Tracy Sormanti, Cheerleader Director
Patriots.com
3/11/10
Cheerleader Final Auditions Photo Gallery >>
On Saturday, March 6, 52 talented and beautiful women still in the running for a coveted position on the 2010 Patriots Cheerleading Sqaud reported to Gillette stadium for final auditions. This event marked the third elimination in a series of four. The women were nervous, excited and fully prepared for the challenging day ahead.
The day began with a written quiz on football and Gillette Stadium and Patriots organizational facts.
After completing the quiz, the ladies were asked to line up for the swimsuit modeling round. As all members of the squad will receive an all expense paid trip to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic the last week of April to shoot the 2011 Patriots Cheerleaders Swimsuit Calendar (visit TNTVacations.com to book your trip if you’d like to join us!), the swimsuit modeling segment of auditions is a very important part of the process.
Once all of the candidates modeled their swimsuits, they quickly changed into dance attire, stretched on their own, and were given a short time to practice the routines they were to perform that day. After executing a series of high kicks and splits, the ladies performed two choreographed dance routines and then a 40 second freestyle combination.
The dance segment concluded with an optional tumbling pass, and then the meet/greet session with the judges began.
During the two week period between preliminary and final auditions, each finalist reported to Gillette Stadium for a personal interview with me. I met so many interesting women, diverse in their backgrounds yet all sharing a love of dance and performing. The panel of judges enjoyed the opportunity to meet each of these interesting women in the meet and greet session at final auditions.
At the conclusion of the day, the pool of 52 was narrowed down to an elite group of 38. That group is now in the midst of a two week intensive training program, attending rehearsals, public speaking drills and fitness training sessions (yes, that even means running the ramps at Gillette Stadium!). The fourth and final elimination will be made on Saturday, March 20 and the 2010 Patriots Cheerleading squad will be posted on March 23. Be sure to check back to see the new squad roster! 2010 is going to be a great year!
See what goes down at the interviews after prelims.
Catch up on the first three episodes
Mike Duffy
BaltimoreRavens.com
3/7/2010
The Ravens won’t have any problems fielding their 2010 cheerleading squad.
This weekend, more than 200 hopefuls came to Merritt Downtown Athletic Center to show their wares before a panel of judges with the intent of cheering on the Ravens next season.
By Sunday, it was a good mix of veterans trying to make the team again and newbies with dreams of becoming one of the 50 elite cheerleaders in Charm City.
“It’s been crazy, but a fun time,” said Lindsay, a Baltimore native that at 17 years old may be one of the youngest to ever to make the team. “The veterans have all been supportive, but I just need to bring a positive attitude and do well in my dance. It is definitely nervous, though.”
That nervousness spilled over to the veterans, as well, noted Dottie L.
Sammi Jo, whom made the team as a rookie in 2008, was slightly shaking before she had to perform “One Love” by David Guetta.
“You’re never guaranteed anything here,” she said. “But this is what we all train for, this is what I love to do. I just hope all the work I’ve done is enough.”
From Saturday to Sunday, the Ravens cut down around 100 prospects with the desire to enter the week with 70 members that will have a final interview with cheerleader coordinator Tina Galdieri.
From there, the Ravens will take a squad of approximately 60 cheerleaders – both male and female – to the 2010 campaign.
Galdieri believes that the Ravens’ cheerleader swimsuit calendar, which is heading into its third edition of publication, has boostered the awareness of Baltimore cheerleaders.
While typically only sending a group of 15-20 cheerleaders to a tropical locale, the Ravens will now send their entire squad this year.
“It definitely has done a lot,” Galdieri said of the calendar. “It’s our first time taking the whole squad, and a lot of people know that. It’s been a great thing for the tryouts, because we’ve gotten a high quality of girls. “For next year, I’m hoping we’re the talk of the town. It’s a work in progress, but we’re getting better.”
There are a few more rounds of tryouts, but it’s not going to be difficult for the Ravens to have a calendar-worthy squad moving forward. Stay tuned to BaltimoreRavens.com for your official unveiling of the 2010 Ravens Cheerleading Squad.
