The Washington Redskins cheerleaders were in town over the past week to shoot calendar photos on Marco Beach
By Lance Shearer
The Washington Redskins Cheerleaders — all 43 of them — were on Marco Island this week, staying at the Marriott resort and shooting photos for their 2009 season cheerleader calendar.
As Kelly, one of the squad’s members (the team does not give out the girls’ last names) put it, “we can’t really call it a swimsuit calendar, since we haven’t been in them too much.”
An Eagle photographer went to the beach to witness a photo shoot. It’s a rough job, but someone had to do it.
The girl modeling at the water’s edge seemed to have lost the top to her suit, but was doing her best to cover up with her long hair, helped by a staff of stylists.
Large gentlemen standing at the edges of the group kept gawkers at a distance, and made sure no unauthorized photos of the shoot were snapped.
The calendar shoots are scheduled for near sunrise and sunset, when the lighting is best. This particular evening featured a typically gorgeous Marco Island sunset.
Along with the glamour of modeling comes a lot of work, believe it or not.
In addition to posing for calendar stills, the cheerleaders are recording video for upcoming Redskins’ promotions.
A cheerleader named Ashley strode toward the videocam, repeating the line “with our offense fully loaded, on the ground and in the air,” time after time, never losing her poise.
After her turn in front of the cameras, one of the girls took a few minutes to chat. Ana is a native of Bolivia, but has lived in the U.S. for most of her life.
Redskins cheerleader Ana is a rookie member of the squad. The native of Bolivia has completed a year of law school, but is also considering journalism as a career.
A rookie squad member at age 25, she has a year of law school under her bikini, but has put the profession on hold to follow her dream of dancing.
“I’ve always danced. I took ballet for 18 years. I’m an aspiring lawyer, but I’d like to take this as far as I can,” she said.
Dancing has opened doors for Ana before. She won her scholarship to college dancing at the Pro Bowl as an All-American dancer.
With a degree in communications, she is also considering a career in broadcast journalism. If she chooses that path, she will be following in her father’s footsteps.
Her dad, Raul De Villegas, is a reporter and producer with Univision. The proud papa came over from Miami to visit with his daughter while she was in Florida for the shoot.
“She told me three months ago she wanted to try this, and I said ‘all the time you have my support.’ ”
He got to watch Ana, along with the other girls, as they put on a show Saturday evening on the Marriott’s Tiki Terrace, after sunset had put an end to calendar photography for the evening.
To the sounds of tunes including “Bad to the Bone,” “Girls, Girls, Girls,” “You Shook Me All Night Long,” “Smooth” and “Bad Girls,” the “First Ladies of Football,” as they call themselves, came out in groups of about a dozen wearing their various scanty uniforms, strutting, high-kicking, and dancing in the routines they will use to entertain the crowds during the football team’s games this fall.
Presumably, they also have some warmer togs, because the outfits they were modeling this evening would not provide much protection during a Redskins’ home game in a D.C. December.
For the 12 rookie members, this was their first time performing in front of a crowd of guys who wanted to be with them, and young girls who just wanted to be them, but there wasn’t a lot of time to bask in the spotlight.
Tomorrow morning, it’s back to work, with a 5 a.m. call, and another photo shoot.
Note: Earlier this year I speculated on a squad having members from 5 continents. It appears to 2009 Washington Redskins Cheerleaders are one such case: Bolivia (South America), Japan (Asia), Germany (Europe), South Africa(Africa) and of course North America.
We’ve come across quite a few Cheerleaders/Dancers that are television reporters. We’ve also found a few radio reporters, but Tierney of the AIFA DC Body Armor is our first print reporter.
She earned her BA in English from the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA. At Mary Washington, Tierney was Associate Editor of the school newspaper, The Bullet and performed on university dance team.
Tierney’s now a web/general assignment reporter for the Washington Business Journal. She writes 6 to 8 daily news stories that are posted on the paper’s home page that cover a variety of beats in the D.C. area. Some are more feature-oriented, while others are breaking news stories like earnings, real estate transactions, mergers, and company expansions.
Tierney also writes the Commercial Real Estate brief section that runs in the weekly print edition of the paper.
Ultimately, Tierney says she’d like to move to California and get into magazine writing and do feature-length articles and profiles.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mrwR5_RgJY[/youtube]
Time is running out to register. The P-R-O Convention is June 27th-28th.
Here are your 2009-10 Washington Wizard Girls. By my count there are 12 returning vets from last season and eight rookies (including the Final Wizard Girl who will be chosen in online voting.)
You may recognize one of the rookies. GeNienne was a Washington Redskins Cheerleader for 8 seasons. She represented her squad at the 2004 Pro Bowl and graced the cover of the Redskins Cheerleaders Swimsuit Calendar twice.
GeNienne had retired from the Redskins after the 2006-07 season. She and former Redskins Cheerleaders teammate Sooin started their own business (Sideline Prep) to help dancers prepare for auditions. They were awarded the contract to run the prep classes for the Redskins and the Wizards.
While GeNienne was running the Wizard Girls prep classes this spring, she started thinking about giving it a go one more time. And on Thursday, less than 48 hours before auditions, she made the decision to try out.
On the Seahawks Sidelines: Local Woman Earns Spot on Professional Football Cheer Squad
By Andy Campbell
The Chronicle Online
When Heather Livingston auditioned to be a Husky cheerleader right out of high school in 2005, no one expected she’d make it on the first try.
