Last night’s Philadelphia Eagles Flight Night gave fans an up-close and personal look at the team as they suited up at Lincoln Financial Field for the first time in the 2010 season. The Eagles Cheerleaders were also there to perform and meet the fans.

Click here for photos from Inside the Iggles

Click here for photos from MyPhL17

Click here for more photos from MyPhL17

Click here to check out great photos from this year’s final audition for the San Antonio Spurs Silver Dancers!

You can also click here to watch a short video from the evening.

Detroit Pistons Automation Dance Finals
Metromix Detroit
July 1, 2010
Credit:Tracey Nawrot/Special to Metromix

Every year, hundreds of girls compete for the coveted spot on the Detroit Pistons Automotion Dance team. Thursday’s event at the Crofoot in Pontiac featured the 40 finalists who survived the team’s audition process. All 40 performed choreographed dance routines that were judged by a panel that included Miss USA Rima Fakih, WRIF’s ‘The Meltdown’ and former Piston’s player Rick Mahorn. At the end of the show, the 15-member team of the 2010-2011 Piston’s Automotion Dance Team was announced. [Click here for photos]

One of the blushing brides-to-be on the latest episode of “Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta” is Atlanta Falcons Cheerleader Kari Pujadas. Check your local listings for repeats on TLC!

Nicole, Rookie Kings Dancer
Sacramento Kings Full Court Press Blog
August 5, 2010

Hey, Kings fans!

I’m Nicole, and this is my first year on the Sacramento Kings Dance Team. It’s been a little more than two weeks since I found out I would be one of the six new members on the SKDT — a moment I had hoped for my entire life.

I’ve always dreamed of being a part of a professional dance team so I could share my love of dance with everyone. I also enjoy participating in community events, so with my new position on the dance team, I’m excited to interact with many people in the local community.

Though I had dreamed of being where I am today, it wasn’t an easy process. Auditions lasted two days, but my preparation was far longer — I spent months training for auditions! When the first day of auditions finally arrived, it, too, was an intense process.

This year, auditions were held at the California State Fair, which made for hot conditions, and the competition was tough. After a long first day, I was ecstatic to find out I would be one of almost 30 finalists invited to call-backs the following day for an interview, photo shoot and final dance audition. To make sure I was ready for the final audition, I practiced for what seemed like the whole night. Luckily, I was able to get a few good hours of sleep, and I was ready.

The interview was different than any other I had experienced, but I felt like it was one of the best interviews I had ever given. The photo shoot went well, too. So, after a good start to my day, I returned later in the afternoon for final auditions, which were held at the Kings practice facility.

After a few hours of performing for the judges and a nerve-racking hour-long wait during the judges’ deliberations, the time came for the team to be announced. The remaining dancers made a semi-circle in the middle of the floor as we awaited the names to be announced. As we waited, I felt more nervous than ever before — I thought I was going to be sick. Finally, though, my name was announced and a wave of emotions hit me. I was so excited, and I feel so blessed to be a member of the 2010-11 Sacramento Kings Dance Team!

Since auditions, we’ve had several practices and a photo shoot. All of which have been amazing experiences. We’ve learned a total of eight dances so far and still have many more to learn. All of my teammates have amazing energy and we’ve already begun to grow as a team. The Kings.com photo shoot was a great way to get to hang out and get to know each of my new teammates a little better.

Last Friday, I joined Danielle and Katie for my first SKDT appearance. It was a vintage car show in Rancho Cordova, and it was a great first-time experience. We spent the evening signing autographs and getting to know some of the fans. We also had the opportunity to help judge the car show and assist with the raffle, which benefited the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Everyone at the car show was really friendly and made us feel welcome, and we were excited to be there!

I’m looking forward to meeting all of the team’s loyal fans and cheering the Kings on to victory this upcoming season! I can’t wait to share more of my SKDT experiences with all of you!

MiamiHeat.com hasn’t revealed who made the team, but they have posted new photos from this year’s final audition for the Heat Dancers. They had more costume changes than a Broadway revue! Click here to see the photos.

In addition to the veterans, there were a couple of other familiar faces in the group: former Dolphins Cheerleader Tarrin, and former Rockets Power Dancer/Houston Texans Cheerleader Susannah.

It’s been two months since auditions and DCC Training Camp is finally over. Congratulations to the 34 ladies chosen for the 2010 Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders! It will still be a while before the team’s official photos are posted on the Cheerleaders website, but they have been published in Dallas Cowboys Star Magazine. MAJOR thanks to Karla from Weekly Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders for providing these scans!

[Click for larger version]

Fans spoke up earlier this week and the votes were counted. With a whopping 59% of the vote, Michelle won the 18th and final spot on the team. Congratulations!

By Nick Forrester
SportsProMedia.com
8/3/2010

The National Football League’s (NFL) Dallas Cowboys are “America’s team,” from its new stadium, to five Super Bowl championships, to the cheerleaders on the sidelines that have formed a distinct brand on their own.