Click here to see photos from the auditions on BaltimoreSun.com
Watch video from the auditions on Fox43.com (below)
Ron Matz
WJZ.com
3/5/2010
You watch them perform at every Ravens home game. Now it’s your chance to become a Ravens cheerleader.
Ron Matz reports auditions will be held this weekend.
Ravens cheerleaders will tell you there’s nothing like hitting the field before 70,000 screaming fans at M&T Bank Stadium.
“I can’t even explain the feeling of running out of that tunnel on game day. It’s amazing. I live for that moment. We have the best seat in the house,” said Sammi Jo, cheerleader for two years.
That’s why 200 to 300 men and women will show up Saturday at the Merritt Downtown Athletic Club for cheerleader auditions.
“Saturday is the first day for tryouts at the Merritt Downtown Athletic Club. Registration starts at 9:30 a.m. We have about 200 people who come in and tryout — males and females — because we are the only co-ed stunt squad in the NFL. So, we encourage males, as well, to come out and try out for our team,” said Meaghan, Baltimore Ravens cheerleader for four years.
Practices are no walk in the park.
“Guys do have to try out. Every year for the guys it’s like a stepping stone. You have to progress every year, keep your skills up and stay in shape. It’s more competitive every year,” said Henry, cheerleader for six years. “Practice includes about 30 minutes of cardio conditioning, run about three or four miles, do some calisthenics, then we practice for about two and a half more hours after that. You have to be in shape.”
All 60 spots are up for grabs, and even the veterans have to try out.
“The first day on Saturday we’ll make cuts, second day is Sunday and the finals. That’s when all the veterans come back and try out with the potential new rookies coming in. Then it’s a three week process after that, interviews, physicals and a practice round. We finally announce the team the beginning of April,” said Meaghan. “We have to come back every year and it’s not a guaranteed spot on the team. I think it’s harder because the rookies coming in are really fighting hard. We have to bring it every year.”
“We get one day on Saturday when we don’t have to try out with the rookies, but then we’re right in the mix on Sunday, ” said Sammi Jo.
Registration for the tryouts begins at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at the Merritt Downtown Athletic Club. For more information, just click here.
Lots of new photos of the Atlanta Hawks A-Town Dancers on SportsIllustrated.com. Click here to check ’em out!
February.
Groundhog day. Valentine’s Day. National Tortilla Chip Day. And of course…ChivaGirl auditions.
The ChivaGirls are the dance team for the MLS club Chivas USA, based in the Los Angeles area. The MLS season begins in March and extends through October. During those months, the ChivaGirls perform at all home games, make countless appearances in the community, and are involved in numerous other activities for the team. Los Angeles is home to transplants from all over the world, so there is a sizeable fan base for professional soccer here. It keeps the ChivaGirls pretty busy.
Open Calls [Click here for photos]
There was an excellent turnout for this year’s auditions. Open calls took place at the velodrome, a venue on the campus of the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA, where the Chivas play their home games. A Velodrome – for those who aren’t familiar – is a place where professional cyclists…um…cycle. They gather together, put on some spandex onesies, hop on their bikes, and pedal as fast as they can make their little legs go. I’m sure there are all sorts of nuances and complexities to the sport, but yeah, that’s what it looks like to me. I can’t tell you much else except there’s a track that goes around the room, and seating for an audience, so I guess there’s some sort of racing involved.
The auditions tool place in the center of the arena, and all day long there were people on bicycles circling the perimeter. You may see them in some of the photos and videos from auditions.
As with any audition, the first thing that happens is registration. All the dancers have to turn in their paperwork, photos, essays on what they did last summer, etc., and get an audition number to pin to their outfit.
There was a photographer and video crew on hand to filming all of the action for the special on the Chivas website. That video crew was a major problem for me. They didn’t care if I was on camera, but I tried my best to stay out of the way. Seemed like every time I turned around, I’d managed to cross into the camera’s path. I had to fight the instinct to drop to the ground like I was under enemy fire. What I did instead was sort of crouch down and scurry away like a cucaracha when the lights go on. By mid morning, I had perfected the crouch-and-scurry maneuver. They still caught me a few times though. Drat.
