Sean Logan
Miami Dolphins
4/28/2012
At every Dolphins home game, the cheerleaders help contribute to the pageantry of the fans’ gameday experience.
The girls don’t hit the field, though, until they make it through a rigorous tryout period, which includes several rounds of cuts.
To determine who would represent this year’s team, the girls had to perform in a dance-off in front of a live audience of Dolphins fans and a panel of judges that would seal their fate.
Even for those with plenty of experience, the live tryout can still be a source of anxiety.
“Oh my goodness, the nerves,” said Amy, 25, who has been a Dolphins cheerleader for the past several seasons. “I can say that I get just as nervous now as I did five years ago. It never goes away.”
Their journey to making the squad, of course, doesn’t begin with the final performance. In the several weeks leading up to Fin Fest, new candidates had the opportunity toparticipate in cheerleader prep courses to catch themselves up to speed. Those who decide to go through with a tryout must participate in a boot camp with the returning members, who also have to perform again to regain one of the coveted spots.
From there, the cuts began and a pool of finalists was chosen for the final performance.
“We were just run, run, run,” Amy said, referring to the boot camp. “You learn dances, you learn style, you learn personality to try to make you glamorous for the whole big show today.
“It’s the final judgment.”
What started out as a group of about 300 girls was quickly whittled down to 79 finalists for the final performance on Saturday. During the first half of the final show on Saturday, the girls were introduced and performed in groups. Once the groups wrapped up, each girl picked a song and hit the stage by themselves.
Having the fans attend what is essentially a live tryout is certainly an added element for the candidates, but Madill said that their presence helps relieve some of the tension.
“The fans pump you up when you hear them cheering for you,” Amy said. “It’s so much better to have them there because it takes the pressure off the judges you know are staring at you.
When the show was completed, and the new cheerleaders were selected, the team was revealed for the first time on the field at Sun Life Stadium in front of a group of fans at Fin Fest.
Click here to check out Sports Illustrated’s photos of the Minnesota Timberwolves Dancers in action!
The finalists for the 2012-13 Houston Texans Cheerleaders got a taste of what it’s like to be on the team at the Texans draft party this week. The candidates performed, took photos, and signed autographs for fans in attendance. Click here to check out some photos on the Texans website.
Click here to check out photos from The700level.com
By Michael Roberts
Westword.com
Apr. 27 2012
The Broncos spent the first night of the NFL draft picking absolutely no one after trading down twice. But another Denver team is ready for the season. This past weekend, the 2012 Broncos cheerleaders squad was announced, and while all-man Sacha Heppell didn’t make the final cut, the women who did are incredibly athletic, as seen in photos of the finals shared by DenverBroncos.com. Check out a sampling below. They’ll get you ready for some football.
At the Top of Her Game
Laker Girl Jennifer Albeanu is dancing for one of the most recognized teams on Earth.
By MIKEY HIRANO CULROSS
Rafu Sports Editor
Rafu Shimpo
April 25, 2012
As the Los Angeles Lakers prepare for the 2012 playoffs, one member couldn’t be happier to be a part of all the excitement. Though her name isn’t widely known, her refreshing smile is seen by millions, during games at Staples Center, at Lakers community events around Southern California and nationwide on television.
Jennifer Megumi Albeanu is a member of an exclusive sorority. She is a Laker Girl.
“I would never have thought I could accomplish such a big goal,” said the 29-year-old from La Habra. She managed to catch the eye of the judges during tryouts last year and went on to earn a spot on the roster of dancers who keep the home crowd entertained during breaks in the game.
“The auditions are crazy, because there’s 600 girls here and only 22 make the team,” she explained. “I feel very blessed to have been chosen for the team and to be on an NBA court, to represent one of the biggest organizations in the NBA.”
The tryouts are a logistical madhouse, with each young woman having only a few seconds to make an impression.
“I would hope that they saw my dancing ability,” Albeanu said. “I feel that as far as clean, classic style goes, that’s an area where I’ve been strong. Other NBA teams may have a different style they’re looking for, but I hope the Lakers saw a strong dance background from me.”
Dance was not something Albeanu found interesting at a very early age. It took a fair amount of prodding from a grade school friend to finally coax her into giving it a shot in 1993.
“My parents always encouraged me to dance, but it was my best friend in first grade who approached me to try out for her team,” she recalled.
By the end of her third-grade year, she had made the Squirettes team from Dansations Studio in La Habra, where she continued to dance through high school, college and into adulthood. She also participated in gymnastics and cheerleading at Whittier Christian High School, both of which eventually gave her a skillful edge over other Laker Girl hopefuls.
Albeanu directed much of the credit for her success toward her parents, Japanese natives Jun and Eiko Kawai. She described them as being atypical Asian parents who steered her toward pursuing her dreams, rather than a relentless regimen of academics.
