Dolphins cheerleading hopefuls vie for a spot on the squad

BY Micaela Hood
MiamiHerald.com
April 24, 2009

Most shoppers don’t bring beach chairs to the Aventura Mall. They also don’t scream and jump up and down. That’s unless the Miami Dolphins cheerleaders are performing.

On Saturday, 78 young women auditioning for a spot on the 2009 cheerleading team performed in front of thousands of fans and 11 judges at the mall’s Center Court.

Fans of all ages, who sported Miami Dolphins shirts and hats, camped out during the competition, which started around 11 a.m.

And the competition was fierce.

Out of the 78 finalists, only 42 were selected to start training.

Twenty-two of the women are what the Dolphins call ”veterans” — cheerleaders who have been on the team before.

Fabiola Romero, 26, has been a Dolphins cheerleader for three years.

And in order to make the team, she and more than 200 women, went through two grueling rounds of auditioning earlier this month.

The numbers got smaller as the judges narrowed the pool down to 78 hopefuls. The cheerleaders, who get paid about $75 per football game, can make some extra money by participating in events like autograph signings and celebrity events.

”It was definitely harder this year, we have so many really great dancers and beautiful girls we really had to stay on our toes,” Romero said.

As loud music played in the background, the girls performed one-minute solo routines and group stunts.

There were plenty of high-kicks, back flips and leg splits. The women also invented their own dance moves and booty shakes.

Friends and family also got into the spirit. Some donned stickers or waved banners and handmade signs with a picture and name of their favorite cheerleader. Others shelled out more cash to have a professional sign made.

”My fiancé and family were holding up a sign made out of vinyl with a picture of me at the Miami Dolphins game in London,” Romero said.

The Florida State University graduate works in marketing for an MRI center — but said she cheers to relieve stress and have fun.

”It’s the most exciting thing, and it doesn’t seem like work at all,” she said.

But the event was really for the fans.

Coral Gables resident David Gonzalez has been attending since 2005.

”I love it, it’s a way to show support for our favorite football team and get ready for a kicka– season,” he said.

This year’s celebrity judges were TV and radio personalities Kenny Walker from Coast WFLC-FM (97.3); Pamela Silva, co-anchor of Univision’s Al Amanecer; Lorenzo ”Ice-Tea” Thomas, radio personality for 99 Jamz; Erika von Tiehl, anchor for CBS4; Aubrey Aquino of Deco Drive; and Claudio Sorrentino, CEO of Body Details.

Rounding out the judge’s panel: Michael Smoller, a Dolphins ticket-holder since 1994.

Cheerleader coordinator Emily Newton, who said the team will spend the summer learning new cheers and dance tricks, said she was impressed with this year’s turnout.

”This year we did things a little different and let fans participate in the judging process,” she said.

In a nod to American Idol, fans were instructed to text the names of their favorite cheerleader — which judges factored into their decision.

”We received over 6,000 text messages in a two-hour period,” Newton.

The lucky gals will also head to St. Maarten to catch some rays and shoot the official 2010 Miami Dolphins cheerleaders calendar.

And for Romero, that’s just one of the perks of being a Dolphins cheerleader. “It’s a well-deserved vacation before the seasons starts.”