Bringing up the rear in the 2012 NBA audition season, we have the Milwaukee Bucks Energee! dance team. Their tryouts kicked off yesterday and they’ve got lots of video and photo coverage on their website. Click here to see how the process is going so far.

The Canadian Football League’s season kicked off in July, and some of the teams are finally getting around to updating their cheerleader pages. Click here to check out the 2012 Hamilton Tiger-Cats Cheerleaders.

San Antonio Rampage
Sept. 7, 2012

More than 50 young women were in attendance at Blast Fitness on Sunday vying for a spot on the 2012-13 Ice Girls squad. In the end, 10 young women were selected to represent the Rampage and Spurs Sports and Entertainment as this season’s Ice Girls.

To view the pictures, click here!

The afternoon of auditions began with the dancers learning a one-minute dance combination taught by Ice Girls Choreographer Raquel Garcia. The girls then performed the routine in front of a panel of judges in small groups.

Eighteen finalists were selected by the judges and a round of individual interviews followed. After deliberating, the judges selected the 10 young women for this year’s Ice Girls squad.

Two of the girls, Blake and Heather, have been on the Ice Girls before, while three are currently on the Silver Stars (WNBA) Star Squad – Blake, Heather and Michelle.

“We had a great turnout and a lot of very talented girls this year,” said Garcia. “The decisions were tough, but I’m confident we’ve picked a fantastic team of Ice Girls to represent the Rampage and Spurs Sports and Entertainment.”

The Ice Girls will perform at select San Antonio Rampage home games and represent the team at community events around the Alamo City.

By Kim Hogstrom
Contributing writer
Your Houston News
September 12, 2012

The year 1997 was a bleak one for football fans in Houston.

The city’s home team, the Houston Oilers, packed up and moved to Tennessee, leaving many here with nothing to celebrate. It took nearly five years for our orphaned fans to again enjoy the excitement and thrill of rooting for a Houston team.

(Note: Despite the citywide distress over losing football, defections of loyalty to the Dallas Cowboys were as scarce as hen’s teeth. There are some things Houstonians just will not do.)

And a few were not inclined to morn the loss at all.

“Who needs the Oilers?” some asked. “After all, what does a football team really contribute to a city?” But most knew: In addition to a big shot to the local economy, teams contribute in a thousand less-quantifiable ways – from role models for our children to civic pride; from examples of fitness to plain, old fashioned fun.

So, when the new Houston Texans finally stormed onto the field in 2002, fans were ready to celebrate and if the new team was not enough, we also had our stunning, new Reliant Stadium to do it in. The thrilling opening season game was held in September 2002 and played against Houston’s nemesis: the Dallas Cowboys.

“Walking onto the field that day was amazing,” recalls Amber Benn, a Texans cheerleader who performed at that very first game. “Everyone attending was given a Texans towel to wave and the noise of the crowd was so loud. It was incredible. And the Texans won, 19-10!” she exclaimed with evident joy at the memory.

Much planning went into that inaugural game; before there was an official football team, the Texans amassed its squad of official cheerleaders. Tryouts were held in August 2001, allowing the 34 selected women a year to learn.

“Practicing, training, cheering and appearances presented a demanding schedule,” recalled Benn with a laugh. The young athlete was chosen for the squad while also working full time. She was the Houston SPCA’s Humane Educator and traveled to schools throughout the metroplex to teach pet care and notably, compassion, to children from first through 12th grades. Benn’s days often started at 7 a.m. at the animal shelter and, with the addition of cheering practice, ended at 10 p.m.

“It was grueling,” the good-humored Benn laughed again. “But somehow, we did it. The time commitment for cheering is a huge one. In addition to the games and practices, we were required to appear at special events. It was a challenge, but all the girls either worked full time or were full-time students, and we all did it. It was still an incredible experience.”

Having secured a place on the squad in 2001, Benn had to try out again each subsequent year, and each year, she was chosen. The young woman was selected from many thousands of hopefuls for four years in a row.

(She didn’t try on the fifth.)

“I started studying dance when I was a child, so dancing was comfortable to me,” the humble Houstonian stated to explain her success.

Although Benn graduated from the University of Houston with a degree in biology, she learned that she had a knack for teaching through her work at the HSPCA. Today, Benn can be found teaching math at Hamilton Middle School in Houston’s Heights where she’s also the coach of Hamilton’s cheer leading team.

Apparently, Coach Benn is having some impact.

“Cheerleading is really fun,” said Hamilton’s cheering team captain, Alejandra Licon. “It has helped me a lot. I used to be shy, but I can speak to people now. I have more confidence,” the bright teen stated.

“I thought I was in shape before I joined,” added team member Kennedy Edwards. “But thanks to cheering and the coach, I’ve learned that I can do whatever I set my mind to, and I have a lot more energy to do it,” she concluded with a smile.

“I love teaching, it’s so rewarding,” Benn said. “As a cheerleading coach, I deal with a lot of teen girls. I try to instill professionalism in each, and teach appropriate behavior and choices.

The girls wear their uniforms at school so all the other students know who they are, and I help them recognize that they’re role models.

“There are requirements to remain on the team, of course. They have to observe attendance and behave appropriately, and they have to keep their grades up. But mostly, I hope I help them learn who they are and who they want to be, to help them become happy, healthy adults,” Benn concluded.

Craig Peters
Titans Online
Sept 11, 2012

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Titans Cheerleader Jalanda’s talents came to the forefront of the squad’s 2013 calendar.

