Mesquite mom of ‘Glee’ choreographer to dance in upcoming episode
By Deborah Fleck
The Dallas Morning News
dfleck@dallasnews.com
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
The Texas connection to the hit Fox comedy Glee just got stronger.
Vicki Woodlee of Mesquite will appear on the episode set to air Nov. 30 (7 p.m. on Fox). As a member of the Hipsters, a senior group of continuing-education students, she plays someone who is lots older and just has to sway.
That was tough for the former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader and nearly lifelong dancer. “Our dance moves were very limited because we were supposed to be very, very old and frail,” says Woodlee, 60.
She said the show’s choreographer had to ask her to tone it down, but there were no hard feelings. The choreographer and co-producer is her son, Zach Woodlee, 33, a graduate of Poteet High School.
She got the role when her son thought of her for an episode featuring older dancers. “He asked if I would like to come and be a part of the show,” she says.
Woodlee got to spend four days with him and the cast and crew in Los Angeles. Two members of the cast also come from North Texas: Kevin McHale of Plano and Mark Salling of Lake Highlands.
“All of the cast members were so warm, friendly and eager to share fun stories about Zach,” says the mother of four sons. Zach is the only one who followed in her footsteps by staying involved with dance. Two of her sons are Garland police officers and the other is a Mesquite firefighter.
When her sons were young, Woodlee owned a dance studio in Mesquite called Juz’ Danzin’.
“Matt, Zach, Beau and Slade all took dance classes because they were forced to go to the studio with me each day instead of going to a baby sitter after school,” Woodlee says.
The training paid off not only for Zach, but for his three brothers as well. “I enjoy telling them they got their positions because they are quick on their feet and have great coordination from taking dance class.”
Dance is still a big part of her life. She recently created an adult tap performance group and teaches a preschool class at the Dance FX Studio in Garland. Now she’ll dance on a popular television show.
As the youngest Hipster, Woodlee says she had to wear pounds of powder, red lipstick and a beehive hairstyle to make her look older in the episode called “Special Education.” She noted working with the senior dancers was inspiring. “It was four days of fabulous. I was so impressed with my fellow Hipsters. The oldest was 83.”
The proud mom recalled when she first heard about Glee. Zach told her two years ago that he wouldn’t be able to come home for Christmas.
“He called to say he was working on a ‘little project called Glee ,’ ” she says. “He said he didn’t know if it would be a hit or not and that they were working on the pilot episode. Well, the rest is history!”
Individual profiles and photos are now online for this year’s edition of the Philadelphia 76ers dance team. Click here to check ’em out!
How cute are they? Seriously.
This is the first post of a weekly LA Times series that helps you get to know the Laker Girls
Mark Medina
LA Times Lakers Blog
November 20, 2010
Laker Girl profile: Katie views becoming a Laker Girl the ‘pinnacle’ of a dancing career
Laker Girl name: Katie.
Hometown: Diamond Bar.
Area of residence: Diamond Bar.
College/high school: Cal State Los Angeles.
Number of seasons as a Laker Girl: Four.
What prompted you to want to become a Laker Girl? I grew up as a young dancer and sports fan, and always considered the Laker Girls to be the pinnacle of one’s career. I have always had a passion for dance and hoped to achieve my childhood dream of becoming a professional NBA dancer — a Laker Girl.
What do you think stood out to the judging panel, about you, regarding your most recent audition? Being that this was my fourth year auditioning and possibly returning to the 2010-2011 squad, I felt that I needed to step up my game! I really tried to shine, not to mention prove my love and passion for this position. I believe that the judges were able to see how deeply I wanted to return — I felt I had high energy throughout the process. Also, I tried to be precise in all my movements while performing the various routines.
What do you think makes a good Laker Girl? In my eyes, a good Laker Girl is someone who loves to dance, has a passion for serving our community, always has a smile on her face and a positive word to share.
What is your dance experience? I started dancing when I was 5 years old and instantly fell in love with it! I continued my education in dance while attending a performing arts high school for two years, concentrating in classical ballet. I then became employed by Mickey Mouse himself, dancing in various parades at the Disneyland Resort.
Favorite dance routine as a Laker Girl? My favorite routine from this year is called All Night. It is sung by Michael Jackson and is high-energy, fun and upbeat.
Favorite uniform? This particular uniform is a two-piece, halter top with a skirt. It is all purple with white and rhinestone accents. We call this uniform the “Purple Mesh” uniform.
Favorite Lakers player? Derek Fisher.
Favorite Laker Girl memory so far? I am a lucky girl! I was not only a part of the 2008-2009 championship, but I was lucky enough to be at Game 7 for the 2009-2010 championship win against Boston! There was no greater feeling than being on the court and a part of the celebration while knowing that the Lakers were back-to-back champions!
