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The Chosen Ones
2011-2012 Rockets Power Dancer squad revealed
Rockets.com staff
Houston Rockets
July 21, 2011
HOUSTON – After ten days of intense training, four rounds of auditions and nerve-wracking performances, the results are in and a new generation of Rockets Power Dancers has been unveiled.
Culminating a process that began with the initial round of auditions on July 9th, 18 lovely and talented dancers were chosen Tuesday night at the House of Blues in downtown Houston to join RPD co-captains Ginger, Ebony, Christie, and Kristen on the squad for the upcoming season.
The event marked the third consecutive year that the Rockets have held the final auditions in public, and more than 1,000 people were on hand to witness the festivities which included top-notch performances from all the finalists, plus Clutch the Rockets Bear, Launch Crew, Little Dippers and the Space City Seniors.
If you weren’t able to attend, don’t worry – Rockets.com has you covered with video footage and a slide show from the event. [click here]
And be sure to keep an eye on the Rockets Power Dancers’ homepage in the weeks and months to come for more pictures, news and information on the ’11-12 team.
A Farewell To Charms
Jason Friedman
Houston Rockets
July 12, 2011
HOUSTON – I’m in my talent-judging prime: old and experienced enough to think I know everything, while still possessing just the right amount of youthful ignorance to prevent me from fully recognizing how inherently ridiculous that notion truly is.
Needless to say, then, the Rockets came to the right place when approaching me with the opportunity to help judge this past weekend’s Rockets Power Dancer auditions. With my mindset and experience (I’ve judged this competition two of the past three years, only missing the 2010 edition because I was in Las Vegas covering Summer League – I know, I know… priorities) I now believe myself capable of being able to separate the cheerleader chaff from the wheat in five seconds or fewer. My eye for true talent is just that keen and finely tuned. Or so I’d like to believe, anyway.
Misguided as I may be about my judging skills, however, I am under no such delusions concerning my ability to properly cover this event; for it is one thing to sit down and grade the gyrating dancers in front of you, quite another to convey that experience in a creative, compelling and (hopefully) entertaining way. While re-reading my running diary (Copyright, Bill Simmons – All rights reserved) of the 2009 auditions, I was somewhat shocked to realize it was chock full of references ranging from Teddy Roosevelt to “Labyrinth” to the Ludovico technique made famous in A Clockwork Orange. Do those talking points, in and of themselves, make for compelling content? Of course not. But surely they at least made the story unique and perhaps, in so doing, helped capture the spirit of the event in a way which compelled the reader to carry on, if for no other reason than to see what might be lurking around the next corner.
All of which is my typically long-winded way of letting you know that while my judging conceit was alive and well heading into the weekend, so too was the practically paralyzing fear of creative failure that is well-known by writers the world over. After all, what good does it do me to enter the prime judging years of my life if my capacity for creativity is already on a steep, downward trajectory leading me straight into the bland, nondescript and apathetic abyss that is home to the likes of Harlequin romance novelists, Hollywood screenwriters churning out the 182nd sequel of the summer, and anyone who had anything to do with Season 1 of “The Killing”?
Seriously, that was the primary thought circulating my mind as I took my seat at the judges’ table Saturday morning. It should surprise you not at all then to find out that shortly thereafter my salvation was found in the form of …
10:53 AM – … Margaritas. Or, at least, the mere mention of them. Seems one of my fellow judges enjoyed a couple of those wonderful tequila-based beverages the night before and now she’s regaling me with tales of the experience. This proceeds to get the grey matter in my mind churning to the point that I’ve now developed a worst case scenario plan of action if I’m unable to generate anything fresh or new after two days and three rounds worth of competition. The plan calls for nothing more than putting on my WWHD (What Would Hemingway DO?) bracelet before proceeding to get blitzed out of my mind while exploring the raw world of cheerleading and extolling the virtue, valor and honor of those who compete. That’s right; cheerleaders are the new bullfighters – right down to their prominent and powerful use of the color red and the subtle movements necessary to best the beasts before them.
Anyway, somehow this thought serves to ease my anxiety (while no doubt simultaneously providing profound insight into the inner-workings of a troubled mind).
