CBS Miami has a couple of new galleries of NBA dance teams in action last week. I’m super excited to see a few of mah girlz featured. Click here for photos from January 11th. Click here for photos from January 18th.

Rookie Laker Girl Mekyala

Rookie Silver Dancer Anncell

Shannon (veteran) and Ashley (rookie) from the Clippers Spirit

The Miami Marlins are looking for the most talented female & male dancers, cheerleaders, gymnasts and break dancers to become part of the 2013 Miami Marlins Energy Team! Click here for details]

The Miami Marlins Energy Team is a high-energy squad with a unique mix of gymnastics, hip-hop, acrobatics, modern jazz funk and break dancing. The Energy Team will provide excitement and entertainment during Miami Marlins homes games and appearances throughout the community.

If you are multi-talented, have great stage presence, strong technique, innovative in your art, a unique style, a team player, open minded and a readiness to learn – The Miami Marlins is looking for you !

Ø Perform on the field at the New Marlins Ballpark

Ø Exposure through media, high profile events and community relations

Ø Receive Extensive Training in various styles by the best choreographers & coaches in Miami and get paid for it ! All Rehearsals, games and community appearances are paid events.

Ø Become part of one of the best and most unique entertainment teams in Miami

OPEN AUDITIONS FOR DANCERS, CHEERLEADERS, GYMNAST & BREAK DANCERS !
Sunday, January 20, 2013

Marlins Ball Park
1390 Northwest 6th Street
Miami, FL 33125

rero@marlins.com

By Dave Zuchowski
Post-Gazette.com
January 17, 2012

The day following the defeat of the Cincinnati Bengals at the hands of the Houston Texans in their post-season playoff game, Lauren Coben was dispirited. As a Ben-Gal, she’d spent the previous day in her apartment with several other Bengals cheerleaders, watching the NFL game on television.

“The score went back and forth, and when it was over, many of us … wanted to cry that the football season was over for us,” said Miss Coben, who had just completed her first year as a Bengals cheerleader.

A native of Mt. Lebanon and an avowed Steelers fan, the 23-year-old has been dancing most of her life, so when she entered high school, she decided to become a cheerleader, an activity she sees as closely related. Later, as a student at Ohio State University, she was too busy with her studies and sorority to cheer. But, after she graduated and moved to Cincinnati, where she had been offered a job as an account coordinator for a marketing firm, she realized that she wanted to dance.

Knowing that the Bengals had cheerleaders called the Ben-Gals, she decided to try out for a spot. Before the tryout process began in April, she prepared for months, working out and honing her dance skills.

“The first round was just a short routine,” she said. “The second focused on technique by looking at our turns and leaps. The third was the biggest and open to the public. It started with the 65 to 70 remaining candidates performing an opening routine together, then doing a two-by-two performance routine in front of 15 judges, which was shown live in the auditorium on a big screen TV. It also included a live question-and-answer session before the judges as well as a swimsuit competition.”

By the fourth round, 50 remaining hopefuls attended a two-week boot camp at Paul Brown Stadium, the home of the Bengals.

“We met for three hours, two days a week and were judged on performance, technique, dance ability, glamour, fitness and showmanship,” she said.

After the fourth round, the team notified Miss Coben by email that she was one of seven new cheerleaders added to 26 who returned.

“Typically, the team uses only 24 of the 33 cheerleaders at each game, with six stationed at one of the stadium’s four sides,” she said. “I was lucky enough to be chosen for all our home games this season.”

Selections for each game are determined by each cheerleader’s dance ability and weight control. At the beginning of the season, each cheerleader is given a goal weight based on height and physical makeup. If she exceeds the weight goal by three pounds or more at the weigh-in, she is not permitted to participate in the upcoming game.

Miss Coben said she works out regularly, eats healthy and attends practice every Tuesday and Thursday evening. She acknowledged that the cheerleaders often compete against one another but said her colleagues are like sisters and they share a common passion for performing.

“The Ben-Gals are some of the nicest people I’ve ever met,” she said.

