By Jayda Evans
Seattle Times
August 26, 2009
Another thing missed about not having a NBA team is having a dance group over the age of 20. 
Now the women have either completed degrees at Washington or moved to Yakima to open a dental practice and start families. One, Denne, joined the famed Sea Gals and became their calendar cover girl, a position she held with the Sonics.
Meanwhile Sheena Shive (pictured bottom left by NBAE) is working with the Storm Dance Troupe, getting the kids poppin’ and lockin’ like the pros. The Connecticut Sun, New York, and Sacramento either have a mix of youth and adult dance teams or just an adult team.
“We’re all still keeping pretty busy,” said Shive of her former Sonics dance teammates. Her day job is with an advertising agency but her passion remains in dancing.
In addition to directing the Storm’s troupe, Shive will head the new pro lacrosse team’s dancers. Called the Stealth Dance Team, they’ll have auditions at the Everett Comcast Event Center on Sept. 12.
Registration begins at 9 a.m. and the auditions for women 18 and older runs from 10 a.m. through 4 p.m. Checkout the website for more information. Opening night is Jan. 9, 2010 at the Everett Comcast Event Center.
“I’m really excited about this opportunity, I never thought I’d go into coaching,” Shive said.
Marcia C. Smith, Columnist
The Orange County Register
August 26, 2009
[Photo Feature]
Nearly a month after 95 women besieged The Rinks Anaheim ICE to try out for the Ducks’ answer to the Laker Girls, the squad has named its final 14-member Power Player roster.
This was the most competitive tryout in Ducks’ history, drawing also triple the turnout of last season. Six veterans return, while eight rookies are welcomed for this part-time, in-game entertainment job that goes on duty every time the Ducks take the Honda Center ice.
It’s hard work, not to mention, cold work, given that the Power Players dress in low cut, form-fitting clothing that leaves their midsections exposed. Which means these women are in great shape – as well as have great hair and plenty of smiles.
For every game, a crew of Power Players skates onto the ice during breaks in the action, shoveling ice shavings out of the corners and away from the goals. Another crew travels through the Honda Center, interacting with fans for contests seen on the arena’s scoreboard big screen.
A typical night is about six hours. They each make about $13 an hour – and get free parking! But they get to be a part of the game they love and be close to their favorite hockey players, though rules prevent them from having any contact with the athletes.
All of this they learned at this week’s orientation.
The Tennessee Titans Cheerleaders unveiled their 2009-2010 swimsuit calendar last night, August, 26th at Cabana’s in Nashville. Over 300 fans attended this event to show their appreciation for the cheerleaders hard work and dedication to the Titans organization!
[photos] [video]
Last weekend, a group of New England Patriots Cheerleaders participated in 5th Annual Paw Wash in Boston, Mass. The team participates in this event every year, washing dogs and posing for photos with fans, with proceeds benefiting the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA). View photos from the event on Phoenix.com.
Here’s your chance to see the making of the AVP Dancers’ 2010 swimsuit calendar. In early July, six members of the team traveled to the Dreams Resort and Spa in Los Cabos, Mexico for their very first calendar shoot. Over the course of a week, photographer Bruce Herman captured the beautiful images that now appear in the brand new calendar. After watching the video, you might want to check out the calendar for yourself. Click here to buy one.
Click here to view photos from last weekend’s Ravens/Jets game.
A 2005 CHS grad joins the Flight Crew of Jets cheerleaders.
By Jose Ortiz
South Orange Patch
Aug 25, 2009
A former CHS athlete just turned pro, and it’s not in any sport you’re thinking of. Maplewood’s Jasmine Goode has turned a lifelong dream into reality, earning a spot on the New York Jets Flight Crew, making her a professional cheerleader. And if you ask Goode, NFL cheerleaders are professional athletes.
Out of approximately 200 girls, Goode made it through four rounds of auditions to make the top 30. Even still, her spot on the team isn’t safe, as there is constant competition. The Flight Crew is currently in training camp, with three practices a week for three hours each. Goode described the camp as intense and a lot harder work than most people would think.
Flight Crew Director Denise Garvey said that the dancers on the field for opening day are being chosen at training camp, but selections are on a game-to-game basis from then on, much like a football team has different starters and subs from week to week. She said she believes you have to fight and work hard to earn your spot and do the same to keep it. The cheerleaders have been in training since June 1.
Goode began her cheering career as a youngster in Pop Warner football and began her life as a dancer at the Betty White Dance Center in Maplewood, at age 6. She remained at the school until she was 15 and then joined the Columbia High School dance team. At Columbia, she was captain of the cheerleading squad for three years. She went to Kean University and continued her cheering career there.
“It was a dream. I thought about being an NFL cheerleader years ago in high school,” Goode said. “I never thought it was possible.”
Last season, Goode tried out and did not make it, but she didn’t give up so easily. She worked hard over the next year and was able to break through the second time around.
“It was very stressful, emotional, intense and just overwhelming,” Goode said of the tryout process. “Every day, you are fighting for your spot.”