11:00 AM – As the assembled young women begin to learn the round one routine, I am struck by the undeniable reality of their youth – and the fast-fading, irrevocable erosion of mine. Gone are the days of this being a peer-to-peer exercise; they are fresh-faced, well-toned, scantily clad pictures of spring in full bloom, while I approach middle age with the mind-bending speed and alacrity of a Justin Verlander fastball. I am reminded of the classic cradle-robbing quote from Wooderson in the movie Dazed and Confused: “I get older, they stay the same age.” And, yes, I can confirm that relating to Wooderson in any way, shape or form, however momentarily, does in fact increase one’s desire to drink oneself into oblivion. Just in case you were curious.
(By the way, if you ever find yourself wondering what a character like Wooderson would be up to 20 years later, simply head to Bravo and turn on “The Millionaire Matchmaker.” Have you seen this show? It’s built around a Los Angeles-based company that specializes in setting up impossible-to-please millionaire men with the women of their dreams. Unable to successfully navigate dating life on their own, these down on their luck dudes (sarcasm implied), most of whom seem to be in their mid-50s, head to the agency bemoaning their inability to find the lifelong love and commitment they crave, all while describing their ideal mate thusly: a Harvard-educated Mother Theresa in her mid-20s who just wrapped up a Playboy Playmate of the Month cover shoot. You’ll be shocked to know that things often – at least in the one episode I could stomach watching – end poorly. Highest of high comedy.)
11:18 AM – FOX Sports Houston’s Patti Smith interviews me on camera to get my take on life as an RPD judge. Naturally, I knock it out of the park by setting a cliché-per-minute (henceforth to be known as CPM) record, unleashing a torrent of talent competition buzzwords like “total package,” “charisma,” and “it-factor.” Pretty sure I even got a “you can’t describe it, but you know it when you see it” in there. Randy Jackson would be so proud.
This also seems a good time to point out that the sabermetric society will have failed us if we don’t have nightly CPM tracking for announcers in all sports by this Fall at the latest. We all want better sports broadcasting so isn’t it long past time we developed and used metrics that can help us raise the bar? I’m demanding Daryl Morey make this the focus of a workshop at the next Sloan Conference.
11:23 AM – As I take my seat following the interview, my omnipresent, shape-shifting paranoia comes rushing back with a vengeance. The question now dogging me: at what point does my increased association with the Rockets Power Dancers (awkward host of RPD World, showing up at prep classes, and now serving as a judge) officially become a career killer, morphing me into either a soulless, puff piece producing automaton or a poor man’s version of Ryan Seacrest (Right now you’re wondering if there’s actually a difference between those two things. I’ll say this much: you’re not wrong for asking)? On cue, one of my co-workers asks me if I intentionally wore my shoes with teal laces to go with my teal dress shirt. Very well, then. Ryan Seacrest it is.
11:40 AM – Round 1 is underway. The dancers come out in groups of five and have approximately 30 seconds to perform the choreographed routine to the music. If they forget any of the moves they’re allowed to freestyle in an effort to show the judges everything they’ve got. This is far and away my favorite part of the first round proceedings. You never know what you’re going to see. An early highlight: one of the participants gets down on the floor right in front of me and proceeds to pull off a breakdancing move reminiscent of watching a sea turtle bust out of its shell; only if it were forced to do so upside down and with a broken neck. Confused? Well multiply that by 1,000 and you’ll understand how I feel. I don’t know whether to stand up and applaud or call an exorcist.
11:47 AM – The judging process is strangely intense once you get into the rhythm of it all. As soon as one group finishes the next is ushered in, meaning there’s precious little time to waste in terms of scoring or taking notes. The whole process is a picture of modern efficiency with volunteers walking by to collect your score sheets after every round.
In an attempt to be polite I try to at least turn around to thank them each time they walk past but sometimes all the furious scoring and scribbling makes that an impossibility. On those occasions the best I can do is just hold the paper near my head with one hand while I continue to write with the other. Every once in awhile the exchange finds the paper brushing by my cheek or neck, which of course is all it takes to make me consider the possibility of paper cuts. They’re certainly not the most pleasant of injuries but neither are they anywhere close to the worst. Unless … what if you were unfortunate enough to sustain one on your eyeball? Tell me the mere thought of something so awful doesn’t make you cringe. In related news, you’ll probably not be surprised to hear I’ve spent the last month of my life watching way more episodes of Dexter, Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones than any human being should ever be allowed.
