Sideline Prep is back with their DMV Cheer & Dance Workshop
Learn dance routines, technique and tips from Coaches & Pro Cheerleaders
Get the inside scoop from Coaches about the pro dance teams in DC, Maryland, & Virginia
Gain knowledge and insight to be prepared for upcoming prep classes and auditions
Location: (Same as last year)
Oxon Hill Village Recreation Center – Gymnasium
2260 Alice Avenue, Oxon Hill, MD 20745
As Raiderette of the Year, Brandi will represent her squad at the 2016 Pro Bowl.
Watch a video of the announcement here.
Charnei was named the Philadelphia Eagles’ 2016 Pro Bowl Cheerleader during Saturday’s game. As the 2016 Pro Bowl Cheerleader, Charnei will have the honor of representing the squad at the NFL Pro Bowl in Honolulu on January 31, 2016 at Aloha Stadium.
A Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleader for four seasons, Charnei is a native of Philadelphia. She is currently finishing her Bachelor of Science degree in nursing at Temple University and will be graduating in just a few short weeks. Charnei plans to pursue a career as a labor and delivery nurse, eventually specializing in neonatal care after obtaining a master’s degree. In the midst of all of her hard work, Charnei has found time to pursue one of her greatest passions – dance.
“I started dancing when I was 7 years old at a local dance school,” said Charnei. “I went to a creative and performing arts high school where I was a dance major, and after I graduated and went to college I thought about performing on a larger scale. That’s when I said to myself, ‘I should audition for the Eagles.’”
Only one cheerleader from each NFL squad is selected for the Pro Bowl, and Charnei will have a lot of work to do leading up to the big game. She will be rehearsing for the large-scale pre-game and halftime productions, and will also appear at numerous fan engagement events, official Pro Bowl practices and the “Draft of Team Rosters” event.
“It’s an incredible honor,” said Charnei. “Being an Eagles Cheerleader is an honor in and of itself, but to represent the organization and my teammates on this national stage, I feel so privileged and humbled. I’m so ecstatic!”
2016 marks 75 years since the attack on Pearl Harbor, and during this year’s Pro Bowl there will be various military appreciation initiatives. There are currently 50,000 active military members based in Hawaii, and with help from USAA, 50 military members and wounded warriors will be in attendance at the practice on January 29. All five branches of the military will also be represented at during the televised draft on January 27.
As a Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleader, Charnei has been passionate about supporting active and retired military. One of her most memorable experiences was visiting with U.S. military aboard the USS Somerset, named in honor of the heroes of 9/11 to thank them for their service and sacrifice. Charnei also spent a day sailing with the U.S. Coast Guard aboard the Barque Eagle and finds that community outreach is one of her favorite aspects of being an Eagles Cheerleader.
“My favorite part would have to be the appearances we do,” said Charnei. “For example, the Eagles’ Huddle Up for Autism Event. I have a little cousin who is autistic and she’s 8 years old. I know the day-to-day struggles that her mom goes through, and not many places are educated on how to deal with Autism. When the Eagles hosted such a big extravaganza for autistic children and their families, I loved being a part of that. It’s personal for me.”
[Charnei at PhiladelphiaEagles.com]
Open tryouts for the 2016 Tampa Bay Storm Cheerleaders will be held on Feb. 6 at Amalie Arena.
Registration will take place the day of the event from 10 to 11 a.m. Auditions are closed to family members and the general public.
Participants must be 18 and have a high school diploma or equivalent. They’ll need to bring a photo ID, a recent photo sized 4×6 or larger, a dance resume, a completed medical liability release, and a completed 2016 cheerleader application. Those forms can be requested by sending an email to kebanks@tampabaystorm.com
Participants are asked to wear form fitting, two piece dance outfits with comfortable shoes. Dancers should wear dance briefs or boy shorts and skin tone hose.
Following introductions and warm-ups, participants will learn across the floor combinations including basic kicks and turns and a few short, repeating sideline/dance routines.
After first cuts, the remaining candidates will be taught a hip-hop or jazz routine to perform before a panel of judges two at a time.
More detailed information on the tryouts is available at tampabaystorm.com/cheerleaders/tryout-information, by calling (813) 230-2416 or by sending an e-mail to Kindra Ebanks, Director of Storm Cheerleaders, at kebanks@tampabaystorm.com.
NJ.com has a recap of Eagles Cheerleaders galleries going all the way back to the start of the season and auditions.
[Eagles Cheerleaders at NJ.com]
The MVC’s 1st Quarter End Zone dance with Viktor in the Vikings Sunday Night Football Win over the Giants
By Diana Turner-Hurn
Journal & Topics Reporter
Each year, women from around the U.S. try out to be a Chicago Luvabull. Only 25 are selected to cheer on and represent the city’s one NBA team.
This year, one of the 25 selected was Rosemont native Nicole Cargola, daughter of Dianne and Frank Cargola of Rosemont.
“I love being able to represent the Chicago Bulls not only at the games, but during charity events such as recently helping the children’s hospital with the Santa flights helping ill children and their families,” Nicole Cargola, 24, told the Journal.
Cargola is not only a dancer working part-time for the Luvabulls, but also a physical therapist assistant. She says she really enjoys her work at The Admiral at the Lake skilled nursing facility in Chicago where she works full-time.
