You may remember a couple of weeks ago, I posted about Sierra, a Junior Charger Girl who was raising money for the Make A Wish Foundation. Sierra’s initial goal was to raise $1,000 for the organization. For several weeks straight, Sierra stood outside of businesses, passed out flyers door-to-door and even set up a PayPal account for pledges. Not only did she reach her goal of $1,000, but she kept on fundraising to raise over $1,200.
Sierra with her Aunt Marissa at Jr. Charger Girls practice
Sierra has such a big heart! The Top 4 Fundraisers were given the opportunity to cheer the entire game with the Charger Girls – Many of the girls were hoping to be in the Top 4. Sierra decided to take the risk of not being in the Top 4 to give some of the money she raised to help her best friend who also wanted to participate, by helping to cover her Jr. Charger Girl registration costs. She didn’t make the Top 4 Fundraisers, but she put her whole heart into the spirit of helping others. Sierra plans on keeping her website up all year long to continue to raise money for the Foundation.(Click here to visit supportsierra.com)
Marissa goes “GI Jane” at the Chargers game on Halloween
Check out the 2010 Jr. Charger Girls’ performance:
By Sean Leahy
Yahoo Sports
October 31, 2010
Earlier this month, the Edmonton Oilers announced that they would be the 24th NHL team and the first Canadian club to add a Cheer Team to their in-game entertainment at Rexall Place. “This is another example of the Oilers responding to the wishes of our valued customers,” said Oilers President and CEO Patrick LaForge.
Of course, this announcement was met with disdain as some fans, both male and female, voiced their displeasure at the decision. An online petition was set up in response and currently has just close to 1,400 e-signatures.
There seems to be no middle ground when discussing Ice Girls and cheerleaders inside your local arena. You’re either against them because you feel they distract from the action on the ice and have no place in hockey, or you’re for them because you believe they add something to your game experience after you’ve shelled out $40-50 for a ticket.
The debate over Ice Girls and Cheer Teams has involved only the voices of fans. We wanted to hear from the ladies in question, so last week we reached out to Maggie and Lauren, two members of the Carolina Hurricanes’ “Storm Squad,” to have them defend presence of cheerleaders inside NHL arenas.
“I think the biggest difference about our situation as opposed to the upcoming Oilers [cheer team] is our necessity to grab an interest in hockey in our community,” said Maggie. “We live in a southern state where football has reigned for years. The ‘Storm Squad’ became a marketing resource used by the organization to get the word out about hockey in the Carolinas.”
Fans thinking they’re there just during games is one of the biggest misconceptions noted by both ladies, considering the amount of off-the-ice marketing done to help the Hurricanes.
“Hockey fans might only see what we do in the RBC Center during games, but we’re extremely active outside the arena, 12 months a year — making appearances at charity events, spending time with younger Canes fans, getting folks excited for the upcoming All-Star Game and even helping the team reach out to the corporate community,” said Lauren.
“Each member of the squad is required to do yearly volunteer events such as promoting Blood Drives, walks for different causes and school visits,” said Maggie. “Being that our job is in promotions and fan development, that’s exactly what we strive to do: build a bigger fan base and provide a more enjoyable experience for our current and future fans.”
As we noted earlier, Edmonton will become the 24th NHL team to feature cheerleaders, a sign that cheer teams won’t be going away and will continue to be a main point of your in-arena game experience. In Carolina, the “Storm Squad” has been around for a decade and over time they’ve made an impact on the fan base.
“I think you could ask just about any Caniac how they feel about the Storm Squad, and you’ll find that we often make a fan’s day, whether it’s through interaction on the concourse with fans of all ages, before the game family-friendly promotions, or slinging T-shirts into the crowd,” said Lauren.
The RBC Center is known as one of the loudest rinks in the league and according to Maggie, the presence of the “Storm Squad” has helped the team reach that achievement.
“Getting the crowd involved is important to motivate the Canes on the ice, and being the ‘Loudest House in the NHL’ we have tried our best to achieve just that.”
