First look at the new team photo! (Click below to view full size)
Rolling a strike in Cowboys Stadium
By Danny Woodward
July 1, 2011
ESPN
EXCERPT:
Although bowling may be a new spectacle at Cowboys Stadium, the venue has fielded much more than football. It hosted an NCAA men’s basketball game between North Carolina and Texas in 2009, and the 2010 NBA All-Star Game there attracted a record crowd of 108,731. Manny Pacqiuao beat both Joshua Clottey and Antonio Margarito there, drawing 40,000 fans to each bout. More than 82,000 fans watched Mexico defeat Haiti during the 2009 Gold Cup, one of the best-attended soccer matches in the United States. Cowboys Stadium has hosted monster trucks, motocross, bull riding, yoga and even Zumba classes. And Cowboys spokesman Brett Daniels said there’s talk of swimming, tennis and hockey coming to the venue soon.
“We’re always open to anything, and anyone that wants to bring us an idea, we’re willing to listen,” Daniels said. “I talked to some folks over in Europe this week who wanted to learn about bowling in our building. We’ve tried to create the biggest stage for anyone and everyone to put on an event, and this is just another opportunity to showcase bowling on the grandest stage.”
Complete with cheerleaders. Yep. For women’s bowling.
The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders performed twice during breaks between the strikes and spares.
“I’ve been around the world at many different events, but I have never experienced a bowling event,” said Sydney Durso, who’s in her fourth year as a Cowboys cheerleader. “This is awesome. It’s certainly something new. When we were practicing earlier, there were bowling balls rolling all around us; we were dancing, and we could hear it when the pins would crash. That was new … and really interesting.”
Photos below from Dallas News
The Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders have been very busy preparing for the 2011 NFL season. They’ve got their new squad photo and individual uniform shots, and the website has recently been updated. for the 2011 season! Click here to see a few behind the scenes photos from the team shoot, and Click here to see the finished results.
By Cliff Gill, Special correspondent
Tampa Bay Online
July 03, 2011
Holly Sellers
Sellers, in her fifth and final year with the Bucs, was also named one of the team’s five captains.
“In high school, we did stunts involving several girls,” she said. “Here, we do team dancing.”
Mock made the squad for the first time.
“Cheerleading is being a part of something even bigger than yourself,” Mock said. “I love cheerleading because of the amazing friendships you create and the trust that builds up through one another. I was made for this sport and I love every minute of it.”
The 34 members of the cheerleading squad practice two to three evenings per week throughout the summer. During home games, the squad is divided into four groups of eight or nine cheerleaders. Two groups cheer along the sidelines and two are along the end zones. When the music begins playing, each group looks to their captain, who starts one of the dances.
The groups rotate after every quarter. At the end of first and third quarters, and during two-minute warnings, the cheerleaders head to the end zones to perform, all doing the same dance.
Former Land O’ Lakes cheerleading coach Pennye Garcia witnessed the development of both Sellers and Mock.
“I have known Holly since she was six years old,” Garcia said. “I coached her in middle school, in high school and at a dance studio.”
Despite not making the Land O’ Lakes squad on her first attempt, Mock refused to give up.
“She pushed herself to learn the routines and, the following year, made the team,” Garcia said.
Current Bucs cheerleading manager, Catherine Boyd, echoed Garcia’s sentiments.
Taylor Mock
“Taylor was one of the ladies that really embraced the training team experience and put all of her energy into it. In her final interview, she said that she had put everything she possibly could into the tryout, taking extra dance classes and really dedicating herself to being prepared. It showed a lot about her character and desire to be a Buccaneers cheerleader.”
In addition to their cheerleading efforts, each member participates in a wide range of community service activities. Sellers visits local elementary, middle and high schools and participates in local cheerleading clinics to inspire students to stay in school and follow their dreams.
“I also remind them that decisions will follow you for the rest of your life, so make the right ones,” she said.
