In This Corner, the Defending, NBA Dance Bracket, Champions, of the World, the Lady Cats!

“They are the champions, NBA Dance Bracket…”  Last season, fans went Lady Cats gaga, voting them to the championship in the NBA dance bracket competition.  The dance squad that supports the Charlotte Bobcats upended all challengers to reach the pinnacle.

When fans completed the gauntlet of passing through the typical layers of security and ticket processors to attend the November 6th Bobcats game against Orlando in Time-Warner Arena, they were greeted by the beautiful smiles of Lady Cats Kia and Lacey, who were passing out game programs.

I asked Kia, in her second season as a Lady Cat, how it felt for her squad to win the NBA Dance Bracket championship last season.  Kia replied, “That definitely was exciting. It was my first year, and it was something new, and then just the fact that we won was overwhelming, but very humbling.  We feel like we have something to live up to, and we have a strong team this year, so we’re going for number one again.”

The Lady Cats are in many ways a dance team remix from last season, with eight of the twenty dancers in their rookie season.  When I asked Kia if she was surprised they surpassed all the other teams last season, including some big markets, Kia replied, “I was, I really didn’t know what to expect.  Everyone, all over the NBA, is beautiful, and all of the teams have a lot of talent, and for us to win was just amazing.”

Kia’s information on the Lady Cats’ site includes a couple of references to footwear.  Her hobbies include, “shopping for shoes,” and her guilty pleasures are French fries and shoes.  Hmm, seems like a recurring theme.  When asked how many pairs she has, Kia laughs, “Someone just asked me that, and I really have no idea, I just bought five pairs last week.  Yes, I love shoes.”  And I can attest to that, Kia sported two pairs of boots and a pair of shoes during the game.  Come to think of it, the entire squad did, too.

Kia’s favorite quote is, “Dance like no one is watching.”  Well, sorry Kia, your too talented and lovely, and I think everyone is watching you!

The escalators up lead to the main concourses, where the remaining Lady Cats also passed out programs and posed for photos with fans.

Throughout the game, it was clear that the Lady Cats deserved the attention they have received.  Alyssa, a student from Boston, displays fluidity of dance style on the court.  Brooke’s personality shines from pre-game to final buzzer and beyond.  A chemist by day, Brooke definitely is in her “element” dancing for the Lady Cats.  The Lady Cats performed throughout the game, including a rousing routine to Adam Lambert’s “If I had You.”

After the final buzzer, the Lady Cats waved to the fans, who despite an exciting finish, watched their Bobcats fall short to the Magic.