Veteran ChivaGirls have to line up just like everyone else, so there were a lot of familiar faces in line. A LOT of familiar faces. This was both good and bad. Good because when you have that many veterans in the mix, it shows that the ChivaGirls really have a good thing going on. Bad because even though vets have to fight for a spot on the team just like everyone else, I’d say they’re statistically more likely to make it than a total newbie, so them ain’t great odds if it’s your first time trying out for the team.
The first one I ran into was Ariel, and my first thought was “Oh SNAP.” Ariel was a ChivaGirl last season. Then last summer she auditioned and was selected to the Clippers Spirit. The NBA season is still in full swing, so what was the girl doing at ChivaGirl auditions??? My imagination immediately launched into an elaborate scenario where staring Ariel as a badass thug, kicked off the Clippers for fist-fighting with one of the little kids on the Junior Jam dance team. My other thought was that maybe she’d been caught trying to blow up the Staples Center with homemade explosives. (Sure, she looks sweet and innocent, but these days, you never can tell…)
Ariel and Monique
My heart sank. What was Ariel doing here? Had no one told her that the Clippers Spirit Director would be judging the auditions today? Wow, this was going to be SO awkward. I wanted to tell her to make a break for it while she could. But it’s not like I want to be associated with some explosives-wielding maniac, so I kept my mouth shut. Love ya, girl, but you’re on your own. (What? I’m just keepin it real.)
All of this was going on in my head mind you. I hadn’t had even five minutes of conversation with Ariel on the subject.
As it turns out, that wasn’t the case. The truth is actually pretty boring. Ariel is studying business law in college. Next semester, there will be a direct conflict between Ariel’s course schedule and the NBA schedule, and can you believe she’s putting her education first?
That’s the problem with these smart chicks. Their priorities are ALL screwed up.
Instead of giving up dance altogether, Ariel decided to return to her roots and re-audition for the ChivaGirls, whose schedule is a lot more forgiving than the Clippers. Plus, Chivas is a great group of girls. A logical choice, I’d say. Anyway, I ain’t one to gossip, so you ain’t heard all this from me. The only reason I mention it is because Ariel is very sensitive about it. Don’t mention it to her, or she might start crying and it will be all your fault. The Clippers would love to have her back and the Chivas would be glad to get her, but you know how it goes. Even when you’re giving up something great for something else that’s also great, it sucks that you have to make a choice at all. Then again, if she’s chosen for Chivas, she will be on both dance teams at the same time, with overlapping practices and games and whatnot for the next several months. So maybe in time she’d find herself looking forward to lightening her load a bit.
I had another big shock when I spotted Whitney across the room. Whitney was on the Clippers Spirit for 4 years before retiring last summer to have a baby. I looked her over good. Those sure didn’t look like the abdominal muscles of any new mom I’ve ever seen. She seemed perfectly well rested, and there wasn’t any baby barf on her at all. This didn’t add up. I immediately scooted over there and – after poking her in the tummy with my finger a couple of times – ascertained that there was no way this chick had ever had a baby. Then again, if Heidi Klum can have four kids and snap back like a rubber band each time, I guess it can be done. (It should be noted, however, that Heidi Klum is a genetic freak. Obviously.)
Whitney and Lyndsi
But as it turns out, that was all lies, damn lies! Ariel doesn’t beat up small children, and Whitney isn’t somebody’s baby momma. Whitney, like Ariel, is not able to fit the insane schedule of an NBA dancer into the rest of her life right now. Whitney, like Ariel, is not able to keep her swerve off the dance floor. So Whitney, like Ariel, decided to audition for Chivas.
I continued to take mental inventory. I saw Liz…Ashley…Alheli…Tiffany (good grief, what was that girl wearing?). I saw my homegirls Nicole, Laura and Kelley. I saw Monique (although I didn’t realize it at the time.) I saw Alana and Linette, who had both taken a year off from the team. I saw several girls I’ve seen at other auditions – Ashley G, Brittany, and Marissa automatically went on my list of people to root for. Only then did I realize that girl I’d walked right by like a total stranger a few minutes prior was Monique. I can’t explain it. It’s not like she grew a moustache or something. All she did was change the color of her hair. And yet she looks totally different. It was the most severely delayed double-take I have ever experienced.