Mock is a supporter of The Miracle League, a baseball league for children and young adults with disabilities.
“The field and rules are made specially for them, so that every child gets a chance to play and win,” she said. “The parents tell stories of their children insisting on playing despite bouts with kidney stones, broken bones, and recent hospitalizations. The thrill of playing, the cheers from the stands, and the friendships they develop make the Miracle League Field an oasis away from their everyday battles.”
In addition to feeling honored to be selected, both Sellers and Mock recognize that being a Tampa Bay Bucs cheerleader will be a rewarding experience.
“I am so excited for this season to kick off and am ready to get sweaty on that 115-degree field and make my wonderful home town of Land O’ Lakes proud,” Mock said.
The Rockland Roll has tryouts for dance team to perform at Provident Bank Park in Pomona.
By Rebecca Giglio
New City Patch
July 2, 2011
Tryouts for the Rockland Boulders’ dance team, the Rockland Roll, were held on Friday at the St. Lawrence Center bubble in Hillburn, where 10 female dancers registered for spots on the team.
The girls checked in at the bleachers in front of the turf field, where the auditions were scheduled to take place at 11 a.m. Each was given a white sticker with a number on it.
While waiting, the girls stretched and calmed their nerves, reminding themselves what an exciting experience this would be, regardless of the end result. Meghan Plattie, 23, expected the tryouts to be “fun more than anything,” epitomizing the positive attitude many of the dancers held. “And a good workout,” she laughed.
Meghan is from Congers and has quite a background in dance. She has been a student at the Coupe studio in Nanuet, she has attended numerous dance summer programs, and she is currently teaching at Premier Dance Center in Tappan.
All the auditioners have some background in dance and/or cheerleading, so for many this was not a new experience. The Rockland Boulders need dancers who can double as cheerleaders, to both entertain and energize the crowd at Provident Bank Park in Pomona, where the new Can-Am League baseball team plays its home games.
The girls wonder how cheerleading for the Boulders will compare to cheerleading for football and basketball teams. “I’ve never done anything for a baseball team before, just football,” says Olivia Cassiere from Congers. Arwen Dewar, 22, from Suffern, predicted that the routine would most likely be less challenging than those at auditions in New York City.
Toriska Vandross is 18, one of the youngest auditioners. She graduated from Spring Valley High School and now attends Rockland Community College. Toriska has some unique experiences to bring to the Rockland Roll. In addition to being a dancer, Toriska has performed for her school’s step team and also as a mascot at a camp where mascots battle each other. The winning mascot is the one with the most spirit. She was the captain and choreographer for her step team, which competed with the step teams of the other grades in her school. This year, her team brought home the trophy. “I think it definitely helps. Being a mascot you have to be a people person. People will come up to you and say, ‘You did a good job. You entertained us’. Step allows me to get better control of my body.”
After registration, the dancers sat on the turf as Dana Fjermestad, Director of First Impressions, briefed them on the day’s schedule. The girls would first learn a routine from Megan Clancy, the dance manager of the Rockland Roll. They would then perform the routine in front of the staff in groups of two. The audition would be followed by an interview, “to make sure this is the right fit for you,” she told the girls. “This is a family friendly environment,” Dana stressed, explaining that the style of dance would be different than what you would see at a club. She went on to say that the members of the team could receive college credit for their participation, so their hard work would certainly pay off. “At the end of this, if you do a phenomenal job, I’d be more than happy to write letters of recommendation,” she added.
The dancers were then introduced to Megan and another instructor, Renee. Both were friendly, personable, and, in spite of their talent and experience, unintimidating. It was obvious that though the girls were auditioning, this was meant to be a comfortable environment. “I’m not good at talking!” Megan laughed. “Let’s dance. Let’s do what we’re good at.”
