On Tuesday, CBS announced the cast of Survivor: Redemption Island, the 22nd installment in the Survivor Franchise. This time around, the show returns to Nicaragua, where the Ometepe and Zapatera tribes will face off to determine who can outwit, outlast, and outplay all the others.
One member of the Ometepe Tribe is Natalie Tenerelli, a professional dancers from Los Angeles. Natalie is an alum of the AVP Dancers and is currently one of the inaugural L.A. Matador Knockouts. Click here to check out her bio on CBS.com. The show premieres Wednesday, February 16th. Good luck Natalie!
[Matadors Knockouts on Facebook]
UPDATE: We got ’em! You guys are the best.
Serita will represent the Denver Broncos Cheerleaders
Deri’Andra will represent the Saintsations
Nicole will represent the Sea Gals
Shannon will represent the St. Louis Rams Cheerleaders
We also got some really nice photos of last years group. Once again, thanks all!
(click to view full-size)
Howdy folks!
As many of you know, one of the things we like to keep track of is who represents each NFL squad at the Pro Bowl each year. We’ve got all but four of the ladies going to Hawaii next month. I’m hoping you guys can use your eyes and ears to help us complete the list. We need to know who is representing these teams:
Denver Broncos
New Orleans Saints (possibly Deri’andra?)
Seattle Seahawks
St. Louis Rams
If you know who will be representing these teams, please leave us a comment, or email me at sasha(at)procheerleaderblog.com.
Thanks!
PS: If anyone has a good photo of last year’s group and can send it over, that would be swell too. This is the best one I’ve got:
This week’s gallery is all about the Colts Cheerleaders, Chiefs Cheerleaders, and the Sea Gals. Click here to go there now!
By Shawn Donnelly
Esquire.com
January 10, 2011
So what do you get when you combine a banged-up quarterback, a gimpy wide receiver, two missed field goals, and a defense that forgets to exist in the red zone? The end of the Great Reinvention of Michael Vick, the beginning of an Aaron Rodgers run at the Super Bowl, and yet another fantastic finish from the postseason’s opening weekend, that’s what. Also: lots of very sad people from Philadelphia, which can be strange.
But perhaps Eagles Nation can rally for next year behind the determination of a rookie cheerleader named Jen. After all, this is a woman who, when she was 12, broke her wrist during a ballet recital but popped back up to finish the dance. “There was no way I was getting off that stage,” she told us after Sunday night’s game. “I was taught that if you fall down, you get right back up.” This dance instructor isn’t afraid of calling out her coach for a fourth-and-one (missed) field goal attempt, either, or making a bold playoff prediction. Or three.
ESQUIRE: On a scale of one-to-10, with 10 being extremely disappointed, where are you at right now?
JEN: I think I’m at a five. Before the season, people were predicting 8-8 for us, and this was supposed to be a rebuilding year. We went 10-6, made the playoffs. I don’t think we could’ve asked for a whole lot more. I’m trying to be positive.
ESQ: You’re doing an excellent job.
JEN: Plus, we did better than anybody else in our division. Everybody had high hopes for the Cowboys, and look what happened to them. There was a lot of talk about the Giants, and they didn’t make the playoffs. The Redskins had a tough year. So all in all, I feel okay.
ESQ: Still, it had to hurt, watching that final pass from Vick get intercepted in the end zone, with under a minute left, right in front of you.
JEN: Yeah, we were so close. I really thought we were going to pull it out at the end. Unfortunately it didn’t work out.
ESQ: According to your bio, David Akers is your favorite player. He had an especially tough game.
JEN: I’m shocked, actually, at his two missed field goals. He’s one of the best kickers in the league. It’s just surprising because he’s normally so consistent for us.
ESQ: Gotta ask you one thing about him, though. Trailing by 11 in the fourth quarter, your Eagles drove the ball to the 16. It was fourth-and-one. Andy Reid sent out Akers, who missed a 34-yarder. Looking back, wrong move?
JEN: I think the safer bet at that point was the field goal. Akers is normally so solid, and I think the coaches had a lot of confidence in him. I don’t think the loss was on Andy. I think the field goal was the right move. Akers just missed it.
ESQ: Lotta talk from the booth about the conditions and those kicks. But how windy was it at field level, really?
JEN: It was really windy. I’m sure that that had some factor. Not that anybody’s making excuses. It was probably the windiest game of the season. And it was definitely the coldest game of the season.
ESQ: What did you think when you saw DeSean Jackson limp back to the locker room in the first quarter?
JEN: I was worried. It was nice to see him come back out, and he had a couple good plays in the second half. I would’ve loved for him to do a little more. I don’t know if he really had the opportunity though.
ESQ: Vick will be a free agent. Think he’ll be back next year?
JEN: I do. I think he wants to be in Philly. I hope he’ll be back. He’s one of the best quarterbacks the Eagles have ever had.
ESQ: Speaking of great quarterbacks losing, were you surprised to see the Saints fall to the Seahawks this weekend?
JEN: I was shocked, but happy. I always root for the underdog.
