Victoria, 21, made the cut for the second consecutive year.
A.J. Voelpel
West Islip Patch
August 12, 2011
You’re likely to see a lot of fresh faces when the New York Islanders take to the ice this season. But Victoria will not be one of them.
For the second consecutive year, West Islip’s own Victoria (whose last name we’ve been asked by Islanders to keep anonymous) will star as a member of the Ice Girls, a group of 10 women that represent the Islanders on and off the ice.
The Ice Girls are a huge attraction at the Nassau Coliseum and have been part of the organization since the 2001-02 season. If you’re not familiar, you can normally spot them shoveling up loose ice during timeouts, presenting the Islanders flag before games and taking part in community events.
We recently spoke with Victoria, 21, about the team, her skating career and the rejected Coliseum vote on August 1.
West Islip Patch: Take me through the tryout process. Is it as competitive as it looks?
Victoria: This was my second year doing it, and it was a little different than the first year. There were a lot more girls trying out this year. We have to bring in a headshot and a resume, then we go out on the ice and skate then we each get interviewed. Then the coach eliminates some girls and we keep filtering.
WIP: Do you hang out often with other girls on the team?
V: We kind of live all over the island, but the ones that live closer to me, I do see. So we do hang out, but not as much as I’d like. We’re all around the same age, so we all get along really well.
WIP: Since it isn’t a 12-month ordeal, do you work any other jobs?
V: I work at a fitness Incentive in Babylon Village at the front desk and also teach aerobics classes there.
WIP: Were you upset that Nassau residents turned down the new coliseum?
V: I was a little upset at first, but from what the coaches are telling us, they’re not going to give up just yet.
WIP: Tell me about when your skating career started.
V: I started at 7-years-old, skating both before and after school most days, up until eighth grade (Victoria said was home schooled during high school and will be entering CW Post in the fall as a junior). My schedule was really crazy; get up at 5 a.m., go skating, go to school, rush and do my homework on my bus, then go skating again.
I skated in several international competitions, some of which I medaled in. I Stopped skating competitively about a year and half ago. I’m hoping to do some more shows after school, but my job right now as an Ice Girl is perfect.
WIP: What’s the coolest place you’ve visited?
V: It’s Courmayeur. It’s in Italy and it’s where the tallest mountain in Italy is. Even in the summer there’s snow. I went there in July once and there was a dusting of snow. It was crazy.
WIP: Would you say you’re one of the best skaters on the team?
V: I would, only because I’ve skated and competed the longest out of anyone on the team for sure.
Barnstormers’ Emily Collins picked to perform tonight at ArenaBowl XXIV
Kristin Danley-Greiner
Des Moines Register
Aug. 10, 2011
During the day, Emily Collins sports business attire and a professional demeanor.
At night, she can be found dancing on a football field and cheering from the sidelines as a Barnstormers cheerleader.
The one thing Collins carries over from cheerleader to her position in the Des Moines city manager’s office is a beaming smile and optimistic attitude.
“Emily is always upbeat, positive and encouraging to others. She is a ray of sunshine in the office,” said Amelia Hamilton Morris, chief communications officer for the city of Des Moines. “However, she is also a professional, educated female who is very serious about her career and climbing the ladder of success both in City Hall and in the Barnstormers operations.”
Collins, 28, of Des Moines is a Lincoln High School graduate who started dancing at age 4. Her passion for entertaining a crowd carried over to her high school drill team. She later danced with the Central College pom squad. As a transfer student at Iowa State University, she coached and choreographed the Ballard High School dance team and choreographed for the squad at Collins-Maxwell schools.
Collins has a bachelor’s degree from Iowa State in mass communications and is pursuing her master’s degree in public administration at Drake University. Four years ago, she was selected to be a Barnstormers cheerleader and became a co-captain her second year with the squad, a position she still holds.
She said she tried out for the team because she missed performing. The schedule pairs well with a daytime job at City Hall.
“We practice Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings and most of our games are on Saturdays — unless it’s an NFL Network game, then that’s on Friday nights,” she said.
Previously, Collins choreographed more of the routines for the squad, but has since relinquished most of that duty to her “talented and very artistic” co-captain. She fulfills administrative-type duties, such as handling promotions and costumes.
“The promos are a lot of fun, because we get to be out in the community,” she said. “We’ve been with the Girl Scouts, the Marshalltown Farmers Market, lots of parades and we had our kids’ clinic at the July 9 game, which was really fun. Those little kids are just adorable and you don’t realize how much they look up to you.”
This season Collins was selected to be part of the Arena Football League’s AFL Dream Team. Each franchise’s management submitted two cheerleaders’ names to the league. In an online voting process, one girl from each team was selected to perform in ArenaBowl XXIV. That game is tonight.
“This is the second year they’ve done this and I’m really excited,” Collins said.
“I’ll get to meet other girls from all across the country. It’s the Superbowl of the AFL. There’ll be a commissioner’s awards dinner, photo shoots and more.”
WKRN.com
8/11/2011
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – On Thursday night the Tennessee Titans’ cheerleaders became more acquainted with the media and learned about the pitfalls of social media.