The routine is primarily street jazz, a less structured, improvisational, and interactive form of dance, and lasts about a minute. It is to the song “Where Them Girls At” by David Guetta, featuring Flo Rida and Nicki Minaj. The dancers followed Megan as she lead them in spins and body rolls. She was always happy to offer tips. “When you come out of it [a spin], don’t sit into it because you’re going straight into the next move,” she instructed. She kept the girls in rhythm by saying the eight counts out loud, and by giving directions, like “up, down, pump, pump”, in addition to the demonstration. The dancers were able to practice the steps with and without music and were allowed water breaks. “It’s really hot,” Maris Nunes, age 19 from West Nyack, said, “but the moves are pretty good. I can pick them up easily and I like the song.”
Megan and Renee moved from the turf to the bleachers to begin the evaluation. The girls first did the dance as a group of 10, then, in groups of two. “We’re not going to call you numerically, because if your number 1, you’ll be nervous,” the staff explained, and so the numbers were announced randomly. This was each girl’s opportunity to impress the staff. Many made sure to show enthusiasm and pep even before beginning the routine, in the first 4 counts of 8. This was the time to freestyle, to display a vibrant, energetic personality.
The staff will certainly have a hard time choosing between so many talented dancers. Even though the tryouts were competitive, the atmosphere never was. The girls were not merely cooperative but collaborative, willing to help each other and often laughing together. The characteristics they displayed today are sure to be the foundation of a great team.
Click here to see who made the team.
Arnold Wayne Jones
Life+Style Editor
Dallas Voice
June 30, 2011
…………………….
DESIGN STAR
Season premiere airs on HGTV July 11 at 8 p.m.
[View Leslie’s profile on HGTV.com]
[View Leslie’s design portfolio on HGTV.com]
……………………
Going through the horrors of breast cancer may be the best thing that ever happened to Leslie Ezelle.
In 2008, the Dallas resident was a stay-at-home mom to her four kids and stepkids when she was diagnosed. Not a lot of people, even friends, knew about it at the time.
“During breast cancer, I was in complete denial — I wouldn’t talk about it,” Ezelle now admits. “I did six weeks of radiation and wouldn’t talk to anybody there; I just wanted to get in and out.”
But while outwardly nothing was wrong, inside she was falling apart. “What am I gonna be when I grow up?” she asked herself. And the answer was: Follow your dream.
“I thought maybe I could combine all the things I have always had confidence in — my artwork and my painting and my design — and make a living at it,” she says.
For years, Ezelle — a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader — had been an amateur decorator, offering her eye to close friends and family free of charge. But in the middle of breast cancer treatment, she decided it was time to make it official and “start charging for it.”
In 2009, she started her company, LeslieChristine Designs. Around the same time, she took another huge step.
“I was in and out of the hospital during breast cancer with infections and reconstructive surgery,” she says. “I started thinking, ‘What I really want is my own design show. And I want it to be different than other kinds of reveal shows, built around my crazy life. I want it to be like Modern Family.”
Ezelle’s crazy life includes sharing an adopted daughter, Ella, with her ex-partner Marisa Diotalevi; rearing her stepson and adopted sons with her wife Libby; managing “a petting zoo” of a four-legged family that includes a one-eyed Shih-tzu and countless other fauna; and fitting it all into a small house in Preston Hollow.
And the best way to get such a show, she felt, was to compete for it.
Ezelle and her clan were already huge fans of HGTV’s Design Star competition series, which pits 12 aspiring decorators against each other, with the reward being their own weekly series. She figures she might as well try it.
“The day of the deadline, I FedEx’d my stuff to them. Real soon I went up there to meet them. Then I got a call that I was accepted. It was quick and pretty amazing, but really cool, though. They were auditioning for close to nine months; to go through it that long would have made me a nervous wreck. I did it on a whim and it worked out beautifully.”
This season, gay designer Vern Yip returns as the head judge (alongside Genevieve Gorder and Candice Olson), with guest judges like Thom Felicia and Nate Berkus, plus the addition of a new mentor: The gay former series winner and current TV host David Bromstad, who serves as a Tim Gunn-esque mentor. (Gay judges, gay mentor, gay contestant: This might be the gayest show on TV not on Bravo — and that includes Logo.)