Jalanda, who is in her second year on the squad, is joined by Angie, Ashley P. and Molly in designer suits that Jalanda created from old Titans jerseys and pants. Jalanda said she was honored to be one of the cheerleaders on the cover, but the opportunity to apply her skills and design the suits at the request of Titans director of cheerleading Stacie Kinder increased that feeling.

“I worked really hard in fashion design school and kind of got displaced a little bit by moving to Tennessee and didn’t know where my fashion could go,” Jalanda said. “So to be able to design and make something and have it on the cover of a calendar, it’s by far the most exposure I’ve had in my career so far. It’s amazing.”

The cheerleaders showcased this year’s calendar for the first time Thursday during the sixth-annual release party at stylish Cabana restaurant in Hillsboro Village. All 27 cheerleaders modeled the suits in which they appear in the calendar in a runway fashion show setting, then autographed calendars for fans.

Kinder said Jalanda’s background in fashion design enabled her to produce uniquely customized suits.

“Jalanda is a graduate of Parsons School of Design in New York, which is very prestigious,” Kinder said. “Having seen some work that she had already done, I knew I wanted some very Titans-specific suits and I asked her if she thought she could make them out of some football pants and some jerseys that were old, and she said, ‘Yeah.’ I gave her basically four jerseys and four pairs of pants and that’s what she did. It was really amazing, and we couldn’t be prouder of her.”

Kinder asked Jalanda about three weeks before the cheerleaders shot the calendar in late May and early June at the Emerald Grande resort that is part of the HarborWalk Village development in Destin, Fla.

“She kind of sent me the designs, and I said, ‘This looks great. Go for it,’ and she brought them in and it was almost like magic,” Kinder said. “She is so uber-talented and I feel blessed that she’s on our team and could do that for us.”

Cheerleaders have given input in the past regarding uniforms, but Kinder said this is the first time that a team member has designed and made a suit, adding it was “like Project Runway goes Titans.”

Jalanda and Angie said their teammates did a good job getting ready for the photo shoot and made it an enjoyable experience that yielded a top-notch product.

“The photo shoot this year was amazing,” Angie said. “We were proud guests to stay at HarborWalk Village Emerald Grande, and it was absolutely beautiful. We got together as a team; we had a lot of fun. We worked really hard, and I think this year you’re going to see that our photos are even better than last year and the years before, which we didn’t even know was possible, so we’ve worked really hard and we’ve got a great product because of it.”

Erick Anderson once again shot the photos and designed the calendar, finding a spot for all 27 cheerleaders. Anderson said the setting for the photo shoot offered unique backgrounds that helped distinguish the photos.

“The squads have always been great,” Anderson said. “They’re not full-time models, but to come out and do a swimsuit shoot when you’re not a full-time model is a nerve-racking thing, but we have such a great time that their beauty and their personalities come out, and this year was probably my favorite location. We had our own private beach with rocks and sand dunes and just anything a photographer can dream of for a shoot like this. The squad was just so amazing and they’re such great personalities. We had so much fun, and I think it shows in the photos.”

By Guide Live Group
Dallas News
September 10, 2012

Former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader and Euless native Sarah Shahi is Maxim’s October cover model, having been declared “TV’s Sexiest Star” by the men’s magazine.

Shahi, 32, is the star of in the USA drama Fairly Legal, which wrapped up its second season in June. She plays Kate Reed, an unconventional mediator who holds the broken legal system in contempt.

She talked to Maxim about her time as a Cowboys cheerleader: “Everyone knew I wanted to be an actress, so they said, ‘Why don’t you try out for the Cowboys Cheerleaders?’ because back in 1995 they were on Saturday Night Live. So I figured that could be my way in; I tried out just to get on SNL.”

That cheerleading gig led her into an acting career, according to a 2011 interview with Dallas Morning News freelancer David Martindale. She met director Robert Altman, who was using the Cowboys cheerleader rehearsal facilities to shoot a movie, and “he took me under his wing and explained a few things to me. One day he asked me what I wanted to do, and I said, ‘I want to be an actress.’ He said, ‘Then you should move to LA. I think you have what it takes.’ And that’s what I did.”

Not a bad call, since Shahi has landed quite a few prominent supporting roles, including in The Sopranos and Old School, and starring roles in Showtime’s The L Word and NBC’s well-regarded but short-lived police drama, Life, before getting the lead role in Fairly Legal.

Another tidbit from the Maxim interview: Before becoming a Cowboys cheerleader, she admits that she wasn’t much of a Cowboys fan. “You know, I never really paid attention to sports, which, coming from the mecca of football in Texas, is kind of odd,” she admitted.

The Austin Vipers are looking for dancers to help light up the sidelines during their football games. Dance team auditions are in November, but prep classes start next month, so get on it! (Click below for details.)

BaltimoreRavens.com has updated photos and profiles for the female members of the team. That’s cool and all, but once again, the dudes get hosed. (I suspect this is because girl pictures get more clicks than boy pictures, so when it comes to the guys, they said “forget it”). Anywho, click here to learn more about the ladies.

This week, Sports Illustrated’s gallery includes dance teams from the Bucs, Cardinals, Chiefs, Jets, Texans, and Vikings. Click here to go there now.

Check out those cool new boot cuffs! From the photos, it looks like they spent the entire game putting them on, taking them off, and putting them back on again. I’m almost positive that those came from Angela King Designs. Like em? Click here to get ’em.

(Hey maybe this will be the next trend to catch on, now that everyone has done the belt buckle thing.)