Four years since she moved from Australia, behind the scenes with a Cowboys Cheerleader veteran
GuideLive.com
May 11, 2015
With the shiniest, fluffiest pompoms and wide-stretched eyes filled with glitter, I’ve never seen such an overflow of glamour and glitz in one room. Caches of makeup were sprung through out, nestled up to rows of full-length mirrors. Every single power outlet was occupied by a curling iron and there was a buzz of nerves and chatter that electrified the room.
Saturday, May 9 marked the “make it or break it” day for many Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders training camp hopefuls.
23 veterans returned for auditions to AT&T Stadium in hopes of securing a spot on the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader squad again, including Australian-born Angela Rena. Rena first came to the United States four years ago in hopes of making the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders team.
“I wanted to be a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader because of the traditions and standards that it holds,” Rena said. “It’s A-class all the way.”
Check out the gallery below for photos from the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader auditions.
Rena danced for the National Rugby League (NRL) in Australia before flying across the ocean to try and earn her Cowboys Cheerleader boots in Texas.
“My director at the NRL has always been infatuated with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, the organization and what it stands for, so she took me under her wing from a very young age and was trying to develop me into trying out,” Rena said.
Initially, Rena was resistant to the idea, as she wanted to pursue her collegiate career in the field of science.
“After finishing my two science degrees, I came to my director and said ‘I think I’m going to go try out’ and she was ecstatic that I wanted to take the plunge,” Rena said.
After a plane ride to Dallas four years ago, a couple weeks before auditions, her hopes came true as she was invited to be a member of the team. She recounts watching the CMT series Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team at home in Sydney with her fellow Aussie family and friends.
Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Angela Rena, pictured at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on August 21, 2011.
Michael Ainsworth/Staff Photographer
And after four years of squad experience under her belt she was still nervous for her fifth year of tryouts. With a CMT camera crew documenting every moment of the audition process, I can imagine how nerves would run deep.
“The veterans definitely get very nervous for auditions because they’ve [coaches] seen us dance,” Rena said. “So if we don’t dance our best at auditions, they’re going to question why they’d take us back on the team again. We are fighting to keep that uniform.”
Rena says the camaraderie between the rookies and the veterans is very strong. She has served the squad as second leader, which is comparable to the role of a squad captain. She enjoys this role, as she’s gotten to work closely with many of the rookie team members. And as an outsider, observing the interactions among the candidates, the vibes appeared genuine and positive. Through out the entire audition process, the women were cheering each other on with polite applause and the occasional “woo.”
“We take them, train them and coach them into what we want the team to be,” Rena said. “We work so hard to maintain our reputation that we want them to go out on appearances and represent the organization with pride.”
Although auditioning for this squad requires limberness, pearly whites and a hair-teasing comb, it also requires patience.
Each candidate got her time to shine on the mammoth of a Jumbotron Saturday afternoon. Judges, including Cowboys Cheerleader director Kelli Finglass, head choreographer Judy Trammell and fitness trainer Jay Johnson, inspected each candidate on the larger-than-life screen.
Upon performing the “power pom” routine and renowned kick line on the AT&T Stadium field, in groups of four to five women, the camera panned on each candidate to get an up-close glimpse of her. The women looked relieved at the conclusion of each audition, with America’s Sweethearts smiles stretched across their cheeks.
After more than two hours of the group auditions on the football field, the auditions were finally over around 5 p.m. The women were corralled off the field and you could see relaxation set in over many faces. Although there were still several hours ahead, waiting on the judges’ deliberating, at least the performance component was finished.
“If I make training camp tonight again, I’ll be going out to dinner with my brother and sister, who flew in from Australia,” Rena said.
Rena wasn’t alone in celebrating the conclusion of the day with a delicious meal. Within minutes of the women finishing their auditions, they were all allowed access to the stadium’s cafe. Upon returning from the cuisine stash, many returned with heaping nachos and thick burgers. I was shocked to see people of such slim stature pack away the food like that. I must admit it made me like them ever more: my kind of girl.
As the results were announced for the 2015 training camp attendees, Rena’s name was on the list for a fifth year in a row. Rena, 30 years old, is the oldest returning veteran on the squad. And to make her audition experience that much sweeter, she will be heading to training camp with former roommate, long-time friend and former Dallas Mavericks dancer, Chantel Jones.