(Note: As always, those who prefer to cut to the chase can click here and go right to the photos)
A couple of weeks ago, I received an email from Terra, one of the head honchos here at UC. Terra said her company Dallaswear is designing new uniforms for the Tokyo Apache Dancers and found out they were having auditions in Los Angeles. She wanted to know if I would be interested in covering the tryouts for this website.
Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE auditions?
Because I do.
I really really love them.
(Except for the part where people’s hopes and dreams are completely destroyed. But the rest of it is fantastic.)
So I was all “Heck yeah!” Send me the details.
Meanwhile, I was a little puzzled. Tokyo Apache? Never heard of it. (And I’ve heard of almost every team in the English-speaking world.)
Was this a Japanese team? Or a Native American team? What sport was this, anyway? Was this going to be something weird, like Gaga Ball or Unicycle Hockey?
Soon after that, I heard from Terra again. The auditions would take place the very next day, and they would be headed by a woman named Kristin Egusa.
That seals it. Count me in.
Kristin is on my list of beloved former Clippers Spirit Dancers. If she’s involved, this project will not suck. (And probably would not be unicycle hockey.) Kristin can dance, she can choreograph, and she can bring the fierce. She’s not going to be in charge of some ragtag knock-kneed group of dancers who can’t tell the difference between left and right.
(Admittedly, there are times when I myself can’t tell the difference between left and right, but that’s totally different)
Like a good little nerd, I hopped right online to do some background research. Here’s the scoop:
Tokyo Apache is one of 16 teams in the Basketball Japan League. (I gather that’s their equivalent of the NBA.) The team was one of the initial members of the league, which began operations in 2005. I dug around in my hard drive and darn if I didn’t find a couple photos of the Apache Dancers from previous seasons. I guess I had heard of them after all.
I’m not gonna lie. This photo made me a little nervous.
But they also showed promise. Roowrrrr!
I did a bit more digging and found out that Evolution Capital Management, an investment management company based here in Los Angeles, purchased the team back in June. They brought in new coaching, new players, and now they’re bringing in new NBA-style entertainment. This is where Kristin comes in as the new Director/Choreographer, and where Terra came in to design the new costumes in Apache purple and gold.
The next morning, I headed over to the audition. Most NBA auditions have a turnout in the hundreds, but since this team performs in Japan, I didn’t expect nearly as many people to show up. I thought probably 10 or 12 dancers at most. After all, how many people are in a position to drop everything and go to Japan for basketball season?
That was the first of many wrong assumptions.
Once I got in the door and got over the shock of recognizing more than half of the people in the room, I cornered Kristin and got the scoop. She’d been on board for about a month. She is putting together a team of dancers that includes herself, plus 8 women from the LA auditions, and 4 more from auditions in Japan the following week. Rehearsals will start in November, and the team will go to Japan in December.
This was a bigger deal than I expected. For one thing, it was a closed audition. (Translation: a small number of high quality candidates.) There were about 30 dancers, all recommended by directors, choreographers, etc. in the industry. All of the women had been invited, so it was a given that they were all great dancers.
Given all that, there was no need for the basic across-the-floor round to these auditions. The plan was to have the girls learn a jazz/hip hop combination, perform it for the judges in groups of two, followed by a cut, then followed by a freestyle round where each finalist would do a short solo. Interviews were scheduled for the following week, and the team would be announced at the end of the week.
Let’s discuss who was in the room. First of all, the judges:
The Judges: Traci, Kristin, Lisa, Aimee, Marianne, Audrea
Basically what we have here is every important person in the local LA pro sports dance industry.
Traci Buchholz is a producer for E! Entertainment. She is also one of in-arena hosts for the Los Angeles. Clippers. Traci was on the Clippers Spirit Dance Team for four years.
Kristin Egusa is the Tokyo Apache Dance Team Director. She’s a dancer/choreographer and was a four year member of the Clippers Spirit
Lisa Estrada is the Director of Game Operations & Entertainment for the Los Angeles Lakers. (aka Chief Chick-in-Charge of the Laker Girls.)