ESQ: Let’s run through some playoff predictions for this coming weekend. Seahawks at Bears?
JEN: Bears.
ESQ: Green Bay at Atlanta?
JEN: Of course the Falcons. I hope that they win.
ESQ: Jets at Patriots?
JEN: I’m going with the Jets on this one. I’m a Jersey girl. I’m pulling for the Jets.
ESQ: Ravens at Steelers?
JEN: Steelers. Gotta go with the fellow Pennsylvania team.
ESQ: So what’s your Super Bowl matchup?
JEN: Bears versus Jets. Jets win.
ESQ: What about the national championship game tonight, Auburn versus Oregon?
JEN: I’m not really the biggest college football fan, but I’ll say Oregon in a close game.
ESQ: Well we’re not really the biggest ballet fans, so what else can a guy do to impress you?
JEN: I like when a guy does super romantic things — when he’s a gentleman, when he opens car doors, when he gives you flowers for no reason, when he leaves you little notes. I know it sounds old-fashioned, but those kinds of things impress me.
Individual profiles have been posted for the Boston Bruins Ice Girls. Click here to learn more about the ladies on the team!
The dance team page has been updated on the Milwaukee Bucks website. Click here for a new look at the Energee! Dancers.
By Eric Smith
The Capital-Journal
January 9, 2011
Thousands of rowdy fans yelling and screaming, energy and emotion oozing out of every pore. Some of the world’s biggest and best football players on the field, playing their hearts out. A brisk wind blows as temperatures have dropped below freezing, with snow lingering.
It’s just another day at the office for Kansas City Chiefs cheerleader Belinda Post, of Topeka.
Except this office is Arrowhead Stadium, and it just happens to be the NFL playoffs against the Baltimore Ravens.
The 22-year-old Post, along with her 28 other teammates, is all decked out in her cold-weather uniform, helping the rowdy stadium hold true to its moniker as one of the loudest in the NFL.
For Post, who is in her rookie season, the year has been a blur of great memories and good times, and it’s all culminating at this moment, in the Chiefs’ first home playoff game since 2003.
And all of it started nearly a year ago, when she made the team in January of 2010. It’s something that she said she will never forget.
“I remember almost screaming,” she said. “I was so excited.”
Then the Chiefs opened the season at the remodeled sold out Arrowhead on national television with Monday Night Football against AFC West foe San Diego. The soggy, cold night saw KC upset the Chargers 21-14. And just as the wet weather helped the Chiefs stop Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers’ dominant passing game, it also helped the KC cheerleaders overcome any opening game jitters.
“(I remember) being so excited in a game where we were on ESPN doing our kickline in our ponchos just getting the opportunity to let loose and maybe be not so concerned with messing up,” said Post, a graduate of Washburn Rural and Kansas State.
“It was so much fun dancing in the rain.”
No matter the situation, with snow, rain or heat, Post said her and her fellow Chiefs cheerleaders remain happy, caring, energetic, driven and strong because, just like the players and everyone else within the KC organization, they have a job to do.
And while often times, that most noticeable job is at games, the cheerleaders also make several community appearances away from Arrowhead, and Post said it’s times like those her and her peers enjoy the most.
“The best part for me is seeing somebody’s face light up, is seeing somebody just so genuinely excited to meet you,” she said. “And you doing your best to go ahead and invest in that person’s life and hopefully make their day better.”
“On our team, it’s not just important to be physically fit and have the highest kicks and the dance ability, but (our coaches) really care about who you are as a person. They want knowledgeable, intelligent girls who know about football and are prepared to talk about the game.”
Post, who also works at Farm Bureau Financial, WIBW, and is a dance teacher, said she loves being a Chiefs cheerleader and hopes she will be one again next year.
“All these girls are my best friends and I think it’d be really hard to lose that,” she said. “I knew this year would change my life but I don’t think I realized how much these girls would touch my heart and how much I would be changed forever.”
Audition for the 2011 Allen Wranglers Dance Team!
The Allen Wranglers (previously the AFL Arkansas Twisters) are one of the new franchise joining the Indoor Football League (IFL) in 2010. The team is scheduled to begin play in late spring, and they are putting together a dance team to add entertainment, color, and excitement to the game day experience.
Date: January 15th & 16th
Time: Registration for preliminaries will begin at 10:30am
Location: Dodie’s in The Village at Allen
What to Expect
Please arrive ready to perform in dance attire (crop top and shorts/pants) as there will not be much prep time before auditions begin. Preliminaries will consist of freestyle dance and choreography. All contestants will be judged on appearance, presentation/showmanship, and their ability to engage an audience. Following the preliminary audition, finalists will be announced. Finalists will return for the Final round on Sunday, January 16th.
Requirements
All applicants must be 21 years of age or older.
Please bring a non-returnable photo of yourself (for identification purposes)
$30 non-refundable application fee.
For more information please call (915) 276-1830 or email taybeelyssa@gmail.com.