Miss Coben said performing is exhilarating.

“When the music starts and the crowd goes crazy, it’s simply amazing,” she said.

While the pay is low — $85 per game, Miss Coben said — one of the perks of the job is getting to meet the football players and join them at appearances. However, cheerleaders are forbidden from getting romantically involved with the players.

Next year, Miss Coben plans to try out again. She said she has heard that some have been with the group for as long as nine years. The oldest Ben-Gal, Laura Vikmanis, is 44.

“I’d definitely love to continue,” Miss Coben said.

Heads-up Florida girls! Audition dates for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cheerleaders have been announced, and the big day is Saturday, February 16!

The team is offering dance/technique classes starting on January 27. There is also an optional pre-audition seminar to help you prep for the open call. Click here for details and get ready to make a great impression on those judges.

By Nina Ruggiero
Long Island Newsday
January 16, 2013

The New York Islanders make their season debut Saturday at home after a long NHL lockout, and the Ice Girls will be ready — with a new look.

“I’m obsessed with it,” Ice Girl Christi, 23, of Bethpage said of the pink sequin long-sleeve crop top and skirt with blue fringe and orange and white detail. “It’s feminine and adorable.”

“I feel like a princess,” added Christina, 19, of Smithtown (pictured above).

There are 11 Ice Girls this season, and a new outfit is added every year. Last year, the girls got a new black sequin look to match the Islanders’ first black jersey.

Pink was the brainchild of the team’s vice president of operations and events, Tim Beach, who worked with the team at Angela King Designs to develop the outfit.

“Every year, the month of October is always Hockey Fights Cancer Month,” Beach says. “Through sports merchandise there’s been a rise in pink gear for females . . . We decided alright, this year let’s do it right . . . let’s have fun with it.”

The girls seemed to be having plenty of fun as they modeled their wardrobe options for a pre-season photo shoot Wednesday at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale.

Ice Girls Shannon, 20, of Bethpage, and Sara, 18, of Islip show off the black uniform created for the 2012 season.

Rachel, 23, of Smithtown, wears the New York Islanders Ice Girls white jersey uniform.

Christi, 23, of Bethpage, models the blue Ice Girls uniform.

Someone on ebay is selling the two Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders movies on DVD. $18 for the set, and he has a few copies to sell. If you’ve never seen these movies, they’re a hoot. The movies aired on tv in 1979 and 1980. Huge ratings the first time, hence the sequel.

[Interested parties click here]

HUGE disclaimer here, folks. I don’t know the seller and am not involved in this auction in any way. As far as I know, these movies never been “officially” released on DVD, so you’re taking your chances in terms of quality (the video below is from youtube, not from the auction.) However, if you’re willing to risk it, and haven’t seen these movies, they’re awesome.

Escorted of course by her boyfriend, whats-his-name.

Patriots take on Ravens this Sunday
By Melissa Sardelli

Jan 16, 2013

(WPRI) – The Patriots are gearing up to take on the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship game this Sunday.

Fans across New England are excited to be cheering for their favorite team to make it to the Super Bowl, along with the Patriots cheerleaders who appeared on the Rhode Show to show off some of their signature moves.

The team’s cheerleaders are very active in the community. They will be holding a Junior Patriots Cheerleading Clinic happening on May 11 &18th.

The junior cheerleaders will get a chance to perform on the field in the first pre-season game alongside the veterans, also attending other promotional events.

If you’re interested in becoming a Patriots cheerleader, auditions are being held March 2nd.

Find out more on the audition process and what’s happening with the cheerleaders on their Facebook page.

Pats cheerleaders gear up for big game

By Mary Helen Martin
Law.com
January 9, 2013

Most people wouldn’t find a common thread between a cheer, a dance and an argument. But for Fisher & Phillips attorney Terri Stewart, weaving them together makes perfect sense. Aside from law, dance is Stewart’s passion.

Stewart explains to the Daily Report how she has incorporated dance throughout her life.

First things first. I understand you were an Atlanta Falcons cheerleader in the 2005-2006 season. How did that come about?

