Finally, the long awaited part two from my trip to Charlotte.
After Friday night with the Bobcats, it was Saturday night with the ECHL Charlotte Checkers and their dance team the Checkmates. The Checkmates, like the LadyCats, are under the direction of our good friend Brandii McCoy
Yes, they dance on the ice. No carpet, no special shoes!
Sheena is from Nova Scotia and is one of the skaters on the team. She teaches middle and high school French.
Yes, Brandii convinced me pose in another group photo.
Checkmates in the elevator on the way back from visiting fans in the suites. In the center is Megan, captain and four-year veteran of the squad. During the day Megan is an IT Consultant.
Erin comes to Charlotte from Texas by way of New York. She’s an Aggie and was on the Texas A&M Dance Team
[Checkmates blue uniforms by The Line Up]
By George H. Newman
The Tampa Tribune
A former cheerleader for the New England Patriots is passing her skills on to a new generation at her dance studio.
Lori J. Matta, 47, a longtime dance instructor, came to Plant City about three years ago from the Boston area, where she sold a ranch before moving to a 10-acre spread off Knights-Griffin Road.
She taught dance at the 1914 Plant City High School Community Center for a while before deciding to buy the historic 4,700-square-foot Garden Club building at 1112 N. Wheeler St. Within a short time Matta established herself as a fixture in the dance-instructor community, offering classes for children and adults.
Part of her repertoire at her studio, the Dance Carousel, includes cheerleading and tumbling. Those skills came in handy for her students who belong to the Plant City High School cheer competition team that won the Western Conference High School Championship in February. Plant City defeated 23 other Hillsborough County teams to take the title for the first time. Ten of the 20 cheerleaders on the team are students at the Dance Carousel.
“It’s exciting to see any of my students perform well and get recognition for their skills,” Matta said. “The Plant City cheer competition team made history when they won the division. The girls are all very excited.”
The team proved its conference title wasn’t a fluke by placing fourth in the recent state competitions in Tallahassee.
Cheerleader Casey Creamer, 16-year-old sophomore, said Matta’s instruction helped “keep us sharp.” She said working with Matta is a lot of fun.
Plant City High cheerleader coach Ginger Parks also had high praise for Matta, who helped with one of the practices last year.
“She discussed proper technique, the muscles that are used in the body to initiate a proper jump, as well as exercises to improve everything from toe touches to abdominal work to tumbling,” Parks said.
“I had several girls who had worked on their tumbling to no avail. Within one month Lori had them tumbling,” Parks said.
She was “tough with the cheerleaders and cuts no slack. However, she gets positive results,” she said.
Another Plant City High cheer competition member who studies with Matta is 17-year-old Christina Martin. Her mother, Agnes, takes the 11th-grade honor student to Dance Carousel for dance and cheer classes.
“Christina learned floor gymnastics and tumbling at Dance Carousel,” Martin said.
“With Miss Lori’s help she made the junior varsity and varsity cheerleading squads and is a member of the cheer competition team.”
Martin also brings her younger daughter, Elizabeth, a kindergarten student, to the Dance Carousel twice each week.
“Liz takes cheer on Monday, and tap, ballet and jazz on Wednesdays,” her mother said.
The little 5-year-old isn’t shy about her new-found skills.
“Miss Lori teaches how to do back flips, how to dance, how to cheer and how to jump,” Liz said recently as she went through a few gymnastic moves at the studio.
“Fun, fun, fun is what we are all about,” Matta said. “The students work hard, but I want them to enjoy all of their routines at the same time.”
Her classes include tap, jazz, ballet, tumbling, pageantry and more. She’s starting an exercise group for adults and has a children’s theater on Saturdays.
Matta’s various skills and demanding work ethic were developed through her own schooling and professional experience. An accomplished dance and gymnastics instructor for the past 25 years, Matta earned a bachelor’s degree in dance movement therapy for the special needs from Keene State College in New Hampshire and a master’s degree in sports medicine and exercise physiology from California State University in Fullerton.