Until the winner of the series is revealed (she can’t talk about it), Ezelle’s own design business is doing well.
“I seem to be caught up with the straight-male-bachelor-penthouse scene, which is really great because they have money!” she laughs. “I’m actually doing my first gay male couple shortly — the first gay clients I’ve had.”
But Ezelle found the whole TV experience worthwhile.
“I felt like I knew all these guys,” she says. “Vern is so sweet, so straightforward. I’ve heard critics and other designers describe him as the Simon Cowell [of the show], but I’m not at all intimidated by him. We have much in common: He and his partner had a baby. He lost his mom to cancer, and he’s very dedicated to this foundation [in her memory]. I learned that the day before I went to check into the show and I just lost it. He’s a good guy!”
Ezelle herself is becoming a devotee of cancer awareness, as well. While she was undergoing treatment, she refused to acknowledge how serious things were.
“I didn’t want to see anything pink — I didn’t want to ‘play’ breast cancer. But that’s really what brought me to the show. I’ve decided to embrace the pink.”
For the season premiere on July 11, Ezelle is hosting an invitation-only screening party and fundraiser for Susan G. Komen foundation at Studio Movie Grill.
“I’m trying to raise $25,000 for Susan G. Komen, hopefully more,” she says. “It’s my time to pay back and bring awareness. Of course, I may be hiding under the table when [the episode] airs, out of embarrassment…”
Ezelle finished her last cancer treatment on Dec. 27 — a milestone for her, but not one she would readily trade.
“Breast cancer really drove me in this direction,” she says. “It makes you remember, ‘It’s not that bad — I’m not dead. I don’t have it as bad as this [person.]’ And I think my story is what got me on the show. Doom and gloom brought me to my dreams.”
And if all works out, it just may make those dreams come true.
By HG Helps
Editor-at-Large
Jamaica Observer
June 29, 2011
She gave it everything she had, especially when Chris Gayle was taking bowlers apart in the Indian Premier League.
Yet though the game of cricket to her was like trying to learn a foreign language, internationally acclaimed cheerleader Genienne Samuels gave it her best shot.
A cheerleader for the National Football League team, the Washington Redskins for eight years, Genienne got into the cheerleading posse at the Washington Wizards National Basketball Association (NBA) two years ago, and pushed on to face unlikely eyes when she performed cheerleading duties for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the IPL between March and April this year.
“As a Redskins cheerleader, they asked us to come and be a part of their cheerleading team for the Royal Challengers,” Genienne told the Observer during a celebrity sport camp for youngsters in Kingston on Monday.
The sport camp forms part of the RuJohn Foundation’s initiative and was held in conjunction with the SuperClubs Foundation. Another is slated for Negril later this week.
“A group of us accepted the offer, we went to India and got a chance to work with some of the young women there who were interested in cheerleading and dancing and more importantly, we got to travel with the cricket team and actually dance and cheer at their games,” said Genienne, who confirmed her ignorance about cricket, but soon got into the groove once she realised how friendly the game was.
“At the beginning I did not understand cricket at all, but after the first game you definitely catch on and then you also pay attention to the crowd interaction, so when the crowd was cheering then it’s time for you to cheer as well,” she said.
Gayle, the big-hitting Jamaican and discarded West Indies captain who lit up the IPL following his belated appearance, left his mark on the experienced cheerleader, who departed India close to the IPL final which involved RCB and Chennai Super Kings, led by India’s captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
“I do remember Chris Gayle… he was one of the star players. The main thing was his speed (how fast he scored) and how he used the paddle (bat) to hit the ball.
“There was another player who was also very good. I can’t remember his name, but the crowd gave a lot of support for the cricket players. All the games were extremely exciting, but Gayle was the star player,” she said.