“Everyday I work with people that put a smile on my face,” Cargola said. “It is very rewarding work. The only bad thing is that when a patient gets better, they move on and I don’t get to see them as often. A few of them truly touch my heart.
“But although you will miss them, you know you’re doing your job when you are able to send them home,” Cargola said of the patients she works with.
This is the first year Cargola has been a Luvabull. Without disclosing what the job pays, Bulls officials said to become a Luvabull, one must be 21 and have training in jazz and hip hop dance with an emphasis on synchronized dance team choreography, tumbling skills, cheer stunts and pom experience. Those selected must attend evening rehearsals during the week and perform at Bulls home games until the end of the NBA season including the playoffs.
Asked who her favorite Bulls are, Cargola said, “They are all great, but my favorite is Benny the Bull. On a serious note, Jimmy Butler works hard, is very good and seems to be carrying the weight of the team on his back.”
The Luvabulls also appear at corporate and international events. Recently, Cargola appeared with the group on “Good Morning America” for an NBA event.
Cargola is well qualified to be a Luvabull. The 2009 East Leyden High School graduate was a member of the 2011 Adrenaline Rush Dance Team for the now-defunct Arena Football League’s Chicago Rush that played at Allstate Arena.Cargola began dancing at the age of 3 and participating with cheer and dance teams when she was 7 through Rosemont Park District programs. She was a Rosemont School cheerleader while continuing to take dance lessons.
At East Leyden, Cargola tried out and was accepted for the Leydenettes poms team, and later on, the dance team at Elmhurst College before trying out for the Rush.
“I owe a lot to my Leyden dance coach and neighbor Brenda Drehobl,” Cargola told the Journal. “She coached and inspired me for years and continues to do so.”
After attending Elmhurst and earning a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Management Science, Cargola attended Fox College where she received a physical therapist assistant associate’s degree.“My parents have been super supportive of everything from my dancing to my work. They are terrific,” Cargola said. “As has been my younger sister Amanda.”
When asked what the future holds, Cargola said someday she’d like to be a dance coach.
“The toughest thing for me in the beginning was at the games, and being in front of 20,000 fans, having all those eyes on you,” she said. “You’re just out there. But I’m used to it now and enjoy being part of the Bulls.”
From Colts.com
Hi Colts Nation! I’m very excited to be your Cheerleader Of The Week!
This is my 6th year as a Sweetheart of the Horseshoe. A few of my favorite memories include our swimsuit calendar shoots, meeting so many Colts fans, going to Mexico City through NFL Mexico in 2010 and again in 2015, and being part of the NFL draft this year in Chicago! However, the most rewarding experience for me was going to Puerto Rico and Curacao for a military tour. It was so neat to perform for our military men and women and hear so many of their stories and realize what they go through for our freedom!
I’ve been a captain the past 4 seasons and love being able to help lead our team! I have been fortunate to have been a part of a great team every year, but this year our team is extraordinary. Our team is so driven and talented which makes being a captain very easy and rewarding.
Thank you to my family, friends, and fiancé for being so supportive of me all these years! Without your support I would not be here. Thank you to all the girls I have been able to call a teammate over the last 6 years. You are all amazing and I’m so thankful to have shared this journey with you! Thank you fans for being the best fans in the NFL! Lastly, I would like to thank God for giving me the gift of dance and giving me this opportunity. Go Colts!
You are the owner of Center Pointe Dance Studio. How do you balance being an entrepreneur and cheering?
The biggest thing for me has been time management! There is a lot of behind the scenes work which can be very time consuming. However, I love what I do which makes all that not so bad. I get to teach my passion to students who are eager to learn. I wouldn’t trade my career for anything! I get to help shape our future…what could be more rewarding than that?With the New Year approaching, what are some of your goals for 2016?
At the start of every New Year, I try to look back and see what it was that I could have done better. As I look back at 2015, I feel that I was a pretty healthy person, but there is always room for improvement! As cheerleaders we try really hard to stay fit and healthy all the time, but when we are preparing for things such as auditions and photo shoots we tend to buckle down a little bit more! If I could be more strict on myself throughout the year I think I would feel healthier all the time which would be great!The Colts play their last regular season home game against the Titans this Sunday. What was the highlight of this season for you?
It’s always bittersweet when we are near the end of a season. There have been so many exciting things and events throughout this season that I am so grateful for. Making the team for my 6th season, our calendar shoot in Mexico, being able to go to Chicago to and be part of the NFL Draft, visiting Mexico City through NFL Mexico, meeting so many Colts fans and so much more! I have been so fortunate to be part of a team and organization that offers so much that it’s hard for me to pick just one highlight! Cheering for my favorite team and having such great teammates keeps the whole season exciting!You recently got engaged. What’s your wedding “must-have”?
YES!!! I got engaged this summer and am as excited now as I was when he asked! My fiancé, Mitch, and I have been together 10 years and we can’t wait to start our lives together. We are getting married in the fall of 2016 and are eager to see it all pulled together. I don’t know that I have one must-have, but I love being creative and am very excited to be able to do a lot of the artistic and decorative things myself! I can’t wait to have all the people we love the most there to share in our special day!Looking back at this past week, what was your favorite Christmas gift that you received and why?
It’s so hard to pick just one favorite gift! I’m a little late on this as most people have had one forever, but I got a Keurig and can’t wait to use it! I’m a coffee-holic and have a feeling this will be one of the best gifts I’ve ever gotten!
