The local Fox affiliate in Seattle has a couple videos from this year’s audition process.
Raiders.com: More than 300 candidates vying for a spot in next weekend’s finals participated in the preliminary Raiderette Audition at the Hilton-Oakland Airport. The 2010 Raiderette Auditions, presented by Bud Light, conclude Sunday, April 18th, as more than 100 finalists, including returning veteran Raiderettes, will compete for 36 spots on this year’s squad.
Newcomers, those who have auditioned in the past and former Raiderettes donned their best outfits, put on their make-up and styled their hair and put forth their best efforts to impress the panel of judges.
The reasons for wanting to become a Raiderette are as varied as the candidates. Six-year veteran Raiderette Loreen has been away from the Silver and Black for four years. She says that the allure and excitement of being on the squad were too much to resist. “I would love to come out and represent this organization well and be a positive role model in the community,” Loreen said. “What haven’t I missed? Definitely the camaraderie with the girls, I definitely miss mingling with the fans, the interaction with all of the fans…you all have the same passion for the same team.”
While Loreen is looking forward to making another run with Football’s Fabulous Females, most candidates are hoping to start their journey with the 2010 auditions.
Lauren C. of Modesto, Calif., went to high school with a former Raiderette and auditioned for the first time today. “I love Raiderettes and I’m a Raiders fan. [I have] eight years of dance experience,” Lauren said.
Another first time candidate, Kara J. of Half Moon Bay, Calif., finds the prospect of cheering in front of thousands of fans on game day very exciting.
“I’ve always been a football fan. It’s a passion of mine,” Kara said. “I grew up a gymnast and switched to cheerleading because it’s more exciting, It’s more fan- based, I love performing for large crowds. It comes naturally to me. I’m nervous but I’m excited to see what happens next.”
What comes next for those chosen as finalists involves learning the finals dance routine during the week and preparing for the final audition which will involve a photo session, interviews and a dance competition.
At the conclusion of 2010 Raiderette Auditions, presented by Bud Light, the new edition of the Raiderettes will be named and announced to the Raider Nation. You will get your first look at the new squad right here on Raiders.com.
By Jamaal LaFrance
Chargers.com
Apr 12, 2010
More than 400 women hit the dance floor Sunday at USD’s Jenny Craig Pavilion in hopes of being selected to one of the NFL’s premier dance teams.
More than 400 women hit the dance floor Sunday at USD’s Jenny Craig Pavilion in hopes of being selected to one of the NFL’s premier dance teams.
By the end of the day, 69 talented finalists were chosen to continue on to the next round of the process to become one of 28 members of the 2010 Charger Girls.
Charger Girls Director Lisa Simmons said it was the largest turnout she’s seen in recent years.
“The growing popularity of the Charger Girls team, as well as the success of the Chargers, contributes to the large turnout each year,” Simmons said. “In addition to the returning hopefuls, it’s so nice to see such an enormous group of fresh talent.”
Later this week, the 2010 squad will be introduced exclusively on Chargers.com.
Preliminary auditions began with registration at 9 a.m. Sunday morning as women made their way from across the country to San Diego. The competition began at 10 am. Choreographer Jeannine Sabo, who has previously worked on Broadway plays and with groups such as the Backstreet Boys, kicked off the morning by teaching the women a 32-beat routine.
The women had approximately 45 minutes to learn the steps before performing them in front of a panel of judges. Then, three at a time, the women had the opportunity to perform what they’d just learned. While dancing ability is a priority, the judges were also critiquing attitude, appearance and showmanship.
Among this year’s judges was special guest Sabrina Bryan, a former member of the multi-platinum recording group, The Cheetah Girls, and star of the hit Disney Channel movie series, The Cheetah Girls.
“Her knowledge of the entertainment industry and notoriety helped us select the most talented group of Charger Girls finalists,” Simmons said.
The Clippers will be offering pre-audition workshops on June 12th and June 19th, so keep an eye out for those details.
Heads-up Jersey Girls!
Do you love to dance and perform in front of a crowd? Do you miss dancing with a dance team? Do you want to be in the best shape of your life? Well look no more, the Prancers are looking to fill their “1st” 2010 Dance Team. The Prancers are the official dance team of the Jersey Stags Minor League Football Team (www.njstags.com). This is your chance to join Sussex and Morris Counties newest Minor League Football and Dance Team!!!
The Prancers are looking for confident dancers who are dedicated and professional. The 2010 football season is from August until October. Prancers practices will start in May and be two times a week.
Tryouts will be held on Sunday, May 2nd
1:30pm-3:30pm at Fitness Factory
350 Route 46 East, Rockaway, NJ.
The dancers bring a positive and entertaining element to the game. The Prancers are a major part of the football gaming experience. When we are not dancing at the games, we will be doing charity events, fundraisers and public appearances.
If you think you have what it takes to be part of the Prancer Dance Team, then fill out an application at www.njstags.com and come be a part of the newest Minor League Dance Team.