The television host and business owner in Richmond, Virginia, came away with a greater appreciation of cricket and widened her knowledge about the culture and way of life of the people of the world’s second most populous country.
“Cricket is such a huge sport in India and they accepted us as cheerleaders, even though they weren’t used to having cheerleaders at their stadiums.
“At home (Bangalore), we got a great reaction. When we went away to the other teams, like Bombay (Mumbai Indians), they didn’t take to us too well.
“It’s a very conservative country, and we had outfits that were small skirt bottoms and shorts with small tops and our midsections were showing at times and they just weren’t as accepting of that… just because it’s India and the women there are very covered, and so having come out on the field in that attire, I think some people didn’t really appreciate it.
“I definitely came away with a greater appreciation for cricket. Before I went to India I had never heard of the sport of cricket. When I first looked at it, I thought that it was like baseball, but then it was very different as well.
“It’s a very interesting sport that requires a lot of skill and endurance, so it was my first introduction to cricket and I would definitely do it again.
“It was also my first time in India and it was an eye-opener. We learnt a lot, we experienced a lot, it’s a very different culture. Sometimes we take things for granted in the United States and don’t realise it and when you go and visit other countries you realise that you should be very grateful and thankful for the things you have back home,” Genienne said.
Describing herself as a tomboy growing up… one who went fishing, watching American football, basketball and boxing with her father in Richmond, Genienne at one time fancied herself as a runner of merit and had no idea that she would have ended up in cheerleading.
It was during high school that she caught the cheerleading fever and never looked back.
“I actually started as a runner, cross country and middle distance runner in middle and high school. I had the opportunity to run at the University of Richmond, but decided to cheer instead,” said the multi-talented 36-year-old, who also graduated from George Washington University.
“After picking up cheerleading in high school, I did it in college, went to a Redskins game and decided to audition for the Redskins team.
“It is a requirement for most professional cheerleaders in the United States that you have to have a full time job or be a full-time student, so it’s really an extra-curricular activity for most of us.
“Right now, I own my own consulting business, so I do a lot of contracting work for the state of Maryland, including quality and process improvement and auditing.
“Right now I have three people back home taking care of the projects that I would normally be working on, so they are putting in double hours for me.”
On her second visit to Jamaica and loving every bit of the island so far, Genienne is considering her future in cheerleading with a view to pursuing other options.
“I just completed my 10th year total as a cheerleader, so I am thinking that this might be it. I am ready to start a family and focus on my career a little bit more. Cheerleading for the NBA is very time consuming.
“It requires a special discipline. On a professional level, most of the cheerleaders are dancers, so those dancers have a lot of background,
tap, jazz, ballet… they have a lot of technique.
“The other side of cheerleading is where you see a lot of gymnastics.
“It really is turning into a sport because you have to be extremely athletic to do a lot of the stunts and a lot of the tumbling that is required for cheerleading,” she said, pointing to the importance of keeping trim and sticking to the right foods.
“My diet varies, sometime I don’t eat the best of foods, but I try to stay away from a lot of fried foods.
“I focus mainly on protein from fish, chicken and steak now and then, but I try to stay away from a lot of pastas and I definitely eat my three meals and two snacks a day to help keep my metabolism up. So because I am very active and still work out, I am able to eat a lot of the foods that I like to eat,” she said.
If I was finding it difficult to believe that NBA audition season is already upon us, the truth came home to me on Sunday. I spent the day hanging out with my Clippers family, for this year’s audition prep class. Or rather, classes. There was originally only one session planned, but there was so much interest, team Director Audrea Harris added a second session, so on Sunday, there were two classes, back to back.
Audrea was there, of course, with big sister Adrianne in tow. Adrianne is always willing to jump in when Audrea needs an extra pair of hands to help with registration, etc. Spirit veterans Brittany, Jocelyn, Justene, Katrina, and Rhea were also there to teach the choreography, demonstrate the routine, answer questions, etc.