Stacie Kinder is the Director of Cheerleading for the Titans.
She told Nashville’s News 2 the cheerleaders are made up of students, accountants, figure skaters and teachers.
The cheerleaders are most often seen performing on game day, but they also spend hours practicing and training during the week, as well as make public appearances, put on a junior Titans cheerleading and appear on the weekly coach’s show.
“We never know when a camera and microphone will be stuck in a girl’s face. So she needs to be prepared for that to happen so she comes across as the intelligent, articulate, sophisticated young woman that she is,” Kinder said.
Many of the cheerleaders said the job, like others is demanding and time consuming.
“Definitely because I’m a mother and there’s definitely those hours I don’t have with my daughter at night,” Stephanie A. said, adding, “Thank goodness she still goes to bed at eight-o’clock so I don’t miss a lot of time with her.”
Twenty-five women make up the 2011 Titans cheerleading roster, including 10 rookies.
The Titans play their first pre-season game at LP Field against the Minnesota Vikings.
Karen Gellender
Plainview Old Bethpage Herald
August 12, 2011
Every hockey fan likes to think their favorite team is special, but the New York Islanders can boast one thing that no other team in the NHL has: the Ice Girls, a dedicated team of skaters who present the Islanders’ flag at every game. On Saturday, Aug. 6, 24 female skaters headed to Iceworks Syosset on Underhill Boulevard to try out for one of only 10 spots on the 2011-2012 Ice Girls team.
With the exception of one lockout season (2004-2005), the Ice Girls have been part of the show at Islanders’ games since the 2001-2002 season. In addition to presenting the Islanders flag at every game, Ice Girls keep the ice clean during games, and perform an additional routine when the team wins. The girls must be over 18 with strong skating skills, capable of skating backwards as well as doing lunges, spirals, t-stops and power crossovers.
Ice Girls coach Linda Beach said she looks for strong edges and strong fundamental skating skills from the girls. What she isn’t looking for, however, is spinning and jumping; figure skating moves, utilizing the toepics at the front of the girls’ figure skates, can take a toll on the ice. Poor ice conditions can lead to rough skating for the hockey players, and naturally, no one wants to see cranky Islanders. However, as many of the girls who try out for the Ice Girls have competitive figure skating experience, most of them are capable of the more advanced figure skating moves, and there were plenty of impressive spins on display at Iceworks during tryouts.
In addition to their work during games, the skaters represent the Islanders throughout the year as a part of the I.C.E. (Islanders Community Events) Tour, a program designed to foster a love of hockey in young fans and promote the sport throughout the year. As an integral part of the tour, pairs of Ice Girls can be found signing autographs and helping out at hospitals, schools, festivals, summer camps, and other venues all over Long Island. The Islanders do approximately 200 community events a year, and while the Ice Girls are not involved with all of them, they do appear at many.
One recent event the girls were involved in was the Aug. 1 Nassau Coliseum vote; the skaters went to train stations in their Ice Girls uniforms to draw attention to the vote, in addition to handing out fliers at local businesses. According to Beach, it was hard for everyone involved with the team to see Nassau voters reject the Coliseum proposal.
“We were rallying; we really wanted that bill passed, and we were heartbroken when it wasn’t,” said Beach.
Hopefully the Ice Girls contenders who didn’t make the team this year weren’t heartbroken as well; since the skaters must try out every year, even if they’ve made the team in the past, tryouts can be tough even for veterans. Some skaters saw the competition and dropped out early, deciding to polish their skating and vie to wear the Islanders’ blue and orange uniforms another time.
Still, the tone on the ice was friendly, with plenty of skaters seemingly enjoying the opportunity to have the ice rink to themselves on a hot summer day. In between drills and interviews, newcomers and experienced Ice Girls alike zipped around the ice gracefully and chatted about the team.
“I love it; I love the feeling of being on the ice in front of the crowd, and I love skating, so it’s like the best job in the world,” said Lisa from Manhattan, a veteran Ice Girl.
Danielle from Smithtown agreed. “I’m a huge Islanders fan, so what’s a better way to support them with something I love – figure skating!”
While some of the skaters said they wanted to be a part of the Ice Girls while they attended college part-time, others said they were looking to pursue professional figure skating in the future, with kid-friendly ice shows like Disney on Ice as one likely career option. However, while all the girls clearly love to skate, according to Beach, skating is only one part of what makes the Ice Girls what they are.
“They do so much more than what you see at the games; they are really ambassadors for this community,” said Beach. “Long Island should be proud to have the Islanders here.”
Individual photos for the Carolina Panthers Cheerleaders have been posted on the Panthers website. Click here to go there now!
Marissa, Shelby, and Samantha
Many thanks to Karla from the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders yahoo group for these scans!
This year’s team of 34 is evenly split between rookies and returners.
OKLAHOMA CITY, August 10, 2011 – The Oklahoma City Thunder announced today Paige Carter as manager of the Thunder Girls dance team. Carter, who grew up in Phoenix, brings an extensive background in choreography, dance and leadership. Her sports experience ranges from the NFL, NBA, WNBA and AFL, most notably with the Phoenix Suns and Arizona Cardinals. She was in attendance at Saturday’s open auditions at the Cox Convention Center.
