Luv game: How the Bulls’ dance team is made

Ryan Smith
Chicago Now
(Photos by Mike Burley for RedEye)
8/3/2009

Melissa Driscoll slumped in her chair and took a deep breath before recovering her ever-present smile. “I could definitely use some coffee soon,” she said moments after her audition for the Bulls’ dance team Saturday.

Performing for a panel of judges to Justin Timberlake’s supercharged “SexyBack” is hard enough, but Driscoll, 25, had an added challenge–she arrived at the tryout in a moving van at the conclusion of a 17-hour journey from Boston.

Talk about having the drive to become a Luvabull.

Driscoll was one of 252 women from Chicago and beyond who flocked to the United Center to twirl, sway and sashay their way onto the Luvabulls dance team. Former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Melissa Rycroft has brought widespread notoriety to professional sports dance teams through her appearances on reality TV shows including “Dancing With the Stars,” but actually making the team is an exhausting and competitive process.

At Saturday’s tryouts, the judges were ruthless by necessity, whittling the list of contenders to only 50 who moved on to a three-day mini-camp that starts Monday. When the final decisions are made Wednesday, only 25 dancers will be able to call themselves Luvabulls.

Addressing the women before auditions began Saturday, team director Cathy Core was direct about what it takes to be a Luvabull.

“You need to have lipstick on, your hair should be fashionable, if you have glasses take them off, tattoos need to covered up, no belly rings … we’re sticklers for a polished look,” Core said. “You have to be the total package, the total picture of what we’re looking for. It’s not just looks or your ability to dance, it’s everything.”

The speech prompted Amy Jesse to pull the mirror back out of her makeup bag, comb her hair and apply more lipstick.

“I’m really nervous,” the 21-year-old from Naperville confided. “I almost decided not to come this morning when I woke up and I don’t expect to be picked, but at the same time I’m excited to be here.”

Twenty at a time, the potential Luvabulls–all required to be 21 or older–had several minutes to introduce themselves and perform a couple of freestyle dance moves and a kick line for Core and her panel of six judges. Some dancers advanced to an afternoon session, where they were joined by former Luvabulls who must dance for their jobs back.

“There are no gimmes,” Core said. “Everyone’s got to audition.”

Driscoll, the import from Boston, was one of the 50 dancers invited to this week’s mini-camp.

“I’m resting up and unpacking, but I’m so excited to start,” she told RedEye by phone Sunday.

The women who join the team, which is entering its 30th season, will perform at 41 home games, plus make dozens of promotional appearances on behalf of the club. And for all of the dancers, that’s in addition to full-time jobs.

So why do they want to be Luvabulls? The women who spoke to RedEye said it’s their love of dance.

“I’ve visited Tokyo, Greece, London and Paris, and I’ve had so many opportunities to perform in special appearances,” said Erika Cruz, who served as dance team captain last season. “It’s really amazing.”

Even after six years on the team, the satisfaction of making the squad is fresh for Cruz.

“When they called my number the first year it was surreal, and it’s still surreal,” said Cruz. “I mean, I’m on the court and standing next to Derrick Rose or Kobe Bryant. There are so many exciting moments and I really look forward to every game because you never know what’s going to happen.”

How do they achieve that physique?

Ashley Bond demonstrates step one of kettlebell swings, which work the entire body. (Photo for RedEye by Kate Dougherty)

It’s not easy to look great in the midriff-baring, thigh-exposing, figure-hugging outfits the Bulls’ professional dance team dons during games.

“We really have to be at our best because we’re showing our stomach, legs and arms a lot,” said Erika Cruz, a six-year veteran of the Luvabulls.

Saturday’s tryouts mean the Luvabulls’ short off-season is over, and there is no time for the team to waste. Just as Derrick Rose must have the endurance to lead his team in the fourth quarter of an exhausting game, the dancers need to be in peak condition to keep fans pumped up from tip-off to the final horn.

Of course, just because you’re not one of the 25 women dancing in the United Center doesn’t mean you can’t work toward that type of body.

Luvabulls dancer Ashley Bond (Visit her ChicagoNow blog “Body by Bond”) said she has been preparing herself for the season with kickboxing, strength exercises and yoga.

“My goal is to stay lean and toned and still be able to have lots of endurance so that when we get to those games, I’m not dying after my first routine,” said Bond, a fitness trainer who also happens to be the reigning Miss Illinois.

Once basketball season starts, the Luvabulls get all the exercise they need through high-intensity dance routines they perform during games in addition to two four-hour practices every week.

Fast-tempo dance burns between 200 and 400 calories per hour, according to Naomi Wisely, a dance fitness instructor at Flirty Girl Fitness located on the Near West Side.
“Dancing can help almost every part of your body,” she said. “You’re engaging your arms and legs a lot, and you have to hold your core to keep your balance, so it’s good for that area too.”

TV reality shows such as “Dancing With the Stars” have contributed to a rising popularity of dance fitness, Wisely said. To accommodate demand, Flirty Girl has boosted its schedule to offer more than 40 classes that cover hip-hop, Latin and even pole dancing at all skill levels.

“You don’t even realize you’re working out until you’re sore because it’s so fun,” she said.

Beyond exercising, Bond said she maintains a dancer’s physique by adhering to a strict diet regimen, eating small meals or snacks every three hours. She eats foods high in protein, avoids carbs at night and includes a lot of fresh vegetables and fruit in her meals.

“Everyone knows their own body the best,” she said, “but really it’s all about eating healthy and to stop eating when you’re not hungry.”