Here’s the first look at the new squad selected yesterday afternoon. More photos coming this week.
From Thursday night’s pre-season game – Marissa of the Phialdelphia Eagles Cheerleaders
By Tony Haneman
Trenton Monitor
In foster care at age four, biological mother killed at age seven, biological father nowhere around, and adopted at age 10… life didn’t start easy for Chastity Manning.
Troubled teen? Bitter and disillusioned young adult? Quite the contrary.
The 23-year-old Manning, a 2006 Trenton Catholic Academy graduate and present cheerleading coach, has risen from the anguish of adversity in early life to achieve remarkable success, including an exclusive spot on the 2012 Philadelphia Eagles’ cheerleading squad. From pirouettes in her kitchen to dance steps before millions, she still even now finds it hard to believe.
“I still can’t believe I made it,” she said with a giggle. “I was happy just getting to the semi-final cuts.”
The road has been a remarkable one for the affable Manning. Her life found stability in the home of Charles and Mildred Manning who adopted her at age 10. She blossomed from there. The Mannings instilled in their new daughter a God-consciousness that is a part of her even today.
“My parents were in church all the time. As a result, I developed a faith in God at a very early age,” she says.
While most people might struggle with bitterness towards God during difficult times, Manning responded differently.
“My (adoptive) parents always taught me to be positive. And I’ve also learned that God doesn’t put you in circumstances you can’t handle.”
Add to that, life lessons she gleaned from mission trips with her church. As she traveled to different parts of the country, she quickly learned, “there are people that have it a lot worse than you.”
On one particular trip at age 13, she and her group met a middle-aged man in Ohio with no family. “We ministered to him for a week and when we prepared to leave, he cried. It just reminded me that many people don’t have what we have. Be grateful for the blessings.”
Although barely in her 20s, Manning is already a six-year veteran of high school coaching. She took on the head coaching job of the TCA cheerleading squad at age 19, while an undergrad at Rider University, Lawrenceville.
“Those first two years were difficult. Sometimes you fail in order to learn. I had to learn to be tough … but …” she adds with remarkable insight, “being tough is different than being mean.
“High school can be difficult sometimes, and I’m not so far removed from it that I can’t relate to what my girls are going through.”
Her goal for her TCA squad is similar to the goal of her Eagles’ squad: excellence.
“We have a round table discussion at the beginning of each season as to what our general goals are. The new girls see our serious approach and buy into it. I take them to clinics, and eventually hope to get them to regional and national competitions”
Both of her cheerleading endeavors are part time. She works full-time for the Boys and Girls Club of Trenton and Mercer County. In fact, being in full-time work or in full-time education is a requirement to be an Eagles cheerleader. After work, Manning heads to Philadelphia where she and the other 37 cheerleaders practice three hours each Tuesday and Wednesday, something she has been doing since May.
“Being an Eagles’ cheerleader has opened up a world of opportunity. I tell my girls, ‘you can be anything you want’.”
What opportunity would she really like? Opening a performing arts school in Trenton is a dream of hers. She could work directly with kids in building them into the artists they’re capable of being. Being an Eagles’ cheerleader lends credibility to that goal. She would stress to her students, “You can do anything, as long as you give 100 percent.”
From EMCFrontenac.ca:
Kingston native competing for final spot on Raptors Dance Pak
By Kristen Coughlar
One of Kingston’s own is counting on a little assistance from her hometown to help her become the newest member of the Raptors Dance Pak.
Nineteen-year-old Laurissa Tassielli, is one of eight contestants vying for a spot on the 2012/2013 NBA dance team.
Laurissa was among 200 dancers to audition for the team July 14 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. The field of 200 was narrowed down to 30.
“They ended up choosing eight girls to be on the team out of that 30, and they chose eight of us, which I was in, to be part of a contest. The winner of the contest will be the final team member,” Tassielli explained.
Tassielli started dancing at a young age, doing jazz and hip-hop with TK Danceworx. She went on to compete in cheerleading all throughout high school at Holy Cross, and then in her first year of university in Toronto. She is currently a high school cheerleading coach in Mississauga and will be attending Ryerson University in the fall for Psychology.
“I just love cheerleading and I went to a couple of Raptors games this year and saw them dancing, I knew I wanted to do that,” she said of how she came to audition for the Raptors Dance Pak. Tassielli said that although she plans to have a future career in the field of Psychology, it is important for her to keep both dance and cheerleading a part of her life.
“I’m always dancing. Whenever music is on I’m dancing, I love it, it’s my passion. I need to be able to have it in my life always, it makes me very happy.”
She explained that competition to make the NBA dance team was fierce.
“Everyone was really good dancers. It was pretty intense,” she said, adding that she is happy to have the opportunity to participate in the You Pick the Pak contest.
Next week, a link will be added to the Toronto Raptors website where people will be able to vote for the contestant they would like to see as the final member of the Dance Pak. People will be able to vote once a day, every day from Aug. 6-30.
Tassielli anticipates it will be a tight race, but believes that with the support of friends, family and her fellow Kingstonians she has a real shot at winning.
“I would be so ecstatic if I made it. It would almost be like a dream come true. I love performing so performing in front of such a huge audience would be just amazing,” she said.
She said she imagines being a part of the Raptors Dance Pak to be both busy and intense, but also very exciting.
“It’s a really big opportunity for sure.”
And from the Saskatoon News:
Saskatoon dancer is hoping to get a slam dunk in contest
Reported by Trelle Burdeniuk
A Saskatoon woman is vying for the final spot on the Toronto Raptors Dance Pak.
The 25-year-old Chelsey Zelizney said winning a spot on the dance team would mean so much.
“To be able to dance in front of that many people on a regular basis would be quite exciting and something that I’d love to achieve,” said Zelizney.
She went to tryouts in Toronto and competed against 180 dancers. Now, she has made it to the top nine and the online voting stage.
“It would be really nice to have my hometown behind me,” said Zelizney, who is the only finalist not from Ontario.
She didn’t think she would get this opportunity as Zelizney has been through two knee surgeries that could have ended her dance career.
“It was a big challenge, but I did it.”
Zelizney is moving to Toronto today to start school in the fall and she hopes the basketball court will be her new stage.
2011 Pre-season – Amanda of the NY Jets Flight Crew in the rain.
From December 2011 – Tatiana of the Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders
From 2010 – Philadelphia KiXX Dancer Danielle
From Friday Night – Philadelphia Soulmate AJ after the Soul defeated the Jacksonville Sharks in the AFL American Conference Championship Game.
News from our good friend and former Washington Redskins Cheerleader Jaqui Moore Sherrill:
This past May, I finally legally created my own company, Throwback Cheer, LLC, which houses a combination of items I’ve dreamed on since I was a kid. Throwback Cheer will represent positive means to encourage all individuals, who are involved in cheer and/or dance at any level, to connect and uplift themselves and others.
On Monday, September 10, Throwback Cheer will launch FAB FITNESS in Alexandria, VA at Skyline Sport & Health. Fab Fitness will pilot only in September and October and feature NBA/NFL alumni instructors teaching ‘CheerDance’. The classes will occur 1-time per week for a complete hour and focus on high-impact cardio, weight training, stretching and of course learning routines! The series is just enough to spark dancers’ bodies back in their modes, without the familiar demand and scheduling of PRO cheerleading.
Fab Fitness gives alumni the opportunity to re-immerse themselves in their passion and amateurs the environment they need to GROW. This means college, semi-pro and pro! I want to give special thanks to my Guest Choreographers: Suz M., Buffy K., Teneii B., Lindsey M., and Amanda M. We are looking forward to GETTIN’ IT! 🙂 yayay buns!