11:55 AM – Being a veteran of the judging process can be helpful in many ways. Once you’ve done this a time or two there’s no denying the fact you start to recognize the sought-after attributes of a future RPD in very short order. One thing that never gets any easier, however: watching someone freeze when their moment arrives. It comes with the territory, of course; anyone who’s ever chosen to perform on a stage or a court has horror stories of moments they’d love to forget. The hope is that those tales someday become tools to help foster improvement and growth. But that all takes place in the future. Right here in the inescapable present there is nothing but pain – for both the crestfallen participant and the powerless judges unable to find the right words to say in such moments.
1:30 PM – Round 1 is over, lunch has been eaten and while the remaining dancers are still scattered enjoying a bit of a break, several of the judges, myself included, are now milling about, taking turns shooting hoops on the basketball court which has served as the stage for this weekend’s competition. I’m taking aim at one of the baskets along the sideline, repeatedly practicing the Dream Shake from the left block.
Like so many kids growing up in Clutch City back in the day, that was my shot. There was nothing better than going to a new playground where no one knew me, draining that first baseline turnaround while everyone decried what they thought was my apparent good fortune, then proceeding to knock down three more in succession. Such were the highlights of my athletics exploits. But I wasn’t just pumped for myself during those moments, I was also proud to be repping the Rockets with the shot Hakeem “taught” me. You can imagine, then, my dismay when someone saw me practicing the moves of my youth and commented that I was pulling a…let’s just call him that dude in Dallas. Heresy, I tell you. Clearly a 5-part summer series on the intricacies of the Dream Shake is in order to remind the world where and from whom that shot originates.
2:55 PM – Round 2 is in full swing. One of the judges sitting next to me whispers, “Extra points for boots” in response to the knee-highs one of the participants is wearing. Nothing truly noteworthy there; that is, except for the fact I misheard him when he said the word “boots.” I then proceed to spend the next 30 seconds giggling like a 12-year-old. So much for my air of superiority. Though, to be fair, that probably vanished the moment someone pointed out my teal-colored shoelaces.
Sunday 1:41 PM – Day 2 and Round 3 are now upon us. After starting with more than 200 wannabe RPD Saturday morning, we’re now down to approximately 60 competitors. By this point, everyone can dance and everyone looks good so this final cut will be by far the toughest made this weekend.
Sunday 2:00 PM – The dancers have to perform two different routines this time, one of which requires some serious booty shaking. No, really, that’s the move: you know the one I’m talking about; the one in which it appears as if a 6.0 earthquake is working its way up, around and through the person’s posterior. For the life of me, I will never figure out how women do this (Can men even do it? Is it physiologically possible?). It’s like the dancing equivalent of the Euro step or a step-back fadeaway 3 off a killer crossover; no matter how many times I see it, I’m always amazed.
Sunday 3:35 PM – The finalists have been chosen! After two days and three rounds, 28 young women are left to vie for 18 available spots (the squad’s four captains – Ginger, Ebony, Christie and Kristen – are already on the team) as the selection process now winds toward its ultimate conclusion which will take place the evening of July 20 at the House of Blues.
That means my work here is done. An enormous thank you to Susie Boudwin and all the Rockets staff who worked so hard to put on a great event and, most importantly, help me survive another year (paper cut free!). Because of them, I didn’t have to find inspiration in a bottle and American Idol has not yet called to inquire about my availability as a roving reporter. So life is good.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have an entire generation to educate about the origins of the Dream Shake …
She Does What?
D.J. Foster
Los Angeles Clippers
7/21/2011
Staples Center has become sort of a second home for Clipper Fan Patrol member Summer over the past nine years. During every single Clippers home game, you can catch the longest tenured member of the Fan Patrol performing with the rest of the sqyad during breaks in the action. Gymnastics, dance, cheerleading – you name it, Summer and the Fan Patrol do it.
After about three hours chock-full of tumbling and stunting, Summer will make the drive back home. With her adrenaline pumping and her heart still going a million miles per hour, she tries to force herself to sleep because she knows what’s in store for her in the morning.