“They encouraged me to do whatever I wanted to do. They were very supportive of me dancing,” she said. “I also rode horses, and that’s definitely not a typically Japanese thing. They were always supportive of anything I wanted to accomplish.
“They’re fairly Americanized. Of course, they’re still Japanese by culture, but they haven’t fit the super-strict stereotype. They’re pretty normal people, very loving parents.”
They did, however, send her to Saturday Japanese school, which she said she didn’t appreciate much.
“I hated it at the time,” she admitted, “but now I can read hiragana and katakana and a little bit of kanji, so I think it was a good thing for me. I wish I had liked it at the time.”
After earning her degree in journalism from Cal State Long Beach, Albeanu spent several years coaching dance and cheerleading at the high school level, as well as at summer dance camps for young girls.
She had always had the idea of dancing professionally in the back of her mind. “I had seen some of the older dancers at the studio who had been Lakers or Clippers dancers,” she explained. “Looking up to them, I always felt I’d like to do that, and I started feeling in junior high that I wanted to try.”
The opportunity came up in 2010, when she joined an audition to dance for Chivas USA of Major League Soccer, made the squad and danced for two seasons.
As much as she enjoyed her time with Chivas USA, Albeanu said there is simply no higher achievement than donning the purple and gold of the Lakers. After trying and failing at auditions three straight years, she made the cut, and recalled her first appearance as almost dream-like.
“It was a surreal feeling, having grown up in L.A. and knowing the Lakers Girls as such a big name,” she said. “To finally find myself on the court during the national anthem with all these basketball players you see on TV standing next to you, it was surreal. At the same time, I had to focus and remember that this is my job.”
The Laker Girls maintain a roster of 22 dancers, rotating and keeping a squad of 18 on the court. They learn a dozen or so routines for the season, mostly with professional choreographers, but some they arrange themselves.
Albeanu can’t remember any particular mistakes, but said she has made many. She said that fortunately, she hasn’t had a Cinderella moment – in which a shoe goes flying.
“Having grown up in L.A. and knowing the Lakers Girls and to finally find myself on the court during the national anthem with all these basketball players you see on TV standing next to you, it was surreal,” Albeanu said of her debut with the dance team.
“That’s probably the hardest thing, to be reminded that I’m human after all. My goal is to do clean routines, so I practice a lot,” she said.
As with any attractive young woman whose job it is to interact with occasionally unruly spots fans, Albeanu acknowledged there is a certain “creep factor” involved in her high-profile position. The Laker Girls are, after all, professional athletes, but she admitted that most pro athletes don’t wear a skimpy, two-piece uniform.
“For the most part, the fans are pretty good, but we have a few [problems] here and there,” she explained. “Luckily, I feel the organization protects us well, by not putting us into situations that could create a stir.”
She said they need to keep a smile and trust everything is okay, but that it can be critically important to remain aware of one’s surroundings.
She must keep aware of her own skills; Laker Girls are all signed to a one-year contract. To continue, they must audition again – with the hundreds of other hopefuls.
Albeanu hopes to continue advising and coaching cheer and dance after her Laker days are finished, hopefully at the professional level. She also said she is very near her next big step: starting a family with her husband, Tim.
“I don’t want to wait too long. My parents don’t want me to wait,” she said. “My dad’s a big baseball fan and he had a dream about us having a son, so he saw our son in a baseball jersey. I guess that’s a little bit of a hint.”
By Ben Crandell
SunSentinel.com
April 26, 2012
Who would be a better judge at the Miami Dolphins cheerleader tryouts than you?
How much more talented would the squad be if only the Dolphins would ask YOU to put your hours of intense research to good use? For the team.
The Dolphins heard you: For the first time the team is opening up the final round of cheerleader auditions to the public, and taking votes [click here] to help choose the squad for the coming season.
There are two ways to make your opinion heard. On Saturday, as part of the Dolphins’ Fin Fest party at Sun Life Stadium, the final 69 women will perform routines beginning at 10 a.m. There will be judges — including Dolphins announcer Kenny Walker from KISS Country radio, Lorenzo “Ice-T” Thomas of 99 JAMZ and Pamela Conde, Univision news anchor and former Dolphins cheerleader — but the Dolphins want you in the room, too.
During the tryouts, you’ll be asked to text the team with your votes on who should make the squad. The top three vote-getters will have points added to the final score from the other judges. The winners will be revealed at 4 p.m. on the main Fin Fest stage.
“Dancing in front of a live audience challenges the candidates to perform as if they were at a game,” said Emily Newton Snow, director of the Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders. “It helps give the judges a better feel for their performance quality under pressure as well.”