Matta’s resume includes past winner of many talent competitions including Junior Miss Talent in the Miss New Hampshire pageant and Miss New England Talent. She toured the country studying and judging many competitions in California, Las Vegas and New York City. During her professional career she held the lead coaching position for the renowned Cathy Rigby’s Gymnastic Academy in California for three years.
Matta was a New England Patriots cheerleader from 1981 through 1983.
Dancing is only part of Matta’s life. She’s also an accomplished rancher who takes in unwanted animals.
Her uncle, John Matta, who lives in Valrico, was instrumental in her move to the Plant City area when she decided to find a warmer climate.
John Matta helped his niece fix up the small ranch, now called Apache Way Farm. Together they built corrals, mended fences and turned the property into what Lori Matta calls “a pretty nice ranch.”
Matta’s ranch has a 15-stall horse barn. Each stall is taken by a rescued horse that she has saved from being euthanized or deserted. She also cares for two pot bellied pigs, two goats, a Labrador-shepherd mix dog named Riley, a motherless calf and a llama left at the ranch by its former owner.
“My ranch and my dance studio are my life,” Matta said. “I love to teach kids to dance, cheer and all the gymnastic skills. And I love my animals. I just can’t help myself.”
AT A GLANCE
WHAT: The Dance Carousel
ADDRESS: 1112 N. Wheeler St., Plant City
CLASSES: Ballet, jazz, pageantry, tap, tumbling and more. She also offers summer camps for children.
AGES TAUGHT: 2 through adult
OPEN: Monday through Thursday; hours vary but generally from 4 p.m. through the evening. The studio is available for rent on the weekends.
INFORMATION: (813) 659-9100
By Jay Nanda
San Antonio Express-News
The Rampage may miss the American Hockey League playoffs, but there’s still incentive to catch a game. On Saturday, 15 members of the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders will be at the AT&T Center to perform during the 7 p.m. contest against … uh … does it matter? The squad will also conduct a clinic from 9 a.m.-noon on Saturday at the Lifetime Fitness at The Rim for aspiring youth, some of whom may one day audition on “The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Squad.” American Idol-esque judge of talent Kelli Finglass, 44, who cheered for the Cowboys from 1984-88 and has been the squad’s director since 1991, took time out to chat.
Q: A lot of people may be attending a Rampage game for the first time thanks to your squad’s appearance, as well as Cowboys fans who aren’t able to make it to Irving for a game. What does it mean to provide such community service appearances?
A: The performance we’re doing for the Rampage is a sports entertainment performance. We go and do basketball, hockey, even baseball games. The part that reaches out to the community is the clinic at Lifetime Fitness. (Clinic participants) get a ticket to the game, they perform at the game, meet the cheerleaders. They get all the bells and whistles.
Q: Do you think cheerleaders will ever be a fixture in professional hockey?
Kelli Finglass (left) with DCC Megan FoxA: You know, they could be. There are some teams that have them. With the right surface, I can see them being a part. Fans need to be entertained. Everything from music to dancers. It’s all a part of the game and the experience.
Q: For those who have never seen the TV show, can you describe the qualifications you’re looking for?
A: They have to be able to grab the attention of the judges. Throughout our entire process, if they don’t come to us this way, we certainly have to accentuate it. The baseline is a talented individual.
Q: How often do people refer to you as the Simon Cowell of the show?
A: I get that quite a bit, however, I have to debate that a bit, because people who know me the best … I pull for the underdog. I’m not as hardcore as TV might make it seem. I do enjoy looking for talent.
Q: What’s the most memorable moment during all your times of holding auditions?
A: Oh boy. Many. Singers that shouldn’t sing. We’ve had dancers that don’t dance. We’ve had many wardrobe malfunctions. When you have an open casting call, which is what our first round is, it can be quite entertaining. But it’s also quite humbling seeing people try out for their dream. Especially now with the TV show. There are more cameras all over the place, and that can be intimidating. All cheerleaders have to audition, even if they were on the squad before.