“Paige will be a great addition to the Thunder family,” said Thunder Director of Events and Entertainment John Leach. “She brings a vast knowledge of both NFL and NBA game experiences and a strong dedication to community involvement. In addition, she has held numerous roles and responsibilities as a dancer, teacher and performer. We are confident she will continue to bring world-class entertainment to Thunder fans.”
Carter earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of Arizona, where she was a member of the Varsity pom team. She began her professional sports dance career in 1997 with the Phoenix Suns as a Suns Girl and cheered on fans for six consecutive seasons. During her time with the Suns, Carter performed on the Phoenix Mercury’s (WNBA) hip-hop dance squad and also worked as a choreographer for many esteemed dance studios throughout the Phoenix and Scottsdale area.
Following her NBA tenure, Carter earned a spot on the Arizona Cardinals’ cheerleading team where she was chosen as “Rookie of the Year” (2005). In addition, she was a Line Captain for the Sidewinders, the dance team for AFL’s Arizona Rattlers.
Most recently, Carter has held the role of Varsity Pom Coach for Desert Mountain High School. The team has established a winning tradition under her guidance and choreography, including AIA State Champions (2007) and USA Regional (2007, 2011) and National (2007, 2008, 2009) Champions. She also continues to work with the Cardinals’ Cheerleader program as the Dance Condition Coach for their training group.
Carter will help oversee the audition process as the 2011-12 Thunder Girls team is selected. Auditions began Saturday at the Cox Convention Center. Finalists will move on to the next round which includes interviews, a written test and practices. The seven-day process will conclude with the final round on Thursday, Aug. 11 in front of a live audience at Riverwind Casino. This event is free and open to the public. Fans are encouraged to arrive when doors open at 6 p.m. The final round will begin at 7 p.m.
George Panagakos
Examiner.com
August 10, 2011
This year the Washington Wizards used Facebook to determine the final Wizard Girl of 2011-12. Her name is
Ever since Dr. Jerry Buss created the “Laker Girls” in 1979, NBA teams have strived to put together the best dance entertainment team possible. NBA teams have also strived to find the next Earvin “Magic” Johnson, but that’s another story. Of course, Washington isn’t hurting with 2010 pick-up John Wall.
On the dance front, the Wizard Girls were once known as the “Bullettes,” back when the Wizards were called the Washington Bullets (1974-1997). In 1997 the Bullets became the Wizards, and the Bullettes became the “Washington Wizards Dance Team.” The name was later shortened to the “Wizard Girls” in 2008, and the rest is dance history.
Wizards Extreme had a first hand look at all of the action this year, and helped judge the initial event which named the first nineteen “Girls.” For even more Wizard Girls action, check out their official Facebook page.
Brookfield’s Chelsea Janssen joins NFL dance team for 2011-12 season.
By Gina Petriccione
Brookfield Patch
8/10/2011
As football season begins, one Brookfield native will have the chance to watch the games from her very own spot on the sideline. Chelsea Janssen, a graduate of Brookfield High School (BHS) and former BHS Dance Team captain, has earned the distinguished opportunity to dance for the Jet’s Flight Crew Cheerleaders.
Janssen will perform with the Flight Crew at the Jet’s home games this season in front of a crowd of 82,000 people.
“I did so much to prepare for the tryouts themselves that I did not think about what would happen if I actually made it,” Janssen said of learning she had made the Crew, “My first thought was that there is no way this is real.”
Auditioning for the Flight Crew was a lengthy and careful process. In the preliminary round of auditions, the dancers were to “freestyle” in groups of five in front of a panel of judges. In moving to the semi-final round, the dancers each learned a combination and a kickline that was then performed in groups. Finalists were then chosen to perform a 90-second solo as well as the pervious combinations at the Meadowlands stadium.
While these things may sound difficult to most, Janssen says the most nerve-racking part of the audition process was a one-on-one interview with the Flight Crew Director, Denise Garvey.
On April 16, 300 young women attended the open call auditions. Nearly one month and three rounds later, 41 girls were chosen for the 2011-2012 team.
Though the audition process was difficult, Janssen says she knew her hard work was only beginning.
Each Flight Crew member attends a summer-long training camp, as well as three weekly practices that last for three hours or more. Rehearsals for the team include learning choreography as well as routine workouts. The Flight Crew primarily focuses on a style of jazz that emphasizes technique, showmanship and powerful execution.
Janssen served as a BHS Dance Team captain from 2008 to 2010 under the direction of Linda Davies and Deanne Petriccione. During this time, she helped lead the team to two CIAC State Championships in Jazz and contributed original choreography to their hip-hop routines. Janssen believes her time on the BHS Dance Team played a large role in her success in the professional dance world. “I believe it prepared me to pick up choreography quickly and execute the dances to the best of my ability.”
When asked what she is most looking forward to this season, Janssen answered, “I can not wait to be in the tunnel and run out to the field for the first time. It’s going to be the most exciting moment of my life!”
Members of the Flight Crew are a very close-knit group of young women and Janssen believes she has made some life-long friendships through this experience.
