With all this cold and snow in the Midwest, it is a great time to think about the warmth and sunshine of MLL season! And Megan Hinz of Major League Lacrosse’s Ohio Dance Machine has all the info about their upcoming auditions!

We have changed up our audition process and are looking for some talented dancers to join us this season. Our auditions will be:

2014 OHIO DANCE MACHINE Auditions

@Premier on Sawmill

Pre-liminary round -Friday January 31st 7:30pm

Round 1- Saturday February 1st- 12:00pm

Bootcamp call backs- Start Monday February 3rd

Public Final audition- Saturday February 8th- Sponsor Bar TBA

For a complete outline of our audition process, more information can be found on our website:

website link

Or Facebook:

Facebook link

To register you must:

– be over 18- please bring valid ID

-Bring head-shots and complete resume

-Pay a $30 registration fee

-Come dressed in a black crop top and black booty or dance shorts with tights.

-Full Hair and make-up is expected

Online registration can be found at:

Registration form

I have also put up FAQ:

FAQ

Sometimes, using only a measuring stick just does not measure all the right components. When Titans Cheerleader Anne B worked for a year at Disney World, based on solely on height, “I was too tall to be Tinkerbell and too short to be a princess,” Anne says. Well, anyone who spends any time with Anne will find that she is a just the perfect character combination, with Tinkerbell qualities of being light, airy, along with her own special brand of pixie dust to brighten those around her, while adding the girl next door qualities with an option to pump up the glamour beyond the realm of any old ordinary princess.

UltimateCheerleaders is pleased to feature the super wonderful Anne as she and her Titans Cheerleader sisters hit the field for one last home game today. Anne is in her fourth season as a Titans Cheerleader and her first as captain. Anne is a native of Miami, but then moved to Knoxville, and attended Middle Tennessee State, graduating with a degree in Textiles and Merchandising. Anne’s year working at Disney World involved doing merchandising in the Magic Kingdom, like their store windows. Though Anne’s height prevented her from being Tinkerbell or a princess, if she had the chance, there would have been a couple characters that she would have liked to have donned the costume. “I would be Chip or Dale; that would be fun!” Anne says.

Anne’s started dance very young at age three, and Miami had the advantage of getting instruction from excellent dance teachers. “Some of my first teachers were a lot of the teachers that were on ‘So You Think You Can Dance,’ Anne recalls. “Like Mia Michaels was my first dance teacher from Miami, so then I ended up dancing at her brother’s studio.”

Dance continued for Anne after she moved from Florida to Tennessee. “I danced in high school, and then in college I was in a dance company, and then I was a dance teacher for that company as well,” Anne smiles. “Dance has always been the thing.”

So does Anne hope dance will always be a big part of her life? “Yes, and that is why this is hard to give (Titans Cheerleading) up because I love the costumes and the make-up,” Anne says. “You feel like you are dressing up, and giving that up is such a hard thing.”

So did Anne make the Titans squad her first time she went through auditions? “I did, I didn’t expect it!” Anne remembers. “I had no idea. I found out about tryouts about a week before. And then I tried out, and I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, I am going to make it!’”

And this season, Anne was one of four brand new captains for the Titans Cheerleaders. Being named captain was also something that was a surprise for Anne. Does she like the new role and responsibility? “I do!” Anne responds. “It’s been different, just having to be in charge of everything. Now instead of relying on somebody else to know what dance to do, even though I try to rely on my girls a little, and where we need to be at a certain time, now you have to KNOW. And I really have to follow the game a little more than I did before.”

Anne not only loves her on the field time with the Titans Cheerleaders, but the unique experiences it brings. For instance, when I spoke to Anne prior to the late October Halloween game, she had just filmed a commercial along with Pro Bowl Titans Cheer alumnus Brooke. “Because of Titans Cheerleaders, I shot a commercial on Friday for Papa John’s with Brooke. It was really fun; I have never done anything like that.”

The commercial was filmed to be shown during CMT broadcasts of “Making the Team.” The eight hour shoot provided an extra unique opportunity for Anne. “I actually had a speaking role which was real cool,” Anne says. “I kick this plate out of this kid’s hands and I say, ‘Let’s make this tailgate better!’ And then Brooke says ‘YEAH!’”

How many times did Anne have to say her line? Anne responds, “I think like 30. It was a lot and then close-up ones where it was the ‘beauty shot’ and I had to say it. And then there was a dance party when the girl brings the Papa John’s pizza. There was only five of us, it was small. I liked it! I could do it again!”

For Anne, this was just part of the varied experiences of being a Titans Cheerleader. “Just the different things you get to do, like the trip we went to Seattle to Fort Lewis. It was so much fun to go visit the troops. ‘Waiting for Wishes’ is one of the appearances I did last year for critically ill children and they have all of the celebrities of Nashville,” Anne explains. “Or just the friends, just the memories. I love it.”

Due the time commitments of Titans Cheerleaders, Anne has been happy to move this year from managing a retail store to being an inside sales rep for Dell enterprise servers and such, which has more standard hours.

