Randy Wyrick
VailDaily.com
April 20, 2010

The huge crowd is enjoying a bright, warm Colorado autumn afternoon. A young man rises from where he is seated among his friends and gazes down at several beautiful women, each one smiling and intelligent.

The young man is smitten, repeatedly, and with good cause. Egged on by his friends, he calls out a heartfelt declaration of undying devotion to the dozen women.

He is a Denver Broncos fan, so loyal that his Buddha belly is painted orange and blue. He’s in his Mile High happy place — Invesco Field in Denver — and the Broncos are winning.

The women are Denver Bronco cheerleaders, and among them is Vail Valley native Megan Brooks.

Hundreds of thousands of people watch Brooks and the Broncos cheerleaders perform live each season, and millions more watch on television.

No one has made any seriously offensive suggestions or marriage proposals, she said.

“Our fans are awesome. It’s interesting how different teams have different fans. Broncos fans are classy. I hear that from other teams, and that’s gratifying,” she said.

She had no comment about Raiders fans.

There are four lines of cheerleaders. During games, they move to a new spot in the stadium at the beginning of every quarter, so everybody gets a look at every body.

And while we’re in that neighborhood, the entire squad will be up here in July, shooting its 2012 cheerleader calendar at the Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch.

Earlier this month, Brooks was selected to the squad for the second straight year.

‘The whole package’

This year, around 200 women tried out for 26 spots.

The team is looking for beauty, talent, intelligence, athleticism — “the whole package,” said Teresa Shear, who helps run the cheerleader squad for the Broncos.

“They have great personalities, they’re smart, and they’re great entertainers,” Shear said.

They have to audition every year. There’s no tenure, and hundreds of women are fighting for the same job.

Tryouts last a week. Last year, they were two weeks, but Shear condensed it. The candidates still do everything, but they do it in half the time.

The first day lasted five hours and saw the number of hopefuls reduced from around 200 to 60.

Those 60 finalists went through workshops, physical and personality tests, and training sessions. They learned a couple of routines and had to pass a test about Broncos football. They have to know about football situations, what might happen next, about the players, who’s in the Ring of Fame and the Hall of Fame, and why.

The staff constantly interviews, watches and evaluates. How do they act toward the other women? How are they at conversation? Are they smart and well spoken? How do they react when something or someone unexpected shows up?

“They watch you to see how you interact with the other girls,” Brooks said.

After a week of this, they perform in the finals in front of a sold-out auditorium.

Then everyone gathers backstage to wait … and wait … and wait. Eventually, someone comes out with a pad and starts calling off numbers and names in numerical order. If they call your name, you’re in. If they don’t, you’re out.

If you’re in, you throw on your uniform and rush to the stage, where you perform with your new team for the first time. If you’re out, you watch and wonder why.

Brooks knows both emotions. She made it last year. The year before, she didn’t.

“It was more nerve racking this year because I knew what I had to lose. I was much more nervous this year,” Brooks said.

‘Classic overachievers’

She danced at Battle Mountain High School and at the University of Colorado for four years, and she’s the Buffs’ interim coach.

“The next step up is the Broncos,” she said.

She graduated from CU in December with a degree in integrated physiology, CU’s pre-med major. All options are open.

“Most of the women have been dancing their entire lives,” Shear said. “They’re your classic overachievers.”

While they don’t travel with the team, they do travel extensively. They’re headed to the Middle East this summer to visit the troops. Not everyone gets to go, and she’s working for a spot on that plane.

“The more time you put in, the better your chances of going to places like the Middle East,” she said.

Cheerleaders are paid per game and per promotional appearance, and they earn every dime, Shear said.

Autographs can be an adventure.

“People ask them to write all sorts of things. We try to keep it professional,” Shear said. “Usually they sign, ‘Go Broncos!’”

They rehearse between eight and 10 hours a week and perform at least eight hours on football Sundays when the Broncos play in Denver.

“If the weather’s not the best, if it’s cold and snowing or if it’s 90 degrees, it’s still fun because of who you’re dancing with,” Brooks said.

