Litchfield graduate gets job on NBA dance team

By MICHELLE MERLIN
The Litchfield News
July 13, 2012

LITCHFIELD — Litchfield High School graduate Michaela Stanley has been dancing since she was just two years old.

Stanley learned ballet and performed at recitals, and she can perform a plethora of styles, from jazz to ballet to tap, lyrical, acrobatics, tumbling, hip-hop and any combination.

All her years of practice paid off last week when Stanley was hired as one of 12 new Washington Wizards Girls. She will be one of 20 women who perform during the NBA games and other events.

Although she hasn’t performed during a game yet, Stanley hopes she enjoys dancing for the Wizards as much as she enjoyed dancing for her college team at St. John’s University.

“Just to have the excitement of the crowd rooting for a team is really cool,” said Stanley. “It’s a cool atmosphere to be in and to have all those eyes watching you. You’re part of the team because you represent the team.”

“Most of the fans like you and it’s a fun atmosphere that I didn’t want to give up.”

Stanley, who graduated from LHS in 2007, has been trying out for other professional teams in the NBA and NFL for a year. She beat out between 125 and 150 girls for a spot on the Washington Wizards Girls.

“Her dance talent is impeccable. She definitely stood out at auditions,” said Derric Whitfield, the Wizard Girls manager.

In addition to her dance skills, Whitfield said the judges were awed by Stanley’s outgoing personality and easy ability to engage with others. They were also excited about her tumbling skills, he said.

Stanley’s training as a dancer began at Deborah’s Dance Workshop in Torrington. She continued through high school and college. Now that she’s on the team, Stanley says her greatest challenge is becoming part of the group.

“We have to be able to dance like the girls already on the team and look like girls on the team,” said Stanley. “We’re not 20 individual dancers, we’re just one team.”

Fans can catch Stanley dancing with the Wizards in early November.

Reach Michelle Merlin by email at mmerlin@registercitizen.com, on Twitter @michellejmerlin or by phone at 860-489-3121, ext. 324.