The Chosen Ones
Houston Rockets
July 23, 2009
Houston – After ten days of intense training, multiple auditions and nerve-wracking performances, the results are in and a new generation of Rockets Power Dancers has been unveiled.
Culminating a process that began with the initial round of auditions on July 11th, 19 lovely and talented dancers were chosen Tuesday night at the House of Blues in downtown Houston to join RPD co-captains Carrie and Emily on the squad for the upcoming season.
The event marked the first time that the Rockets have held the final auditions in public, and more than 1,000 people were on hand to witness the festivities which included top-notch performances from all the finalists, plus Clutch the Rockets Bear, Launch Crew and Little Dippers.
If you weren’t able to attend, don’t worry – Rockets.com has you covered with video footage from the evening (click here) as well as a slide show which can be viewed via the Houston Rockets’ official Facebook page.
By Mark Shanahan & Merdith Goldstein
Boston.com
July 24, 2009
NESN’s Heidi Watney, Shayna Seymour of “Chronicle,’’ Miss Connecticut Monica Pietrzak, Miss Massachusetts Alison Cronin, and JAM’N 94.5 morning DJs Ramiro and Melissa were just a few of the notables on the guest list last night for the Celtics Dancers final auditions at the House of Blues. The competition – which had 44 women competing for 17 spots – was emceed by Kiss 108’s Billy Costa and was to include, not surprisingly, a swimsuit competition. [Click here for photos from finals]
The NHL Los Angeles Kings are looking to staff the 2009-10 Kings Metal Ice Crew. Auditions start Monday, July 27th at Staples Center. Click here for registration material and loads of info.
The Kings Ice Crew represents the Los Angeles Kings organization at games, events and throughout the community. They are primarily responsible for making sure Kings fans have the best experience possible. At games, the team assists with on-ice contests and activities during intermissions, in-arena activities (t-shirt launch, ticket upgrades, trivia contests, etc.), and some of the group is also responsible for skating on the ice to remove build-up during media timeouts. The team also represents the LA Kings organization at various events and appearances throughout the community, such as: charity functions, fan development events, promotional events, etc.
This opportunity is open to both guys and gals. There’s no dancing involved, so this is a great opportunity for you non-dancers who still want a way to be part of the game day experience and show your enthusiasm for the team. You do need to be comfortable in a pair of hockey skates though. You don’t have to be a wicked-awesome Olympic skater, but you do have to be able to skate from one end of the rink to the other. I won’t like, if you can’t skate and chew gum at the same time, maybe you should practice for next year’s audition.
OKC Thunder
Jul 22 2009
One by one, their names and numbers were called.
No. 27, Bonnie.
No. 1, Riane.
No. 23, Blaire.
On and on it went until 18 talented ladies came to the stage to form the 2009-10 Thunder Girls dance team.
The 19th spot on the team will be decided by the fans, who can vote for the People’s Choice Thunder Girl by logging onto THUNDER.NBA.COM beginning Wednesday morning through noon on July 27. Veteran Thunder Girl Erica and rookie hopeful Stacy are vying for the final spot. (Click here to VOTE NOW)
The panel of judges consisted of four Thunder staffers and one celebrity judge, 2009 Miss Oklahoma Lauren Lunday, and together they narrowed the finalists from 40 down to 18 before a standing-room only crowd at Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar in Bricktown on Tuesday night.
“We had a lot more talent this year,” Thunder Girls dance team manager and choreographer Sabrina Ellison said. “As far as our team, we walked away with a great, diverse group of women who are not only talented but will be great ambassadors to the Thunder.”
The Thunder Girls contingent included 10 veterans and eight newcomers, including Naoko, who is a dance coach from Japan pursuing her dream of dancing for the NBA.
Thunder Girl Alexis shared that sentiment.
Alexis decided to tryout for the Thunder Girls two months ago. And here she was on Tuesday, flanked by her family and members of her past pom squads.
“I was so glad I went out for it because I did, I found my spot and I made it,” she said. “It’s indescribable.”
Alexis was the fourth name announced, and it couldn’t come sooner.
“A new shockwave came over me,” she said. “Like the Thunder came over me, and I was just like, ‘wow, this is real.’”
Thunder Girl Megan, who danced last season, said she’s looking forward to welcoming the newest members of the team to the Thunder.
“It’s always a good thing,” Megan said. “Each of the girls who made it this season and is not a veteran, they are extremely talented, extremely beautiful, very poised and I think that the team as a whole will make great role models for the young ladies in Oklahoma City and the metro area, so I’m excited to see what happens this season.”
By Alan Burke
Staff writer
Salem News
July 23, 2009
SALEM — How do you get to center court at the Boston Garden?
You need the moves, the will, the talent and the skill that comes only with hours of practice.
That’s exactly what Lauren Clifford, 22, is hoping will get her there. No, she doesn’t expect to be guarding Kobe Bryant. Her dream is to become one of the Boston Celtics Dancers, whose routines are meant to be an inspiration to both players and fans.
