KHQ-6
Mar 15, 2011
SPOKANE, Wash. – Kimberly Loberg, former captain of the Spokane Shock Dance Team, flew back from Japan on Tuesday and picked up her bags from the Los Angeles airport like any other traveler. There was just one snag in her plans: she was returning two months early.
After living in Tokyo as a dancer for Japan’s professional basketball team Tokyo Apache for close to three months, her team, The Tokyo Girls, decided to send some of the women back home for fear of continuing aftershocks and radiation scares.
Loberg described her experiences during a phone interview with KHQ. “I’ve been so heartbroken and seeing it on the TV, I just can’t believe I’m here,” she recalled when the earthquake first hit Japan. “This is so close to me. It’s kind of unbelievable, like, I’m still in shock.”
From there, Loberg said, it only seemed to get worse as the aftershocks relentlessly continued. “Every time an earthquake would happen “‘I’m like ‘Oh my gosh, what’s going to happen next?’ You’re just always in constant fear.”
Fear really set in for The Tokyo Girls once they heard about the radiation alerts.
“It was just like chaos,” she said. “Just to be safe we had to get out of there and we’re lucky we got out in time because as we leaving, everybody else was trying to get out.”
Even if she had stayed, she might not have had a chance to cheer for her team anyway. In the aftermath of the quake and tsunami, Loberg said sporting events have been canceled and Tokyo prepared for rolling blackouts.
“It was the first year they ever had American dancers over there and, I mean, we made a huge impact but it all ended just way too abruptly,” she continued. “We still have friends over there, teammates over there – it’s just heartbreaking.”
It’s unclear what will happen with the rest of the Tokyo Girl’s schedules.
Loberg is set to head back home to Spokane next week.
[Tokyo Apache Dancers on facebook]
Click here to check out the Hurricanes Ice Crew on game day.
Auditions for the Detroit Pride Cheerleaders started over the weekend. No, the aren’t “officially” the cheerleaders for the Detroit Lions, but they will be one day…that’s what they’re working toward. In the meantime, they’re going into their second year with auditions just like every NFL dance team. The finalists are below. Click here to go to facebook and vote for your favorite.
Ruff Riders dancers return to make games family-friendly
By Hannah Boen
Abilene Reporter-News
March 13, 2011
Jessica Hewitt owns Main Street Studio in Hawley and has years of dancing and instructing under her belt. She said the goal for the new dance team was to start fresh.
The local arena football games aren’t known for having a family atmosphere. In fact, in a reader poll, 44 percent of the voters said the games ranked 1 for family friendliness on a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being the worst. Seven of the 86 voters gave the games a rank of 5.
Hewitt said the biggest challenge is pleasing everyone.
“It’s still hip-hop,” she said. “My goal is to meet a happy medium. That’s hard but we’re going to try.”
She gives the ladies a lot of credit for attempting to make all the fans happy. Although the women have dance experience, she said performances on game day are completely different from recital dancing.
“It’s a lot different from dancing in front of stage lights,” she said. “You can see everyone’s faces, reactions. It’s a whole different ballgame.”
Delilah Fritz danced with the team two seasons ago. She said she is one of four women who returned to the dance team after the season without dancers.
She is an early childhood education major at McMurry University and said she doesn’t have any opportunities to dance at the university, so she is excited to be back on the Ruff Riders field.
“I love dancing and enjoy meeting fans, performing in front of fans,” she said. “It’s a really good experience and I feel like I am being recognized as a role model.”
She said she felt the atmosphere at Ruff Riders games has always been family-friendly.
“Other than our outfits being more conservative, there’s no change,” she said. Outfits before showed about two inches of stomach and had a slit up the sides of the skirt, she said.
The dancers were selected in January after two rounds of tryouts. Fritz said she dedicates about 10 hours a week to the team.
“Three hours usually of practice,” she said, “and the rest is just doing things to look good, exercising. And we make appearances.”
Ruff Riders General Manager Brett Quigley said the girls do volunteer some of their time but are compensated in various ways, including free tanning and nail services.