Q: What was your worst experience as a cheerleader?
A: Well, one of the craziest was a huge thunderstorm in the old stadium. We were doing high kicks in the mud. White uniforms became brown uniforms, we’re kicking mud all over each other, and we had to wash our uniforms in the toilet.
Q: Should the Cowboys have released T.O.?
A: You know, I don’t make those calls, so I’m better off not making judgment. I’m gonna leave that to the coaches. How’s that for a politically correct answer? But you know, through the years, I’d grown more fond of T.O. He’s a passionate player, and I do like players with passion. There were times Michael Irvin had his ups and downs with the media. You can’t help but cherish players like Troy (Aikman) and Emmitt (Smith), of course. But I’m in the tunnel with the players right before introductions, and some players just stand out. You see their fire and anger and the way they psych themselves up, and Michael was very passionate. It has nothing to do with football.
Q: What would happen if you tried to persuade Jerry Jones to make the cheerleaders’ locker room in the new stadium be referred to as Kelli’s World?
A: (Laughing). Well, I’ve been a part of the design, and we have a wonderful, spacious state-of-the-art locker room that we’ve needed for a long time. The locker room doesn’t make the ladies, that’s for sure, but we are looking forward to being in the new stadium.
Our friend Phil is back with photos of the Bandettes from last Saturday’s Lumberjax-Bandits game.
Sarah and Kirsten
Chantea Dixon, Head Coach/Director of Dance & Choreography for the North Texas Stampede Dancers, sends us the official photo of her newly selected squad.
[North Texas Stampede Dancers]
Reader Joel was at the XSL Chicago Storm game on Sunday and he sent us a few photos of the Storm’s Dance Team, The Storm Chasers.
Rachel M. is a freshman business major.
Alison (left) is also a member of the Schaumburg Flyers Dance Team. Rachel R. (right) is a third-year law student.
Destiny, Jasmine and Olivia. In high school Destiny was a member of State Champion Drill Team, “Rich Central Sparkettes.” Jasmine was I captain of her high school’s varsity pom squad. Olivia was part of the 2007 AIFA Baltimore Blackbirds Dance Team, the 2007-2008 PBL Maryland Nighthawks Dance Team.
Elizabeth danced for the Schaumburg Flyers last season.
Jasmine and Stephanie. Stephanie is a former Chicago Luvabull.
Lindsay and Allison. Lindsay earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Fashion Marketing and Management from the Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago. Allison
Rachel M. and Jasmine
Stephanie B.
Want to be part of selecting the 2009 Atlanta Falcons Cheerleaders? Auditions are coming up and the cheerleaders and the Falcons New Media team are giving you the chance to be a fan judge. Here’s what you have to do…
* Post a YouTube video that demonstrates why you want to be the fan judge for this year’s competition (one minute or less on the videos, please).
* Send a link to your video to the official Atlanta Falcons YouTube Channel (don’t forget to ask us to be your friend and subscribe to our videos).
That’s it!
Members of the Falcons front office will judge the videos and select one winner and four runners-up. The winner will receive a $50 gift certificate to Falcons365 and a spot on the judges’ panel. Four runners-up will receive $20 gift cards to Falcons365.
The last day to post your video will be Friday, April 10. Winners will be notified no later than Monday, April 13.
To win you must…
* Be 18 years old or older
* Provide your own transportation and/or lodging if not from the Atlanta area
* Make sure your video content complies with YouTube’s terms of service
* Be available at the Georgia World Congress Center (Thomas B. Murphy Ballroom) at 9:30 a.m. April 19.
* Agree to provide your own YouTube video/commentary of the event to be placed on a Falcons blog.
Entries will be judged on creativity and originality. Good luck!