The Clippers Spirit Dance Team will be hosting a pre-audition workshop on Sunday, June 26th. While workshop is not mandatory, it is strongly recommended as preparation for the July 9 Clippers Spirit audition. (Click here for additional details.)

Date: Sunday, June 26th
Registration: 9:30 am
Time: 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Location: Hype Studios
1951 West Carson Street
Torrance, CA 90501-3217
(310) 320-4386

What to Bring:
* Identification (participants must be at least 18 years of age)
* Non-refundable $50 registration fee (cash only please)
* Water, a light snack, and a towel

What to wear: Comfortable dance attire; jazz shoes/athletic shoes/dance sneakers

NOTE: You can turn in your audition application and head shot on this day, and be pre-registered for July 9th audition!

What to Expect:
* Learn Clippers Spirit choreography style (you will not learn the actual audition dance)
* Get a feel for what to expect by going through a mock audition
* Receive audition tips from Team Director, Audrea Harris
* Meet current members of the Clippers Spirit
* Question & Answer session

Space is limited. You must reserve your spot at the workshop by sending an email to Spirit@clippers.com. You will receive an email confirmation. Should you need to cancel once you’re assigned a spot, please send a courtesy cancellation email.

No spectators allowed. We hope to see you there!

Terry Nau
Pawtucket Times
April 17, 2011

FOXBORO, Mass. — Pawtucket’s Kelsey Fournier will return for her third and final year as a New England Patriots cheerleader, and her second as one of the squad’s co-captains.

“Kelsey has been an amazing cheerleader for the Patriots,” head coach Tracy Sormanti admitted. “She is a great performer and a talented dancer. Kelsey is a role model for the squad, someone who is always prepared and professional. She is very enthusiastic. When Kelsey goes out into the community as a representative of the New England Patriots, people are always calling and asking us to send her out again the next time we do something in their town.”

Fournier, who is completing her third year at Rhode Island College, takes her duties as a co-captain very seriously.

“The line captains must set a good example for the other cheerleaders,” said the 2007 St. Raphael Academy graduate. “Among our duties are holding dance rehearsals and assisting the coach in running practices. There are two different lines of cheerleaders on game days and each line has two captains. I know during my first year as a cheerleader, it was very comforting to have a line captain who could guide me.”

Fournier and her teammates endured five weeks of tryouts that began with 320 candidates.

“It gets harder every year,” she said. “Each year, we set our expectations higher. I want to live up to a certain level of performance. Having been on the team for two years, I know how much it means to me to be a Patriots cheerleader. I definitely wanted to make the team one more time.”

The squad has a three-year term limit for its cheerleaders, Sormanti pointed out.

“We limit our cheerleaders to three years for a variety of reasons,” the coach said. “The limit gives more women in the region a chance to participate on the team. I think the fans also like to see fresh faces. And even though cheerleading is considered a part-time job, it takes up a lot of time each week. Most of our cheerleaders are college students or hold full or part-time jobs.

“I think after three years, the girls are ready to move on to the next phase of their lives,” Sormanti added.

The four cheerleading co-captains are key figures for the squad on game days, similar in their roles to the co-captains football coach Bill Belichick designates for his team.

“Our captains must show strong leadership,” Sormanti said. “One of their duties is to guide the lines. They can also assist the coach in running practices. They can teach advanced dance techniques. They also use their motivational skills to lead the squad.”

Paula Scully
Asbury Park Post
4/18/2011

LITTLE EGG HARBOR — Ashley Chapman, 21, of Little Egg Harbor, a 2008 graduate of Pinelands Regional High School, will be one of 60 finalists Wednesday in the Philadelphia Eagles cheerleading auditions.

The process started March 26 with more than 400 women.

“If they hire me, I will be an NFL cheerleader,” said Chapman, daughter of Jennifer Chapman and Jerry Chapman, both of Little Egg Harbor.

Chapman, now a junior at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, started dancing when she was 4. She took dance classes at Spotlight Academy in Little Egg Harbor and later at Ovations in Waretown.