Summer is a Fan Patrol veteran.
The turnaround is so fast that her costume swap would make the “quick change” halftime act look pedestrian by comparison.
Bright and early with just a few hours of shut eye under her belt, Summer swaps out her red and blue Clippers vest for a bright yellow reflective one. She kicks her white cheerleading shoes to the side and puts some steel-toe boots on her feet. The skirt gets tossed for a pair of jeans. And the hair she spent so much time getting just right last night? It gets a big hardhat plopped right on top of it.
And with that, her transformation is complete – performer in front of 19,000 by night…longshoreman on the docks at the various ports around Los Angeles by day.
“A lot of people are surprised to see me down there sometimes, “ Summer said. “Other people on the team are from around the area and know about the job. So they know what goes on down there.”
What goes on down there, simply put, is some real backbreaking manual labor. For Summer, her two jobs – Fan Patrol and Longshoreman – truly are like night and day.
“It’s completely different,” Summer said. “The Clippers Fan Patrol is more of my fun job where I get to dress up and interact with fans and be part of a team. The longshoreman job is a lot of physical work. It’s lifting heavy things, lifting heavy equipment.”
[Photo Gallery: Summer’s Day Job]
“Sometimes I’ll be keeping track of the containers that come on and off the ship, and sometimes I’ll be driving a semi-truck with a 40-foot container attached to it,” Summer said.
If it seems like a questionable job for a highly talented gymnast with a Master’s Degree from Cal State Fullerton to fall into, you would be right. But down at the docks, Summer is about as comfortable as one could be hauling 30-pound containers repeatedly.
“I do really like it,” Summer said. “It’s different every time I go down there. It keeps you on your toes. It’s a pretty interesting job.”
The job is made a little more interesting when you consider how small Summer is compared to the rest of her coworkers.
“It’s pretty tough work, especially because I’m so short,” Summer said. “That doesn’t work in my favor. When I’m driving the semi-truck it’s kind of hard to reach the pedals.
“A lot of the guys down there are so big — it’s kind of a big man’s job. We have to lift the connectors to the containers, and they get pretty heavy after a while.”
But that hasn’t stopped Summer . The blue-collar work ethic is so instilled in her that she can’t take a break. She works because she can’t imagine not working.
It is easy to see where Summer gets that attitude from. Her grandfather, Charles, worked at the docks for many years. Her brother and uncle work there with her now, as does her father, Steve, who has worked as a longshoreman for over 25 years.
“He didn’t push me to do the job, but he kind of recommended it,” Summer said of her dad. “He thought it would be something good to fall back on even if I didn’t want to do it forever because I was still going to school.”
You get the impression talking to Summer that there is nothing that could stop her from doing what she sets her mind on. Since she was five years old, Summer knew that she wanted to do gymnastics and cheer , and she has successfully made that dream a reality, even if it has meant working somewhere a little outside of the box during the day.
Since the 2001-02 season, Summer has lived her dream and entertained the Clipper faithful, and if they ever need her to do something else for squad – something typically reserved for someone twice her size like being a base – it should be no surprise given her day job that she would be up for the challenge.
“Yeah,” Summer laughed. “I could do that.”
Lakers.com:
Director of the Laker Girls Lisa Estrada is keeping a daily diary of the audition process for Lakers.com, starting with a summary of a full Saturday as over 400 hopefuls came to the Toyota Sports Center to show off their skills. Estrada will be checking in with updates throughout the week, covering individual interviews, final auditions and a wrap up once the final 22-odd girls are selected.
SATURDAY, JULY 16: AUDITION DAY
WOW … this fun, exciting day is now over! Today was the 2011-12 Laker Girls auditions and I have to admit that I was very impressed with all the participants that showed up today (despite the closure to the 405 freeway). I just wasn’t sure what to expect, but 400-plus ladies showed up to our “open call” today to be a part of the Lakers organization! YAY!
It seemed that there were many dancers that came from all over, not just Southern California! Some of the ladies came up and introduced themselves to me, and they were from Seattle, New York, Chicago, Florida, Ohio – I believe one of them came as far away as Australia! That is so NEAT!