The W.F. West graduate made the team, graduating from the university with her bachelor of arts degree in sociology last year.
When she auditioned early this month to become a Sea Gal, a professional cheerleader with the Seahawks, no one, not even her, thought she’d make it on the first try.
Think again.
Now 23, Livingston was chosen out of about 260 hopefuls to become one of the 28 women who had inspired her throughout her dancing and cheering career.“I learned about it online and I thought, you know what? I’m gonna give it a shot,” Livingston said. “I’ve got nothing to lose.”
Currently located in Snoqualmie, she works as a substitute elementary school teacher and plans to get her Masters degree in education through the University of Washington.
Heather, now 23, poses as a cheerleader for the W.F. West squad she used to cheer on. She was accepted to work as a Sea Gal, a Seahawks Professional Cheerleader, in early May. After high school she went on to cheer at the University of Washington.It’s going to be a tough schedule this summer, she said, because being a Sea Gal is not all dancing and smiling. It’s hard work.
She’ll practice at night two or three times a week, memorize moves and choreography and take part in some 300 community events throughout the 2009 football season.
“There’s a lot expected out of these girls; it’s fun but it’s a huge commitment and it’s not easy,” said Sherri Thompson, former Sea Gal and current coach. “That said, it’s a very rewarding and mature, professional environment.”
Thompson agreed that being accepted as a Sea Gal could be comparable to being accepted as a Seahawk, but in the cheerleading world and without a celebrity’s pay.
She said Livingston is a great athlete, is well spoken, well educated and a good dancer. While there may be some things to work on like anyone else, more training will fix that, Thompson said.
Livingston’s mom, Colleen Frazier, said she was excited for and proud of her daughter for the accomplishment. Frazier was a cheer instructor at W.F. West for eight years until she and her family moved to Snoqualmie in 2005.
She said she thinks her daughter will probably go on to become a coach herself.
“It’s an extremely rewarding profession when you work both in and out of the classroom with kids,” Frazier said. “She’s had a passion for dancing since she could walk. She’s always been an entertainer.”
Livingston said she always looked up to the women on the Sea Gals, for their intelligence, community involvement and talent.
“In this program they’re all very classy girls,” Livingston said. “Some of them are lawyers, teachers … They all have a lot going for them and the community looks up to them.”
She said she’ll definitely be trying out again next year.
Making the Cut
Roughly 260 women auditioned in early May for one of the 28 paid positions available on the team.
Thompson said there are a couple of steps she and judges will take to file down the numbers:
First, the girls bring in their applications and a head shot, then are put into groups of three to dance. Their general style is scrutinized, and half of them are cut.
Second, they’re taught a dance that they have one day to practice. They’re cut in half again, when this year’s number would have been at about 65.
Then there is an interview process. Judges are left with about 40 girls and last year’s veterans, who automatically make the final round. These women answer questions on camera and dance to a final choreography before the final 28 are chosen.
Livingston said the main components to a good Sea Gal audition are showmanship and performance, general ability, good interviews and a clean lifestyle.
Obviously there is going to be a certain physical expectation that the Sea Gals must follow — they must stay fit, work out, and hold their set weight within about a three-pound window.
Since Livingston looked up to these women when she was a small child dancing her heart out, she had some advice for those little girls who will now undoubtedly look up to her.
“I would say, just stick with it. Keep active in dancing, and never, ever give up,” she said. “Even if you think you can’t do it like I did, just give it a shot. Also, stay active in your community throughout your life and be a positive role model.”
When it came to becoming a cheerleader — or any other career path or dream, for that matter — Heather Livingston couldn’t be told no. One mustn’t tell themselves no, either, or they’ll miss out on opportunities like these, she said.
After a two long days of auditions, nineteen of the twenty 2009-10 Washington Wizard Girls were selected last evening.
Now here’s your chance to help select the Final Wizard Girl.
Watch the videos and cast your vote here for either Javai or Lisa.
And yes that guy with the backpack in the background of the videos is me. I’ve got loads of photos and info from the auditions coming up later this week.
By Nicole Brewer
CBS3.com
Fame, fortune, and a best friend forever … That’s all anyone wants out of life, right?
Well, if you’re Paris Hilton, that is.
In her latest reality venture, the celebutante chooses among a slew of wanna-be BFF’s including Broomall resident and former Eagles Cheerleader Amanda Narcise.
“I am a big fan of Paris. I like her sense of style and the way she carries herself,” said Narcise.
Clad in an animal print bikini, Amanda’s outside-the-box audition tape, larger than life ego and twin chihuahuas won her a spot on MTV’s reality show Paris Hilton’s My New BFF.
“The show is pretty much thirteen girls and one guy competing to be Paris Hilton’s new best friend. To win, you have to go through a bunch of challenges,” explained Narcise.
Now, in its second season, the challenges on the show are physical, mental and one takes place in the big house.
“She wanted us to feel what she felt and go through the hardships she went through to get to where she is today.”
But, the question remains … why would anyone WANT to be Paris Hilton’s best friend? Amanda’s response?
“I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t want to be Paris’ best friend.”
The show premieres next week on MTV.
Amanda in 2006 with her calendar photo.
Hey everyone! We’ve got a new look again. Thanks for all your feedback. We hope the site is easier to read and navigate now. We’re still making some changes. We’d like to hear what you think. Love it? Hate it? Suggestions?
E-mail us: james@procheerleaderblog.com, sasha@procheerleaderblog.com, ultimatecheerleaders@gmail.com