Attire for the Tryout:
* Please wear form fitting dance attire
* Do not wear baggy pants or tops (no sweats)
* Dance Shoes of your choice
* Hair and makeup should be glamorous & attractive (hair should be down)
Don’t Forget:
* You need to bring your current drivers license
* Bring a copy of your medical insurance card
* Don’t forget to bring water
* $20.00 tryout fee
by Daniel Cox
AtlantaFalcons.com
04/11/10
[Photos]
ATLANTA — With back-to-back winning seasons in the bag, the Atlanta Falcons franchise looks to open a new chapter in the 2010 NFL season.
A new draft class is two weeks away from joining the team, hoping to continue to write a new chapter of history for the franchise. The sideline team of ladies who lead the Georgia Dome crowds in cheering for the hometown team are also updating their squad.
And starting new traditions.
Sunday the Atlanta Falcons Cheerleaders held preliminary auditions to find new talent to add to their existing, 32-lady roster. With new additions come new programs to make the Falcons cheerleading team an even more visible part of the franchise and community.
The phrase “New South” has been coined to describe the transformation of the collection of ladies, a group that strives to uphold the same values as the franchise they represent.
“New South: that’s just hip, attractive, glamorous, outgoing, kind, and articulate,” said Chato Waters, The Falcons cheerleading coordinator. “(It’s) basically enhancing what we have. The new thing about the program is that we’re going to new levels with new logos, new uniforms, a swimsuit shoot in Cancun and more exposure for the girls.”
Waters, a 13-year veteran of cheerleading with the Falcons, believes the new group has a unique opportunity to not only experience life-changing moments in their own lives, but also enhance the lives of fans on game day and around the community.
It’s a rigorous selection process.
Over 250 women showed up at the Georgia World Congress Center for the first round of tryouts. After four hours and two rounds of performances and cuts, only 50 remained.
Waters said this year the roster will increase to approximately 40, the additional eight serving in support roles for appearances. All existing cheerleaders on the squad were given a bye for the first round, but will compete for a position on the team at the final auditions Thursday evening.
For the current members of the Falcons cheerleading team, the new changes are exciting, but stressful. The level of competition has risen.
“Considering this is my third year, it is extremely, extremely stressful,” said April, a member of the franchise’s current cheerleading roster. “I think it’s even more stressful when you’ve already been on the team because you’ve already experienced it and you know exactly how much fun it is and you know what you would be missing out on. So, for me, this year I’m just going to have a good time and do the very best that I can because that’s all you can do.”
April, like many of the cheerleading hopefuls present Sunday, has something in common with the players on the field: Performing in front of a packed Georgia Dome crowd.
“Nothing can explain cheering in front of 75,000 people,” said the three-year veteran. “I’ll never forget my first year coming into the Dome. No words can explain how wonderful an experience it is. The Falcons have great, great fans. They’re extremely supportive.”
Every potential cheerleader Sunday wants to experience that thrill in 2010.
As Waters called the numbers of the final 50, after all the energy was spent and dance moves were complete, the room was silent.
There were those upset about not making the cut, but for those that moved a step closer to living their own football dream, it was thrilling.
Many of the ladies selected Sunday understand the idea of “New South” image and that being an Atlanta Falcons cheerleader is more than just a Sunday job. Becoming a part of one of the bright, young franchises in the NFL is an achievement and with it comes responsibility.
“I not only accomplished something, but I get to be a bigger part of the community,” said Theresa, a finalist and former University of Central Florida cheerleader. “I’m kind of an ambassador, instead of just for a college, now I’m an ambassador for a whole city. I think that’s really exciting.”
Every summer Marina Ortega, Director of the Boston Celtics Dancers, hits the road in search of new talent for the team. And every year, I might add, at least a couple of LA and NY dancers are chosen for the squad (Exhibit A: Alison L., Caroline, Danielle, and Jenna). Just because you’re from out of town doesn’t mean you’re out of luck, so circle these dates on your calendar. Never say I didn’t give you plenty of notice!
The 2010 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cheerleaders have been selected. The team is a little smaller this year – only 30 dancers, including 10 newbies and 20 returners. The Bucs Cheerleaders are under new direction this year, so congrats also to Cheerleading Manager Catherine Boyd (former Bucs Cheerleader) and Cheerleading Coordinator Melissa Fitzgerald (former Cowboys Cheerleader and 49ers Gold Rush Cheerleader).
Click here to watch the video.
By Katie Mintz
Sun Newspapers
March 25, 2010
Pompoms, not pigskins, held Bob Patrin’s eye at a college football game in 1955.
From his seat in the University of California, Berkeley stands, the young man spotted the school’s pompom girls dancing across the field.
“I saw these girls in unison doing these routines and I was so impressed,” said Patrin, then a St. Paul native on leave from his U.S. Army station in Hawaii. “I’d never seen anything like it.”
Just five years later, he became the National Football League’s first male choreographer. Now the Edina 80-year-old is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first Minnesota Vikings cheer team.