Anyway, I am happy to say that the day was very productive. As I mentioned we started off with over 400 participants, and throughout the day we made four cuts. It was not easy at all, but the eight judges were able to cut it all the way down to 31 Finalists. This was a very talented group of dancers to choose from (very impressive)!!
Well, that is the day in a nutshell. I sure hope all the dancers that came to the auditions today enjoyed themselves AND I hope they come back next year!!! I guess I will keep you updated from here on out about this week……..thanks for checking in!
~ Lisa Estrada
SUNDAY, JULY 17: INTERVIEWS IN MIND
It’s Sunday, the day after the Laker Girls auditions, and I have to admit that I am really excited about the job interviews this week, which are the next part of the Laker Girls audition process.
Being that a Laker Girls member will have to be ready to do more than just “dance” at our games, I feel that this is a very important part of the process. I feel this way because the Laker Girls do many outside appearances and act as ambassadors for the Lakers Organization; I want to feel confident that, if they are hired for this position, this person can follow through in doing this in a positive way.
These 31remaining individuals will come into our offices from Monday through Wednesday, and I do have to admit that it is also the fun part, because we get to learn more about the individual person and how they conduct themselves as well as how they communicate. I feel that I get to know the ladies and their respective personalities a bit better during this part. They all have signed up for a day and time, and I know it will be really fun to see “what they are made of” and get to know them better. I really need dancers with a fun, positive personality.
Not to mention, being a Laker Girl, one needs to be a person that has the capability of working on a “TEAM”. So, compatibility is something important as well. We’ll just have to see how the chips fall … right?
Today I tried not to work but just couldn’t help it! I read all of the finalists resumes over and over, trying to get a better understanding of each person. Also, in getting ready for the interviews this week, I already started checking on some of the finalists references. (interesting!) Again, I am excited to move forward………let’s see how Monday goes. I will have fourteen interviews that day! WOW – I better eat a good breakfast! Ha ha ha.
Until next time … again, thanks for checking in!
~ Lisa
MONDAY, JULY 18: INTERVIEW DAY 1
Alrighty, it’s Monday, the first day of the Laker Girls interviews now in the books.
What a fun day! I met some really nice, sweet and talented young ladies today. It is truly a treat to get to ask them about themselves and their reason for trying out to be a Laker Girl. I get a plethora of answers – here are a few examples:
– “I wanted to be a Laker Girl from the time I was a child. Not to mention, I enjoy dancing & performing”…
– “I love the tradition, professionalism & classiness of what this dance team portrays”…
– “I am a full Lakers fan. I even wore a Lakers jersey to a home game in Detroit, when I resided there”…
– “It would be an honor to represent the Lakers organization and act as an ambassador for such a premier NBA franchise”…
Those are just a few answers given to me. Now, I have several more interviews to conduct in the next two days, so I am sure I will hear more of the same thing! But, I think that’s great – and hopefully these are honest answers.
It is different interviewing the veteran Laker Girls, though, meaning the girls that are re-auditioning; I basically have to ask them different questions because they have been on the team before. This means they have a little advantage over the new girls, because they have a better insight of how the audition process works.
Well, as I mentioned earlier, I have more interviews this week so I am trying not to get ahead of myself and not panic about making one last cut.
UGH.
Onward. I’m excited for tomorrow’s interviews: new people, new faces, new stories & new energy!
Until then…
TUESDAY, JULY 19: INTERVIEW DAY 2
Tuesday is over, the second day of the Laker Girls interviews now complete. Just like yesterday, I met some really sweet, enthusiastic young ladies.
It seems most of the ladies today were very appreciative for just making it this far in the audition process! They kept saying “thank you for having me here” or “I’m honored to be here,” which was so very nice of them. But, I told them that they got to this stage of the audition process on THEIR OWN. I mean, it was their own actions that got themselves to this final stage – they did it with their dancing and performance on Saturday. It was not me, nor was it the judges: the judges were just voting as they saw it. I really appreciated that some of these finalists were just happy to make it to the interview process!
I am a little over half way through the 31 finalists interviews, which means I am almost finished with all the interviews! YAY. Don’t get me wrong, I really do love this part – but I hear myself repeating the same things over and over (I drive myself crazy)! I even play a game with myself (in my mind) and try to come up with a different way to phrase items or questions that I discuss with the finalist. Funny, huh?