After registration, candidates headed down to the main floor to stretch and warm up. Down there, I ran into my homeslice Kelley again. While I’m busy telling you everyone’s personal business, I might as well let you know that Kelley has some news of her own. No, she doesn’t beat on small children. No, isn’t pregnant – not that it’s any of your business, NOSY. Miss Kelley is getting married this fall. And before you ask, yes, she did schedule her wedding around the Chivas home games. Is this girl a team player, or what?
Anyway, this wedding was super exciting news to me, because when it comes to weddings, I have a LOT of good ideas. I watch “Say Yes to the Dress” on TLC every week, so I was ready to weigh in on the wedding gown issue. Then I found out she already has a dress. Bummer.
But that doesn’t matter, because I have plenty of other suggestions. One of my girlfriends from work got married last summer, and I had compiled an extensive file of ideas for her wedding. She didn’t use any of them, but that is obviously because she has no flair for drama or sense of adventure. (And yes, I said that right to her face.) So here I am with all these good ideas and here comes Kelley with her big honking diamond ring.
Ok fine, you already have the dress. Let’s talk about the cake, the bridesmaids, the maid of honor, the flower girl, the rings, the flowers…What about this? Or this? Or even this?
I bet you haven’t even thought about balloons, have you?
Oh boy, I could talk about wedding themes all day long. It’s such a rich subject.
And there’s plenty of time to rethink that dress. I can get you free batteries for this one. Call me!
I was going to suggest this one, but I have other plans for that dress. I told Aimee if you shorten it a little, you could make some really foxy ChivaGirl uniforms. So far she isn’t convinced.
When it was time to get the day started, ChivaGirls Director Aimee Edmundson gathered the group together to explain what to expect. It was going to be a long day.
She also introduced choreographer John Peters (who I refer to in my head as Cool Kid #1) and with that, it was time to do some dancing. The first combination was to Kesha’s “Tick Tock.” Super. Cute. Former ChivaGirls Jessica, Michelle, and Erica spread out to help demonstrate the choreography. (“Former” because all three have since become Laker Girls. Off with the red and white, on with the purple and gold.)
Laker Girls Director Lisa Estrada (in gray) with Laker Girls Jessica, Erica, and Michelle.
It went quickly – at least to me. The girls learned it and had some time to run through it. John divvied them up into smaller groups and they took turns performing it full out. I was really impressed with the level of talent in the room. The dancers really brought their “A” game this year, even more so than last year.
Several of the rookies from last year’s team clearly had The Eye of the Tiger. It was wonderful to see how they’d grown in just one year. Ariel, Alheli, and Emi really stood out for me. Ariel’s showmanship was on display the whole morning. Alheli’s dancing has grown by leaps and bounds. And Emi…I ain’t mad at her. Last year Emi had a JLO moment at prelims last year, with the big hoops and the lil skirt. It was cute, but not what you usually see at auditions. This year, she was so poised and polished. My little girl is all grown up!
Linette, a former ChivaGirl, had taken a year off to focus on school, but she was back this year, hoping to rejoin the team. She was not playing around either. The look, the dance, the performance, it was all there. She did exactly what you’re supposed to do when coming back from hiatus: made it look like she’d never left.
And speaking of leaving, I experienced a little pang when I realized who wasn’t there. Sandra, Serena, Jebbel, Dalila, and Marie. I guess everyone has to retire sometime, but dangit!
I was pretty darn proud of the vets. There were also a few newbies who showed up looking and performing as if they could be veterans, and that’s exactly the way to do it if you want to make any pro team. Starkisha had the brightest smile out there. Natali had a real confidence and presence that I thought gave her a real leg up. Ashley G danced with such enthusiasm and energy, she’s really fun to watch. I realized her halfway through the morning that I recognized her from another audition. She used to be a gorgeous redhead. She looks great as a blonde, too, but I thought she was particularly striking with red hair.
One of the other Ashleys – Ashley C, was just adorable. I was afraid she’d knock herself out with all that hair, but she had it under control.