Erica believes everything in moderation is key to a successful diet
This is the sixth post of a weekly LA Times series that helps you get to know the Laker Girls
Mark Medina
LA Times Lakers Blog
January 9, 2011
Laker Girl name: Erica
Hometown: Denver, CO
Years on the Laker Girls squad: 3
Area of Residence: Marina Del Rey
College: Graduate of Loyola Marymount University (CA)
High School: Highlands Ranch High School (Highlands Ranch, CO)
What prompted you to want to become a Laker Girl? I’ve been a dancer my entire life and from a young age, knew of the Laker Girls dance team and what it meant to me, to become one. Early on, I established auditioning for the Laker Girls and making the team as one of my key goals as a dancer. Plus, I love sports!!
What do you think stood out to the judging panel, about you, regarding your audition? I think the judges could tell from my dance audition that I was really passionate about the possibility of getting this job. It had truly been a lifelong goal. Also, in my interview, I think they could see that I understood what it takes to be a member of a professional dance team, having had prior experience.
What do you think makes a good Laker Girl? Being a Laker Girl requires dedication, attention to detail and having excellent time management! We are very busy. I also think a good Laker Girl shows a willingness to be involved in the Los Angeles community. We have the opportunity to meet just about every walk of life in Los Angeles through our charities and appearances. Not to mention, it is a tremendous opportunity to connect with fans and serve as an ambassador for the Lakers organization and NBA. Also, perhaps the most obvious about being a good Laker Girl…… is being a fan of the Lakers!
What is your dance experience? I’ve been a dancer since I was 3 years old and started with ballet training. I attended ballet-centric dance academies until I was about 11 and then started to add jazz, contemporary, hip hop and tap into my training as well.
Favorite dance routine, while being a Laker Girl? My favorite dance while being a Laker Girl was one we did my first year called “Show Me” by Janet Jackson. It’s that cool, hip, trendy sort of jazz that I don’t really get to perform that often.
Favorite uniform? My favorite uniform is one that we call “Purple Mesh.” It’s a skirt and a top that are made of white and purple mesh (naturally, hence the name) with rhinestones. I feel very girly and glamorous when we get to wear that one!
Favorite Lakers Player? Pau Gasol
Favorite Laker Girl memory so far? My favorite memory would have to be the parade and rally after we won the first of our most recent back-to-back championships. The fans during the parade were SO happy that the Lakers were able to return the title to its rightful home in Los Angeles. And the rally at the Coliseum was something I will never forget! Dancing on the transplanted STAPLES Center court at the Coliseum with 90,000+ fans celebrating together literally gave me goose bumps!
What do you like most about being involved, as a Laker Girl, at local charity/community events? The appreciation we get from the fans. Everyone is so happy that we are able to lend our time to help them, but we are just as thrilled to be there helping them out.
What would you say is your beauty secret? Wash your face every night and moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!!
What diet/workout tips do you have? Try to find something that works for you and stick with it. I am a huge supporter of “everything in moderation”. Do not feel deprive yourself, or you will end up going crazy. Also, everyone knows, or should by now, that including workouts several times a week will help you achieve your goals and stay healthy.
What are your hobbies? I like playing golf (I won a long-drive contest when I was 7!!), tennis, board/yard games and keeping my dog, Jack, happy!
Career aspirations? Laker Girls has given me the opportunity to be an in-game “Lakers TV Host”, which has made me realize how much I enjoy on-camera work. I’d love to be a host, reporter or broadcaster some day in the sports or entertainment world.
By Sgt. Sean Harriman, 4th CAB Public Affairs
Ft. Hood Sentinel
January 6, 2011
CAMP MARMAL, Afghanistan – When Spc. Paul Gonsch, Company C, 404th Aviation Support Battalion, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, began his guard shift here Christmas Day, he was prepared for anything.
When a blue bus stopped at his vehicle check point, he was pleasantly surprised to see six New England Patriots cheerleaders spring out to meet him and ask about his day.
[Click to view hi-res]
Sponsored by the United Service Organizations and organized by 4th CAB, 4th Inf. Div., and 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, the cheerleaders toured the majority of combat outposts throughout Regional Command (North) from Dec. 26-29, where they did meet and greets, visiting with service members, civilians and with U.S. Special Operation Forces.
They also performed a variety show of modern dance routines, singing and skits with crowd participation for International Security Assistance Force service members and civilians deployed to some of the most remote locations in the region.
[Click to view hi-res]
Sergeant Dan Mack, Headquarters Support Company, 404th ASB, 4th CAB, 4th Inf. Div., attended one of the performances on Dec. 29. Mack, who is on his third deployment, was happy to have a chance to see the show.
“(I’ve) seen a few shows,” he said. “A lot of celebrities used to come through and I remember my first deployment when Kid Rock came through. This was a really good show, too, and it’s definitely going to be a huge morale booster.”
Angela Lavoie, one of the cheerleaders and a middle school math teacher, has done two tours for service members and civilians, her last one in 2007.
“You gain a new kind of appreciation for what the Soldiers do here,” Lavoie said. “They’ve given up all of their holidays, we only have to give up one of ours.”