The Salem resident has already come a long way. Tonight, she participates in a final, public audition at the House of Blues in Boston. (Admission to the event is $10, with all proceeds going to the Shamrock Foundation, the Celtics charity.)
“I started dancing when I was 3,” the Salem High graduate says.
“My parents (Charles and Donna Clifford) are both very involved in my dancing. My mother has always been my biggest fan. … They’re very excited for me. After 18 years of dance recitals, they can get to see it all pay off.”
Dancing can take a person in odd directions these days. Not everyone wants to be in “A Chorus Line.” Indeed, appearing as a dancer at athletic events can attract wider recognition than appearing on a traditional stage.
Pay is limited, according to Celtics spokeswoman Heather Walker. The team provides a small, hourly stipend, but the real benefit is that the job opens up opportunities. Dancers, who act as both cheerleaders and dancers, become widely known, gaining lucrative personal appearances and the opportunity to appear in commercials.
Clifford, who first tried out for this spot during auditions in New York, as well as Boston (where initially 300 women took the stage), is already one of the dancers for the Boston Cannons, the city’s professional lacrosse team.
In any case, she’s ready for tonight’s face-off, where no more than half of the remaining 40 hopefuls will be asked to don Celtics green. Pressure comes with the territory. The competition includes dancers who have also worked at their craft since childhood, from classically trained ballerinas to hip-hop dancers.
“I’ve done mostly competitive dancing all my life,” Clifford says. “When it comes to being a dancer, not only are you used to being on the spot, on the stage, but you thrive on being on the spot, on the stage.”
She will have a minute to perform solo to the song “I Love Rock N’ Roll,” which she chose because, “I love rock ‘n’ roll.”
A student of journalism and philosophy at Assumption College, Clifford expects to work hard if accepted. “You’re pretty much dancing the whole time. And dancers are some of the most intense athletes you’ll ever meet.”
She expects some quiz questions on basketball and is prepared. Most dancers are small, she points out, and when working alongside massive, hard-charging basketball players it’s best to know something about what’s going on in order to avoid collisions.
“You’ve got to keep your eye on the game.”
Part of tonight’s program includes a stint wearing a swimsuit. Clifford has no problem with that.
“We walk a catwalk,” she says. “Being part of a professional dance troupe is being physically fit.” So Celtics officials will want a good look at the dancers, she says.
If she fails to win a spot, Clifford vows to return to tryouts next year. It’s an approach that reflects her dance training.
“Anything you’re passionate about,” she declares, “it’s worth doing it over and over. Until you get it.”
Saturday is going to be an exciting day here in Los Angeles. Dancers are coming from far and wide for a chance to join the Clippers Spirit Dance Team. So far, we know that quite a group of “formers” will be there to give it a shot. Ladies from the Sonics, the Bulls, the Rockets, the Heat, the Wizards, the Spurs, the Rams, and the 49ers have all pre-registered for auditions.
Now, you may be saying to yourself “Uh-oh, I don’t have any pro experience. They’ll never pick me.” Let me tell you something – that’s just crazy talk. If you’ve got skillz, they’re going to show, experience or not. Every year, there are girls on the team who have never danced fo the pros. The judges are going to pick somebody. Why not give them a chance to choose YOU?
It’s all about the dancing, baby, so be there, or spend the next 364 days kicking yourself in the rear for not even trying.
Trust me. This will be good.
Click here for details
Cleveland Cavaliers: As the 2009 Cavalier Girls auditions are finishing up, catch a behind the scenes look at this year’s tryouts and find out what exactly it takes to be a Cavalier Girl. Video: Day 1| Day 2| Day 3
Photos: Auditions| Meet & Greet
Here are the ladies who made it to finals:
some of you may recognize a couple of these women from other teams. Courtney was a Cincinnati Bengals Cheerleader in 2005. Yoshiko was selected to the Indianapolis Colts Cheerleaders in 2005, and was a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader in 2006.
Congrats to the 16 dancers selected to the 2009-10 Indiana Pacers Pacemates dance team. This year’s group includes 10 returning veterans and 6 newbies.
Three-Day Audition Begins
Boston Celtics:
Photo Gallery 1
The Celtics Dancers Final Audition show may not be until Thursday night, but the action has already kicked off. Forty-three hopefuls from Boston, New York and Los Angeles are taking part in a three-day Final Audition process to become the next Celtic Dancer.
Tuesday and Wednesday are rehearsal days for their final showcase, which will be held from 8-10 p.m. Thursday night at the House of Blues in Boston. Tickets to the event are available at the 18 area Qdoba locations and the House of Blues box office the night of the show. Tickets are free with a suggested $10 donation to the Shamrock Foundation.