What do you like most about being involved, as a Laker Girl, at local charity/community events? I think it is vital that we show our support in the community. I love that we get to meet the Lakers fans face-to-face at these various events. At times, going out in the community feels like anything but normal “work.” I enjoy myself thoroughly and the company that surrounds me when I am doing so!
What would you say is your beauty secret? Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!!! I always take my makeup off before going to bed and put moisturizer on my face and hands to keep my skin hydrated.
What diet/workout tips do you have? Diet and exercise is a vital part of healthy living. The best advice I can give is to stay consistent. I try to include protein and some type of vegetable in every meal while limiting my sugar intake. As for workouts, I try and hit the gym three or four times a week. In my workouts I incorporate isometrics, strength training with my own body weight and some type of cardio. The pain is worth the gain (or loss).
What are your hobbies? I LOVE the outdoors! Hiking, camping, fishing and backpacking are all things I love to do in my spare time because it allows me to admire the surrounding beauty (while getting in some time for exercise). Because I fulfilled my hopes of becoming a Laker Girl, my next goal is to climb Mt. Whitney!
Career aspirations? I have various career aspirations but the one I hold closest to my heart would be nursing. I have a real passion for serving others. I hope to one day either become a labor and delivery nurse, or an oncology nurse. There is no better feeling than knowing you are doing something to better someone else’s life and make a difference in our world.
— Mark Medina
SportsIllustrated.com has a new collection of photos featuring the Suns Dancers. Click here to check it out.
Click here for photos of the San Antonio Spurs Silver Dancers on game night!
Individual profiles for the San Antonio Spurs dance team are now online. Click here to learn more about the ladies on the team.
By Diane Chesebrough
Football News Now
November 20, 2010
The Washington Redskins Cheerleaders are doing their part for our dedicated soldiers. The First Ladies of Football, along with the Adopt-a-Solider-Platoon are currently on an 11-day tour of the Middle East to meet and greet U.S. service men and women stationed overseas. Five shows have been presented where they have signed autographs and met the troops after each show. They began October 24th and went through November third, the team announced.
The tour was part of the sponsor supported “X Bowl Afghanistan 2010”. Four different sites hosted an EA Sports’ Madden Football 11 elimination tournament with the finals being held at Bagram Airfield’s Clamshell in Afghanistan on October 31st. After the finals, the cheerleaders performed for the troops, signed autographs and posed for photographs.
“The troops are often thanking us for being there to cheer them up but truly it is more of an honor to be in their company, and it makes me smile knowing I was able to bring joy to them,” Washington Redskins Cheerleader Abby said. “I am truly proud of each one of our men and women fighting for our country.”
The Redskins Cheerleaders visited Camp Arifjan and Camp Patriot in Kuwait, Camp Bagram, Firebase Fenty, Firebase Salerno, Firebase Sharana in Afghanistan, Camp as Sayliyah in Qatar and the United States Embassy in Kuwait.
“It was an amazing journey traveling with the Washington Redskins Cheerleaders into Kuwait and Afghanistan,” Alan Krutchkoff, Adopt-a-Soldier-Platoon President said. “[It was] an insight and uplifting that I will never forget. You can never truly empathize with our warriors until you are there with them!”
The tour was sponsored by the Adopt-a-Soldier-Platoon, Atlas Air, AXE, Armed Forces Entertainment, the USO, Microsoft Xbox 360, EA Sports and EES, LLC.
You go, ladies!
Kenneth K. Lam
Baltimore Sun
November 16, 2010)
Ravens cheerleader Kellie
When it comes to personal style, it’s an easy lift for Ravens cheerleader Kellie Lee G. When she is out and about on her own time, she prefers a “more classic, sleeker, basic” style. Nothing fussy for her. When we “glimpsed” her in the Ravens’ workout room, Kellie Lee stood strong in a gray and black striped cotton knit cowl neck Hooked Up tunic and black leggings from Macy’s. Kellie Lee bought her knee high black leather pointy toe Michael Shannon boots at Off Broadway. She says her wardrobe is generally black and gray, and she likes to make statements with her jewelry. She showed off some metal in her stamped silver cross pendant and chain, large hammered link necklace, silver cuff, bead bracelet and charm bracelet, and large silver hoop earrings — all from Silpada. “My sister is a rep…Until three years ago, I wore gold with everything. Then, I got introduced to silver, and I’m hooked.”
Ravens cheerleader Sammi Jo
When Sammi Jo C. hits the town, this Ravens cheerleader generally grabs her skinny jeans instead of a dress, to fit her “trendy” style. But, even if the “in” color is bright, she’s “always in earth tones, or black, gray and white.” On the indoor practice field, Sammi Joe models one of her favorite outfits; an olive military style ruched shirt with rolled sleeves and gold buttons from Express over a white camisole, with a pair to True Religion dark wash skinny jeans. Her brown leather and suede scrunch boots came from Bakers Shoes, and she picked up her Louis Vuitton “Damier Speedy” bag at the Louis Vuitton store…which leads us to her favorite place to shop; Towson Town Center. “It’s a very dangerous place,” she says with a laugh. Sammi Jo adds a little edge with her leather and gold cuff bracelet and two leather and crystal bead bangle bracelets, all of which she found at South Moon Under.