Anderson said the differences in this season’s team stretch beyond new uniforms.
“They’re just good girls,” he said. “Most of them are in school, they’re doing good things outside of this, and we didn’t take anyone who couldn’t dance.”
All 10 girls are from the Abilene area and many of them are working toward degrees in higher education. To see photos and learn more about the dancers, visit http://677pass.com/picturesandbios.html.
By Jennifer X. Williams
CSNbaltimore.com
March 11, 2011
Recently, my newsroom manager had an assignment for me. The young buck of a journalist that I am was ready for anything … anything. A sitdown with John Harbaugh? A feature on Stephen Strasburg’s road to recovery? Perhaps a candid interview with Barack Obama on the current state of the NFL? Finally, I would be getting my chance to prove myself.
I was given a far more arduous task: Ravens cheerleading tryouts.
This wasn’t just any breed of pompon-infused rah-rahing and sis-boom-bahing, but NFL cheerleading. We’re talking radiating white teeth, mesmerizing midriffs and enough hair theatrics to shame Poison in its heyday. (Sidenote: Somewhere, Bret Michaels is weeping softly; you’re not fooling anyone with that red bandana). These women make Glee’s tantalizing cheer captain, Quinn Fabray, look like a spelling bee contestant.
Was I a little intimidated? Maybe. But, still, I decided to try out for the Ravens cheerleading squad.
Well, it was more like I teetered on the fence all week. Bolstered by countless hours of “Bring It On,” “Flashdance” and “Footloose,” I finally gathered the courage to text the Ravens communications coordinator to tell her I was actually going through with my “journalistic endeavor.”
I became No. 164 of 230 hopefuls vying for a spot on a 60-person squad. Now, the way Baltimore’s Downtown Athletic Club is set up, you walk in to find yourself on the second level looking down into the gym area, where tryouts were being held. It was a pulsating sea of bedazzled brassieres, booty shorts and nerves dancing in unison to a song that beckoned, “If you want to be my cowboy …” It was Christmas morning for Josh, the lucky CSN cameraman for the day.
Suddenly, I was whisked away by the Charlie’s Angels team of Serena B., Kellie Lee and Alyssa H. Apparently, my reputation had preceded me and I was going to get some tutoring in a private studio. As we began to go through the routine, I realized I was genuinely enjoying myself. At one point, I got a little too comfortable and busted out the “lawnmower” move. I thought I was hysterical, but Kellie Lee said: “She’s a total blonde.”
I was sweating profusely after going through the routine only a handful of times. Meanwhile, the three real cheerleaders made it look effortless. Each move was delivered with serious confidence and sass. Three snaps, ladies.
I was even challenged to copy Alyssa H.’s signature sultry hair flip. I looked more like a crazed Cousin Itt.
As for the actual tryout, I took the easy way out. My three guardian angels were with me the whole time. It went OK, I suppose. (Note to self: Confiscate raw footage.) Alyssa H. asked me what I would do if I made the team. I suspect she was only being nice.
Still, it was hard to focus on my assignment with all the glitter and booty shakin’, I said in exasperation to Josh, the camera guy. To which he responded: “You think it’s hard to concentrate?”
Ladies, there’s something for you as well. The Ravens cheerleaders are the only squad to have male cheerleaders, or stunt men, as they liked to be called. We watched in awe as they effortlessly propelled a woman at least 15 feet into the air. One member of the squad confided he had caught some flak from his friends regarding his activity. To which he would remind them he was on the field for all the action Sunday. And, oh, by the way, just take a look at his 40 female teammates.
As for Alyssa H., she said the best part of her job is, “Performing in front of 70,000. It doesn’t get any better that.” I was convinced.
Click here to check out the new Miami Heat Dancers gallery on SportsIllustrated.com.
GateHouse News Service
Mar 10, 2011
Donaldsonville, La. —
The New Orleans Saintsation Cheerleaders have announced today that preliminary auditions for the 2011 team will be held on Saturday April 2, 2011 at the Saints Indoor Practice Facility in Metairie, Louisiana.
