OMD @ 25: Emmy’s natural next step to the Magic Dancers fills the pages of her own journey

It’s quite a nice ritual. During the time before the gates open, NBA arenas have a building hum that transitions eventually to the intense buzz of game time. Some of the world’s greatest athletes are on the court getting some repetitive jump shots in, the audio and video equipment are getting their testing, and all the while, a young woman reads a book, sitting in a prized seat a couple rows behind the basket. This is Orlando Magic Dancer Emmy’s pre-game ritual, during the time between OMD court practice time and the time to prepare for the game.

This past year was a momentous one for the Orlando Magic Dancers, under the direction of Jeanine Klem-Thomas, as they celebrated their silver anniversary 25th season. Emmy completed her fourth season with the Magic Dancers, and it was a wonderfully eventful season for her. In addition to the festivities surrounding the 25th anniversary of the Magic Dancers, Emmy also was selected to be part of the NBA All-Star game. Emmy embodies so much of what OMD encompasses: she was a Junior Magic Dancer as a young girl, her dad has been a performing Dancing Dad for all of her four seasons, she eventually became a captain, and Emmy traveled to faraway continents and experienced all that being a Magic Dancer can be.

Emmy’s ritual looked like such a nice way to spend some time, reading a book during the quieter time before the she and her teammates felt the heat of the spotlight and the noise of the Amway Center, on the biggest stage in a entertainment region full of stages. Last March, Emmy graciously bookmarked her spot, and took time to share with UltimateCheerleaders her pro dance journey to All-Star games, Rome, Italy, and beyond.

Emmy is an Orlando native, and started dance class at age eight. “My mom claims that I danced around the house all the time so she put me in class, so a natural step,” smiled Emmy.

And another natural dance step was becoming part of the Magic Dancers. “I wanted to do it forever. My dad has been a season ticket holder since 1990, so I used to come with him and watch the Dancers and (mascot) Stuff,” recalled Emmy. Also, Emmy was a Junior Magic Dancer as a tween, and laughed, “Jeanine’s known us forever; she can’t get rid of us.”

For four years, Emmy left Orlando, to attend the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, receving a Bachelor of Arts in Communication, minoring in Psychology, graduating Summa Cum Laude, top in her class. In addition, she was part of a UT dance team that dominated the College Dance Team National Championships during that era.

Growing up in central Florida, moving back to Orlando after college surprised Emmy. “Orlando is a lot more fun than I thought it would be as an adult,” Emmy explained. “I went away to college, and I loved it. And then when I was graduating, moving back to Orlando, I thought it’d be all kid stuff. But I’ve been here for almost four years now after I graduated and I love it. There’s a lot to do. It’s fun. It’s beautiful. Very glad I moved back.”

After returning from college, the journey to being an Orlando Magic Dancer started right away, with try-outs the next month. But the really excited family member who was rooting for Emmy was a future Dancing Dad. Unlike some of the Dads, who perform their own style of dance routines to the uproarious reaction of the Amway Center, Emmy’s dad needed no coaxing to make his own way to center court. “Before I tried out for the team, he said, ‘If you try out for the Magic Dancers, I could be a dancing dad,’” remembered Emmy. “It took no convincing.” So Emmy’s dad has been a Dancing Dad also for four seasons.

Emmy dad is an otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat surgeon), but according to Emmy, “He takes his dancing just as seriously as he takes his medical practice.”

So, a natural question, did Emmy inherit her dancing skills from him? “Gosh no, bless his heart,” heartily laughed Emmy. “He has a lot of fun and he has gotten better since the first year, but no, the natural rhythm is not there. You know who is the best, is Kriza’s dad. Her dad is a really, really good dancer. He works it. He’s got his face going. She definitely got it from him.”

What was it like growing up with an ENT surgeon as a dad? “Great,” Emmy responded, “He saved us trips to the doctor when we were sick; housecalls! He’s great. He’s so smart, and so sweet. And luckily he did not force medicine on me because I would be just a terrible decision for everyone,” Emmy laughs.