Standing: Katrina, Adrianne, Brittany, and Audrea. Seated: Justene, Jocelyn, and Rhea.
Who wasn’t there? Nicole, Teresa, and Recee, who along with Brittany, were the senior veterans on the team. Notice I said “were.” Yeah, you know what that means. They aren’t coming back this year. (Sigh.) I like to think I’m getting more mature about this whole retirement thing. I mean, I wish them all good luck in the future, and all that, but geez, it sucks. I mean, last year I let a bunch of girls go off to other teams, and I even let one move to TEXAS, for crying out loud. Wasn’t that enough? How much can one person be called upon to sacrifice in the name of pro sports entertainment?
Especially Teresa, my little elf girl. Nicole and Recee, I sort of saw coming. But Teresa too? Aw MAN.
No Nicole. No Recee. No Teresa. No Jac. No Liz.
But I’m keeping ten of my girls, and that’s pretty good. And when I say, I’m “keeping” them, I mean you veterans better bring your “A” game to auditions.
The other thing I noticed immediately was Rhea’s hair. The very first time I saw Rhea, back when she was on the Anaheim Arsenal Dance Team, she had brown hair. Then she made Spirit and Audrea got ahold of her and turned her into a blonde. In the two years since then, Rhea’s hair has been many many shades of blonde and all those trips to the salon started to take a toll. From what I understand, it was either go brown or go bald. So now Rhea has mahogany hair, ooh la la!
Foxy!
There were a lot of dancers there when I arrived. All told, there were around 40, give or take.
There was a girl from Japan who flew to LA just for the prep class. She’s not even auditioning until next year, but she wanted to take the class.
Speaking for myself, I don’t know that I’d go across town for prep class if I wasn’t auditioning for another year. Let alone across the Pacific Ocean.
There was a 17 year old there. Actually, she turned 18 yesterda. Let me just say, I could barely try out for the chorus in the school play at age 17. I would never have had the guts to go to a professional audition. But the girl had skills.
There were also a few alumni of other teams: Mandisa from the New York Jets Flight Crew, Tina from the Chicago Bulls, and four girls from the Golden State Warriors: Leah, Kelsey, and oh crap – I can’t read my handwriting. There were two others and I can’t for the life of me remember their names. Drat. Leah and Kelsey were fun to watch because they were perfectly in synch almost the whole time. Before Warriors, Leah was a Seattle Sonics Dancer. Ariana from the 49ers was there too. Ariana made it to finals last year. She looks even better than she did last year. She’s obviously been working hard, so I’m rooting for her to make it this time around.
Mandisa
Kelsey and Leah
Tina
Ariana
It was interesting to have girls with so much experience at a prep class. I’m all YOU need a prep class? Riiiight.
But different teams are different. Miami Heat auditions are very different from Utah Jazz auditions, which are very different from Clippers auditions. Better to go into the whole thing as informed as you can possibly be. So go to prep class and get the skinny. I get it.
Audrea gathered everyone together to explain the plan for the day. The Spirit open call audition consists of three rounds. The first round is technique, aka “across the floor.” It’s pretty easy: a couple turns, a leap, a high kick, and some filler. Just to see if you know what you’re doing. Second round is a jazz combination. Third round is a hip hop routine. Prep class focused on the Jazz and Hip Hop portions of the process, so the candidates could see what the more difficult parts of the day would look like. After learning and performing both combinations, there would be time for some Q&A about the audition process.
Brittany stepped up to teach the Jazz combination. Heck if I can remember right now what the music was, but it was choreographed by the recently retired Nicole.
(A moment of silence, please. Nicole, where are yoooouuuu? Why have you forsaken me?)
Learning the jazz combination
One thing was immediately obvious: there were some DANCERS in this group. When it comes to prep class, I expect to see mostly girls who look like it’s their first time at the rodeo. I don’t know where I got that idea from, but it certainly wasn’t the case. They seemed to pick up the choreography quickly. I immediately started thinking about my ten veterans and trying to figure out what kind of girls we need on the team this year. And by “we” I mostly mean Audrea.