Anne is also very family focused. She gains inspiration from her mom and her most prized possession is her sister. But I had to ask about her super classy high end pets! A dog named Bentley and a cat named Prada. Anne starts with the doggie, “Bentley is huge! He is a Saint Bernard, so he is like the size of a car. We almost named him Captain Jack Sparrow; I am kind of a child at heart. So he was going to be Captain Jack Sparrow, and then Harry Potter, then I was like ‘Bentley, BENTLEY! We like Bentley!’”

Anne continues, “And then Prada, she was sitting next to my sunglasses, and kind of looked cute. So I was like Prada, PRADA! And it worked.”

So despite the fact that the Magic Kingdom may have found her too small to be a princess and too tall to be Tinkerbell, the magical world of Titans Cheerleaders finds the Anne is just the perfect fit in every dimension for her role. Bubbly and articulate, Anne amazingly can fit the role of girl next door or swimsuit super model glamorous. And for her last game today of her season number four, certainly it will be full of emotions for Anne, as she explained, “I still get goose bumps when I get out there and the music starts. You just never get used to that feeling.”

Best wishes for an excellent 2014 Anne! And of course, thank you to Stacie Kinder, the Tennessee Titans Director of Cheerleading/Entertainment, and Robbie Bohren of the Titans for all of their assistance!

There are more photos of Anne B from the Titans Cheerleaders Halloween game at this link, and check out Anne’s videos below at the Titans web site:

https://www.titansonline.com/media-center/videos/Behind-the-Pom-Poms-Titans-Cheerleader-Anne/131fa4e5-3059-4496-ab90-672a203acfed

https://www.titansonline.com/media-center/videos/Anne_B_2013/3a4634ea-a9d4-44fc-9fe7-cc14bc1cf29f

Today, photos of the multi-talented Sarah Marie of the Oakland Raiderettes, with a few fun facts, designed to entertain and inform:

• Sarah Marie is in her fifth season as a Raiderette
• Sarah Marie recently graduated from law school and works in the District Attorney’s office
• The most famous television attorneys working in the DA’s office were Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) of Law & Order and Night Court’s Dan Fielding (John Larroquette)
• In season 2 of Night Court, the public defender was played by Ellen Foley as Billie Young
• Foley was also a singer, notably the female counterpart of Meat Loaf on the hit single “Paradise by the Dashboard Light.” Also, the Clash’s hit song “Should I Stay or Should I Go”, written and sung by Mick Jones, was about the turbulent relationship he shared with Foley at the time
• Meatloaf is a dish of ground meat formed into a loaf shape, mixed with egg and breadcrumbs, then baked or smoked. The meatloaf has European origins; meatloaf of minced meat was mentioned in the famous Roman cookery collection Apicius as early as the 5th century
• American meatloaf has its origins in scrapple, a mixture of ground pork and cornmeal served by German-Americans in Pennsylvania since Colonial times. However, meatloaf in the contemporary American sense did not appear in cookbooks until the late 19th century
• Into the year 1900, most states did not require lawyers to have a university education (although an apprenticeship was often required) and most practitioners had not attended any law school or college
• Some of Sarah Marie’s favorite memories as a Raiderette have involved her father, who is in the military. One of those moments came when Sarah Marie first made the team and her dad was deployed in Iraq. She was able to call him to share the good news.
• “My dad is a huge inspiration in my life; he is very hard working and sacrifices a lot not only for his family but this country,” said Sarah Marie. “It was a great experience to be able to share the exciting news with him; I could feel how proud he was over the phone.”
• Sarah Marie is of Indian decent (her dad is from Fiji) and she speaks fluent Hindi
• According to Google Translate, “Football’s Fabulous Females” in Hindi is फुटबॉल शानदार महिलाओं
• Fiji is comprised of more than 332 islands, of which 110 are permanently inhabited, and more than 500 islets. The capital and largest city, Suva, is on Viti Levu
• During World War II, thousands of Fijians volunteered to aid in Allied efforts via their attachment to the New Zealand and Australian army units
• The country’s currency is the Fijian dollar
• Pro bono publico (English: for the public good; usually shortened to pro bono) is a Latin phrase for professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment or at a reduced fee as a public service. It is common in the legal profession, unlike traditional volunteerism, uses the specific skills of professionals to provide services to those who are unable to afford them
• In 1994, California’s 44th Congressional District was “pro Bono,” electing Sonny Bono to the US House
• In 1998, U2’s lead singer Bono played himself on The Simpsons episode “Trash of the Titans”
• 1998 was Jon Gruden’s first season as Raiders Head Coach
• Sarah Marie took a break from the busy life of a Raiderette to apply to law school and finish her first year
• Sarah Marie has also participated in various half and full marathons, including the 2009 Chicago Marathon, during her time off
• She wanted to rejoin the Raiderettes because she missed the team, the ladies, the performance, and the experience on the field
• She loves to perform on game day for the Raider fans. “My favorite part of game day is performing for the best fans in the NFL,” said Sarah Marie. “Performing for Raider fans is a one-of-kind experience. Raider fans have so much passion for their team and that always shows through at each game. Raider fans create an energy in the Coliseum that is hard to resist and always gets me pumped to perform on game day!”
• Sara Lee is the brand name of a number of frozen and packaged foods, often known for the long-running slogan “Everybody doesn’t like something, but nobody doesn’t like Sara Lee”
• In Oakland and for pro cheer fans everywhere, “nobody doesn’t like Sarah Marie”

