. Natali had a real confidence and presence that I thought gave her a real leg up. Ashley G danced with such enthusiasm and energy, she’s really fun to watch. I realized her halfway through the morning that I recognized her from another audition. She used to be a gorgeous redhead. She looks great as a blonde, too, but I thought she was particularly striking with red hair.

One of the other Ashleys – Ashley C, was just adorable. I was afraid she’d knock herself out with all that hair, but she had it under control.

Tattoos are always interesting. I see more of them every year. One thing I discovered later on is that you can cover a tattoo with makeup, and trick the naked eye, but it’s harder to trick a camera. Looking at the photos a couple of days later, I was surprised at how many tattoos I hadn’t noticed that day.

Before I knew it, it was time to bring in the judges and begin the audition in earnest. Aimee took up the microphone and explained a little bit about what the judges were looking for: dance ability, musicality, retention of the choreography, ability to absorb and quickly apply corrections, and of course, presentation and performance.

There were some pretty cool people on the judging panel. I’ll go in alphabetical order, shall I?
Aimee Edmundson, ChivaGirls Director
Audrea Harris, Clippers Spirit Director
John Peters, choregrapher extraordinaire, who has worked with every pro team in creation, including the closes NFL team around these parts, the Charger Girls
Lisa Estrada, Laker Girls Director
Marina Ortega, Director of the Boston Celtics Dancers
Mina Ortega, Director of the nationally ranked University of Southern California Trojan Dance Force

If I’d been auditioning, I probably would’ve been a little intimidated. In a way, you’re auditioning for several pro sports teams, all on the same day. If you plan to audition for the Lakers, Clippers, Chargers, or Celtics, there’s a good chance you’ll see one (if not more) of these people again. If you kick butt at ChivaGirls, can bet your blue jeans they’ll remember you the next time they see you. (On the other hand, if you’re a total trainwreck, they’ll probably remember that, too. Sorry.)

The Celtics thing may seem kind of weird to you, since that’s all the way on the other side of the country. However, Marina holds auditions in both Los Angeles and New York every year, and every year, at least one of those out-of-town girls is chosen for the team. She’ll be back this summer to do it all again. I did some shameless eavesdropping and I hear that she’s looking for really strong dancers/performers, and this year they are especially interested in mixing it up in terms of diversity. If you’re interested, keep your eyes and ears open for the dates this summer.

Lisa called the girls out on the floor to audition in groups of three. For some reason, she called the numbers in random order. I’m sure there was a specific reason for this, but it made my head hurt. I don’t adapt well to change.

Natali

After the first go-round, Aimee announced the first cut of the day. They kept a lot of people from the first round, because so many people did really well. The dancers who were left gathered in the center of the room to learn the next dance. John had choreographed this one to Queen’s “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.” This was more of a novelty-ish routine. I can’t really explain what a novelty routine is, just that it’s cute and not very technical. It’s so you can play it up a little bit and show your personality. I missed most of the teaching of it because I was busy running my mouth. I sat down to talk to Audrea and next thing I knew, it was time for the second round of judging.

Once again, the dancers auditioned in groups of three. The dance was shorter this time, so the second round was quick.

Linette

Once again, there were a lot of good performances. I wondered how the judges were going to narrow it down to a reasonable number of people for Tuesday’s finals. As it turns out, they must’ve struggled a little, because they took a big group into finals – at least ten more than last year.

After announcing the finalists, Aimee had all the girls gather around to discuss the next steps.

Finalist interviews were scheduled for the next day (Sunday) and the final dance audition would go down on Tuesday night. Aimee was she was glad to have such a talented group to choose from. I was happy that all of the veterans, and a few other girls I had my eye on made it to finals.

I thought about going to the interviews the next day. I’m pretty good at hanging out and being unproductive, but I decided against it. So the next time I saw the girls was at the final audition.

The Final Audition [Click here for photos]

Finals, as always, took place at the Tennis Pavilion, right next to the Home Depot Center. This is where the ChivaGirls rehearse throughout the season. Like the Velodrome, the Tennis Pavilion is a bit of a mystery. It’s a giant tent-like structure. My question is – why? It has carpeted floors, a couple small rooms, and one long glassed in wall. All of the other walls are canvas, or whatever the thing is made of. Every time I go in there, I wonder why they don’t build a couple of walls and a roof already. I do not understand why it is a tent. There must be a specific reason. I would like to know that reason.

But a tent is a tent, and like most tents, there’s no insulation. This was February, and even in Los Angeles, February evenings can get a bit nippy. Especially if you are standing around in just hot pants and a sequin bra. I knew the dancers would spend the evening jumping into and out of their warm-ups.