Tattoos are always interesting. I see more of them every year. One thing I discovered later on is that you can cover a tattoo with makeup, and trick the naked eye, but it’s harder to trick a camera. Looking at the photos a couple of days later, I was surprised at how many tattoos I hadn’t noticed that day.
Before I knew it, it was time to bring in the judges and begin the audition in earnest. Aimee took up the microphone and explained a little bit about what the judges were looking for: dance ability, musicality, retention of the choreography, ability to absorb and quickly apply corrections, and of course, presentation and performance.
There were some pretty cool people on the judging panel. I’ll go in alphabetical order, shall I?
Aimee Edmundson, ChivaGirls Director
Audrea Harris, Clippers Spirit Director
John Peters, choregrapher extraordinaire, who has worked with every pro team in creation, including the closes NFL team around these parts, the Charger Girls
Lisa Estrada, Laker Girls Director
Marina Ortega, Director of the Boston Celtics Dancers
Mina Ortega, Director of the nationally ranked University of Southern California Trojan Dance Force
If I’d been auditioning, I probably would’ve been a little intimidated. In a way, you’re auditioning for several pro sports teams, all on the same day. If you plan to audition for the Lakers, Clippers, Chargers, or Celtics, there’s a good chance you’ll see one (if not more) of these people again. If you kick butt at ChivaGirls, can bet your blue jeans they’ll remember you the next time they see you. (On the other hand, if you’re a total trainwreck, they’ll probably remember that, too. Sorry.)
The Celtics thing may seem kind of weird to you, since that’s all the way on the other side of the country. However, Marina holds auditions in both Los Angeles and New York every year, and every year, at least one of those out-of-town girls is chosen for the team. She’ll be back this summer to do it all again. I did some shameless eavesdropping and I hear that she’s looking for really strong dancers/performers, and this year they are especially interested in mixing it up in terms of diversity. If you’re interested, keep your eyes and ears open for the dates this summer.
Lisa called the girls out on the floor to audition in groups of three. For some reason, she called the numbers in random order. I’m sure there was a specific reason for this, but it made my head hurt. I don’t adapt well to change.
Natali
After the first go-round, Aimee announced the first cut of the day. They kept a lot of people from the first round, because so many people did really well. The dancers who were left gathered in the center of the room to learn the next dance. John had choreographed this one to Queen’s “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.” This was more of a novelty-ish routine. I can’t really explain what a novelty routine is, just that it’s cute and not very technical. It’s so you can play it up a little bit and show your personality. I missed most of the teaching of it because I was busy running my mouth. I sat down to talk to Audrea and next thing I knew, it was time for the second round of judging.
Once again, the dancers auditioned in groups of three. The dance was shorter this time, so the second round was quick.
Linette
Once again, there were a lot of good performances. I wondered how the judges were going to narrow it down to a reasonable number of people for Tuesday’s finals. As it turns out, they must’ve struggled a little, because they took a big group into finals – at least ten more than last year.
After announcing the finalists, Aimee had all the girls gather around to discuss the next steps.
Finalist interviews were scheduled for the next day (Sunday) and the final dance audition would go down on Tuesday night. Aimee was she was glad to have such a talented group to choose from. I was happy that all of the veterans, and a few other girls I had my eye on made it to finals.
I thought about going to the interviews the next day. I’m pretty good at hanging out and being unproductive, but I decided against it. So the next time I saw the girls was at the final audition.
The Final Audition [Click here for photos]
Finals, as always, took place at the Tennis Pavilion, right next to the Home Depot Center. This is where the ChivaGirls rehearse throughout the season. Like the Velodrome, the Tennis Pavilion is a bit of a mystery. It’s a giant tent-like structure. My question is – why? It has carpeted floors, a couple small rooms, and one long glassed in wall. All of the other walls are canvas, or whatever the thing is made of. Every time I go in there, I wonder why they don’t build a couple of walls and a roof already. I do not understand why it is a tent. There must be a specific reason. I would like to know that reason.
But a tent is a tent, and like most tents, there’s no insulation. This was February, and even in Los Angeles, February evenings can get a bit nippy. Especially if you are standing around in just hot pants and a sequin bra. I knew the dancers would spend the evening jumping into and out of their warm-ups.