Click on the Continue link for more photos, and even more are at this link

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Remember attending your first NFL game? The sonic volume of the cheers, the exploding pyrotechnics, the tingle that goes down your spine as the team runs onto the field? Well, imagine that during your first ever NFL game, you not only are ON the field, but only steps away from the players as they run onto the field, and that you are also performing as part as the entertainment. That is exactly how Kayla of the Houston Texans Cheerleaders experienced her first NFL game.

“I will NEVER forget my first time stepping onto the field,” recalls Kayla. “It was my first NFL game to ever go to. I had no idea what to expect. The best part is when they introduce the team and the whole stadium is cheering. The sound of how loud the cheering is from the field is completely overwhelming. It is one of the most exciting/emotional feelings. I think I speak for all the cheerleaders when I say you get this lump in your throat like you’re so excited that you could cry!”

Kayla is only 20 years of age yet already in her third season with the Texans Cheerleaders. A full-time student with the goal of being a teacher, Kayla shared with UltimateCheerleaders her journey to the HTC at age 18, how she ended up on a fun video that lead her to be interviewed on the NFL Network, and how her mom helped her find the dream dress for Kayla’s upcoming wedding. So how did Kayla end up among the select Houston Texans Cheerleaders at such a young age?

“I was only 18 when I made the team and I never expected to make it on my first go ‘round,” Kayla says. “My dad has always been a huge Texan fan so I remember sitting in his ‘man cave,’ out in our Texan themed garage, and looking at the poster of the cheerleaders. I just decided I could do that.”

“I started watching videos of the cheerleaders’ two-minute warning and other performances they had done,” Kayla remembers. “I just kept telling myself I could do it. I read everything that was posted on the website about how to prepare yourself, and I just bought an outfit and signed up for tryouts. I had no idea what to really expect when I walked in. I used one of my senior pictures as a headshot!”

“Needless to say,” Kayla continues, “when I walked through the doors and saw about a thousand girls in there, I realized how unprepared I really was. When I made it to the finals, I was thrilled. Making the team, I thought, was a long shot. I guess they saw something in me and I’m glad they did. Three years later here I am, two times on the cover of the calendar, and everything else I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of, I have been blessed to say the least.”

Cheerleading has always been a big part of Kayla’s life. “I have been a cheerleader for as long as I can remember,” Kayla shares. “I did competitive cheerleading growing up. I was on a team called Cheer Explosion, then I was on Spirit Elite. I cheered in junior high and then went on to cheer all four years in high school. After I graduated, I moved to Nacogdoches to attend Stephen F. Austin State University, but during Thanksgiving break, I decided I was going to be a Texans Cheerleader. I moved home Christmas break and started taking a couple dance classes at the Houston Met Dance center.”

So compared to trying out as a rookie, how has it been to try-out as a veteran? “Going into try-outs as a veteran, I had a better insight of what to expect, which was a little comforting but more stressful at the same time,” Kayla responds. “I will without a doubt in my mind say that it is harder to make it back as a veteran than it is to make it as a rookie. You are held at higher expectations and every girl in there is there to try and take your spot. Did you do your job the best you could the year before? It’s very easy to get replaced.”

Well, Kayla has been doing her job very well, as evidenced by being a third-year veteran. Asked about some of the aspects of being a Houston Texans Cheerleader that she did not expect, Kayla answers, “Something I didn’t expect was the calendar. I have had the opportunity to be in the calendar all three years that I’ve been on the team. I made the cover as a rookie. I shot for the cover my second year, and then I made it again this year! Definitely all unexpected.”

“Actually being on this team, I don’t expect anything,” continues Kayla. “Every girl on our team is beautiful and capable of doing the things that I’ve been given the opportunity to do. I guess one of the biggest things is to not take anything you’re given for granted. I’m happy for the things I’ve been given the chance to do.”

And one of the fun opportunities was to co-star in a parody video. The NFL’s Play 60 campaign featured a commercial with a boy on the playground giving Cam Newton the low down on how he was on his way to replacing Cam. So Kayla starred in the HTC version in which she discusses being a Texans Cheerleader with little Briana, who was initially sweet but eventually, quite ready to grab Kayla’s spot on the squad, and more.

Had Kayla acted much before this video? “Oh my goodness!” Kayla exclaims. “I have never acted in my life other than being in theatre arts in junior high! Brianna was amazing! She absolutely has a bright future ahead of her and I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw her in a movie one day.”

Then the video lead to Kayla being interviewed on the NFL Network. “Appearing on NFL Network was definitely a wonderful opportunity and another nerve wracking experience where you just don’t want to mess up!” Kayla says. Of course, Kayla never lost her footing during this either.

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