According to Team Manager, Lesslee Fitzmorris, “We are looking for dedicated young women who are physically fit, talented in dance/cheer, and are able to present themselves in a professional manner. Because the Saintsations are influential role models to the youth in our communities, we will select women that are committed to leading a healthy, productive lifestyle.”
The Saintsations are one of the premier dance teams in the NFL. With an “All- American” image, the Saintsations have catapulted as America’s favorite cheerleader team. In addition to performing at the Saints home games, the team makes hundreds of charity appearances a year. The Saintsations have traveled to Iraq and Afghanistan to visit our troops, and to Mexico City and London to promote the NFL. They have appeared on the Bill O’Reilly show, Fox and Friends, the CBS Early Show, Dr. Phil, Inside Edition, the Today Show, and on national television commercials.
This highly recognized and respected group of women serve as goodwill ambassadors for the NFL and the New Orleans Saints Organization. Team members perform at many exciting events and make numerous personal appearances throughout the world. Additionally, the team supports community projects through the “Saintsations Inspiration Program”. The primary focus of the 2011 program is to promote positive initiatives geared toward women and children.
Candidates must be 18 years of age by April 2, 2011. There are three stages to the audition process. During the preliminary audition, the candidate will be taught a brief dance routine and a technical routine to perform for dance judges. Advancing candidates proceed to the professional interview audition followed by a comprehensive football test. The final round of auditions will be held on April 7 and the 2011 team will be announced on April 8th. For more information or to download an audition packet, please visit www.saintsations.net or www.neworleanssaints.com.
Intensive Workshop
Seahawks.com: We are adding a special workshop designed to give audition contestants a deeper look at what it takes to be a Sea Gal. It will be directed by Sea Gal Director, Sherri Thompson. The workshop will be 3 hours consisting of dance critique, hair and make-up information, costume choice advice, tips on speaking, and in depth Q&A session. In order to give more attention to each individual this Intensive Pre-audition Workshop will be limited to a maximum of 30. You must preregister online.
These workshops are not open to current Sea Gals or Sea Gals Alumni
By Janelle London
The Cal State Pioneer
March 10th, 2011
The Oakland Raiderettes have long been considered one of the most glamorous and recognizable professional cheerleading squads in the NFL, and soon they will be giving ambitious women from all over the world the chance to become one of “Football’s Fabulous Females.”
The Oakland Raiders will host preliminary auditions for the 2011-2012 Raiderettes at the Oakland Airport Hilton Hotel on April 10, with check-in beginning at 8 a.m.
“We have actually had some women who literally flew in from Japan to audition,” said Raiderettes Director Jeanette Thompson.
Last year, over 300 women auditioned at preliminaries, and the line started forming early, with hopefuls wanting to be the first in line.
“There are so many women that show up, and people do get there early, so I try to get there as early as I can,” said Raiderette hopeful Angela, who has auditioned three times, unsuccessfully. “The earlier you get there, the better for an earlier audition number.”
“I think in the past when I’ve tried out, I don’t think my confidence level was where it should have been to really make me stand out over everyone else,” she said. “I think that’s where I messed up, so this year my goal is to show the judges that I am confident and I can do this.”
So what does it take to stand out amidst hundreds of other beautiful women dolled up with curled hair, hot lipstick, long lashes and big smiles?
Thompson, a former 10-year veteran of the squad and entering her first year as director for the Raiderettes, says that standing out is all about being an individual and doing what works for you.
“Everyone is different, and everyone has their own presence,” said Thompson. “A woman may be even be shy, but that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t command attention when she walks in a room.”
“That is basically what the preliminary audition is about. It’s how you present yourself in a room,” she said. “Just show us your best you.”
If you are thinking about showing up and showing off at preliminary auditions, leave your dance shoes at home.
According to the Raiders website, attire for this portion of the auditions is “day time dresses, skirts or shorts.”
