Amy Cherry
Ridgway Record
January 17, 2011
Maryland native and former Baltimore Ravens cheerleader Stephanie Brooks is finding life interesting living deep in Pittsburgh Steelers territory.
As a first grade substitute teacher at South St. Marys Street Elementary School, Brooks has brought her Ravens spirit to the school, where her classroom is decorated in her team colors of black and purple.
“It’s been in my blood since I was young to not like the Steelers,” Brooks said. “Here in the elementary school, I love it because the kids are so friendly with it. They think it’s kind of odd but cool since I’m from Baltimore and like the Ravens. It’s kind of cool to be unique.”
Brooks and fellow SMASD teacher Elaine Lee, an avid Steelers fan, have created a friendly, ongoing rivalry between their classrooms and students.
On Friday, Brooks’ students were clad in purple and black and carried around cutout Ravens logos on sticks as they traveled throughout the school, with Brooks leading them in her Ravens apparel, complete with her gold and yellow pom pom.
“It’s a huge rivalry. The Steelers are an amazing team. It was a tough game,” Brooks said of Saturday’s playoff match between the two teams, which the Ravens lost, 31-24.
As part of their rivalry, Lee and Brooks agreed that whomever’s team lost would have to announce their allegiance to the opposing team for the duration of the playoffs each Monday morning during school announcements.
“Some of my students didn’t really know a lot about the Ravens before I came here. If they know their teacher likes it, then they like it, too,” Brooks said.
Now residing in Ridgway, Brooks is a recent transfer to the area from her hometown of Glen Burnie, Md., approximately 15 minutes from Baltimore.
Brooks only recently retired her pom poms, having cheered for the Ravens for two years.
“It’s something you’ll always remember. You have pictures to show your kids,” she said. “Here in St. Marys, they’re not used to having somebody like me around, and the kids love it and the teachers love it. It’s a lot of fun; I really like it.”
The Ravens cheerleading organizations is comprised of two separate squads: a dance team consisting of 25-30 women, of which Brooks was a member; and a stunt team, consisting of 15 women and 20 men. Both squads perform as one unit during all of the team’s home games.
Upon graduating from the University of Maryland, College Park, Brooks decided to renew her love of cheerleading and try out for the team.
“After college I decided to try out to give me something extra to do. I made it on (the team) and it was a great time,” she said. “There’s 300 girls that try out for 40 to 45 spots, so you definitely have to have talent and be dedicated.”
The squads participate in a three-day cheerleading camp, usually held in June, which Brooks said involved “nonstop running, cheering and dancing.”
Their typical twice-weekly practices, which ran from April through January, began at 6 p.m. with a three-mile run, followed by three hours of continuous dance rehearsals.
“I was really lucky and fortunate to be able to stay in shape to do it,” Brooks said. “The training regime was extremely, extremely intense.”
Each of the 10 home gamedays consisted of arriving at the stadium five hours prior to the start of the game. Following a practice session, squad members made numerous appearances around the stadium interacting with fans, attending tailgates and showcasing their skills with mini-performances.
During game time, cheerleaders performed nonstop for four hours, including during pre-game and halftime.
“You’re moving and screaming the entire time, not just standing around. It looks like it might be easy, but it’s definitely not. It’s a very tiring and exhausting day,” Brooks said.
Following the game, cheerleaders also put in extra hours selling their team’s calendars.
Brooks explained when she was on the squad, the average age range of her teammates was between 22 and 26 years old.
“We actually had the oldest NFL cheerleader several years ago. She was 42, and decided she wanted to go back because she was a dancer when she was younger. She was in really great shape and was an amazing and really nice person. She was on squad for two years,” Brooks said.
Outside of their activities inside the stadium, Ravens cheerleaders also participate in approximately 20 public appearances each season, many of which take place around the city promoting the team by helping to pump up the fans for gameday and handing out free merchandise. Cheerleaders also work with local charities.
Sports Illustrated has a new gallery of photos of the Laker Girls on the court. Click here to go there now!
Cutting a rug for fun and a good cause
Jason Campbell
Manteca Bulletin
January 2011
Leave it to Harmony Rebeiro to turn an ordinary fundraiser into something that the entire community can come out and enjoy.