Forbes recently listed the Dallas Cowboys as the No. 2 most valuable sports franchise, and highest in the NFL valued at US$1.65 billion. Through the years, the franchise has found ways to make money off of its cheerleaders. While cheerleaders don’t bring in tons of money to an NFL franchise, it is reported that a squad does bring in an extra US$1 million per season.

Cheerleading in the NFL has been around for about 50 years starting in the sixties when the Baltimore Colts (now Indianapolis Colts) established the first ever NFL cheerleading squad. Several other teams followed suit and established squads as well but it was the Dallas Cowboys that made NFL cheerleaders the ones we know today with the revealing costumes and the dance routines.

Cheerleading has been growing for quite some time as a sport in the US, and now has a reported 3 million active participants, making it a new target for sponsors. Varsity Spirit, a company catering to cheerleading needs, had revenue approaching US$150 million last year. In 2001, the company sold its Riddell football-helmet division, claiming that football wasn’t growing and that cheerleading was where business is at. American Cheerleader magazine made its debut in 1994 and now boasts 200,000 in circulation with readership of 1 million.

One of Varsity Spirit’s main competitors, GTM Sportswear, recently signed sponsorship agreements with 11 NFL teams: the Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati, Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans, San Francisco 49ers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tennessee Titans. Details of the sponsorships differ by team; however, ostensibly the new agreement sees GTM Sportswear providing the cheer leading teams with team kits in return for various promotional elements, including the company’s logo featured on the team’s websites, jumbotron advertisements during games and events, program ads, photo cards, season tickets, radio spots, and personal appearances.

While best known for their trademark high kicks and pom routines during Dallas Cowboys football games, the Cowboys cheerleaders brand has reached well beyond the sidelines since their debut in 1972. Since then, they have been on nationally televised halftime shows, on Country Music Television (CMT), camps for kids, hundreds of personal appearances and performances across the country, personal visits with patients and residents of children’s hospitals, veteran’s hospitals and nursing homes and more overseas trips in support of America’s soldiers than any other entertainers over the last 25 years.

One of the ways that the Cowboys have marketed their cheerleaders is through merchandise. In addition to an annual swimsuit calendar, the Cowboys also run a camp every summer for aspiring cheerleaders where participants pay US$189 for the three-day session. The team makes a reported US$500,000 per season through appearances, as they charge US$200 per hour, per cheerleader. Despite being the most famous cheerleaders in the world, the Cowboys cheerleaders only make a reported US$50 per game, roughly US$200 per month, which is towards the bottom-tier of the league in salary.

Jerry Jones, the current owner/GM of the Cowboys who bought the franchise for US$150 million in 1989, was the first owner to strike his own stadium deals with Nike and Pepsi. He is currently the only owner to market his team’s memorabilia himself, having inked an agreement with JC Penny, making the chain the exclusive retailer of Cowboys, and Cowboy’s cheerleaders, apparel in the southwest. Dallas-based JC Penny was a Cowboys cheerleader sponsor for years, so it was a natural fit.

On 2 August, the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders signed Bed Head, a leader in the beauty and hair care industry, as the official make-up and hair product sponsor for the fourth year in a row.

“Our cheerleaders recognize the importance of quality make-up and hair care products,” said Kelli Finglass, Director of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. “We are particularly impressed with Bed Head by TIGI’s sophisticated, yet fun approach to make-up and hair care and the extensive line of products which combine expertise, fashion sense and creativity. We strive for our diverse DCC squad to represent a cross section of American women, and we believe that the extensive variety and unsurpassed quality of Bed Head by TIGI products make them a valuable partner in our overall effort to maintain the trend setting excellence of America’s Sweethearts.”

The uniforms, featuring the famous blouse, vest and shorts, were originally designed by Paula Van Waggoner of the Lester Melnick store in Dallas. Since first being introduced, there have been only six modifications to the uniform. In May of 1989 the original “go-go” boot had gone out of style and a more western oriented design was selected. In 1991, the large buckled belt was left behind in favor of shorts with a cut. 1992 brought a cowboy-style boot to the uniform, and in 1993 crystals were added to outline the fifteen stars on the vest and shorts. 1994 brought a more western shape to the blouse lapels, and in 1999, crystals were added to the fringe line of the vest.

While NFL cheerleading teams are growing into their own brand, college cheerleading sponsorships are extremely rare. One of the few college cheerleading sponsorships is Stanford Group’s sponsorship of the Louisiana State University (LSU) cheer team, signed in 2007. Stanford Group gets signage on the field at Tiger Stadium, as well as various LSU coordinated pep rallies and cheerleading clinics, and has its logo on the team’s megaphones. The company also sponsors the University of Mississippi’s cheerleading teams.

Today, cheerleading is very much a part of the American sporting culture as sports such as football and baseball. There have been numerous movies made that involve cheerleaders, professional sports squads such as the Cowboy cheerleaders being featured on television shows, a cheerleader reality show and there are even video games for the Nintendo and Wii systems.

Milwaukee Bucks: Energee! The Official Dance Team of the Milwaukee Bucks announced twenty finalists who will move on to Boot Camp for a chance to dance on the 2010-11 Team. Check out who made the cut… Finalists | Photos | Videos