Dance team to have higher profile for Schaumburg baseball club
By John Keilman
Chicago Tribune
From a perch overlooking the still-brownish grass of Alexian Field, Dayna Wyatt had a question that likely has never been asked at a ballpark:
“When you do the attitude, are you on relevé or flatfoot?”
That is the lingo of dance, baseball fans, but it might be as relevant to the success of the Schaumburg Flyers this year as anything that happens on the diamond.
The Flyers have one of the few dance teams in minor-league baseball, and at the squad’s tryout Sunday, General Manager Ben Burke said he was planning to give the performers an oversized role this season.
They’ll be taking tickets as fans enter, tossing T-shirts into the crowd between innings and generally assuming a higher profile than most ballpark entertainers, he said. “Dance will be just a quarter of what they do every day,” he said.
That works into the team’s efforts to play up the show-biz aspects of game day, hoping to distinguish itself from its more traditional, more expensive big league competitors. Burke, in his first year as general manager, also plans to feature flame jugglers, stand-up comedians, acrobats, confetti guns, a tiki bar and a hot tub.
Such hoopla might wither the souls of purists, but it has long been part of the minor-league experience, and even big-time teams have begun to appropriate some of it. The Florida Marlins, for instance, have had their own dance team since 2003.
Ashley McLees, the new captain of Schaumburg’s team, was a Miami Dolphins cheerleader in 2004 and performed for the Chicago Shamrox indoor lacrosse team. She figured the average baseball fan wouldn’t be much different than what she has been accustomed to encountering at a sporting event.
“Everyone loves sports,” she said. “Everyone’s just out here to have a good time.”
Some of the 13 women who showed up for the team’s audition, held in a restaurant overlooking the field, said they had been cheerleaders or members of a pom squad growing up, and they just wanted to continue an activity they had enjoyed.
“Dance is pretty much my passion, and I go to a fashion college, so there’s no dance team there,” said Wyatt, 20, of Glendale Heights.
Others were more laid-back about their participation.
“This is just fun,” said Angela Grayson, 28, of Carol Stream, who was counting on nothing more than a strenuous Sunday workout. “I like dance. I’m not serious about it.”
[Schaumberg Flyers Flight Attendants]
We are looking for an all new 2009 Labatt Blue Lightning Dance Team!
Do you think you have what it takes to be a member of one the most talented dance/cheer teams in the CFL?
Information Night: Friday, April 24th, 7-9pm
Day 1: Saturday, April 25, 2009 Noon – 4pm
Registration Begins at 11 am.
Day 2: Monday, April 27, 2009 6pm – 9pm
Day 3: Wednesday, April, 29 Interviews (TBD by candidate)
$20 Non-refundable Registration Fee
Click here for a registration form.
Information Night: Friday, April 24th at 7-9pm
The information night is an opportunity to inform potential candidates on the expectations, rules, responsibilities, obligations and compensation for each Blue Lightning member. There will also be time allotted for a question and answer period.
Audition schedule:
Day 1: Saturday, April 25, 2009 at 12 noon – 4pm.
Registration will begin at 11am. Located in the Sun Center at 1465 Maroons Rd. This time line may be subject to change. It is recommended that all participants stay until the day comes to a close.
– Participants will be lead through a group routine and will be expected to perform the routine in- front of a panel of judges in large and small groups.
– There will be cuts at the end of day 1.
– Attire is expected to be athletic/dance apparel and must be mid-drift bearing. Bra tops are required, shorts or pants are acceptable. The Blue Lightning Uniform may or may not include mid drift bearing tops so it is essential all candidates feel comfortable performing in this type of apparel.
– Makeup and hair should be styled as if you were performing on game day on the field.
[Winnipeg Blue Lightning Auditions]
All our contributors from the old blog are still with us. This time it’s Mid-Atlantic Dave who was at the Reading Express Home Opener last Friday where the Express defeated the DC Armor 51-28.
Here are Dave’s photos of the Reading Express Smokin’ Hot Steam Team.