Aimee Edmundson is the Director of the ChivaGirls (Chivas USA)
Marianne Bogoyevac is the Game Entertainment Manager for the Los Angeles Clippers
Audrea Harris is the Entertainment Teams Director for the Los Angeles Clippers (aka Boss Lady for the Clippers Spirit and Clippers Fan Patrol, and a few other teams)
Now, over in this corner, we have Teresa, Katrina, and Nicole, current members of the Los Angeles Clippers Spirit.
It’s kind of annoying that they look like this with no makeup, but whatever. I’m over it.
Nicole choreographed the combination for the audition and Katrina and Teresa were there to assist.
Behind their backs, I refer to these three (plus Brittany) as the Spirit “Go-To Girls” because they show up for everything. Whenever I go to any Clippers-related anything, guar-ron-teed at least three of the four will be there. I’m thinking the next time I have to move, I’ll arrange to have a Clippers “event” at my house. Then Katrina, Teresa, Brittany, and Nicole can help me move my furniture and stuff.
So then I start eyeballing the dancers. Hey, I know her! And her! And her! And her too!
There was one girl I wasn’t sure about. She was wearing a familiar orange and purple outfit. She looked an awful lot like this girl Jacy I know from some other auditions. But Jacy is a blonde, so who is this chick? Does Jacy have a sister? I went over and took a picture of her, but didn’t say anything.
- Sidebar: I should explain that I have a policy about this sort of situation. When I was about 13, I really liked this boy named Anthony. He was in a couple of my classes at school. One Friday night, I went to a teen club with some girlfriends and was surprised to see Anthony there. I proceeded to spend the evening doing laps around the place so I could “casually” pass by his table. I’d say hello, then run away and giggle with my little friends. The first couple of times I passed by, Anthony said “hey” back to me. The third time, he gave me a strange look. The fourth time, he looked at me and said “who are you?” I just giggled. That Anthony is such a joker! Around the sixth or seventh time, he “I don’t think I know you.” By the 8th or 9th time, he was scowling at me. Eventually I got annoyed with his act and decided to ignore him. He was making me look bad in front of my crew.
Long story short: a couple days later I found out Anthony had brother, who went to a different school. It wasn’t Anthony at the club. It was his brother. His Identical. Twin. Brother.
I’ll pause for a moment and let you place yourself in that scenario…
So, to recap, I’d spent the whole night giggling and flirting clumsily with a total stranger. The whole time I thought I was being cute, he was thinking “who is this stalker?”
I wanted to die.
O.M.G. who does that? Who has twins and sends them to two different schools? What is this, the freaking Parent Trap?
More importantly, why hadn’t the jerk said “hey, you probably think I’m my brother.” I mean, I’m sure they’d been mistaken for each other all their lives. Needless to say, that was the end of my crush on Anthony, (and Anthony’s brother, whose name I have deliberately blocked from recollection.)
So anyway, like I said, I have a policy. If I see you somewhere, and I’m not 1000% sure you’re you, I’m not coming over with a big “hey girl!” smile on my face. I don’t mean to offend you, honestly. It’s just that I’m emotionally scarred.
These days, you can’t be sure
who is Anthony, and who isn’t.
A lot of time has passed, and I’ve developed more sophisticated ways of identifying my targets. So when i saw this girl in Jacy’s outfit, I moseyed on over to the registration area to get a peek at the dancers’ head shots. Katrina was standing there, so I couldn’t just snatch the pile and rifle through it. Instead, I asked her all casual like if there was a girl named Jacy in the room. Wouldn’t you know it, Katrina and Jacy are roommates. Aw crap. Because now I couldn’t even go back and play it off like I totally recognized her the whole time.
Let’s see…who else was there?
Ok, right – the dancers. Like I said, tons of familiar faces…
Ari danced for the Boston Celtics and Sacramento Kings
Ashley was a Boston Celtics Dancer
Deanna was a Laker Girl last year
My goodness, Destiney has been busy! She was a Chicago Luvabull, an Atlanta Falcons Cheerleader, and danced for the Atlanta Hawks.