On Friday night people filled Chez Shari to capacity to watch the second annual installment of “Dancing With The Dance Stars” – a fundraiser that Rebeiro started to help raise money to benefit her local dance school that serves dancers from as young as seven up to professionals.
This year the money raised is going to purchase a new tap floor for the studio.
And it would have been easy to send out notes to parents about the need for a new floor and a request for a donation, or the school-wide implementation of some fundraiser program selling something like candy or cookie-dough – even though the sugar and calorie-rich anomaly would be lost on most people.
But Rebeiro didn’t do any of those things.
Instead she designed an event where family members team up with studio students and choreograph their own dances for all to enjoy.
She turned the power over to her students to design costumes, choreograph routines, and come up with music for a short performance in front of a panel of judges that included a former Raiderette and MTV Reality TV star [$5 says this is former teammate Jenn Grijalva who was on MTV’s “Real World” a few years ago ~ sasha], Give Every Child a Chance CEO Carol Davis, Boys and Girls Club Executive Director Charlie Halford, and San Joaquin County Superintendent – and Rebeiro’s cha-cha partner during the “Dancing with the Manteca Stars” event last year – Mick Founts.
What turned out was a little bit of hilarity, a little dash of wow and a whole lot of fun.
Tori Vasquez started off the night with her cousins Hunter and Alex, and opened their routine with a monologue from Jersey Shore sensation “Pauly D” – mixing up their routine to include a little bit of War’s “Low Rider” and enough of Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby” to elicit a cheer from everyone in the crowd.
And the next duo, Bella and Ray Martinez, didn’t let a technical snafu prevent them from running through the gauntlet of music that covered everything from Rednex’ club hit “Cotton Eyed Joe” to Styx’ “Mr. Roboto” – taking the time to execute the dance moves, and throwing a bit of an homage in to Michael Jackson with a piece of the Thriller video.
The idea for the entire event seemed simple. But at the same time it seemed genius. Take competitive dancers, mix them with their family members, and have a good time – all the while raising money to outfit the dance studio with modern equipment that will only make the experience better for all involved.
I don’t know where I was when this went on last year, but I’ll be sure to make it next year just to see what happens when families get together for the sole purpose of laughing and having fun with one another.
The grand champion was Jodie Scaraborough who danced with her father Bill.
Other honors were Runner Up: Bella Martinez who danced with her father Ray, Awesome Partnership: Sabrina Aldana; Talent At Its Best: Paislie Taylor; Great Use Of Music: Mary Martinez; Best Costume and Concept: Destiny Herrera; Wasn’t Expecting That From You Two: Alyssa Harris; Should Be On So You Think You Can Dance: Julissa Torres; Best Choreography: Kelly Eichsteadt; Make Me Want To Get Up and Dance: Tori Vasquez; Does Your Mama Know You Move Like That: Brianna Paradzinski; It Runs In The Family: Caitlin deGraaf; and Most Entertaining: Taylor Crawford.
Danielle a big fan of Crest strips
This is the seventh post of a weekly LA Times series that helps you get to know the Laker Girls
Mark Medina
LA Times Lakers Blog
January 15, 2011
Laker Girl name: Danielle
Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Years on the Laker Girls squad: 1
Area of Residence: North Hollywood, California
College/High School: Assumption High School; University of Louisville and Orange Coast College
What prompted you to want to become a Laker Girl? I wanted to be a part of the most prestigious dance team in the NBA and become more involved in the community.
What do you think stood out to the judging panel, about you, regarding your audition?
I think my passion for dance stood out. When I perform, I feel it is important for anyone watching, to be able to tell that I’m having fun and I love what I do.
What do you think makes a good Laker Girl?
I think a Laker Girl should be professional, conservative, hard working, dedicated, positive, enthusiastic, and genuine.
What is your dance experience?
I’ve been dancing since I was 6. I am a studio trained dancer and was also a member of Assumption High School’s dance team. (where we won 2 national championships) I then went on to dance for the University of Louisville Ladybirds. After that, I was a member on Orange Coast College’s dance team. For the past 2 years I have been working at Disneyland as dancer. In addition, I take all styles of dance classes in L.A. whenever I get the chance.
