By Rich Mardekian
Community News (Fair Lawn Edition)
Christie Artinger, 27, of Fair Lawn, is a new member of the Devils Dancers, the group of women who entertain fans at the Prudential Center in Newark during New Jersey Devils hockey games.
The 2003 Fair Lawn High School graduate spent last year as a cheerleader for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League (NFL) and before that was a member of the New York Jets Flight Crew.
Artinger loved her experience in California but with her family and fiancé 3,000 miles away back home, she decided to return to New Jersey.
“I decided to do it for one year (cheer for the Chargers) and it was great,” she said. “I had many moments as a Chargers cheerleader. It was hard to give up. I love the team and the organization.”
Now that she is back in New Jersey, Artinger said she wanted a new experience and originally was thinking about becoming a Knicks City Dancer or Brooklyn Nets Dancer for the National Basketball Association (NBA), but training for a new job as a sales executive got in the way of the respective tryouts for those teams.
That conflict turned out to be a blessing in disguise as Artinger decided to tryout for the Devils Dancers and a chance to cheer for a team that plays in New Jersey.
In August after three rounds of dancing for the judges and interviews at the Prudential Center, she was selected for the 17-women squad.
“(The Devils Dancers) has the same structure as NFL cheerleading but the dancing is much more difficult and technical,” she said.
Artinger began her career as a cheerleader in 2009 for the New York Jets. She decided to try out after being laid off from her job as a marketing executive in New York City.
“I had to go back and find a way to make myself feel complete again,” Artinger said at the time of her decision to tryout for the Flight Crew.
She made the squad and the experience was one she called the best of her life. She cheered for the Jets for two seasons, including the first in MetLife Stadium.
Artinger then wanted to do something new and made the move to California to become a Charger Girl.
“I was looking to do something adventurous,” said Artinger of her decision to move to the West Coast. “It was a lifelong dream of mine, even as a child, to move to San Diego.”
When Artinger will debut for the Devils is on hold for now as the National Hockey League (NHL) is currently in a lockout that has so far seen a slew of games at the start of the season cancelled.
“It’s wait and see on the season,” said Artinger. “I am excited for the season, even if it will be less of a season.”
While the NHL players are locked out and can’t practice as a team, the same cannot be said for the Devils Dancers. The squad has been rehearsing in preparation for being able to entertain the fans if and when the owners and players come to an agreement and the 2012 hockey season finally begins.
In the meantime, Artinger is loving being a Devils Dancer.
“I look up to the girls on the team (Devils Dancers),” she added. “They push me to be a better dancer and teammate.”
Complete details here.
Danielle danced for the NLL NY Titans at Madison Square Garden for two seasons. She also danced from 2003-2010 for the Long Island Lizards and choreographed and coached the Lizards during her last season.
In 2010 she made the UFL Hartford Colonials Cheerleading/Dance Team when she moved to CT.
The Colonials were under the direction 2011 Patriots Pro Bowl Cheerleader Brittney Bonchuk, who Danielle describes as an amazing coach and choreographer and who taught her so much while living Connecticut.
Now Danielle lives back in New York where she teaches K-12 Physical Education, Health and Dance.
She says she is really enjoying her career. She’s trying to motivate my students to live a healthier and more active life. She has always wanted to work with children and by doing so she has a smile on her face everyday when she sees them smile and succeed.
Danielle is also pursuing her Masters Degree in Building Leadership with the goal to be a Principal on day. She created a dance team in the school district where she works And during all this time she got married to the man of her dreams.
Danielle misses all of the talented ladies she danced with and hopes to begin auditioning in the near future after she graduates with her masters degree.
The Tennessee Titans Cheerleaders are the latest squad to produced their own Gangnam Style video.
From 2011 – An Orlando Predators Prowler
(Some how I posted the gallery from auditions a while back but never the actual post)
Hey did you hear the Islanders are moving to Brooklyn? They will still be the New York Islanders, but stating with the 2015-16 season the team will call the New Barclays Center (where the Nets play) home.
Back in August the Islanders held auditions for their Ice Girl squad.
Sure you have to be a great skater to make the team.
You have to be a great skater while waving a giant flag.
There are also ice maintenance responsibilities. When the season finally starts, the Ice Girls will be responsible for clearing/cleaning the ice from the goal line to the blue line. And they only get 90 seconds during a television timeout to get the job done.
Nicole is making her second attempt to become an Islanders Ice Girl. She has been skating since she was three. She’s a recent graduate of the New York Institute of Technology, a freelance make-up artist and a life long Islanders fan.
Another hopeful Melissa played hockey (defense and left wing) for a travel team before making the switch to figure skating. She’s a senior at Dowling College where she’s studying Sports Management.
Now if we can only get this lockout settled.
From Redskins.com
The NFL goes pink every October in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness month. The league’s pink theme includes everything from players’ socks to referees’ whistles to cheerleaders’ pompoms.
These observances are personal for the Washington Redskins Cheerleaders as many of their Alumni have battled breast cancer. Download the Washington Redskins Cheerleaders Mobile App to read about those brave Alumni who have battled the disease. With the mobile app you can check out photo galleries of the former First Ladies in their cheerleader uniforms and learn how long each has been cancer-free.
The Washington Redskins Cheerleaders Mobile App is available for Android and iPhone and costs only $1.99. Go to here to download the app and stay connected to the First Ladies of Football
[Washington Redskins Cheerleaders]
Normally we are site dedicated to Cheerleaders and Dancers for Professional Sports Teams. But we do make an occasional exception.
The Georgia Tech Gold Rush Dance Team are under the Direction of former Atlanta Falcons Pro Bowl Cheerleader Brandy Kirschner. And since I went to Tech, oh so many years ago, that’s two good reasons to make an exception.
Thanks to reader EC who took these photos when the Yellow Jackets hosted Middle Tennessee State last month.
The Eagles Cheerleaders were wearing pink at the Friday Night Bud Light Party at Big Heads in Richboro.
Three-year veteran Danielle show of her calendar page.
Rookie Susan is a graduate of DeSales University.
[Eagles Cheerleaders Swimsuit Calendar]