The Minnesota House Committee on Rules and Legislative Administration passed a resolution last month recognizing Patrin and his Vi-Queens as the original Vikings cheerleading organization.
Patrin said his foray into the world of poms – more dance than cheerleading -came fast, but wasn’t always easy.
After the University of California, Berkeley game he told the girls how impressed he was by their performance. They offered to help him start a group at his alma mater. Patrin earned bachelor’s degrees in history and geography at the University of Minnesota before being drafted in 1954.
He held them to their word when he was discharged from the Army in 1956. Having enrolled in graduate school back at the University of Minnesota, he asked the athletic director for permission to start a pompom group. He was met with resistance.
“Nobody knew what they were,” said Patrin, who’s lived in Edina for more than 30 years.
Adding to the unease was a performance by the Roosevelt High School Rockettes at a University basketball game earlier in the year. Officials didn’t like their short skirts and bare arms. Patrin was told his group better wear long skirts and sweaters.
He went back to California equipped with an 8-millimeter camera to film and learn the routines.
“They made me learn everything as though I was trying out,” said Patrin. “I even had to learn how to make the poms.”
Back in Minnesota, he began to recruit. His first University of Minnesota Pomperette was freshman Kay Clark, a 1956 graduate of St. Louis Park High School. She got several of her friends from high school to join, including Mickie O’Rourke Phillips. Others were from Edina and Minneapolis.
Phillips, now a 40-year resident of Edina, remembers the initially rough road. The group didn’t receive funding at first, meaning they once had to borrow uniforms from the St. Louis Park High School Parkettes dance team for a performance. Then the University’s marching band director prohibited them from participating on the field for Homecoming 1956.
“I guess we got resistance from all over the place,” said Phillips.
When the team finally got to dance at a Gopher basketball game in 1957, the crowd was less than enthusiastic. While students liked the already established cheerleaders, the Pomperettes’ choreographed moves to music were something new. Next fall on the football field, they were often targets of snowballs.
“The crowd was so apprehensive,” said Phillips. “We really had to work to win them over.”
Eventually they did. In 1958, 100 girls tried out for the team. The Pomperettes’ half-time performances at basketball games were frequently televised. In 1960, the girls cheered on the Gophers at the Rose Bowl.
“I brought color to the stadium,” said Patrin of the Pomperettes’ maroon uniforms, which stood out from the white uniforms of Minnesota cheerleaders.
With the Pomperettes established, Patrin’s attention shifted to a new opportunity. Former University of Minnesota football star Billy Bye was selected business manager for the upstart Minnesota Vikings professional football team. He asked Patrin to form a pompom team for the Vikings, who were to start play in fall 1960 with the new American Football League.
Patrin got the Vi-Queens ready to go only to have the Vikings’ owners switch to the National Football League. The move delayed play until 1961.
Still, Patrin said the Vi-Queens were just the second group in the NFL to root on their teams from the field. The Baltimore Colts had cheerleaders as part of their marching band beginning in 1954. He was the first male choreographer.
“And we were the first group organized to run the sidelines,” said Patrin.
The Vi-Queens were comprised of about a dozen girls from all around the state. Rep. Mindy Greiling of Roseville wrote the recent resolution honoring the 50th anniversary of the Vi-Queens because three original members were from Roseville. Several of the members were former University of Minnesota Pomperettes, but the as Vi-Queens they still had some learning to do.
“In 1961 we were playing the Rams,” Patrin recalled. “It was raining and the girls went out for one last routine.”
Their poms made from purple crepe paper stained their white uniforms as they cheered. Patrin had a local cleaner dye them purple before the next game.
Phillips said the crowd, however, appreciated their enthusiasm through the inclement weather.
“I think they appreciated us much more at the Vikings games,” she said. The group also made frequent appearances around town, from parades to mall openings.
The Vi-Queens performed almost two more full seasons before being replaced by a larger group. Their last game would have been Sunday, Nov. 24, 1963, but President John F. Kennedy was assassinated the Friday before. The NFL said no cheerleaders were to appear in uniform that Sunday.
“The last game we did, we didn’t actually do,” said Patrin. “There wouldn’t be any celebrating.”
As Patrin got ready for the 1964 season, he was asked to expand the Vi-Queens to at least 30 girls. He received more than 60 applications for the team but had to turn down the offer because he didn’t have the space to rehearse.
Patrin said he’s proud of his endeavors, though they did not last long. The St. Louis Park High School Parkettes were selected to replace the Vi-Queens on the Vikings sideline. They cheered for the Vikings until 1984, when the team hired professionals. The University of Minnesota Pomperettes were combined with the University cheerleading team in 1964 shortly after Patrin left to lead the Vi-Queens.
“For Bob to even get the University and the Vikings to consider this to me is just unbelievable,” said Phillips. “It’s always fun to start something new and different.”
Vi-Queens memorabilia is currently on display at the Edina Senior Center, 5280 Grandview Square, Edina.
View photos and videos from auditions here
