Help Pick the Pak
From EMCFrontenac.ca:
Kingston native competing for final spot on Raptors Dance Pak
By Kristen Coughlar
One of Kingston’s own is counting on a little assistance from her hometown to help her become the newest member of the Raptors Dance Pak.
Nineteen-year-old Laurissa Tassielli, is one of eight contestants vying for a spot on the 2012/2013 NBA dance team.
Laurissa was among 200 dancers to audition for the team July 14 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. The field of 200 was narrowed down to 30.
“They ended up choosing eight girls to be on the team out of that 30, and they chose eight of us, which I was in, to be part of a contest. The winner of the contest will be the final team member,” Tassielli explained.
Tassielli started dancing at a young age, doing jazz and hip-hop with TK Danceworx. She went on to compete in cheerleading all throughout high school at Holy Cross, and then in her first year of university in Toronto. She is currently a high school cheerleading coach in Mississauga and will be attending Ryerson University in the fall for Psychology.
“I just love cheerleading and I went to a couple of Raptors games this year and saw them dancing, I knew I wanted to do that,” she said of how she came to audition for the Raptors Dance Pak. Tassielli said that although she plans to have a future career in the field of Psychology, it is important for her to keep both dance and cheerleading a part of her life.
“I’m always dancing. Whenever music is on I’m dancing, I love it, it’s my passion. I need to be able to have it in my life always, it makes me very happy.”
She explained that competition to make the NBA dance team was fierce.
“Everyone was really good dancers. It was pretty intense,” she said, adding that she is happy to have the opportunity to participate in the You Pick the Pak contest.
Next week, a link will be added to the Toronto Raptors website where people will be able to vote for the contestant they would like to see as the final member of the Dance Pak. People will be able to vote once a day, every day from Aug. 6-30.
Tassielli anticipates it will be a tight race, but believes that with the support of friends, family and her fellow Kingstonians she has a real shot at winning.
“I would be so ecstatic if I made it. It would almost be like a dream come true. I love performing so performing in front of such a huge audience would be just amazing,” she said.
She said she imagines being a part of the Raptors Dance Pak to be both busy and intense, but also very exciting.
“It’s a really big opportunity for sure.”
And from the Saskatoon News:
Saskatoon dancer is hoping to get a slam dunk in contest
Reported by Trelle Burdeniuk
A Saskatoon woman is vying for the final spot on the Toronto Raptors Dance Pak.
The 25-year-old Chelsey Zelizney said winning a spot on the dance team would mean so much.
“To be able to dance in front of that many people on a regular basis would be quite exciting and something that I’d love to achieve,” said Zelizney.
She went to tryouts in Toronto and competed against 180 dancers. Now, she has made it to the top nine and the online voting stage.
“It would be really nice to have my hometown behind me,” said Zelizney, who is the only finalist not from Ontario.
She didn’t think she would get this opportunity as Zelizney has been through two knee surgeries that could have ended her dance career.
“It was a big challenge, but I did it.”
Zelizney is moving to Toronto today to start school in the fall and she hopes the basketball court will be her new stage.
