The Saints may not be playing in the Super Bowl, but their dance team – the Saintsations – will definitely be on the field at halftime. They’re getting ready to strut their stuff for football fans around the world, and WGNO’s Vanessa Bolano reports, all of New Orleans will be cheering them on.
Meet the 2012-2013 Saintsations. While the season may be over for the boys in black & gold, that’s not the case for these ladies.
The Saintsations will play host as all eyes are on new orleans for Super Bowl XLVII. These women, 32 in all, hail from Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas.
They practice twice a week, learning 30 dances a season. And for the super bowl they’re learning additional 10, but don’t worry! Most of these girls started dancing before they could walk!
“I’ve danced my whole life since I was two,” says Chastity Sorrels.
“I’ve been dancing for a very long time since i was like three,” Baton Rouge native Heidi Walker tells us.
As we inch closer to the big game these girls are going to be busy going from one event to the next. And then for the big game, Super Bowl Sunday, they’ll be performing around the ‘Dome, and they’ll be at the halftime show with Beyonce!
“I can’t imagine how it could get much louder in there,” says Walker. “I think the Saints have the loudest fans, so I’m wondering if they can top it when we have different fans in there.”
Being a Saintsation is basically a full time job that takes courage, determination and major skills.
“I knew that I always wanted to do that and after I graduated from college I was looking for a job and trying to figure out what I was going to do with my life and I figured that that was the perfect time to make my dreams come true,” Sorrels says.
Rookie Nicole Wall says, “Going on the field in the Superdome the first time was just an eye-opening experience to see how big and how great the whole ‘dome was. Just everything about it is great.”
Another rookie, Kolbie Lawrence tells us, “It was a really good year, my first year. I was featured in the calendar. I thought that was pretty cool, but meeting all these new girls, they’re like sisters.”
“I have had a pretty good ride as a Saintsation,” says veteran Danielle Daray. “My first year being the Super Bowl, and the next year I was able to travel to Iraq to visit some of the troops, and then last year I was picked as the Pro Bowl cheerleader, and now Super Bowl in New Orleans. I don’t think that anybody could have had a better 4 years as a Saintsation.”
For many of these women, being a Saintsation is the opportunity of a lifetime: week after week cheering on the Saints, and now hosting the Super Bowl on their home turf.
Call her a stand-up gal: At least that’s how Al Pacino saw Dix Hills’ Courtney Galiano when she danced with him in the comedy-drama “Stand Up Guys,” which opens tomorrow.
“He made me feel so comfortable,” says Galiano, 24, a former Knicks City Dancer and a finalist on “So You Think You Can Dance” season four in 2008. “I was flabbergasted that he made me feel like I’ve been doing this for a hundred years, because I was so nervous and this was my first movie, acting-wise. And he was in character the whole time,” she marvels. “He did not break character.”
And Pacino’s character is quite a character — aged wiseguy Val, who’s released from prison after 28 years of never ratting out his criminal confreres. He reunites with his best friend, Doc (Christopher Walken), and their old wheelman, Hirsch (Alan Arkin). But Doc has to kill Val, on orders from their old capo (Mark Margolis). In the meantime, Val wants to celebrate his freedom.
So he goes dancing, and in a sad, sweet scene, he meets Lisa, Galiano’s character. “He wants to party,” Galiano says of Val, “and at first he comes off a little bit harsh, but then we slow-dance and he’s like, ‘Wow, this is really nice, being with a woman again,’ and he thanks me at the end — a real gentleman.”
To Galiano’s surprise, part of the scene appears in film’s trailer. “When I saw it, I was freaking out!” she says.
The Commack High School alumna, now based in Los Angeles, will be back on Long Island this weekend with her dance troupe, The Beat, conducting classes and workshops at the Marriott in Uniondale Saturday and Sunday. Galiano, who went public with her diagnosis of MS last year, says a portion of every registration fee will be donated to the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation.
Then it’s back to L.A., where she appears in “Bounce,” a VH1 drama series about NBA dancers, premiering in May. And she adds that there’s a guy in her life, her MS seems to be under control, and now, with her first speaking movie role, “I don’t think I’ve been this happy in a really long time.”
Young Artistic Performers Inc. (Y.A.P Inc) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides training resources for children and young adults through the appreciation of music, theatre, dance and visual arts. We are forming a youth performance troupe in which we are seeking a new and innovative experienced choreographer that specializes in different genres (jazz, lyrical, hip hop, acro, ballet, Modern) that will be able to teach ages 7-21. This will be a paid position on a temp to permanent basis and will begin in mid March. Please send in your resume, head shot, and a video of your work if applicable. If any questions, please contact us at (832) 305-7737 or email us amarchette@yap-inc.org. Thank You and Happy Dancing!