The dancers are instructed to wear black trunks or shorts to finals. This helps minimize the variations in costume that can make one girl stand out over another. At least, that’s what I’ve been told. But the girls are all wearing different tops, so how much of a difference can the bottoms make? Why not have them wear a black top, too? As with the Tennis Pavilion, I am sure there is a reason for it, but heck if I understand it.
One of my jobs for the evening was to shoot individual head and full-length photos of each girl. The photos of the ones who made the team will be posted on the Chivas website when the team is announced. (Which won’t be for another couple of weeks.) I like having a job to do, so I feel like I’m contributing! I triple checked to make sure I got all of the girls (I missed Ashley last year), and I think they turned out pretty well.I did my best to make everyone look cute. [See?]
Many of the girls arrived extra early, which is a good idea, but leaves you a lot of time to get the fidgets. There is only so much primping a person can do and then there’s nothing to do but sit around and be nervous.
(Speaking of primping, here’s a little tip I picked up: Bumble and Bumble makes this colored powder that’s supposed to make your hair fuller, absorb oil, and camouflage your roots between color touch-ups. Apparently its some kind of cult favorite, but I can’t quite wrap my mind around the idea. When I picture it in my head, it looks like brown dandruff. Knowing me, I’d get it on my hands, and it would wind up on my face, on my clothes, on the furniture, and in a powdery trail on the floor behind me. Some people rave about this product. I think I’d wind up looking like a coal miner.)
Thankfully someone turned on the music so the girls could run through the dances a few times. John Peters, back to judge finals, gave a few last minute pointers on cleaning up the choreography. Although helpful, this would’ve made me hella nervous. If I’d practiced it one way for three days and then found out at the last minute that I’d been doing it wrong, I probably would’ve blanked out completely. However as ChivaGirls, the dancers will be expected to absorb and apply corrections immediately, so I guess it’s part of the job.
Finally, the judges were seated and it was time to get started. Aimee and John were joined once again by Audrea Harris, and also by Gina, the team’s stylist.The format for the evening was pretty straightforward. First, the girls would perform both dances (back-to-back) in groups of three. After that, the judges would call them back up to perform in various groups. Some girls were called to perform several times while others only danced once or twice. Aimee encouraged the girls not to get all neurotic about how many times they were called or who they were placed next to. She said there was no use second guessing the judges because whatever you were thinking was probably wrong. It was well-intentioned, but doubt much of it sunk in. The bottom line is this is competition. If you’re called to dance next to two girls with the same height, hair color, and body type as you, you’re going to figure that’s your direct competition. How could you not?
After that, it was time for the solos. All of the dancers lined up, and one by one they came to the middle of the floor to do a few eight counts of their own. It was one last chance to make an impression on the judges, so there was a lot of leaping, turning, kicking, and flipping.
When all of that was over, the judges went to another room to deliberate. I thought they’d be gone maybe 15 minutes, but it was a lot longer than that. In the past it’s been “Thanks for coming, check the website tomorrow and see if you made it.” The long wait was unusual. The longer the judges were gone, the more worried the girls were. They didn’t know if they’d have to warm up and dance again, or if they could finally pack up and go get some grub.
I eventually went to find out what was keeping the judges. When I peeked into the room, they were still in the thick of it. The finalists’ head shots were spread out across the floor, and the conversation was intense.
I started to turn around and leave, but I’d decided I wanted to take a group photo of the judges. I thought I’d wait around a minute for them to wrap it up. One minute became two…then five…then ten. I made a big show of putting my hands over my ears and going “la la la” so I couldn’t hear anything being said. Then I realized (a) no one was paying attention to me anyway, (b) if anyone even noticed I was in the room, they probably didn’t care, and (c) they were speaking so softly I couldn’t hear them anyway.
Generally speaking, when I’m at an audition, I make a concerted effort to tune out the judges’ comments. I don’t care if the comments are positive or negative, I don’t want to know about it. It’s too stressful! I know some of those girls.
What – I’m going to run around like “Wow, Brenda, judge #3 really hated you. Mary, on the other hand, is a total shoe-in!”