I’m not actually involved ok, but I am invested.
Here’s what I’m thinking: we’ve got a lot of brunettes. We can’t have 16 brunettes on the court, so if you’re a blonde or you’re “melanin-advantaged,” you may have slightly better odds this year. (Am I not supposed to say that? Well, too bad. I said it. Ya heard.)
Also, I am lobbying for a redhead. Or a pair of twins. Whichever. Mostly they just need some really kick-ass dancers with mad showmanship skillz, yo. And I believe I saw a few of those on Sunday.
After learning the jazz combination, the dancers split into smaller groups to perform. Like Audrea said, this was a workshop, not the actual audition, so there was plenty of time for do-overs. For the first round, she asked them to focus on retaining the choreography. For the second round, she asked them to focus on making it clean. And the third time around, she asked them to
really perform it.
It was a lot of fun to watch, in a setting where no one keeps score, and no one leaves crying.
After jazz was the hip hop combination, choreographed, I believe, by Risa Anderson, and taught by Katrina.
Again, the dancers learned as a group, then the group split in two and took turns performing, and then they performed in smaller groups of 3 to 5. By that time, everyone was ready to collapse, so they took a water break and then gathered around for the Q&A. The questions were all over the place.
How many girls usually audition? (a couple/few hundred.)
Who is choreographing the audition routines? (You’ll see.)
How long does the day run? (6-8 hours.)
How should I wear my makeup? (Smoky eyes. Lashes. Red lips. Red lips. Red lips. Lipstick, not gloss.)
Should I wear tights or pantyhose? (Pantyhose. Sheer. NOT control top.)
Do we audition by ourselves? (Nope. Groups of 3).
How many judges are there? (10-ish)
Can you have a job and be on the squad at the same time? (Yes, if you manage your time well.)
Briefs or boy shorts? (Most people look better in briefs, but nobody will hate on you if you wear hot pants.)
Do I need jazz shoes? (No, you can wear sneakers the whole time if you prefer. The team performs in sneakers, not jazz shoes.)
Should I bring pants for hip hop? (Most girls do bring pants or shorts. Loose ones that give you some swagger.)
Should I hide/cover my tattoos? (Yes. And remove all piercings except for your ears.)
I know you said no ponytails. Can I wear my hair half up? (Can you? Yes. Should you? No. Hair up is what separates the girls from the women, so to speak. And while you’re at it, practice keeping your hair out of your face while you’re dancing.)
Etc. Etc. Etc.
Key messages from Audrea:
(1) You do NOT have to spend a ton of money on a new outfit. Go to Target. Get some briefs and a cute half top. Maybe put some crystals on it if you feel like it.
(2) There’s no need to spend megabucks on makeup either. MAC lipstick is great, but Wet ‘n Wild lipliner works too. Only 99¢ at your nearest Rite Aid.
(3) Test run your outfit ahead of time. (Not just to see if you fall out of it, but to make sure you won’t spend all day tugging on your shorts and adjusting your straps.)
By then, it was 1 pm and the next session was scheduled for 1:30.
Jinkies, Scooby! We have to do this all over again?
Yep. First the jazz, then the hip hop. And because it was early afternoon, it was hot hot hot. The Spirit veterans gave it the old college try, but even they started to droop a little towards the end.
The heat was most certainly getting to Katrina, who was supposed to teach the hip hop combination, but started tap dancing instead. I never would’ve pegged her as one to go goofy from the heat. I’ll file away that bit of info for future reference.
(Audrea pointed out later on that FYI, the judges do not deduct points for sweating. Good to know.)
It was interesting to see that while the morning group nailed the hip hop and were a bit weaker on jazz, the reverse was true in the afternoon. Jazz looked better than hip hop. Maybe it was the heat.
