Homecoming: The 2016 Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders Final Auditions

Much has been written about the return of professional football to the City of Angels.  There were the many abortive attempts over the years to build stadiums that never gained traction among the various stakeholders in the community and in the NFL.  And it appeared that the league was more interested in using the threat of relocation to Los Angeles as leverage against other localities to pony up public funds for new stadiums in smaller markets.  As the years passed in to decades, fans became more jaded with the less than credible efforts to bring back professional football to Los Angeles, a land of untold riches to the right owner.  But things have a way of changing suddenly when billions of dollars are at stake.

What can be said of this long process can be summed up by the adage, “fortune favors the bold”.

Stan Kroenke orchestrated a sudden take back of the nation’s second largest television market by proposing to build, with little or no public funding, not only a stadium, but a mixed use entertainment complex…putting asunder the designs of less ambitious and less serious team owners to the north and south.

Fortune does indeed belong to the bold and Los Angeles belongs to the Rams.

Now let us reap the rewards…and the first of these is the 2016 Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders.

On Sunday, April 17th, the Los Angeles Rams held their final auditions for their 2016 cheerleading squad.  It was held at The Forum, the venerable arena that in a prior era, was the home of the showtime Lakers.  Now it is one of the premier venues for concerts and the performing arts in southern California.  It was a fitting locale to host the auditions, being a mere stone’s throw from the future home of the Los Angeles Rams.

On this night of nights, there would be a showcase of beauty and talent on display as 66 finalists vied for one of the 28 coveted spots on the squad.  There were former cheerleaders and dancers from the Laker Girls, Clippers Spirit, Charger Girls, Baltimore Ravens, the Kings Ice Crew, the Ontario Fury and a host of other semi-pro teams.  If the Rams were creating a band, this would be the equivalent of creating a supergroup the likes of Cream, Bad Company, The Highwaymen, The Traveling Wilburys, Journey, or Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

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This was a pageant style final audition and there were be three phases of the competition: an interview portion, a swimsuit segment and a final dance routine.

The Interview Portion

As the show began, the finalists were paraded down the runway in front of the panel of judges before they were lined up and called up to the microphone.  Candidates introduced themselves before answering a question that would demonstrate their conversation skills.

After the last finalist spoke, there was a brief interlude as the girls changed into their swimwear, which mainly consisted of a sexy two piece outfit.

The Swimsuit Portion

The finalists, attired in their swimwear, paraded in front of the judges in what seemed more like a fashion show than final dance audition.  But I am not complaining…these girls are gorgeous and they were a feast for the eyes.

Once again the girls retired to change into their dance wear for the final judged portion of the event, the final dance routine.

The Final Dance Portion

Girls were called up in pairs to perform the final dance routine, a John Peters choreographed affair.  Under the theatrical stage lighting, the girls looked amazing in their colorful dance attire.  It was one final chance to standout and prove themselves worth of the Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders.

As the last two dancers left the stage, the host of the proceedings let us know that the finalists had prepared a final group dance and it would be the climax of the night’s event.

After the finalists exited the stage, the judges retired to deliberate.  A short break ensued before the final results were announced.  Sixty six finalists from all around the country started the night, but by evening’s end, only 28 girls remained…the 2016 Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders, the Bold and the Beautiful.

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I would to express my sincere gratitude to Keely Fimbres-Bledsoe (Director of Special Events and Cheerleaders), Julia Faron, and Tiffany White for allowing me to cover their final auditions. I had a great time and hope to see them soon.

For more cheerleader articles, please visit my personal blog: thehottestdanceteam.wordpress.com