Finals Set For Selecting The 2011 Hartford Colonials Cheerleading Team
18 finalists chosen at second round of auditions Saturday at the State Armory
The process of selecting the 2011 Hartford Colonials cheerleading team is down to the final round, and the competition and dancing will heat up as a group of talented and glamorous women compete for a spot on this year’s squad.
The second round of preliminary auditions, held Saturday at the State Armory in Hartford, saw 18 ladies advance to the finals May 21 at Black Bear Saloon in downtown Hartford from 4-7 p.m. They will be joined by 19 finalists from the first round and the 2010 cheerleading captains, who were exempt from auditions.
“These women are going to come back looking great and all glammed-up for the finals. It’s going to be a wonderful show,” Colonials cheerleading director Brittany Bonchuk said. “We hope people will come down to the Black Bear Saloon on May 21 to support these ladies as they compete for a spot on the 2011 Colonials cheerleading team.”
The finalists will perform two dances. The first performance will be the choreographed routine they performed in pairs at the auditions. The second will be a solo performance. The finalists will be evaluated on physical appearance, dance performance and ability, and overall appeal in front of Bonchuk and a panel of judges that will include Hartford Courant Java columnist and blogger MaryEllen Fillo, the popular “About Town” writer.
The judges at Saturday’s audition were New England Patriots cheerleader alums Sandra Smyly and Alyssa Tosoni, and professional dance instructor Jenna Martire.
“I love that we had so many girls with big smiles on their faces and were really eager to learn the dance,” Smyly said. “I think the final product is going to be a great team with a lot of really nice girls who also love to dance and will love supporting the UFL.
“It’s hard to learn a dance on the spot. Even when they might have had a little blooper in their dance, they got past it and put a little smile on their face, maybe a cute wink or something to show they can pick it right back up again. It’s a lot about showmanship, as well as your dance ability, and being able to move on from a small mistake. It’s just as good as doing the dance perfectly with no smile on your face.”
There will be some familiar faces at the finals. About a dozen of the finalists were on the 2010 Colonials cheerleading team.
“It was very energizing, not stressful at all. I had a lot of fun,” said Carissa, a member of the 2010 squad who qualified for the finals at Saturday’s audition. “I think there’s going to be a great group of girls this year and I’m very excited.”
The cheerleading squad will perform at Colonials home games and serve as ambassadors for the team by making community appearances throughout the year.
“Once again we’d like to give a big thank you to the Connecticut National Guard for providing us with this space for the second round of auditions,” Bonchuk said. “The State Armory was a great big venue and we were really able to utilize it well.”