Emi and Tiffany are ChivaGirls. Tiffany was also a member of the Clippers Spirit.
Erica was also a Celtics girl.
Heidi is a former Seattle Sea Gal
Jacy was on the Anaheim Arsenal dance team
Kimberly was captain of the Spokane Shock dance team
Krista was on the Spokane Shock dance team too. She also danced for the Settle Sonics
Michelle was a ChivaGirl for a couple of years before moving on to the Lakers
Suzy is freaking adorable, ok?
Originally from Ohio, she was a Cleveland Cavalier Girl before moving West and joining the Laker Girls.
I have never actually spoken to her, but I’ve decided I like her a lot.
Tyler was a member of the “White Mischief Gals,” the dance team for the Bangalore Royal Challengers.
(From the Indian Premier League. That’s cricket, y’all)
Vanessa used to dance for the Clippers
This just a sample of the talent in the room. I also saw girls from some of the outstanding college dance teams in Southern California. For example, there was a girl named Julie, who was on the USC Trojan Dance Force. Another girl, Katie was on the San Diego State dance team.
Pretty soon, it was time to get started, so the dancers gathered around.
Kristin introduced the panel of judges, which also included a representative from the Apache management, but I didn’t catch his name. He talked a little about the excitement around the basketball team and said he was looking forward to having a great dance team. They’re really going to do it up, American-style.
Then Kristin introduced The Go-To Girls and Nicole started teaching the combination. It was around eight 8-counts, which doesn’t sound like much, but is a heck of a lot to remember. The song was one I hadn’t heard before. I couldn’t catch any of the lyrics except something that sounded like “cheese sticks.”
Literally, it was “na na na na na na (something something) cheese sticks”
Listen for yourself, and tell me you don’t hear it. Go on. Lie to me.
Back in the day, this song would have been my nightmare. I tended to get stage fright and blank out. I always relied heavily on the lyrics to help me remember the moves. Without recognizable lyrics, I would’ve been toast. But this isn’t about me.
The choreography was cool. The song was cool. Cheese sticks are cool.
It seemed like five minutes after they started, it was time to try it with music. I whipped out my nifty little flip video camera and captured one of the first run-throughs with the music. It always amazes me how quickly dancers are able to pick up a combination.
The dancers ran through the combination in smaller groups, and then there was a break for them to rehearse on their own.
I took the opportunity to trot over to Nicole to get some info.
Me: Nicole, are these people singing about cheese sticks?
Nicole (looking at me strangely): No, no, it’s not cheese sticks, it’s G6.
Me: Gee Six?
Nicole: Uh, huh. G6.
Me: Are you sure? Because it really sounds like “cheese sticks”. Katrina, don’t you think it sounds like cheese sticks?
Katrina (also looking at me strangely): No. It’s G6.
Me: I don’t know about this… To me, it’s definitely cheese sticks. “Something something cheese sticks”
Katrina: Are you hungry? Did you eat breakfast?
(Conversations like this I think are one of the reasons why I don’t get invited more places.)
Meanwhile, what the frack is a Gee Six? It sounds like a military assault weapon.
Which, when you think about it, isn’t that much better than singing about a cheese stick.
- Sidebar: Unwilling to embarrass myself further, I waited until I got home to investigate this gee six business. The first thing I did was check the lyrics, hoping for enlightenment.
- Poppin bottles in the ice, like a blizzard
When we drink we do it right gettin slizzard
Sippin sizzurp in my ride, in my ride, like Three 6
Now I’m feelin so fly like a G6
Like a G6, Like a G6
Now now now now now now I’m feelin so fly like a G6
Like a G6, Like a G6
Now now now now now now I’m feelin so fly like a G6
Ok. I still do not know what a G6 is.
Meanwhile, slizzard? Sizzurp?
Um…what?
I consulted the online reference guide for the tragically unhip: UrbanDictionary.com.