So I stood off to the side, singing the theme from “Ghostbusters” in my head. (When I need to distract myself, “Ghostbusters” is my go-to song. It works every time. That, and Eddie Murphy’s “Party all the time.”)
I think it was 9:30 or 10 pm when the judges finally emerged. I could tell you what happened then, but I’ve been sworn to secrecy. I’m sorry, but you’ll have to wait until the team is revealed on the Chivas website. I will tell you, however, that there was some major drama at the end. I think the cameras were still rolling, so you’ll probably see it unfold in the last episode of “Making the Cut.”
Stay tuned…
‘American Idol’ + ‘Real World’ = New Web series ‘If I Can Dream’
by Vlada Gelman
Entertainment Weekly
3/2/2010
YouTube is littered with videos of people seeking stardom, so why not make a web series about them? That’s just what American Idol creator Simon Fuller has done with If I Can Dream, a reality Web series launching today that follows a quintet of aspiring artists live 24/7 on ificandream.com and in a weekly recap on Hulu [watch here].
The five hopefuls will live together in a spacious Los Angeles home outfitted with 60 cameras following their every move. Viewers will be able to engage with the artists in real time via Twitter, MySpace and blogs, and can select which camera feed they’d like to view. The contestants can even log on to their own computers and spy on their roommates down the hall.
Despite all of the cameras pointed at them — on a recent visit, PopWatch counted at least five in the living room alone and an average of 3 per bedroom — the Dream team say they aren’t nervous about living their day-to-day lives under the spotlight.
“There’s been times today where I’m like, ‘Oh, man, I’m on camera.’ I really have forgotten already,” said Amanda Phillips, a former NFL cheerleader from New York who hopes to become an actress/model.
“This is the worst place ever to play hide and seek,” joked Kara Killmer, an aspiring actress from Texas.
The group’s Ford Fiesta car is wired with cameras, as well, allowing viewers to follow the cast as they go on auditions and dates and generally sit in traffic, as most Angelenos are accustomed to doing; some will be dealing with the experience of navigating LA streets for the first time.
“I can’t wait to see them driving around, getting lost,” said producer Michael Herwick. “It’ll be hilarious.”
As part of the series, celebrity mentors will come in to help the hopefuls in their quest for the Hollywood dream. Singer/songwriter (and Miley Cyrus ex) Justin Gaston and actor Ben Elliott would freak if James Taylor walked through the door, while Phillips wants to meet Will Ferrell. Once they land a job and exit the house, a new aspiring artist will be chosen by viewers via MySpace auditions. But will the original hopefuls want to leave the plush digs?
“This isn’t reality TV. There’s no judges or voting off. There’s not a pot of money sitting at the end,” said Killmer. “The goal is to get a job that will allow us to get out of the house and to move on to a bigger career. This is just the first step.”
2010 FC Dallas Dancers!
Auditions started on Saturday and it is ON. Click here to see a video special about the first day of tryouts. There are also a ton of great photos on the Houston Dynamo Flickr page. Click here to check ’em out!
Tonight is a big night for a group of Dallas area dancers. It’s finals night for the FC Dallas Dancers. I hear from the team’s director Tamara Jenkins that there was an excellent turnout for open calls, despite the ridiculous weather.
In the past two weeks, these ladies have experienced a lot and they are fully invested. They’ve been through prelims, interviews, and training camp. They’ve had a chance to work with super talented guest choreographer Roger Lee. They’ve also received pointers on their hair and makeup from representatives from Toni & Guy. They’re as ready as they can get. (And I bet they’re pretty sore too.) Tonight the final 19 will be pared down to 12-16. Good luck, ladies!
The team will be announced tomorrow. In the mean time, check out what they’ve been up to so far. We’ve got some behind the scenes photos and the first two videos in their audition series. (James posted part 1 a few days ago, so you may have already seen it.)
FC Dallas Dancer Auditions Part 1
FC Dallas Dancer Auditions Part 2
Tamara Jenkins
Director, FC Dallas Dancers
Choreographer Roger Lee is no lightweight. He’s worked with some heavy hitters in the entertainment industry, including Janet Jackson, Pink, Britney Spears, and Justin Timberlake.
Touch-ups courtesy of Tony & Guy