According to the 2005 CHS grad, dancing ability, while very important, is not the only thing that it takes to be an NFL cheerleader. She said they need good interviewing skills and public speaking abilities, as well as a motivation to keep working.
“I wasn’t used to all of the conditioning and the workout schedule,” Goode said.
She had her first taste of what opening day will be like when she took the field for a preseason game earlier this month.
“It’s amazing to be on that field,” Goode said. “It’s a crazy intense feeling to have all eyes on you.”
Now the goal is to keep her spot throughout her rookie season and to get it back next year, when she will have to try out again.
“This is a part-time job with a full-time commitment,” she said. “I love everyone on the team. … I feel like I’m growing as a person. I feel like being here will make me a better person.”
Goode still lives in Maplewood and advises anyone who’d like to follow in her footsteps to keep their heads up and stay focused on their goals.
“Work hard, don’t give up and get discouraged if someone tells you no,” she said. “You have to stay focused.”
By Sarah Lysne
Post-Bulletin, Austin MN
8/24/2009
[Diamond Dancers Website]
Sandy Larson, of Austin, has watched her granddaughter dance for years — since she was in the Just for Kix program in Austin.
Now that Kaitlan Heiny is dancing with the Milwaukee Brewers Dance Team, the Diamond Dancers, Larson’s perhaps as proud as she was watching her at her first recital.
“Every time I watch her dance, I cry. I have been crying since she was in grade school and dancing with the Just For Kix program in Austin,” Larson said.
Larson credits the Just For Kix dance instructors for being a driving force in her granddaughter’s love of dance.
Heiny is a 2007 graduate of Austin High School and the daughter of Susan and John Howe, of Austin.
The Diamond Dancers dance team has been in existence since 2004. It performs at the Milwaukee Brewers weekend home games. It is also involved in charity and sponsored events throughout the community, including programs and classes for children and adults.
Heiny was one of 26 dancers chosen from more than 100 who tried out for the team last winter. She then spent a month learning the routines and requirements in “boot camp.” After camp, Heiny was selected as part of the 24-member dance team.
“Some of the other members chosen had been on the team last year, but each year they have to try out again,” Heiny said. “I always dreamed of continuing with dance after high school, but I never thought I would be dancing professionally.”
Heiny started dancing with AHS’ Dance Team in eighth grade. During her five years on the team, she competed in the jazz and high kick competitions, and the team placed third at state competitions four out of the five years.
This will be Heiny’s third year on the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee dance team, the Panthers, and her first year as a team captain. She is a junior at UWM and is pursuing a degree in nursing.
Heiny is proving that her love of dance at age 10 was just the beginning of the endless opportunities available to those who want to work hard and are not afraid of competition.
Her advice to anyone who wants to continue to dance after high school is, “You can make it happen for yourself. Try out for as many teams as possible, and don’t give up.”
For some reason, it just bugs me that the Chicago Bears used to have cheerleaders, but don’t anymore. The family that owns the Bears – particularly the matriarch Virginia McCaskey – are dead-set against it, even though the Honey Bears were very popular in their time.
I figure it’s just a matter of time. Sooner or later, the cheerleaders will be back. Sooner would be better. Come on, Chicago. We’ve got dancers who need jobs.
Every now and then, I take a look around the internet to see if there’s any news on the subject. Last week, I came across a new website dedicated to movement to bring the Honey Bears back. Check out ChicagoHoneyBears.net. They have two goals, the first is to get the Honey Bears back and the second is to have a web site with the history of the Honey Bears. They’ve got some photos, some videos, and are in the process of adding more. If you’ve got Honey Bear memorabilia stashed away, send it on over.
One of the really interesting things about their site is the prototype designs of what the “new” Honey Bear uniforms might look like. I’m not sure who designed and produced them, but they are modeled by Carey, a former cheerleader for the Indianapolis Colts and the Indiana Firebirds.
Ft. Meyers Florida Weekly
August 14, 2009
The Florida Everblades announced that auditions for the newly formed Everblades Gator Girls will be held on Sunday, Aug. 30.
Candidates should be female cheerleaders and dancers over the age of 21 who are interested in supporting Everblades hockey all season long. Although skating is not required, skaters are being looked at to add to the dynamic of the team.
Auditions will take place in the Olde Florida Room inside Germain Arena. Registration is at 1 p.m., with a $20 fee. Auditions begin at 2 p.m.
What to wear during competition: Sports bra or dance-crop top with dance shorts; Flesh colored tights or panty hose; Dance shoes or sneakers. No dance pants, warms-ups, long shorts, thongs, or bikinis; Wear your hair in a style that compliments your features. (No ponytails or hair pulled half up)
All contestants will need to bring a 45-to-60-second individual dance music of their choice. All contestants will learn a group dance and sideline dance to be performed in a small group.
For further information, send an e-mail to Kristi at gatorgirlsinfo@yahoo.com.