She was on a dance team for the National League Lacrosse Philadelphia Wings for three years while attending college.

Then she saw the advertisement for Eagles cheerleading auditions online. She made two cuts and became one of 80 women who advanced to the semifinal round on March 30. At that time the current Eagles cheerleaders were added to the mix because they re-audition, bringing the total to roughly 110 women in the semifinals.

Chapman made the next cut and is one of 60 finalists in the final round Wednesday at the Suzanne Roberts Theater in Philadelphia. Her younger sister Alyssa, 16, a sophomore at Pinelands Regional, also is a cheerleader.

By Patrick Erickson
The Southern
April 18, 2011

The St. Louis Rams family will have a local feel for the upcoming season.

Chelsea LaBrie, a former Saluki Shaker, and Kiley Herrmann of Marion were named to the squad for the 2011-12 season, and both are very excited about the opportunity.

“It’s definitely exciting to make the team,” LaBrie said, a captain on the SIU dance team this past season. “I wasn’t ready for my dance career to end just yet and this is along the same lines.”

The tryout process was a grueling, three-week ordeal that included learning and performing a dance routine, professional interviews and a sort of beauty pageant.

Also included was online voting that allowed fans, friends and family to help vote their cheerleader onto the squad from among the pool of 50 finalists.

All told, 35 women made the squad. Herrmann said she somewhat knew what was coming for the tryout, thanks in part to an old dance coach.

“My former coach, Ashley Tate, was also a former Rams cheerleader, so I felt prepared with what I was going to face,” Herrmann said.

While the cheerleaders do the obvious – cheer for the Rams and interact with the fans during each game – they also become a part of the community, something that excited both of the women.

“I’m definitely excited to do stuff in the community, especially with the Cheer for Cure in June,” LaBrie said. “It also allows me to present a good example and be a role model to my dance students.”

As a potential added bonus to both Herrmann and LaBrie, the St. Louis Rams are considering moving their pre-season training camp to the renovated football facilities on the campus of SIU. If Carbondale is chosen as the location, it would present a unique opportunity for the two to cheer in front of friends and family.

“I only went to Marion for my years in high school,” said Herrmann, a native of Edwardsville who attended SIUE. “But it would still be cool to be able to do this in front of friends.”

Even if the upcoming season is postponed or canceled because of the looming lockout of the players, the cheerleaders will continue to make public appearances and be active in the community. Both Kiley and Chelsea expressed an interest in doing this for several seasons and did not see it as a one-year deal. With official duties soon to begin, they both said they are excited about being part of the team.

“It is definitely something I am looking forward to,” LaBrie said. “I am excited about the opportunity to continue to dance.”

Added Herrmann, “I am very happy and extremely grateful to all my friends and family for their support throughout the whole process.”

By Joey Levitt
Raiders.com
April 18, 2011

[Finals Photo Gallery]

On April 17th 2011, the Raiderette auditions progressed to the final round.

On April 17th 2011, the Raiderette auditions progressed to the final round at the Hilton – Oakland Airport. The remarkable cast of candidates that made it through the preliminaries all sought to put forth an eloquent interview and stellar dance performance. They learned and diligently practiced the required routine during the week leading up to the final audition.

As with last week, the hopefuls were assigned to separate groups for interviews in front of a panel of judges. However, unlike last week, these interviews were more comprehensive. The judges asked them an array of questions in addition to the customary brief autobiographical sketch. The finalists reiterated the importance of being themselves and speaking clearly and confidently.

“All you can do is present your best self and speak with the utmost confidence,” stated Jessica.

There was an increased media presence during this round of the auditions. The fact that returning Raiderettes were competing for a spot on the roster along with so many other capable contenders made for a significant and newsworthy event.

Throughout the day, the young women exhaustively practiced their routine. They did so individually, in pairs and in larger groups. Some listened to their portable media players in order to stay focused while not actually executing the dance. Others could be seen even doing pushups, sit-ups, and a variety of other stretches and exercises.