Emmy’s natural gifts are her ability to communicate. “Yes, I love talking to people. I can go and talk to stranger, be friendly. Making cold calls doesn’t bother me.”

All of her talents and skills make Emmy a successful Magic Dancer, an All-Star even! This past season, Emmy was selected to represent the Magic in New Orleans at the NBA All-Star game. “This year has been a really awesome year,” Emmy said.

“Our coach Jeanine submitted all of our team leaders for the opportunity, and I was lucky because we all have very different looks,” Emmy humbly recounted. “They were clearly trying to fill a certain number of blondes, a certain number of brunettes, but I was very lucky to get that, and it was a blast.”

“I met girls from all over,” continued Emmy. “I was there almost five days. They used us a lot. They used us for a celebrity game, for the skills challenge night, for the All-Star game, for the inter-concert. They made it worth our while to be out there and practice a lot. That was awesome. I roomed with a Laker Girl, Shelby, and she was as sweet as can be.”

But Emmy and the OMD are old pros at All-Star games, as the Magic Dancers were predominantly featured during Orlando’s 2012 hosting, including dancing in the star-studded halftime. “All-Star game here was awesome,” Emmy described. “We did the Pit Bull/Chris Brown halftime. It was so cool.”

Emmy’s eventful 2013-2014 OMD season also included, “We went to the Biloxi, Mississippi this year for our swimwear shoot. That was just a blast. It was at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino. They are a sponsor of ours this year and so they brought us all up there, and we were able to take some pictures, and enjoy the pool, and have fun.”

But the landmark game for the Magic Dancers was their celebration of 25 years, including a special halftime with alumni from all over the country returning to perform. “We had our 25th Anniversary Orlando Magic Dancer reunion, and that was awesome,” Emmy recalled. “It was so cool. We had ten ladies who were the founding Orlando Magic Dancers. We were able to meet them and dance with them! So it was very cool. Something like 120 women here dancing, and a lot of girls that I danced with who moved away to California or moved back home. It was a nice reunion; it was a lot of fun.”

One could sense the joy that Emmy and the current squad experienced, enjoying watching and being part of the alumni connections, illustrating the true camaraderie of real sorority. Emmy described, “I think it speaks volumes about the organization that all these women are coming back, and taking time out of their busy lives, and paying to come back to Orlando to see each other. That’s really a testament to how great the dance team, and how great the organization is. It really open my eyes to how fortunate we are here and how well we are treated, and how much they use us as dancers, and how much exposure we get. We are very lucky.”

And with all of the dancing opportunities in Orlando, to Emmy, nothing compares to being a Magic Dancer, “This is the best dancing job you could possibly get, in my opinion. This is it! For what I want to do, I’m not going to find another dancing job that I enjoy more than this.”

Being part of OMD has also taken Emmy all over the world during their international trips, and a favorite for Emmy was their action-packed, no time for sleep, trip to Rome. Emmy sighed at the memories, “I’ve never been happier to not sleep, and I love sleep.”

So as every year passed, try-outs became more and more nerve-wracking. With each season, “You know what to expect, you know what’s coming, so you can better prepare for it. You have the advantage there, but it’s more nerve racking because you are not a rookie going into it. My first year, if I did not make it, yeah, that would be disappointing. But if I didn’t make it after I’d been on the team, it would be crushing because you know what you are missing and it’s incredible. It really is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

And one can tell, from the friendships, the memories, and even down to a ritual to read a little fiction steps away from where she performs during games, Emmy is taking it all in that she can. In a city of magical dreams, Emmy takes a page from a storybook, and, through being part of the Orlando Magic Dancers, gets to live out a real life of bright lights and far away places.

We so thank Emmy for sharing her story with UltimateCheerleaders, and of course Orlando Magic Dancer Manager Jeanine Klem-Thomas and Assistant Manager Cherie LaRosa for their wonderful assistance. More photos of Emmy are at this link.