G6(1) G6 / G650. Slang for the Gulfstream G650, a twin-engine jet airplane manufactured by Gulfstream Aerospace. The estimated pricetag exceeds $58 million USD, and will be assembled in Gulfstream’s new manufacturing facility in Savannah, Georgia. Gulfstream begins taking orders for the aircraft in April, 2010, with delivery beginning in 2012.
(2) A pimp azz private jet made by Gulfstream (Gulfstream 650). Only Ballers, Rappers, Uber Celebrities, and successful executives are fly enough to get slizzard on a G6.
Slizzard:
(1) A state of high intoxication from alcohol.
(2) A very slutty lizard.
Sizzurp
(1) An alcoholic drink consisting of any codeine based medication, cough surup, Vodka, rum, Big Red soda, and Jolly Ranchers.
(2) In terms of NYC rappers Cam’ron, the Diplomats and more, An exotic blend of premium imported cognac, vodka, and natural fruits. The combination of these high quality ingredients results in a drink unsurpassed by any other in its category.
Well then. I guess that answers that.
Meanwhile, back at the audition, it was showtime! The ladies lined up and performed in pairs for the judges.
Tyler and Jacy
Ari and Heidi
Suzy and Emi
Everyone did a great job.
Now I am going to tell a story about a certain dancer, who would probably rather I keep my mouth shut. However, there is a lesson to be learned here and I feel obligated to share.
So this dancer, I’ll call her…um…”Mary.” Mary went out there for her turn in front of the judges, and experienced every dancer’s nightmare. She fell. Whap! Right on the ground.
Total wipeout.
Her (previously) injured leg briefly went on hiatus and took the rest of her body down with it. I think she landed on her stomach. And what’s even worse is she was dancing alongside someone who was very very good. It’s enough to make a girl cry.
I’m telling you this, not to make fun of Mary, but hold her up as an example. Home girl hopped up and jumped right back into the dance as if nothing happened. She not only finished it, she killed it. With a BIG smile on her face. I wanted to cheer. Honestly, I really did.
It was like a scene from the movie Showgirls. (Except, you know, not in gold lamé.) Picture it: the heroine stages a fall, thereby grabbing 100% of the spotlight for herself. Everyone’s eyes are glued to her from that moment on, and she performs like a champ. When the number is over everyone applauds, throws flowers, offers her the lead role, etc.
What Mary did was genius. (Well, except for the fact that it was a total accident.) And now that I think about it, in Showgirls, didn’t one girl make another girl fall so she could take her role in the show? So I guess it really isn’t the same thing after all. But you know what I mean. It’s not about the fall. It’s about the recovery.
Go Mary!
And when the judges made the first cut, guess whose number was called? Mary’s. You go, girl.
The choreographed portion of the audition was over. Kristin gave the dancers a few minutes to think about their solos. Then, one by one, they came out and introduced themselves before busting out the freestyle moves. Some girls mentioned their education and dance experience. Others talked about their favorite color, favorite food, etc. Emi revealed her ace in the hole – she speaks Japanese.
(I’m talking actual conversation, not that “Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto” business.)
The solos were fun. There was a lot of technique on display (pirouettes, leaps, etc.) as well as tumbling, breaking, and even a little moonwalking:
And then – it was over. Just like that. Kristin thanked everyone for coming, the dancers pulled on their sweats, and the judges went off to deliberate.
Fast-forward a week.
Here’s who they chose:
Deanna (#4) and Erica (#3)
Destiney (#18)
Julie (#11) and Katie (#10)
Kimberley (#8)
Suzy (#25) and Emi (#26)
Psssst! Remember Mary?
She made the team.
Which one is she?
Sorry. My lips are sealed.
Those are dancers from The States.
The auditions in Japan also went very well. They chose four more dancers: Akemi, Noriko, Sachiko, and Mai.
(More on the Japanese auditions here)
Congratulations to all!
See you on the hardwood.
(Please God, not in those stripey pants)
Bonus: Here’s a highlight video I found on youtube.
Click here for a great collection of photos of the 2010-11 Miami Heat Dancers in action on the court!
