Game Night with the Clippers – 11/12/2010

On Friday night, I headed over to the Staples Center to resume my duties as the self-appointed unofficial photographer for the Clippers Spirit Dance Team. As usual, it was an action-packed evening.

Before the game, the team goes out on the court to run through the dances set for the evening. There’s a lot to remember. The Clippers Spirit dance once during each quarter, and usually a fifth time during the last quarter of the game. It’s a lot of dances to remember. It’s also a challenge because they have to adjust the formations for each dance. Only 12 of the 16 dancers perform at each game, so they have to be able to jump into any position at any time and perform like a rock star.

After rehearsal, the girls go back to the dressing room to change from your average jane into Clippers! Spirit! Dancers! Ta da!

Back: Liz, Jacquelyn, Justene, Brittany, Nicole, Briana, Andi
Front: Rhea, Anasheh, Recee

They go over last minute instructions, and then head out for their various assignments. Six of the girls go out to the gates to greet fans. Another group of girls goes up in the stands to boogie with DJ Dense. Usually one girl will go back out to the court for on-camera stuff with the arena hosts, contest winners, etc. If I’m feeling ambitious I’ll try to trot around and cover all of these various activities, but I mostly stick with the greeters.

Greeters Anasheh, Andi, and Katrina

Greeters Nicole, Brittany, and Bianca
(Plus one ticked off little rug rat)

Shortly before 7:30 everyone goes down to the court for player intros, National Anthem, etc.

Nicole and Justene

(I have to say, this is a pretty weird moment, since I’m standing right in the dancers’ faces, snapping away while they’re doing their thing. It doesn’t seem to bother them. They’re all focused on the fans and not paying me a bit of attention. I always feel horribly awkward and apologetic though. Sorry girls!)

Are you there, God?
It’s me, Brittany.

The dancers exit the court, run back to the dressing room to change shoes, and gather together to rehearse the first dance of the evening. I watched for a bit, but then head back out to the court to wait. I sit with the “real” photographers. They have expensive cameras with huge lenses and nifty little folding chair things to support their backs while they’re sitting on the floor. They don’t talk to me – they’re focused on the game. However, one right next to me rolled his eyes when I whipped out my little flip video camera. (Hey buddy, don’t be a snob. I have job to do, just like you.)

Sidebar: It’s a little disconcerting when both teams are wearing the same colors.

You know what else is disconcerting?

Rip Hamilton’s mask. This is the first time I’ve seen it. I know he wears it so his nose doesn’t get all jacked up (again), but WOW that looks uncomfortable.

I should explain how this works. The dancers perform during one time out each quarter. I sit there and wait for the buzzer and when they announce time out, I start running. If I’m lucky, I’m on the move a couple of seconds before the dancers. It’s imperative that I get to my spot before they dancers get to theirs because once they’re set, the music starts right away. If I’m not in place, I miss the beginning of the dance. (Which actually happened a couple times that evening, as you will see.)

This is easily the most stressful part of the game day experience, because everyone and his mother is still out there on the court. I have to dodge the players, the refs, the security guys, and the camera men, and I only have a couple of seconds to do it. I live in fear that one of these days, I’m going to go running out there, trip over an electrical cord, careen into the bench, and take out half of the team.

I do not believe this is a groundless fear.

I managed to get there in time for the first dance:

After that performance, the dancers ran back to the dressing room to change costumes. The dancers change for each quarter. I don’t why. All the NBA teams seem to do this. I don’t know if it’s to keep things interesting or what. I don’t know how Audrea decides what costume goes with each number, and I don’t know when she decides it. But from what I can tell, the dancers bring all of their costumes – ALL of them – to every game. With matching shoes, socks, etc. Their dressing room looks like the 4th of July. Every available surface is covered in something red, white and/or blue.

I am so glad their team colors aren’t periwinkle and salmon. I can only imagine what the room would look like then. *gag*

I also took a moment to drop in on the Fast Break Crew. These guys were scheduled to perform during the third quarter, and they were also going to do some t-shirt tosses and fan interaction stuff.

The Fast Break Crew is totally badass.

Now attired in their blue foil outfits, the dancers rehearsed the second number of the evening, “Dance to the Music.”
I photographed this one rather than filming it. [Lots more photos here]


Anasheh, Recee, Rhea, Jacquelyn

I have tons of photos of the girls who were front and center. Not so many of the other girls. It’s hard to get photos of the girls in the back rows. Someone’s arm or leg or hair is always blocking the way. I have to think of a way to get more even coverage.

Next time, I’ll get more Anasheh, Katrina, and Liz. Oh, and Mandy. Mandy is the only dancer I haven’t caught yet. She had an injury and had to sit out for a couple of weeks, but she’s back in action now. Watch out Clippers fans!

Brittany

Teresa

A brief pause for a photo and it’s back to the dressing room to change again.


Brittany, Rhea, Justene, and Anasheh with an adorable little fan

At halftime, about 5,000 adorable little majorettes took over the court. There were batons flying everywhere. One girl was twirling three batons at one time.

I tried not to be disappointed that there were no fire batons. After all, they’re only little kids. They probably haven’t learned fire batons yet. I’m sure you have to build up to that.

During the third quarter, the Fast Break Crew tore it up.
(As you can see, I didn’t quite make it that time…)

During the next time out, the dancers came back out. This time, they performed a hip hop number. Looking good girls! Work it!

That was easily the best performance of the evening.

What came next? Another costume change, and more rehearsal. These girls really are busy on game night. They get to the arena almost 3 hours before the game, and don’t stop until the game is over and the players have left the court. I don’t know how they had any energy left for the fourth quarter performance:

I need to have a little chat with the camera guy. We need to work out some kind arrangement that involves him NOT standing directly in front of me.

The dancers stay on the court after their fourth quarter performance. Half sit on one side of the court and the other half sit on the other side. During short breaks in the game, they jump up and get the fans hyped.

The girls discovered that they are big fans of these little red and white skirts. Most of their costumes have the straight or A-line skirts that are on trend these days. These little skirts, on the other hand, swish around and add a little extra twirl to those pirouettes. They’re just plain fun to dance in.

During longer breaks DJ Dense cranks up the music and the dancers and Fast Break Crew run out on the court to freestyle and throw t-shirts to the fans. They all do a great job of keeping the crowd’s energy up. The girls really get into the game. You should hear what goes on when the ref makes a bad call.

Brittany and Justene

As I said, when they aren’t dancing, they’re sitting along the sides. Unfortunately, the spot where they sit is right behind the designated area for the photographers. In other words, they sit in cute little row right behind me. I could not feel more conspicuous.

I try to scoot back a little, so I’m sitting with them instead of in front of them, but that’s not much better. Looking at the row of us sitting there, it’s like “which one of these is not like the others?” They’re all glammed up with eyelashes and hair and everything, and I’m all slouched over in my standard uniform of t-shirt, sneakers, and cargo pants (I need lots of pockets, ok?) I stick out like a sore thumb. It isn’t a high self-esteem moment.

I just know that sooner or later, one of the cameras is going pan over the dancers, and there I’ll be, big as life on the jumbotron, with a look of sheer unadulterated terror on my face.

You better believe I’m trying to find somewhere else to sit I haven’t come up with a good alternative yet. I want to be out of site, but close enough to whip out my camera when the girls get up to bust a move, like so:

Teresa

Recee

I better think of something before the next game.

The towel boys sit on the other side of the basket. Maybe I can get chummy with them…