First time finalist Chanel prepared by stretching and listening to music. “Yes, I’ve put in a lot of practice, but sometimes getting away from the actual routine and letting myself fall into my music really helps,” said the Danville, Calif. native.

Returning veterans and other first-time finalists each carried a unique perspective on the process.

Natalie, a three-year tenured Raiderette, said “past experience absolutely gives you some comfort in these really demanding auditions. Every year can be different, but I don’t expect to be really surprised by anything.”

Offering a different outlook was Nicole. “I am just truly happy to be in this position. As a first timer, I just want to give it my best and see how it all unfolds,” said the Bay Area-native.

Once again though, the undeniable commonality in the experience of veterans and newcomers was the waiting game.

One-time Raiderette Shanika agreed, “It always seems to come down to performing to the best of your ability and then patiently waiting out the process [of being selected or not].”

Some candidates had secured hotel rooms to relax and pass the time until the judges made their decisions.

“Having a room here was so nice because I was able to take a nap after my dance and get away from things for awhile,” Danielle from New York explained.

Former Raiderettes, Meena, Nicole and Serrita graciously assisted during the auditions for the second week in a row. Raiderette director Jeanette Thompson and choreographers Shawna Zimmerman and Laura Jollay again played vital roles in orchestrating the day’s events. They also provided a warm and helpful presence that eased the minds of the competing hopefuls.

“We so appreciate them being here and everything they do for us. They are very good to us,” declared first-year candidate Staci of Rocklin, Calif.

Once each group finished their dance routines, a dual sense of relief and pride, with perhaps a bit of uneasiness filled the air. Many felt so close to the attainment of a lifelong dream. “What can I say, it would absolutely be a dream come true if I made it on to the squad. Let’s hope the judges believe in me and make that happen,” Danielle said.

After much anticipation, the fateful moment finally arrived for the hopefuls. Regardless of the outcome, the majority of women took pictures together as a genuine appreciation of the bond of sisterhood.

“I was so nervous and excited waiting to hear the results…this is just amazing,” Heather of San Jose happily exclaimed.

Thompson wholeheartedly congratulated everyone on their courageous performances.

“All of you were truly outstanding. I am so proud of you. You all expressed yourself very well…held your composure, held your own,” Thompson proclaimed.

With the announcement of the 2011 Raiderettes, the auditions were in the books. The new squad posed for an official group photograph and, shortly afterward, former Raiderettes offered words of wisdom and excitement.

“Take it all in ladies, love your sisters,” said Serrita.

“This is about to be one of the best, most exciting years ever,” Thompson added.

The newest members of Football’s Fabulous Females couldn’t agree more.

Click here to go to the New York Daily News website and check out some photos from Flight Crew Cheerleader auditions.

04/17/2011

By Mark Harper, Staff Writer
Daytona Beach News-Journal
April 18, 2011

Aspiring actress Angel Dudley, new to Los Angeles and looking for opportunities to break into show business, got a tip from her mother.

Marquita Wen told her about auditions for the Los Angeles Clippers Spirit Dance Team.

Angel had grown up in dance academies and been a member of the Deltona High School Elite dance team that won the National Kickline Championships. But, she thought, why try out for the Clippers when the crosstown team, the Los Angeles Lakers, was looking for dancers?

So in 2007, she became a Laker Girl.

Dudley, 23, has spent the better part of the last four years taking the floor when Kobe Bryant & Co. grab some bench during timeouts. Laker Girls dance before Hollywood celebrities Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Denzel Washington and former Laker Girl Paula Abdul, not to mention the moguls who could someday give Dudley her big break, and dancing with pop star Rihanna during halftime of the NBA All-Star game.

“It’s really humbling,” Dudley said during a telephone interview last week. “Some girls try out four, five, six, seven times. They prepare for months. I’m lucky I got a chance to be a part of this.”

Dudley’s journey from local girl to Laker Girl starts in Deltona, where she grew up. It’s a city that often generates confused looks from those unfamiliar.

“I tell people I’m from Deltona and a lot of people don’t know where that is. They say, ‘Are you sure you don’t mean Daytona?’ ” she said.