The Lady Stallions are the dance team for the ABA Bluegrass Stallions
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Georgetown College
Davis-Reid Gymnasium
Registration: 12:30 pm
Audition Begins: 1:00 pm
Click here to download the audition flyer
By Lisa J. Huriash
Sun Sentinel
October 27, 2010
For days, 127 girls practiced shaking their shoulders and perfecting their dance moves, hoping to land one of 25 spots on the Sawgrass Springs Middle School cheerleading squad.
Wednesday was tryout day. The competition was tough but it was who was judging them that made it more nerve-wracking. A Miami Dolphins cheerleader, Jennifer Fernandez, would help make the decision — and you can’t fake your moves in front of a professional.
“I look up to older cheerleaders,” said Zoanna Lake, 12, a seventh-grader from Coral Springs. “I fell asleep at 1 [a.m.] practicing the cheer. I made my sister watch it.”
“I’m excited and scared,” said Tiffany Castaneda, 12, a seventh-grader from Margate as she waited for her number to be called. “I’ve never tried out for anything.” But she was hoping she had what the team needed — “I love to scream,” she said.
Fernandez, 22, of Fort Lauderdale, twice a week volunteers her time at South Florida elementary schools, teaching a cheer camp and talking to students about making good choices.
“The Miami Dolphins have given so much to me. It’s good to give back as much as possible,” said Fernandez, who has been with the team for four years.
Fernandez and two assistant principals judged the middle schoolers on their dance routine, appearance, jumps, timing, voice projection and spirit.
Fernandez said attitude was what she cared about the most. She said there have been Dolphins cheerleaders chosen who didn’t perform every step perfectly during tryouts, but had the winning attitude.
“You can learn anything if you’re given the time,” Fernandez said. “You can teach somebody to dance but you can’t teach somebody to love what they do.”
This is the fourth year Dolphins cheerleaders volunteered their time at Sawgrass Springs, the only Broward school that has requested them as judges, said Emily Newton, team cheerleading director.
“It’s important on both sides, that we are supporting the school systems and cheerleading programs,” Newton said. “And on our end, you always think one of the reasons cheerleaders come to be on this team is they are role models in the community, [they] go out and act as role models and encourage them [students] and support them and select a great team for their season.”
Sawgrass Springs cheerleading coach Ingrid Hillestad Molina, who was a Dolphins cheerleader in 1988 and 1989, said she tries to impart what her own choreographer taught her: When you sit on the bleachers, sit correctly; proper etiquette at all times — you’re ladies; stand up tall; smile.
“It’s a lot of work, but it’s a lot of fun” said Emily Buckley, 12, a seventh-grader from Coral Springs, who was trying out for the spot she held last year.
The middle school squad travels with both the boys and girls basketball teams to cheer them on to victory. The season lasts November through December, unless there’s a championship.
Maylinn Arroyo, 12, a seventh-grader from Sunrise, also wants to keep her spot. “It’s so exciting getting the crowd ready for the basketball players,” she said.
The names of the winners were expected to be posted by the locker room Thursday morning.
Falcons, Chargers, Ravens, Chiefs, Dolphins, Broncos, Bucs, and Saints. Oh my!
Click here to go there now.
Wicked Local
Oct 26, 2010
Houghs Neck native Julie Davis, 20, recently joined the Boston Bruins Ice Girls team, and will soon be performing at Bruins games and helping out at team fundraisers.
Davis said she has always been a fan of the Bruins and had known about the ice girls for a few years. This past year, she decided to “give it a shot,” and was surprised when she was selected to join the Ice Girls team.
She skated for about 10 years when she was younger, and the Ice Girls gave her a chance to get back on the ice.
Most of the training involves learning how to interact with guests, and Davis said she is excited to meet “a lot of interesting and nice people.”
Davis is a senior at Curry College studying nursing, and said she’s considering joining the Navy’s Nurse Corps after graduation. I want to travel and get experience before I have to work on my own in a big Boston Hospital,” she said.
