Sixers Dream Team: Keeping it in the Family
A couple of weeks ago, I posted a request for help with identifying dancers who have other family members who have also danced or cheered professionally. I was convinced it was happening a lot more often than we knew. And the dance team from Philadelphia 76ers proved me right. Rebecca Timms from the Sixers organization came through for me in a way I never imagined. She gave me sisters, she gave me cousins, and she gave me a mother/daughter duo. Complete with funny hat. And one of them is the coach! This, my friends, is what we call a HOME RUN. In scrabble, this would be a quadruple word score.
First up, we have cousins Erica and Nicole, both team captains during their time on the squad.
Erica joined the team in 2006 and danced with them through 2012. She was a captain during her last two years on the team. Nicole joined the team during Erica’s last year. She is currently in her third year on the squad, and her first year as a captain.
Next we have sisters Danielle and Valerie.
Danielle became a Sixers Dancer in 2007 and retired after the 2012-13 season. She was a captain during her last two years on the team. Valerie joined the team in 2011, when the name changed from the Sixers Dancers to the Dream Team, and she is currently in her third season on the team.
And finally, we have mother and daughter Dayna and Cheryl
Cheryl was on the team back when they were called the Liberty Belles. I’m not sure what year this photo came from, but the hair is telling me late 60s/early 70s. Dayna danced for seven seasons before retiring in 2006 as Assistant Captain. Three years later, she was hired as head coach of the Sixers Dancers, and is in her sixth year in that role.
There is clearly a lot of family love going on here, so if you have a sister (or a cousin) and the both of you can dance your tails off, get thee to Philadelphia. I’m not kidding. The Sixers Dream Team auditions are next month, with a pre-audition workshop scheduled for June 7th. (Click here for audition details.)
