2011-12 Spirit Dance Team Announced

D.J. Foster
Los Angeles Clippers
July 19, 2011

It all started when nearly 200 hopeful ladies packed into a high school gym, each sharing the dream of dancing for a professional basketball team. And now, after a series of dance auditions in front of a panel of judges, multiple formal interviews and plenty of nervous waiting, that initial group has been whittled all the way down to the final 16 talented ladies who will make up the Los Angeles Clippers 2011-12 Spirit Dance Team. The proud members of the team are: ANASHEH, ARIANA, BECCA, BIANCA, BRITTANY, JACY RAE, JESSIE, JOCELYN, KATIE, KATRINA, KELLIE, MICHELLE, RACHEL, RHEA, SARA, and SHANNON.

This year’s Spirit Dance Team, which functions as the key component of the game night experience, features some fresh faces alongside some familiar ones.

“We have seven returning members and nine new members,” said Audrea Harris, the Spirit Dance Team Director. “We have three girls on the team who have tried out with us several times in the past. We always tell them if you don’t make it to come back. They were all very persistent in trying out and it paid off for them this year.”

Like any good team builder does, Harris and her panel of judges set out to find the perfect balance between rookies and veterans. In part, that meant no guaranteed spots for anyone on the team.

“It’s hard to have to fight for your spot back,” said Kellie, a returning member from last year’s squad. “I thought it was more challenging this year than last year. When I found out I made it, I was really excited.”

Although the tryouts were competitive by nature, many of the veterans like Kellie made it a point to provide a proper example for what a Spirit Dance Team member should be.

“The returners were all so welcoming and so friendly,” said Becca, a new member of the team.”They offered to help and they didn’t seclude themselves. It made the environment feel less intimidating and more welcoming, more fun.”

Auditioning for a spot on the Spirit Dance Team this year, despite the big turnout, was more like a dance clinic than a casting call.

“The tryout process was really humbling,” said Jessie, a new addition to the team. “Our coach and our staff here made it an experience. I learned so much in three days that I never thought was possible.”

Although the arduous tryout process was tough on rookies and veterans alike, it was the waiting period to find out if they made the team that weighed most heavily on the ladies.

With the squad being announced online, most of the girls stayed glued to their computer all morning long.

“You just refresh the page over and over,” Kellie said while laughing.

Time can crawl while waiting for news like that, but for Jessie, a 22-year old graduate from the University of Arizona, it was flying as fast as ever.

“I was actually at the dentist,” Jessie said. “He was drilling and I was just thinking, ‘You have to hurry up, please hurry, I’ve got to, I’ve got to go.’ “

“I ran home. I checked the computer screen, and I saw my name. And then I checked it 50 more times. I checked the spelling, the number. After about five minutes, I realized my name was really there. I just didn’t want to get myself excited and have false hope.”

All throughout the dance team, it seemed every initial reaction to the good news was a little different.

Rachel, a 19-year old future communications major, said she “cried and cried because she was so excited.”

Becca, a 22-year old from Nebraska, said she was “called everyone she knew.”

Perhaps those different reactions were to be expected with such a unique team. With a group of girls ranging in age from 19-27, hailing from all over the country with vastly different backgrounds, you could expect that. But what unifies and will continue to unify this group of girls is their unquestioned love for dancing.

“I’ve been dreaming about this since I was a little girl,” Jessie said. “Ever since I was little, I’ve always said I was going to be a professional dancer for a sports team. It’s weird that it’s here and that it’s happening. To be able to combine my love of sports with my love of dancing is amazing.”

After the announcement and their first photo shoot as a team, it was all smiles for the 16 newest members of the Spirit Dance Team — and their director as well.

“I’m very happy with the way it turned out,” Harris said. “I couldn’t be more excited about the team we have this year.”