You can also put your cheerleader expertise to use by voting online. The squad is looking for your five favorites from among the hopefuls shown on its website. The top three will have points added to their scorecards. Online voting continues through noon Friday.
Fin Fest is a free family event with gates opening at 9 a.m. for a variety of outdoor activities at Gate G at Sun Life Stadium. Fin Fest activities inside the stadium run from 1 to 5 p.m., when you can meet current and former players, watch live NFL draft coverage, play on the field, tour the locker room and shop the Dolphins Equipment Room Garage Sale (proceeds benefitting the Miami Dolphins Foundation). Parking is free. Info: Miamidolphins.com.
How I followed my dream
Single mom Mhkeeba Pate, 34, holds an MBA and a law degree and works full time for a prominent charitable trust. What more could she take on? Cheerleading for a professional football team — the Seattle Seahawks — of course! Mhkeeba tried out for the Sea Gals cheerleading squad three years in a row and made it to finals but got cut each time. Last spring, her perseverance paid off, and she made the squad.
by Mhkeeba Pate
as told to Julie Weingarden Dubin
She Knows Parenting
April 26, 2012
The first time I tried out for the Sea Gals, my daughter had just turned 1, and my son was 3. I was practicing law at a large Seattle firm, and I really had no idea what I was thinking other than how much I missed having something in my life I was passionate about — dance.
I have no formal dance training and only a few years of cheerleading experience compared to my teammates, but I was willing to work twice as hard. The challenges are picking up the Sea Gals’ style of choreography and performing the dance moves larger than life so fans sitting far back can see.
Last spring, I made a vision board as an art project with my kids and included becoming a Sea Gal as one of my goals. I wanted my kids to understand how to set a goal and work hard to make a dream come true. I wasn’t afraid of failure or worried about my age in comparison to all the young women auditioning. I let go of all that and gave myself permission to pursue my dream, and that’s when I made the squad.
Performance high
I love performing in front of a large crowd and making people smile. I get such a high from dancing because I can leave behind my inhibitions, insecurities and worries, and just live in that moment. I always have a relatively calm and professional demeanor, but cheerleading allows me to open myself up and become my alter ego, and I find it exhilarating.
Family support
I have a tremendous amount of support from my family, making it possible for me to cheer for a professional team. We practice twice a week for four hours a night. I also have to spend at least two to three days rehearsing the routines.
My mom picks the kids up from school while I’m at work, and when I get home, I cook dinner and help with homework. During the season, my kids play at my sister’s house while I’m at practice. There are times I don’t get to see them before bed because practice runs late.
I try to do something fun with the kids the day before a game. Having to balance my duties on the squad with motherhood helped me to hone in on making the time spent with them about quality, not necessarily quantity.
Conquering self-doubt
I’ve realized that being a little older than some of the ladies on Sea Gals is an advantage. I bring maturity and life experiences. I was self-conscious about my age at times, and the fact that I’m the only mother on the team, but I’ve grown more comfortable with where I am in my life and feel proud to represent mothers. I don’t know the magic cut-off age for being a professional cheerleader, but I’m definitely inspired to keep doing this for as long as I’m able to be a part of such an amazing group of women.
I want my kids to learn that if you believe in yourself and work hard, the sky’s the limit. I didn’t make the squad three years in a row, but I still heard that voice inside of me saying that I could do it.
Motherhood’s taught me that I’m enough, just the way I am. I know that all my children really want is me and my unconditional love.
Mom wisdom
It’s OK to go back to enjoying some of the things you used to do before you became a mother. It doesn’t make you a bad parent to pursue your passion — it makes you a better parent because you start to appreciate all aspects of your life.
By Nick Schneider, Assistant Editor
Greene County Daily World
April 26, 2012
For the second successive year there is a Greene County connection on the Indianapolis Colts’ cheerleader squad.
Sally Jo Small, a 2007 Bloomfield Junior-Senior High School graduate, was recently picked to help lead the sideline cheers for the NFL pro football squad in Indianapolis.
The 2012 Colts Cheerleaders were determined at the Audition Showcase on Tuesday night at Decatur Central High School near Indianapolis.
(Photo)
Sally Jo Small
The event consisted of several dance routines, an evening wear and a swimsuit competition.
Approximately 65 women competed for the opportunity to be a member of the 2012 Colts Cheerleaders after a three-week audition process.
Small graduated from Purdue University at West Lafayette in December with a degree in Organizational Leadership and Supervision.
Sally is the daughter of Mike and Mindy Small of Bloomfield, and the granddaughter of Ret. U.S. Air Force Col. Marcus “Red” Oliphant, also of Bloomfield.
At Purdue, she was a member of the Goldusters Dance Team.
