By Kalyn McMackin
The Daily Caller
February 27, 2012
It’s not often that two Harvard graduates share an NBA court together. But when Jeremy Lin and the New York Knicks visited the Washington Wizards on Feb. 8, another product of the Ivy League school — the Wizard Girls’ Joanna Zimmerman — was cheering from the sidelines.
Zimmerman graduated from Harvard in 2010 and first met Lin, whose performances have caught worldwide attention and dazzled NBA fans, on campus. They once lived in the same housing complex, and the two became good friends.
“He is driven and humble, with an unparalleled work ethic,” Zimmerman told The Daily Caller. “He is the kind of person you root for and want to see do well. I’m really excited for him, that he’s finally able to display his talents.”
Zimmerman’s own talents have allowed her the best of both worlds. When she’s not dancing at the Verizon Center in downtown Washington, she’s a full-time teacher at an elementary school in the nation’s capital.
The social anthropology major also completed a minor in economics, leaving Massachusetts with not only a degree but 18 years of experience in different dance genres. A coveted spot on the Wizard Girls roster gave her the creative outlet she was looking for.
“I was looking for a way to pursue a high level of dancing … [and] juggle having a full time job, so I thought that this was a nice opportunity for me to be able to do both,” said Zimmerman.
Derric Whitfield, the Wizard Girls dance team manager and choreographer, told TheDC that Wizard Girls need more than just skills and beauty to make the team.
Finding overall “well-rounded” women for the team, he said, “lets you know that they’re responsible women, that they’re reliable, that they’re good to work with. It shows character.”
Zimmerman was a member of the Harvard Crimson Dance Team, the in-house cheer squad for basketball games.
“I was a cheerleader and cheered for eight years and always loved watching basketball, loved cheering for basketball,” Zimmerman said, adding that she was always “looking for a way to pursue a high level of dancing.”
At the same time, though, her teaching job proves that there’s more to life than dancing. “I do have other types of more professional aspirations, so I think balancing the two is good for me for right now,” she explained.
Being a professional cheerleader has its perks, but the profession also comes with its own peculiar stereotypes.
One organization, called “Science Cheerleaders,” brings current and former professional cheerleaders together to “playfully challenge” the idea that women like Zimmerman are all blonde, bubbly, and brain dead. The organization highlights America’s brainiest pom-pom shakers, including chemical engineers, computer whizzes, biologists and more — all with professional cheerleading jobs.
“It’s the only opportunity to bridge really these two different worlds,” said Science Cheerleaders founder Darlene Cavalier, a former Philadelphia 76ers cheerleader. “I think the women really enjoy doing this, and when alumni come out and support [them] I think everyone feels like they’re making an impact.”
Zimmerman is not a member, but she is familiar with the program. And while her professional future is as unclear as any recent college graduate’s, she sees herself dancing with the Wizard Girls while her teaching career develops.
“Growing up in Detroit and being a product of the Detroit public school system, I’ve seen a lot of things wrong,” Zimmerman said.
“Where I work now is a fabulous school, very well run. So I’m learning a lot about how schools should be run, and I would love to pursue [a] policy-making type avenue later on.”
Ta DA! They’re here! The Line Up’s new fashions for 2012!This is something I look forward to every year – seeing the new stuff, and predicting which items will be the hot outfit for the year’s auditions. Click here to see what they’ve come up with for 2012! (They’ve also got loads more photos of the new designs, and other good stuff on their blog [click here] and on Facebook [click here].)
Every year, I try to predict the big seller. I’m usually wrong, but it’s fun guessing. This time around, I’m betting it’ll be one of these:
I think this is going to be The One.
Personally, this is my favorite top. I like a ruffle here and there. Experience tells me however, that the anti-ruffle crowd majorly outnumbers those of us who are pro-ruffle.
Cute, right? But if you’ve got audition plans this year, and none of these outfits float your boat, do not worry. Believe me when I say there are PLENTY of other options on The Line Up’s website.
Every year, The Line Up has a couple of styles that catch on like wildfire, and I see them everywhere during audition season. When I first came across TLU, I figured this would be a problem. If everyone else and her mother gets her outfit from TLU, doesn’t that make it more likely that you’re going to show up at any given audition wearing the exact same outfit as someone else? As it turns out, that’s not the case at all.
I probably look at more pro team audition photos than anyone else on the planet, and as popular as The Line Up’s outfits are, I’ve rarely seen exact duplicates at the same audition. Because you can mix and match tops and bottoms, choose your own fabric and colors, and customize the crystals for every outfit, you don’t see much duplication. In fact, now that I think about it, the only times I’ve seen the exact same outfit on two different girls at the same audition, were when (1) they both bought the outfit exactly as it appears on the Line Up’s website or (2) they bought the outfit in the team’s colors. So there’s a tip for you. Customize!