She attended Deltona Lakes Elementary and Galaxy Middle School before moving on to Deltona High, where she graduated in 2005 as the senior class president.

All the time, she was a student at the Deltona Dance Academy, where Renee Lindsay was office secretary.

“I noticed her right away. She was such a cute girl,” said Lindsay, who’s now a teacher at Community Learning Center West, an alternative public school in Orange City.

Lindsay recommended that Dudley become part of the school’s competition team, which put her into the pipeline for the Deltona High Elite Dance Team that Lindsay coached.

In high school, Dudley was “full of energy and fun,” and shared the drive and determination that other team members had, helping push the team to its national championship in the Universal Dance Association competition.

After high school, Dudley went to the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York. She studied there for a year and a half and loved it, loved attending the Broadway shows, including “Wicked,” but decided to finish at the school’s other campus in L.A.

That’s when the Lakers thing happened.

It’s been a heady time for the organization. The Lakers have won the last two NBA Finals and are a favorite to be there again this year.

And Los Angeles — a city without a professional football team — has fully embraced its Lakers.

“Everybody in L.A., they live and breathe and worship the players,” Dudley said. “Everybody, all day everywhere, people are head-to-toe in Lakers gear. It is crazy.”

Dudley said she, too, sometimes gets caught up in the excitement on the court and has learned to appreciate basketball. But she’s also serious about making her career happen.

Her experience with the Lakers has exposed her to lots of community-service events, where she meets lots of young girls who are awed to be around her. It’s reinforced one value into her ambition. As she dreams of becoming an actress, performing on Broadway and in films and earning an Oscar, she also envisions the type of star she wants to be.

“I don’t want to be one of those actresses, not like Lindsay Lohan. … There are so many poor examples. So many kids look up to her, and I understand Hollywood can get trying sometimes. … I want to be an actress who kids can look up to. I want to give back to the community.”

For now, though, it’s about studying her craft, watching the types of films she wants to make, such as “Gladiator,” and “Requiem for a Dream,” while enjoying time with her boyfriend and earning a living, working as a hostess at a Japanese sushi bar and restaurant.

She’s landed one small role on “The Bold and the Beautiful,” a CBS soap, as well as some commercials, and is thinking about whether to try out for the Lakers next season or to devote more time to other opportunities.

“For some people, joining the Laker Girls is like the top … there’s no surpassing it,” Dudley said. “For me, it is the top. … I just don’t want to stop here.”

At long last, the Titans Cheerleaders have posted their 2011 audition dates! Woohoo! Get ready, Nashville girls.

Preliminaries: Sunday, May 15 at Baptist Sports Park, 1:00pm
Final Event: Tuesday, May 31 at The Wildhorse Saloon, 7:00pm

Click here for registration materials and additional details.

(Titans Online) Do you want to have the best front row seat possible for every Titans home football game in 2011? Start your journey toward what could be the experience of a lifetime as a Tennessee Titans Cheerleader!

In addition to performing on the field and sidelines at every home Titans game, Titans Cheerleaders have appeared on The Oprah Show, The Dr. Oz Show, and performed at the annual Acoustic Christmas concert. They have been a part of the CMT Awards and performed at the CMA Music Fest. The Cheerleaders appear at over 200 events in Middle Tennessee annually.

Additionally, Titans Cheerleaders travel all over the country each year to visit our nation’s troops and to appear at major corporate conventions. The ladies have been as far as Las Vegas, Washington State, Mexico City, Mexico, Hawaii, and Korea in their work as Titans Cheerleaders. The Titans Cheerleading experience is like nothing else, and we are looking for the most talented women to join the team in 2011!

Requirements:
* Must be 18 years of age by April 15 and a high school graduate by May 30, 2011
* Dance experience recommended
* Available to travel to Florida for annual swimsuit calendar shoot in June, July or August 2011
* Available for rehearsal through the summer and available for all 2011 home Titans games

VIDEO: Watch the 2010 Titans Cheerleading Final Auditions