The dancers are instructed to wear black trunks or shorts to finals. This helps minimize the variations in costume that can make one girl stand out over another. At least, that’s what I’ve been told. But the girls are all wearing different tops, so how much of a difference can the bottoms make? Why not have them wear a black top, too? As with the Tennis Pavilion, I am sure there is a reason for it, but heck if I understand it.

One of my jobs for the evening was to shoot individual head and full-length photos of each girl. The photos of the ones who made the team will be posted on the Chivas website when the team is announced. (Which won’t be for another couple of weeks.) I like having a job to do, so I feel like I’m contributing! I triple checked to make sure I got all of the girls (I missed Ashley last year), and I think they turned out pretty well.I did my best to make everyone look cute. [See?]

Many of the girls arrived extra early, which is a good idea, but leaves you a lot of time to get the fidgets. There is only so much primping a person can do and then there’s nothing to do but sit around and be nervous.

(Speaking of primping, here’s a little tip I picked up: Bumble and Bumble makes this colored powder that’s supposed to make your hair fuller, absorb oil, and camouflage your roots between color touch-ups. Apparently its some kind of cult favorite, but I can’t quite wrap my mind around the idea. When I picture it in my head, it looks like brown dandruff. Knowing me, I’d get it on my hands, and it would wind up on my face, on my clothes, on the furniture, and in a powdery trail on the floor behind me. Some people rave about this product. I think I’d wind up looking like a coal miner.)

Thankfully someone turned on the music so the girls could run through the dances a few times. John Peters, back to judge finals, gave a few last minute pointers on cleaning up the choreography. Although helpful, this would’ve made me hella nervous. If I’d practiced it one way for three days and then found out at the last minute that I’d been doing it wrong, I probably would’ve blanked out completely. However as ChivaGirls, the dancers will be expected to absorb and apply corrections immediately, so I guess it’s part of the job.

Finally, the judges were seated and it was time to get started. Aimee and John were joined once again by Audrea Harris, and also by Gina, the team’s stylist.The format for the evening was pretty straightforward. First, the girls would perform both dances (back-to-back) in groups of three. After that, the judges would call them back up to perform in various groups. Some girls were called to perform several times while others only danced once or twice. Aimee encouraged the girls not to get all neurotic about how many times they were called or who they were placed next to. She said there was no use second guessing the judges because whatever you were thinking was probably wrong. It was well-intentioned, but doubt much of it sunk in. The bottom line is this is competition. If you’re called to dance next to two girls with the same height, hair color, and body type as you, you’re going to figure that’s your direct competition. How could you not?

After that, it was time for the solos. All of the dancers lined up, and one by one they came to the middle of the floor to do a few eight counts of their own. It was one last chance to make an impression on the judges, so there was a lot of leaping, turning, kicking, and flipping.



When all of that was over, the judges went to another room to deliberate. I thought they’d be gone maybe 15 minutes, but it was a lot longer than that. In the past it’s been “Thanks for coming, check the website tomorrow and see if you made it.” The long wait was unusual. The longer the judges were gone, the more worried the girls were. They didn’t know if they’d have to warm up and dance again, or if they could finally pack up and go get some grub.



I eventually went to find out what was keeping the judges. When I peeked into the room, they were still in the thick of it. The finalists’ head shots were spread out across the floor, and the conversation was intense.

I started to turn around and leave, but I’d decided I wanted to take a group photo of the judges. I thought I’d wait around a minute for them to wrap it up. One minute became two…then five…then ten. I made a big show of putting my hands over my ears and going “la la la” so I couldn’t hear anything being said. Then I realized (a) no one was paying attention to me anyway, (b) if anyone even noticed I was in the room, they probably didn’t care, and (c) they were speaking so softly I couldn’t hear them anyway.

Generally speaking, when I’m at an audition, I make a concerted effort to tune out the judges’ comments. I don’t care if the comments are positive or negative, I don’t want to know about it. It’s too stressful! I know some of those girls.

What – I’m going to run around like “Wow, Brenda, judge #3 really hated you. Mary, on the other hand, is a total shoe-in!”

So I stood off to the side, singing the theme from “Ghostbusters” in my head. (When I need to distract myself, “Ghostbusters” is my go-to song. It works every time. That, and Eddie Murphy’s “Party all the time.”)

I think it was 9:30 or 10 pm when the judges finally emerged. I could tell you what happened then, but I’ve been sworn to secrecy. I’m sorry, but you’ll have to wait until the team is revealed on the Chivas website. I will tell you, however, that there was some major drama at the end. I think the cameras were still rolling, so you’ll probably see it unfold in the last episode of “Making the Cut.”

Stay tuned…