This is what I’m talking about. The photo of the outfit on the website is pink. So everyone bought it in pink, and see what happened.
Here are some of the other popular choices from 2011 (Although, just between you and me, I wouldn’t be surprised if a few of these are knockoffs. Ahem. The sincerest form of flattery, and all that.)
809 had the right idea. What are the chances that anyone else would come up with that combination of colors? Heck, I don’t even know what color that is. What is that? Brown? Olive green?
These three X-front styles were insanely popular last year:
I expect they’ll do really well this year, too.
Now I’ve shown you where to find the good stuff. So get out of here pick out your outfit. And for pete’s sake, be creative!
Dancer Paige Annette, another MPS success story
Geraud Blanks
JS Online
February 24, 2012
Dancer Paige Annette has devoted a large portion of her life to dance. She’s spent countless hours honing her craft and learning steps and routines in order to be ready to perform at a moment’s notice. So when she got a call from her agent last month to audition for R&B star Tyrese’s upcoming tour, she was ready,
Nearly 100 women were invited to the LA auditions; Tyrese handpicking the dancers. The fact that Annette had been chosen to audition was a victory in itself, and when her agent informed her that she was invited back for a 2nd call, she was honored and determined.
“I was confident but also very nervous,” said Annette. “I knew what a big opportunity this would be and I also knew how amazing it was to be called back out of so many dancers.”
But nothing, not all of those years of sweat and agonizing hard work had prepared her for what would happen next.
“When he told me I did not believe him,” said Annette about her reaction after Tyrese announced his final decision. “He said congratulations ladies, you’ll be going on tour with me.”
Milwaukee’s Own
One of only two dancers chosen to accompany Tyrese on tour, Annette was fulfilling a lifelong dream that started in grade school but flourished at local performing arts school, Milwaukee High School of the Arts (MHSA). An athletic child, Annette has always been into physical activity but there was something that drew her to dancing over everything else.
“My mom put me in dance when I was little, I had a lot of energy,” she said. “What she put me in stuck with me for the rest of my life. Even if I was involved in sports dancing always came first.”
Annette says she began dancing professionally her freshman year of High School as a part of Signature Contemporary Dance Company, where she was a principal dancer.
“After school I would rehearse with the company,” she recalls. There were shows out of town; you could say I got a small taste of the life of a touring dancer at this time.”
Annette credits the discipline she learned and intense training she received while a student at MHSA—aside from her mother and her own ambition—as the driving force in her success.
“High School of the Arts prepared me in many ways for my career,” she said. “In school, we had a different technique class every day, so even though you might prefer a specific style of dance, learning different styles trains you to become a versatile dancer.”
“If you’re lucky enough, you will find a mentor who will help you know what kind of dancer you want to be. I was definitely fortunate to have found a mentor in Sandra Jordan, who helped me to find my dance direction by my senior year.”
Only the beginning
After graduating from MHSA in 2002, Annette attended Columbia College of Chicago to further pursue her passion. She later transferred to University of the Arts in Philadelphia where she graduated from in 2006 with a BFA in Dance.
Paige was an Eagles Cheerleader from 2005 to 2007
Now a resident of Las Vegas, Annette has lived in Sin City for four years working as a full time dancer, making the trek to LA whenever there is an audition or an opportunity to be had. But her last audition was a month ago, these days she’s busy catching flights and getting ready for the next gig.
Annette’s first stop as a part of Tyrese’s show was on February 10, in Dallas. She says she rehearsed with the singer/film actor for four or five days before taking the stage for their first performance.
Annette will accompany Tyrese for spot dates in Houston, Memphis, New York and Las Vegas before picking up yet-to-be-confirmed tour dates throughout March and April.
“One of my dreams has been to dance in a show like this,” says Annette. “I’m excited beyond belief about this opportunity to work with Tyrese, I know that this is only the beginning, but this has truly been an amazing experience”
MPS gets it right
It was only a few years ago that the MHSA was rumored to be in desperate need of funding in order to keep its doors open. A debt of nearly $1 million threatened to make MHSA yet another casualty of our school systems fiscal reality. Luckily, this was one situation where the community decided enough was enough.
The destruction of an institution that graduates highly motivated, skilled young men and women—the kind of young men and women that win Grammy awards or tour with Tyrese—was unacceptable. Parents and alumni coalesced around a common goal of raising awareness about the plight of MHSA and School administrators worked with the state to rework MHSA’s budget, which is higher than the typical public school due to its arts programs.
While the school was saved, there are still many Milwaukeeans they have yet to realize truly how phenomenal this institutuion is. It is without a doubt a shining example of the potential of Milwaukee’s public school system.
Click here to check out highlights from the RPD season so far.