On a side note, the NBA released the Lakers schedule today (it is on our website). Yippee!
Okay, as I mentioned, I have more interviews tomorrow so I am sure you will hear about them too. I’m looking forward to it; as I said before, new people, new faces, new stories & new energy!
Thanks for checking in!
~ Lisa
Madelyn Burke
Los Angeles Clippers
7/19/2011
You think you know, but you have no idea.
For you Clippers fans who frequent Staples Center between October and April, it’s a familiar story. A whistle is blown, the quick paced game comes to a halt, and 16 beautiful girls run onto the hardwood, strike a pose, and wait for the music to start. As DJ Dense lets the track go, the girls move in unison, a flawless choreographed routine that lasts about a minute. They finish with smiles, and run off until their next time to grace the stage. How hard can it be?
To prove just how hard these girls work, I decided to do some guerrilla journalism. Five years removed from my 10 years of dance training, I decided I would be a good candidate to really see how difficult being an NBA dancer really was. So, I joined the 197 Spirit hopefuls in tights and crop tops at Redondo Union High School for the 2011 Clippers Spirit auditions.
RELATED: Click here to see the new Spirit Dance team
Going into it, I wasn’t quite planning my Clippers Spirit celebration party. To be honest, I didn’t even have an audition number. I wanted to learn the choreography at pace with this group, and really immerse myself in the environment. It is quite a unique experience.
These girls are judged on their dance moves, their physique, and their overall crowd appeal. You have got one chance and six eight-counts to show your stuff to a panel of eyes. One misstep, one fumble – it is all noted. If you trip up in a room of your peers, how will you do under the pressure of the Staples Center lights with 19,060 on looking fans?
So the stage is set.
After getting in some stretching and warm-ups, I slipped on my ballet shoes and began to soak up the choreography. With one choreographer and almost 200 girls, I was thankful for my 5’10” stature that allowed me a fairly unobstructed view– but still found the setting challenging.
The quick paced choreography was taught a few times to eight-counts, and then it was time to put it to music. As a group, we went through the routine three or four times before it mattered. Girls chatted amongst each other– “What comes after the hair flip?”, “Do you put your hands here –or here?” Despite the competition, there was already solid camaraderie building in the room.
The girls split into groups of three for their individual performances. I watched as some confidently nailed it, others beat themselves up over a small misstep. I was thankful to be a spectator at this point– so much pressure! Although I did have some support….
Sixty-five groups of three performed the same one minute routine before the judges deliberated to make their first round of cuts. As a judge, it has got to be near impossible to make that kind of decision, judging a girl on such a small interaction. But the panel is selected because they are capable of making these tough choices.
With the first round of cuts in the books, the room changed. There were some tears and some ecstatic faces as the gym begins to empty. It’s time to learn the next piece of choreography, but only if your number was called.
While the first piece was a basic piece, this one was a little more jazz styled. It was very fun with double pirouettes and leaps. It was increasingly challenging and taught at a much faster pace, but I had fun with it. It was essentially the same process as the first, but intensified. As to say “You’ve made it past the first round, now let’s see what you’ve got.”
These girls really blew me away. I’m confident in my Saturday night dancing skills, but learning and performing a choreographed piece in a matter of minutes is a whole different beast! Watching the groups of three perform this one, it started to become more clear which girls could do this on a regular basis, and which ones weren’t quite ready for that task. (I would adamantly put myself in the latter group, thank you.)
That was the end of my immersion in the Clippers Spirit tryouts, but the process was far from over. The remaining girls went through even more tryouts and a personality interview before final decisions were made.
At the end of the process, the 2011 Clippers Squad has been chosen. Having experienced part of it firsthand, I’m confident each and every one of those girls has earned it.
Another small collection of photos, this time from LA Weekly. Click here to go there now.
Work it Brittany!
The Philadelphia 76ers have selected their dance team for the upcoming season. Click here to see who made the squad!
Anyone who watches “So You Think You Can Dance” knows that National Dance Day 2011 is just around the corner. Dance events will be talking place all across the country on Saturday, July 30. The choreographers at SYTYCD have provided three dance routines (with varying levels of difficulty) and they’re challenging you to learn one or more of the dances and get out there and perform it at one of the National Dance Day events.