Ravens cheerleader NaShanta
It’s simple. When Ravens cheerleader NaShanta E. isn’t in uniform, she’s probably wearing clothes from Victoria’s Secret. She says they suit her “eclectic” style. She certainly knew how to step it up when we “glimpsed” her in the Ravens workout room. NaShanta sported a teal, lime, green and black animal print tank top with a pair of skinny jeans, a black faux leather biker jacket, and black leather Colin Stuart cage sandals with gold studding on the high heels. You guessed it. They all came from Victoria’s Secret. She bought her gold double leaf drop earrings at Target, her black felt fedora at Forever 21 and her turquoise and leather choker on the Greek island of Mykonos when she was on a cruise there. Her sparkly purple animal print clutch handbag is an example of her fashion passion. “I have an obsession with purses. Clutches, totes — I love them all. Usually it’s the bigger, the better. But, I’m trying to go small.”
Ravens cheerleader Adriene
You may know Adrienne B. as a Ravens cheerleader. But, she describes herself as “between granola and skater girl,” at least when it comes to her personal style. “[My style] starts with the fact that I’m pale and red-headed. I come from a background of skating and surfing. So I like something comfortable that also expresses my personality.” When we “glimpsed” Adrienne in the Ravens’ workout room, she stood her ground in a creative ensemble that showed just the right edge. She had layered a sleeveless chiffon tuxedo blouse that she’d found at a thrift shop over a black and white striped H&M tank tunic and gray denim leggings from PacSun. Then, she added a cropped gray cotton PacSun bomber jacket. “As I’ve grown up, I’ve found a way to put a girly edge to my tomboy side,” she says. So, in addition to the ruffles on the blouse, Adrienne added girly touches with a crystal embellished flower headband from PacSun and black sequined H&M ballet flats. That leads us to something you probably won’t find her wearing on her own time. “I’m not a fan of high heels. Unless I’m involved in a photo shoot.”
Ravens cheerleader Abbie
You could say Abbie M. was in the Ravens spirit even before she became a cheerleader. Purple has always been her favorite color. We could see why when we “glimpsed” her at the Ravens indoor practice field in an ensemble which emphasized her “trendy” style. She found her purple cotton jersey Frenzii dress at Federal Hill’s Babe boutique. It featured a drawstring waist, and neckline that looked as if it was a cowl neck top over a camisole. She can change her cool black leather foldover Guess “pirate” boots from DSW by unfolding the cuff and making them over-the-knee. “I do love shoes. I’m always shopping for shoes.” Her black faux leather Big Buddha clutch from South Moon Under featured a black flower embellishment, her crystal embellished stud earrings and her swirly textured black tights from JC Penney added an extra kick. That New York & Co. multi-crystal pendant on a gunmetal chain necklace is an example of one of her fashion passions. “I love really long necklaces, and wear them almost all the time.”
Ravens cheerleader Erin
Erin K. is a “classic,” as far as her personal style is concerned. When this Ravens cheerleader isn’t in uniform, she generally goes for clothes with simple lines and “trendy touches” in her shoes or jewelry. These days, one of her favorite wardrobe pieces is this black knit Theory swing vest with a crocheted back from Nordstrom. “Theory is my favorite label. I love this vest. I try to wear it all the time. I look for clothes to wear it with.” When we “glimpsed” Erin on the Ravens’ indoor practice field, she had paired the vest with a front-pleated charcoal swing tunic from Urban Outfitters, that featured an exposed zipper feature in the back, and black stretch Bailey 44 skinny pants from Nordstrom. Her charcoal suede Classique peep toe booties and Marc Jacobs big face watch also came from Nordstrom. She picked up the big turquoise ring at Urban Outfitters and the turquoise and silver cuff bracelet was a gift. As for her little gold Dogeared Karma necklace from Nordstrom? “It’s my favorite. I wear it all the time, even when I wear other necklaces.”
Ravens cheerleader Courtney
When Ravens cheerleader Courtney D. goes out on the town, it is often all about the shoes. “Shoes are my weakness,” she says. “I have them in all different colors to match any outfit.” When we “glimpsed” Courtney at the team’s indoor practice field, she was sporting one of this year’s hottest footwear trends — the nude pump. She nabbed these suede Steve Madden platforms at zappos.com. They were a perfect complement to her Forever 21 silver striped black tank top and black skinny jeans and white faux leather cropped jacket from Arden B. Her black Coach wristlet was a gift, and her cool heart pendant was carved from a quarter — a find at a shop in New York City’s Grand Central Station. Courtney describes her style as “a mix. I like to do a lot of classic looks and then spice it up a bit.”