By Bryan Strickland
Carolina Panthers
Feb 17, 2012
The sun already had set in Charlotte by the time the Pro Bowl kicked off last month, but on the sidelines at Aloha Stadium in Hawaii, the scene was reminiscent of a sunny southern afternoon for TopCats cheerleader Laura R.
A week later, as the sun set in Indianapolis near kickoff of Super Bowl XLVI, seven representatives of the TopCats were leading a Super Bowl Sunday celebration near Tokyo – a couple of hours after the sun had risen Monday morning.
The TopCats traveled far and wide in recent weeks to represent the Panthers, passing through time zones nearly as often as Carolina’s offense reached the end zone this past season.
Travel can be taxing, but the participants said they’d travel to the ends of the earth to spread good will to football fans everywhere on behalf of the Panthers.
“It was weird seeing football at eight in the morning, but our bodies still thought it was later in the day, so it wasn’t that bad,” said Myra, who represented the TopCats at a Super Bowl party for about 700 residents of Camp Zama, a U.S. army base in Japan. “Every time we started feeling tired, we’d go to the next event and meet new people, and we instantly were not tired anymore.”
Six TopCats – Myra, Candis, Cynthia, Katie B., Marissa and Stacey – were selected to join TopCats choreographer and coordinator Richelle Grant for the trip on the strength of essays they submitted for consideration.
The week before the Super Bowl, Laura R. was the Panthers’ representative on the Pro Bowl cheerleading squad based on a vote by her fellow TopCats.
“Being chosen in that way made the experience even more meaningful,” said Laura, who learned of her selection during a ceremony prior to the Dec. 11 home game against the Atlanta Falcons. “My initial response was disbelief when it was announced on the field. I think I literally stood there for 15 seconds before I truly realized what had occurred. It was a flood of emotions. I was just overwhelmed.”
Both transcontinental trips presented their share of logistical challenges, but it all proved worthwhile.
“The last few weeks have been very busy, yet exciting,” Grant said. “Making sure each TopCat has the proper paperwork and tools she needs is key to any overseas trip, and we started rehearsing nearly two months prior to ensure everyone was performance-ready.
“Appearances like these are very important, because we have a small amount of time to meet so many people and interact with children whom we may never meet again, and we want that impression to be a lasting one.”
SUPER BOWL
TOKYO – At 6 a.m. on the Friday prior to the Super Bowl, the TopCats’ contingent bound for Japan departed Charlotte.
They finally arrived in Camp Zama around 5 p.m. on Saturday, the end of a 21-hour trek that featured a 14-hour flight from Dallas and a 14-hour shift in time zones.
“It actually wasn’t as bad as we thought it was going to be,” said Stacey, the TopCats’ representative at the Pro Bowl a year ago. “We chatted a lot and we watched some movies, then we chatted some more. We slept a little, then we chatted some more.”
The next day, the cheerleaders got the chance to explore the region before being the featured attraction at a Super Bowl celebration. They visited Meiji Jingu, a breathtaking Shinto shrine where they witnessed a couple of traditional Japanese weddings, and they checked out the unique fashion district of Harajuku.
“Just being around the Japanese people and seeing the culture and how they interact with each other was pretty neat,” Cynthia said.
The next morning, the main purpose of the trip found the cheerleaders spending time with Americans homesick for their native culture. Super Bowl Monday as it is in Japan featured a game party, postgame autograph session and cheerleading clinic for the children of Camp Zama.
“The Super Bowl is such a big part of American culture, so to be there and be able to bring that little piece of America to them was awesome,” said Cynthia, who was emotionally impacted by “The Star-Spangled Banner” before the game and clinic and autograph session after the game.
“Sometimes you don’t realize how much you impact little girls’ lives. During the autograph session, girls would just come up and share their heart with you. Some would say, ‘I’ll never forget this day,’ and tell you how special you are. It was touching.”
Before heading home, each TopCat received her most prized souvenir from the adventure – a coin presented by U.S. Army Garrison Japan Commander Col. Eric Tilley, a native of Kannapolis, N.C.
“Everybody was so appreciative,” Stacey said. “Every single person we went up to talked about how special it was to have a piece of home on such a special day.
“It was a whirlwind – from seeing Tokyo to the Super Bowl party to being with the kids to being with these girls. And it was humbling, going halfway across the world.”
This year the Marlins announced that the all-male Manatees dance team and all-female Mermaids dance team will be replaced by a new co-ed team. Click here to check out photos from last month’s auditions for the inaugural Miami Marlins Energy Team.
Click here to check out photos of the Miami Heat Dancers on SportsIllustrated.com
Click here to check out the Dallas Mavericks Dancers on SportsIllustrated.com.
Personally, I think they should’ve challenged him a little. I think he can take it.