The preliminary audition will allow the panel of judges to see the candidates and hear them speak in front of the room. This is likely because the Raiderettes and NFL cheerleaders at large spend just as much time, if not more, representing their football club in the community as they do on the field.
So it is important that a potential Raiderette has the poise and communication skills to be able to represent the team at community, charity and corporate events.
NFL cheerleading is not just about performing. It is also about public relations and community service.
Despite the stereotypes that one may have about cheerleaders at this level, these women are extremely accomplished in their personal lives.
Take one look at the cheerleader profiles on the team website, and you will find undergraduate students to Ph.D candidates, mothers to entrepreneurs, and everything beyond and in between.
Say what you will about women in short shorts, bare midriffs and pom-poms, these ladies’ accomplishments speak for themselves. It just so happens that they have a passion for performing and look amazing doing it.
Raiderette candidates that nail the prelims and are selected as finalists will then have the chance to show off their dance abilities at the final dance audition and interview portion of the tryouts, where candidates will then come face-to-face and compete with veteran Raiderettes for a spot on the squad.
But it’s not just the potential rookies that should be nervous.
According to Thompson, the veterans have to work for their spots on the team just as much as new candidates, and nobody is guaranteed to make it.
“Sometimes you don’t make it back, and a lot of times that can be more heartbreaking than for someone who was auditioning and just hoping to make it for the first time,” said Thompson.
“It’s worse because you know what you will be missing if you don’t make it back.”
Former Raiderette Shannon Burgess can attest to that.
“Sometimes you don’t know what they are looking for, and if you don’t bring it or somebody else is bringing it harder than you, they will cut you in a heartbeat,” said Burgess.
Before cheering four seasons with the Raiderettes, where she was named Rookie of the Year in her first season and named Co-Line Captain and Line Captain in her second and third, Burgess was a member of the 49ers’ Gold Rush Cheerleaders.
After a memorable rookie year, she was cut at auditions going into her second season.
“It hurt when I was cut,” said Burgess. “I was a little crushed, but I didn’t want to give it up because I loved it so much. So I just decided to keep pushing for what I wanted and keep auditioning, and I’m glad I did.”
Burgess, who was also a Golden State Warriors girl, went on to open her own dance studio, Rhythm and Art Elite All-Stars in Tracy. She says every one of her experiences as an NFL and NBA cheerleader have been worth it.
“It was a great experience,” said Burgess. “I got to travel overseas, I learned a lot and I made a lot of friends.
“The camaraderie with the ladies—it was just an amazing experience overall.”
Both team director Thompson and Burgess had advice for those considering auditioning.
“If there is even a thought in your mind to audition, do it,” said Thompson.
“Sometimes you don’t know the potential you hold until you actually try. I really didn’t anticipate making the team when I did. I really just came out because I loved the Raiders and the Raiderettes, and I wanted to see what the audition was like. That was it. And before I knew it, my number was called, and then at finals it was called again. I was really surprised,” she said.
“And so ladies who come out to audition just may surprise themselves.”
Former Raiderette Burgess also offers Raiderette hopefuls the same encouragement she offers the young girls she teaches and mentors at her dance studio.
“Your dreams can come true as long as you’re willing to work for it,” said Burgess. “If it’s your passion, just keep at it and don’t get discouraged no matter what other people may think or what they might say. If it’s in your heart and it’s your passion, you have to go for it.”
To better help prepare potential candidates for the upcoming audition, the Raiderettes are offering an audition dance and prep class at the Ira Jinkins Recreational Center in Oakland on April 2 from 9 a.m.–12 p.m. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and the cost is $40.
“I would recommend taking the workshop class,” said Burgess. “It can’t hurt, and you’ll probably get a lot of information that you wouldn’t have gotten otherwise. If you’re thinking about auditioning, I would take the class.”
To pre-register for the audition prep class, and for more information on the 2011 Raiderettes auditions, please visit www.Raiders.com.
Individual uniform photos and profiles of the PID have been posted on the Panthers website. Click here to learn more about the ladies on the team.