I learned that one of the sad things about auditions is that you may be THE BEST at hip hop, but the jazz round always comes first. If you can’t get through the jazz round, no one will ever see how great you are at hip hop. You have to be strong in both styles. Them’s the breaks.
The other thing you need to know is the technique section will not be the usual across the floor combination. Instead of dancing across the room, from one side to the other, the combination will start at the back of the room and move you toward the judges. You’ll be doing the typical across the floor moves (step, step, pirouette, kick, kick, pirouette, leap, freestyle, or whatever), but you’ll be moving forward. That way you don’t have to worry about being hidden behind another dancer, or leaping into the wall a the end of the combination. They started doing this at last year’s audition and it made a big difference. For better or for worse, the judges will be able to see every little move you make.
The dancers for the most part were unfazed by me scurrying around with the camera. You never know how these things are going to work out. Generally speaking, we girls don’t enjoy having our photo taken when we are sweating like animals. I think the photos I took are tasteful though. Everyone is “glowing” a little, but they look good. (At least I think so.)
I expected some girls to actively avoid me. For the most part, they were okay with it. Besides, I’m going to have my camera in their faces all day during auditions, so they might as well get used to ignoring me. If I think about it that way, I don’t feel so bad about it.
In all these years of going to auditions, I have only had two women object to being photographed. Neither one made the team she was auditioning for. I’m not saying it was because of that. I’m just saying.
When the second session was over, the Q&A was mainly about the team’s schedule, the judging process, and of course pantyhose came up again. Pantyhose always comes up in these discussions. Get yourself some L’Eggs sheer energy, sheer to the waist, suntan. In the green box. Or was it a silver box? And bring extra.
I remember when I was little, my mom bought L’Eggs pantyhose, and they were packaged in those big plastic eggs. I miss those eggs. I used them to hold all of my little treasures.
There were also quite a few questions about the Clippers Fan Patrol. One of the girls mentioned that she had a cheer background, and after dancing for several hours, I think she figured she might have better luck with the stunt team.
One girl asked if they ever choose 18 year olds for the team. The answer is yes. Exhibit A: Brittany.
Another girl asked if it is difficult balancing the team with pursuing a career in the entertainment industry. The answer is yes. But it absolutely can be done. Exhibit B: Katrina.
Exhibits A and B
The second session wrapped up and the dancers straggled out. Tired, but excited for tryouts in two weeks.
Overall, the day was a big success and I’m looking forward to seeing who comes back to audition. There were a lot of fresh faces in the classes, so I hope to see most of them at tryouts.
Did I say two weeks? Good Lord, so soon?
[More photos from prep class here]
The Girls of Paradise … Sydney
By Mickey Spagnola
Dallas Cowboys Star Magazine
(by way of DallasCowboysCheerleaders.com)
June 27, 2011
Sydney Durso didn’t spend Christmas with her family last year for the first time. She was in Seoul, South Korea, one of 12 Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders going overseas for a 10-day USO Tour, riding to different bases and detachments on Chinooks to visit the troops.
A unique experience, especially visiting the few soldiers manning those secluded detachments where “they see other people like once or twice a year,” Sydney says.
Well, the experience for Sydney and five of her teammates became even more unique this past Christmas season, the North Korean border within eyesight. Remember, the Cowboys played Christmas night at Arizona, so there they were, six Cowboys Cheerleaders watching the Cowboys-Cardinals game with the soldiers based at the detachment on Christmas.
“We went in and put the game on, and it was so cute, we were in the tiniest room ever,” Sydney says. “There was a huge American flag hanging, like one sofa, two dogs running around this room, and the TV was on. We’re watching the Cowboys game and playing Jenga with the soldiers, and it was so cool because we weren’t at the game, obviously, but we were still cheering on the Cowboys and the soldiers were cheering with us.
“It was a different experience but a really cool way to watch our Cowboys play.”
And to spend Christmas, if not with your family.