Favorite dance routine, while being a Laker Girl?
Walk This Way
Favorite uniform?
Our newest one! We call it our “ruffle” uniform. It is purple, a two piece outfit which consists of a top and skirt. The uniform has yellow trim, ruffles and rhinestones.
Favorite Lakers Player?
Shannon Brown
Favorite Laker Girl memory so far?
My favorite memory was when my parents visited me from Kentucky and got to see me perform on the Christmas Day game. It was my parents first Lakers game!! Unfortunately we lost that game, but it was still really nice to have them there.
What do you like most about being involved, as a Laker Girl, at local charity/community events?
I love that I have the chance to put a smile on a person’s face, or maybe make their day a little brighter.
What would you say is your beauty secret?
Crest white strips!
What diet/workout tips do you have?
I’ve found that running makes a huge difference for me and my body. I try to do an ab workout everyday and drink lots of water! Take it one day at a time.
What are your hobbies?
Yoga/Pilates, Photography, travel, boating, watching movies and I am learning how to play the guitar.
Career aspirations?
Right now, I would like to stay a professional dancer in the industry for as long as I can! (book commercials, movies, award shows, tours, etc.)
By Staff reports
Tri-Town Transcript
Jan 13, 2011
Middleton native and New England Patriots cheerleader Angela Lavoie returned last week from a two-week tour overseas to visit deployed US troops.
Six Patriots cheerleaders and their coach, Tracy Sormanti, began their tour on Dec. 20 in Kyrgyzstan and then arrived in Northern Afghanistan on Christmas Day.
They ended the tour in Qatar, celebrating the New Year with troops, having visited 12 forward-operating bases and command outposts – some with as many as 3,000 troops and others with as few as a dozen. The squad traveled via Chinook and Blackhawk helicopters, C130 and C17 airplanes.
They performed 10 full shows, ate all of their meals with the troops, signed autographs and did photo sessions and participated in several re-enlistments ceremonies.
Look for a full Q&A with Lavoie coming soon to Wicked Local Tri-Town and the Tri-Town Transcript.
New uniform photos are now online on the DVD Facebook page. Click here to check ’em out!
By Sara, 2nd year Falcons Cheerleader
AtlantaFalcons.com
1/11/2011
What you see from the Atlanta Falcons Cheerleaders on Sundays is only part of a much larger picture. What you may not realize is that all of us have either full-time careers or are full-time students. We work hard at what we do off the field so we can be successful on the field.
We, as a team, believe that hard work, dedication and persistence at all things in life lead to something far greater and much more rewarding. The “completeness” of a person is valued here on AFC, and we are a team that supports each others’ endeavors on the team and outside of it.
What many may not realize is how important academics are when it comes to athletics. Without education, we are incapable of making some of life’s most important decisions and learning what may be some of life’s most valuable lessons.
What you also may not know is that the Atlanta Falcons Cheerleaders are comprised of some of the most intelligent, charismatic, ambitious, driven and kind women you will ever meet.
For example, there’s Wendy. I bet you’d never guess this rookie is pursuing her biomedical engineering degree at Georgia Tech with ambitions to become a reconstructive surgeon and help the military develop biological reconstructive technologies. Wendy’s dedication to AFC and her incredible sense of balance have helped her succeed in school and take full control of her own Rookie experience with the Falcons.
Then, there’s Candice — a veteran cheerleader who recently graduated with her degree in nursing and has already secured her first job doing what she loves off the field.
Another example? Natalie. She’s the director of the State Senate Press Office, managing all media relations for all of the Georgia state senators.
What about Denita? Well, she’s an assistant for the Georgia State football program and the right hand gal of the one and only head coach Bill Curry.
And me? Well, by day I work in marketing for a technology firm, and by night I write for a sports blog and contribute as often as possible for the AFC blog here on AtlantaFalcons.com.
But these cases of ambition and pursuit of career beyond cheering are not isolated. Every woman you meet from AFC has goals and wants success that is engineered at her own hand. It’s unbelievable, really, to meet a group of women so talented and intelligent.