I am not sure what their formula is, but whatever the ABA’s Jacksonville Giants are doing, they have found a powerful potion that Ponce De Leon would travel miles to pursue. In less than three years as an organization, not only are they defending ABA champs, the Giants remain undefeated this season. You see, they only average a meer 139 points per game, while holding their opponents scoring on average to 103. The Giants are not only undefeated this season and defending champs, Jax has not lost a regular season game in their history. Besides their winning success on the court, the Giants are doing it major-league style, playing in Jacksonville’s premier indoor arena and also with local TV and radio game coverage.
So it is consistent that Pam Master’s entertainment squads also are truly major league in their performance, including the the Jewels dance team. The priceless Jewels not only dance on the sidelines, they have a dunking squad that is miraculous, and even have their own calendar. And, maybe it is just me, but the Jewels look like they were cast from Hollywood Studios down the road. I see 70’s era look-a-likes for icons Marcia Brady and Pam Grier, a Carrie Underwood stand-in, plus others. If they ever need to cast another Charlie’s Angels movie, I think the Jewels would be a good place to start.
The Orlando Magic Dancers perform their holiday halftime
Whew (as I breathlessly type away), it’s the end of January, can I squeeze in one more holiday season story? The Orlando Magic Dancers and all of the entertainment teams did their super spectacular halftime presentation right before Christmas during the game against the Jazz. I was all ready to post pics of all of the holiday festivities, then the flu hit me, my family, my co-workers, and eventually the rest of the state. But, even though it is almost February, I have to share the glittery goodness of the fun, so let me reach through the screen and sprinkle some holiday Magical dust upon the top of your noggin, and you can relive the late December halftime, featuring….
The Magic Minis from partner studio Starz Dance Galaxy,
The Dancing Dads (dads of current or former Magic Dancers),
The Silver Stars, always show stoppers, with a familiar red coated man now on extended vacation,
The Bearfoot Dancers, Major League Dance Team, is looking for a Coach, Technical Coach, and Choreographer to lead the team for the 2013 Season!
Requirements:
-18 years or older
-Have collegiate or professional dance experience
-Personable and committed
-Is versatile in hip hop, jazz, and some contemporary
Time Commitments:
-Practices during the season are Mondays and Thursday weekly at 8pm
-Games are held Aug-Dec 2013 on Saturday evenings
-Rehearsals for the season start in late March
THIS POSITION IS VOLUNTEER- THERE IS NO SALARY.
Bearfoot Dancers’ Coach Responsibilities:
-Shall be responsible for running all practices and drilling dances.
-Shall run meetings and practices in an efficient and orderly manner.
-Has the power to call extra practices under the direction of the Director.
-Shall organize and run monthly bonding activities for the team.
-Shall take attendance and notes for all meetings or practices, if applicable.
-Shall be responsible for the distribution meeting and practice information to the dancers via email.
-Shall be responsible for selecting the attire of the Bearfoot Dancers
-Shall be responsible for assigning dancers songs to choreograph
-Shall be responsible for choreographing routines and side-lines for all Bearfoot Dancers performances
Technical Coach Responsibilities
– Shall be co-responsible for assigning dancers songs to choreograph
-Shall be co-responsible for cleaning choreography and routines
-Shall be responsible for running all practices and drilling dances
-Has the power to call extra practices under the direction of the Director.
-Shall be responsible for selecting the attire of the Bearfoot Dancers under the direction of the Coach
Choreographer Responsibilities
-Shall be co-responsible for assigning dancers songs to choreograph
-Shall be co-responsible for choreographing routines and side-lines for all Bearfoot Dancers’ performances
-Shall be responsible for running all practices and drilling dances.
-Has the power to call extra practices under the direction of the Director.
-Shall be responsible for selecting the attire of the Bearfoot Dancers under the direction of the Coach
Do they really? Yes they do…at least from my experience. The Inland Empire 66ers Dance Team have a lot of fun. From what I’ve seen, Byron Marquez and the 66ers organization treat the girls very well and they do seem to be a fun loving group. So when I visited them last Saturday to cover their auditions, I took the opportunity to snap a few posed photographs…and when the auditions were over, I snapped a few more inside the stadium…and they had a lot of fun.
So here are a few photos that didn’t make the audition article.
The 2013 Dance Team will be led by Megan Gladfelter and Brittany Cheves.
Date: Saturday, February 2nd Time: 10 AM – 2:30 PM
Finals beginning at 12:30 are open to the public Location: Durty Nellies, 180 N. Smith Street, Palatine Cost: $25 in advance, $30 at the door (cash only) Registration: To register in advance, contact the Slaughter office at (847) 310-3190.
Download the application and return to dancers@chicagoslaughter.com