Down in Houston, the Dynamo Girls have taken up the challenge. They will be leading the crowd in the salsa routine choreographed by Mary Murphy. Everyone will be meeting up outside the offices of the Houston Press to get their salsa on. (Click here for details). The even will be filmed and uploaded to YouTube for So You Think You Can Dance.”
So save the date Houstonians, and click here to learn the choreography!
D.J. Foster
Los Angeles Clippers
July 19, 2011
It all started when nearly 200 hopeful ladies packed into a high school gym, each sharing the dream of dancing for a professional basketball team. And now, after a series of dance auditions in front of a panel of judges, multiple formal interviews and plenty of nervous waiting, that initial group has been whittled all the way down to the final 16 talented ladies who will make up the Los Angeles Clippers 2011-12 Spirit Dance Team. The proud members of the team are: ANASHEH, ARIANA, BECCA, BIANCA, BRITTANY, JACY RAE, JESSIE, JOCELYN, KATIE, KATRINA, KELLIE, MICHELLE, RACHEL, RHEA, SARA, and SHANNON.
This year’s Spirit Dance Team, which functions as the key component of the game night experience, features some fresh faces alongside some familiar ones.
“We have seven returning members and nine new members,” said Audrea Harris, the Spirit Dance Team Director. “We have three girls on the team who have tried out with us several times in the past. We always tell them if you don’t make it to come back. They were all very persistent in trying out and it paid off for them this year.”
Like any good team builder does, Harris and her panel of judges set out to find the perfect balance between rookies and veterans. In part, that meant no guaranteed spots for anyone on the team.
“It’s hard to have to fight for your spot back,” said Kellie, a returning member from last year’s squad. “I thought it was more challenging this year than last year. When I found out I made it, I was really excited.”
Although the tryouts were competitive by nature, many of the veterans like Kellie made it a point to provide a proper example for what a Spirit Dance Team member should be.
“The returners were all so welcoming and so friendly,” said Becca, a new member of the team.”They offered to help and they didn’t seclude themselves. It made the environment feel less intimidating and more welcoming, more fun.”
Auditioning for a spot on the Spirit Dance Team this year, despite the big turnout, was more like a dance clinic than a casting call.
“The tryout process was really humbling,” said Jessie, a new addition to the team. “Our coach and our staff here made it an experience. I learned so much in three days that I never thought was possible.”
Although the arduous tryout process was tough on rookies and veterans alike, it was the waiting period to find out if they made the team that weighed most heavily on the ladies.
With the squad being announced online, most of the girls stayed glued to their computer all morning long.
“You just refresh the page over and over,” Kellie said while laughing.
Time can crawl while waiting for news like that, but for Jessie, a 22-year old graduate from the University of Arizona, it was flying as fast as ever.
“I was actually at the dentist,” Jessie said. “He was drilling and I was just thinking, ‘You have to hurry up, please hurry, I’ve got to, I’ve got to go.’ “
“I ran home. I checked the computer screen, and I saw my name. And then I checked it 50 more times. I checked the spelling, the number. After about five minutes, I realized my name was really there. I just didn’t want to get myself excited and have false hope.”
All throughout the dance team, it seemed every initial reaction to the good news was a little different.
Rachel, a 19-year old future communications major, said she “cried and cried because she was so excited.”
Becca, a 22-year old from Nebraska, said she was “called everyone she knew.”
Perhaps those different reactions were to be expected with such a unique team. With a group of girls ranging in age from 19-27, hailing from all over the country with vastly different backgrounds, you could expect that. But what unifies and will continue to unify this group of girls is their unquestioned love for dancing.
“I’ve been dreaming about this since I was a little girl,” Jessie said. “Ever since I was little, I’ve always said I was going to be a professional dancer for a sports team. It’s weird that it’s here and that it’s happening. To be able to combine my love of sports with my love of dancing is amazing.”
After the announcement and their first photo shoot as a team, it was all smiles for the 16 newest members of the Spirit Dance Team — and their director as well.
“I’m very happy with the way it turned out,” Harris said. “I couldn’t be more excited about the team we have this year.”