2009 Clippers Fan Patrol Auditions
Auditions for the Los Angeles Clippers stunt team took place on Saturday afternoon. Only a few NBA teams have a stunt team, and those that don’t are missing out. The Fan Patrol adds a lot to game day entertainment. No disrespect to the Clippers, but they aren’t the winningest team in the NBA. The Fan Patrol provides much-needed spirit and enthusiasm to each home game.
[I took lots of photos, which you can find right here.]
Fan Patrol tryouts were at a different venue this year. Last year, it was a dance studio. This year it was at Fit Kids Gym in Torrance. Fit Kids gym has lots of bright colors and music, and the floor is bouncy. Basically, my kind of place.
A talented group of athletes turned up to take a shot at making the Kia Fan Patrol for the 2009-2010 season. With nearly half of last year’s team retired, the newbies had a pretty good shot at it. As usual, the girls were tiny and fearless, and the boys were throwing them around like tennis balls or whatever. The thing that strikes me is how fearless and trusting you have to be to get involved in this kind of activity. The veterans have an advantage in that they’ve worked together before. The new people have a bigger challenge. Basically, they have to show up at auditions and team up with people they’ve known for only 15 minutes. The girls have to trust a total stranger to toss them around and – most importantly – to catch them. The boys have to hope the girls are in shape, and have some technique. Yeah, the girl is a total stranger, but you don’t want to drop her on the ground and have that on your conscience!
Fan Patrol auditions consist of three segments: tumbling, stunting, and “Hot Time-out” (aka crowd appeal). The auditioners were divided into groups of four. Each group did all 3 segments, then the next group did all three, and so on. When it came to the girls, once your group had it’s turn, you were pretty much done for the day. The guys all had to do the stunting section a few times, so it got a little tricky keeping everyone’s numbers in order. (Tricky for me anyway. The judges seemed to have it all under control.)
Girls usually outnumber the guys at these auditions, so each guy had to work with a few different girls. (They had the option to choose which time they wanted to be judged on.) These girls are pretty small, but the smallest are still around a hundred pounds. That’s a lot to lift over and over again. These guys have to have serious upper body strength.
I found myself wondering if they lift regular weights at the gym, or if stunting involves special muscle groups that can only be strengthened by lifting actual human beings. (15 reps with Tami as the barbell, then 15 with Cortlin, and so on.)
The tumbling section is self-explanatory. Each person had the option to demonstrate tumbling in place (back flips, etc.) and doing a tumbling pass (a series of flips going across the room.) I’d tell you more, but I don’t know much about the technical aspects of gymnastics. I know what a roundoff is, and a standing back tuck, but that’s about it. There was a lot of other stuff going on that wasn’t either of those two things. These guys could really catch some air! Not everyone had to tumble though, and some chose not to.
Stunting is the basically partner stunts where the the guy balances the girl in the air on one hand or two, and the girl does a few different positions, ie liberty, kewpie, heel stretch, bow-and-arrow, etc. There’s a lot more to it than this, but you get the gist. There’s this one move that continues to defy understanding (and the laws of gravity). I don’t know what you call it, but the guy throws the girl up in the air and she does some kind of back flip – seven feet in the AIR, mind you – and lands with her feet balanced on his hands.
Then there’s this other one where … I can’t even explain it. It’s some crazy spinning thing. I wish I had video so I could watch it in slo-mo and understand the mechanics of it all.
A hot time out is code for clubbing with the Fan Patrol.
Ok, I’m kidding. A hot time-out is what happens during a game when there’s a time out and you have to do something to keep the crowd engaged (so they aren’t sitting around scratching themselves and talking about the weather.) The music gets loud and the Fan Patrolers run out on the court and get the crowd hyped up. There’s some stunting, some jumping around and flipping, a basket toss here and there, a few “Let’s GO!” signs, some yelling, tossing of t-shirts, and overall merriment. I’d describe it as “spontaneous goofing off, underlaid with a significant amount of athletic technique.”
It’s kind of interesting to watch this go on in an audition setting. There’s no crowd to cheer along, just the judges. And although the judges will smile encouragingly, they aren’t going to paint their faces red, white, and blue and yell “Let’s go Clips” at the top of their lungs. (I wanted to, but thought I’d better not.)
Nevermind though. The auditioners cheered for each other. LOUDLY.
The audition itself went very quickly. Everyone had a turn, and then the judges adjourned to choose the finalists.
Meanwhile, you’d think everyone would kind of chill for a minute. But no. As soon as the audition is over, they’re back at it: flipping and stunting and whatnot. I heard a lot of “Hey, let’s try this!” Boing, boing, boing.
Do you remember those kids on the playground? The ones who were always climbing the jungle gym and hanging upside down on the monkey bars? Those kids eventually become these kids.
It took the judges a while to narrow down the field. They’re looking for 10 guys and 10 girls, but I think that number is flexible. When they finished deliberating, they announced the names of those who would continue on to the interview phase of the audition. Interviews were on Monday, so now the only thing to do is wait to find out who made the team. Have no doubt. When I know, you’ll know!