I grew up dancing, and it was always my passion. I competed throughout high school, college, all the way from elementary school. I captained the University of Georgia dance team and danced all four years for the university. When I was in law school, I really just missed it and so my third year of law school — while I was clerking — I tried out and made the team. It was wonderfully fun, a lot of work and kind of like a second job.

I think often people may have preconceived ideas about professional cheerleaders, and you just told me it’s a lot of work. Tell me a little bit about it and your experience.

There are many preconceived notions, but when you actually get down to it, there are a lot of wonderful girls and the Falcons have always put an emphasis on having well-rounded women. My year, there were stockbrokers, lawyers, accountants, pharmaceutical sales reps, because professional cheerleading isn’t a career in itself. Most people have other jobs, and it’s just a continuation of the passion that they’ve had growing up. So that’s exactly what it was, and we were more like ambassadors to the community, encouraging young girls and students to stay in school, to read, to choose their first path career while still being able to realize that you can have fun, too, doing something like Falcons’ cheerleading or anything that’s your passion.

Do you have any takeaways from that experience?

There’s a strong emphasis on community and outreach. We did 20 to 30 outreach events a year where we would go into the community with charities with children. It might be reading a book to a class, it may be teaching underprivileged kids to dance, and all those charitable experiences really helped the community and kind of made Falcons and the experience what it was.

Is your volunteer work with the Falcons how you became involved with the organization Moving in the Spirit?

I was actually introduced to Moving in the Spirit through my LEAD Atlanta class this year. LEAD Atlanta is a division of Leadership Atlanta for 25- to 32-year-olds. It’s a leadership development program … and it is a really unique experience, because you are placed with a very diverse group. There are so many things that you do, but one that I was exposed to was a group called Moving in the Spirit. Obviously, it fit perfectly with my history, because it is a charity, and what they do is dance-based. They get underprivileged kids or kids that may not have exposure to something like dance because of the cost or whatnot and they … use dance as a method to teach them commitment and leadership. Their main goal in life is not to make them the best dancers in the world, but to give them a dance skill that they can take throughout life.

You’ve said you’ve always loved to dance. What is it about dance you like so much?

Well, to put it bluntly, I was really bad at everything else with respect to sports. When you’re a kid, your parents try different things and see what fits. Once I found dance, it was just a natural connection. Being a lawyer, I have always been analytical and very fact-specific. Type-A personality. So dance is like the other side of the coin, that artistic outlet. I think it’s just fun. I love the opportunities it’s brought me. It really helped me as a kid develop the confidence and life skills you need for the rest of your life.

Dance is very athletic. I don’t think a lot of people realize that.

I used to teach football players in college to tap dance so they could be the first one off the line.

You taught UGA football players tap dancing?

Yes, to get quicker with their feet and faster on the line. So, that was fun.

How were they?

It was just a small, little group, so it wasn’t everybody. But it was fun. I didn’t know they made tap shoes that big.

Did it help?

Yes, but maybe I’m biased.

Has dance impacted your life as an attorney?

I certainly think it has. I think it gave me confidence. I think a lot of sports do this. When you’re on stage, it’s really no different than being in front of a judge or jury or someone else. So those skills have translated. My mom likes to tell me my very first oral argument was when I was a kid, and I didn’t get into the dance group that I thought was the one that I should be in. I wanted to be in a different one. My parents said, “You know what? That’s something that you’re going to have to address. We’re not going to fight that battle for you so go see the director of the studio, and see if you can make your case.” Gosh, I must have been 10 years old, but I did. And it worked. I got into the class that I wanted to and (my mom) still likes to talk about that today.

Did you ever think about going into dance instead of law?

Only for about five minutes (laughs). I certainly like it, but it’s just a part of my life. I’ve always had a huge focus on my education. I’ve always had the goal of going to law school. I was offered a scholarship to go to New York to a small dance school. But, in the end, I’m a Southern girl who always dreamed of being a lawyer even more than being a dancer. I just thought that was the right path for me.