Of course, this isn’t limited to just the girls on the field. Cheerleader coordinator Chato Waters is established in her own rite. She cheered for AFC for six years, has been coordinator for seven and when she’s not dealing with all things Falcons, she’s the lead counselor for Clayton County School District.
And what about our choreographer, Jakene Ashford? Well, when she’s not spending her time formulating creative new routines, she’s working as a chemist. Yeah, you read that right, a chemist! You see, it all starts at the top. When you have great role models and examples, you have no choice but to want to succeed in the same way they have.
Maybe you didn’t know these things about AFC, or maybe you had heard but didn’t believe it. Either way, maybe now you can understand how incredible these women are. Everyone has a work-hard mentality and we love interacting with Falcons fans, cheering on gameday and being a part of the Atlanta community.
We also understand the direct correlation between athletics, academics, career and ambition. Without a love and passion for athletics we would not understand what hard work really means, and without that, none of us would be successful off the field.
Questions? Want to know more about AFC and what we do? Or do you have a special story to share of how your experience in athletics has directly impacted your academic or career goals? Let me know! I’m on Facebook at or on Twitter @AFC_Sara.
Cheers, and remember: work hard on the field, work hard off the field.
[Hi-Res Photo]
By Sandra Colton
Dance Track Magazine
January 12, 2011
Top NBA Teams are part of our upcoming issue due out this April, so we thought we’d give you the goods on the newly formed Tokyo Girls directed by Kristin Egusa. This new team was handpicked from auditions with judges including Lisa Estrada (Director of the NBA Los Angeles Laker Girls) and Audrea Harris (Director of the NBA Los Angeles Clippers Spirit). With Kristin at the helm and a panel of hard-to-impress NBA veterans, the team assembled is now breaking the mold on the court performing as the dance team for the Tokyo Apache basketball team.
Kristin spent four years as part of the NBA Los Angeles Clippers Spirit Dance Team and continued her participation by hosting games and choreographing the team’s performances and audition material. Her career has taken her to Japan where she has taught professional dance team clinics. Kristin said, “When this opportunity came up, I did not hesitate to apply for the position. This is my dream job! I was confident that my dance background and experience in Japan was a perfect fit for this opportunity. I am very fortunate to be part of the Tokyo Apache organization!”
Taking on two roles, Kristin will serve as the director of the Tokyo Girls and dance on the team as well. No stranger to working with dance teams, her choreography has been placed on some of the best teams in the country including the UCLA Dance Team and USC Dance Force. An alumni of Cal Sate University, Long Beach with a degree in Communications, Kristin has performed with many well-known recording artists like Christina Aguilera, N.E.R.D., David Guetta and the Backstreet Boys. You can also see her sweating it out on the DVD sensation “Hip Hop Abs” starring Shaun T.
The Tokyo Girls auditions were in October 2010 and Kristin said, “We spent weeks canvasing the professional dance world and only inviting the best of the best to attend.” With 33 dancers at the audition, the goal was to narrow the field down to 12 dancers. Auditions also took place in Japan where three dancers from Japan were added to the team. Kristin said, “We called on Yoko Yagishita, former Clippers Spirit and Chargers Girl, to run the audition along with the Tokyo Apache President and former NFL player, Chris Hetherington. They flew out from Japan to meet the other dancers in Los Angeles, and rehearsals started right away.”
The Tokyo Girls selected are Kim Loberg, Destiney Bleu, Deanna Spinale, Suzy Ortiz, Katie Sundling, Julie Dragicevich, Erica Labrador, Emi Noguchi, Sachiko Sekine, Akemi Sato, Noriko Ikemi and Kristin Egusa. Wearing costumes designed by Dallas Dancewear, the Tokyo Apache have assembled a dance team with NBA and AFL credits. Kristin said, “The Tokyo Apache game entertainment will be very similar to the NBA entertainment. The girls will perform jazz, hip-hop and fun novelty routines to get the crowds pumped!” Organizers have planned for the Tokyo Girls to perform 5-6 routines during timeouts and half time of each game. We wish them luck when their season!