Ravens cheerleader Amanda
When she’s working, Ravens cheerleader Amanda G. has to look like everyone else — in uniform. But, on her own time, she loves a “trendy” style. “I don’t like wearing things that everybody else has. I like different, eclectic pieces.” In fact, when she shops, Amanda never looks for complete outfits. She’d rather find interesting pieces that she can mix and match with what she has. She gave us a “glimpse” at the Ravens indoor practice field in silver and gold sequin embellished cream silk camisole from Urban Outfitters, that she’d combined with an olive knit banded skirt with exposed back zipper and a cream faux leather jacket, both from Forever 21. That’s also where she picked up her Chanel-style cream handbag. She found her feather earrings, crystal embellished floral pattern brass cuff and brown and gold-braided skinny belt at Urban Outfitters. And those nude suede platform stiletto Steve Madden pumps were a zappos.com purchase. Among Amanda’s fashion rules: “I’m more of a bargain shopper with trendy pieces. But, I’ll splurge on staple items. I love to shop little boutiques. And you’ll never see me out without 4-to-5-inch heels. Never, ever, ever. Ever.”
Ravens cheerleader Angel
When Angel P. is out on the town, she loves a “classy, sexy, but simple” style. When we “glimpsed” this Ravens cheerleader in one of her favorite outfits on the team’s indoor practice field, we didn’t think there was anything simple about her look. She was a classic in a light brown cotton cable knit sweater dress that featured a fold-over v-neck from The Limited, over which she’d added a wide brown stretch belt from Charlotte Russe. And speaking of classic, her brown crocodile pointy toe pumps were ones her mom wore in the 1980s. “I raided her closet,” she said with a smile. Her white Toy watch came from Neiman Marcus, and she wears an amethyst ring not just for the color. “It’s for the Ravens.” Angel admits she loves wearing dresses because she likes feeling feminine, yet professional. Something else she can never have too many of — little tank tops. “You can wear them with anything. Even with a big pair of sweat pants, you can look girly and sexy.”
Ravens cheerleader Dana
When Dana G. isn’t in her Ravens cheerleader uniform, she loves to go the elegant route in her “simple, yet classic” style. She models one of her favorite outfits on the Ravens indoor practice field: A sleek sheath from Express that featured a ruched light peach chiffon sleeveless top and banded black stretch chiffon pencil skirt. Dana says she likes to ramp up her style with accessories, like the black satin peep toe slingback Nine West pumps with satin knot embellishments, a black leather Marc Jacobs bag from South Moon Under, and her classic string of pearls, which were a gift. One reason for her sleek style? “I shop for things that elongate me because I’m short; shorter, more fitted dresses and skinny jeans. Never anything baggy.”
The New Orleans Hornets are kicking butt, and so is their dance team. Click here to see the Honeybees in action.
Jay Betsill
DFW.COM
Nov. 18, 2010
As the Dallas party crowd was getting ready for the traditional Wednesday night at Candleroom, I was among the fortunate few to be at the ultra-exclusive Dallas Mavericks Dancers 2010-11 Calendar Release Party. The invitation-only event was held inside the Samuel Lynne Galleries on Dragon St., across I-35E from American Airlines Center.
The cover of the 2010-11 Mavs Dancers calendar
I arrived fashionably late and completely underdressed for this red carpet event. The party really felt like one of those high-toned New York City artsy parties that you would see in a movie, where every girl in the room is beautiful and they outnumber the guys 10-1. All 20 of the beautiful Mavs Dancers were there, including my uber hot friend Jenna Gillund, who is featured as Miss February in this year’s calendar.
Mavs Dancer Jenna Gillund poses next to her picture from the 2010-11 calendar
Since I was at the Hilton Anatole for the Mavs Dancers auditions and on standby for the announcing of the final 2010-11 Mavs Dancers roster it was really cool to see how great everything turned out under first-year director Mallory Mills. While Mallory was all over the place at the party, I was able to corral her for a few minutes. She praised the squad, which includes 16 rookies, for their continued improvement as they have evolved into a professional dance team.
Mallory Mills, Dallas Mavericks Dancers Director
What about this year’s calendar, which was shot outdoors on location at Morningstar Ranch in Cumby, TX?
“It’s the best calendar we have ever done,” Mallory said, flashing her signature smile that every Mavs fan can instantly recognize. And she would know since she has been in every Mavs Dancers calendar but one.
All 20 of the Mavs Dancers at the 2010-11 Calendar Release Party
The 2010-11 Dallas Mavericks Dancers calendar costs $14.99 and will be available Friday, Nov. 19, by clicking here or by visiting the Mavs Fan Shops at the AAC or NorthPark.
