Are you a Victory Girl?

You could be! The Golden Baseball League Champion Orange County Flyers will be holding tryouts for their popular Cheer and Dance Team – The Victory Girls — on Sunday April 26th.

The Victory Girls are beginning their second year of entertaining and promoting the GBL Champion Flyers. The Tryouts for the 10 member squad will be held from 11am to 3pm on April 26 at Goodwin Field at Cal State Fullerton – the home of the Flyers. A second round, if needed, will take place April 29th.

The Victory Girls play a major role for the Flyers. They entertain the fans with Dance and Cheer routines throughout the game, help greet fans as they enter the Gates, and go out in the community to represent the Flyers at numerous events.

The minimum age for the Victory Girls is 18 and you must be available for games and practices throughout the season which runs from May to September.

For more information or to sign-up visit orangecountyflyers.com or contact the Victory Girls Coordinator Jodi Adamo at Jadamo@orangecountyflyers.com

This is a great opportunity for Flyers fans, baseball fans, and dancers. If you are interested in becoming a pro or semi-pro sports dancer, this is a terrific way to get your feet wet. Last year Teresa, one of the 2008 Victory Girls, was selected to the 2008-09 Los Angeles Clippers Spirit dance team

Note: Jodi Adamo is also Director of the Anaheim Arsenal’s A-List Girls. (NBA D-league.) If you do well with the Victory Girls, you may have a leg up on performing during basketball season as well!

Preliminary Raiderette Audition

By Salvador Flores
Raiders.com
April 20, 2009

The dream for many people to be part of Football’s Fabulous Females began on Sunday as approximately 300 participated in the 2009 Preliminary Raiderette Audition at Club One in downtown Oakland.

People from all walks of life woke up bright and early on a beautiful Sunday morning and arrived at 7:30 a.m. to check in, get their registration number and wait their turn to present the best of themselves to the judges.

While there was no dancing involved this time out, the candidates still had to give their best with their appearance, poise and character once they were in front of the judges’ panel. The candidates were all dressed up and ready to go as if they were at a Hollywood movie premiere, even this early in the day.

For two of the participants it was double the excitement and double the hope of making the squad as they prepared to go in front of the judges. Mother and daughter duo Beverly and Jazmin drove down from Roseville near Sacramento on Saturday to stay with friends in Walnut Creek so that they could be here early on Sunday.

Beverly was no stranger to the process as she had auditioned once before, “It was the year after they went to the Super Bowl, everyone was very excited,” said Beverly. This time around she brought her daughter who just barely missed last year’s audition. “It would be a great thing if we could both be on the sidelines dancing and cheering for the Raiders,” added Jazmin.

You may ask who persuaded who between the two to come out and give it a try and as it turns out it was the mom convincing the daughter. Perhaps there might be a third member next year as the Jazmin’s younger sister will be 18, the minimum age required to audition. She also would like to have the opportunity to perhaps one day be able to share the sidelines with her big sister and mother should they all become Raiderettes.

The judges as well as the candidates represent the diversity of the Bay Area such as city, community and business leaders, sponsors and former Raiderettes, as well as numerous ethnic groups.

This year, Madalyn Muñoz has the honor of being a judge at auditions. She would be the person to best know who would be an ideal candidate to be part of the Raiderettes as she was one herself. She was a member of the Raiderettes from 1973 to 1977 and got the opportunity to cheer the Raiders during their Super Bowl XI victory against the Minnesota Vikings in January of 1977.

With such an experience she knows what it takes to be part of such and elite group. “You can tell right away if they are potential candidate on how they portray themselves, how they walk and pivot and express themselves in public,” said Muñoz. Now a high school English teacher, she has had the opportunity to teach the sons of a Raider great who she cheered for – George Atkinson’s twin sons have been in her class.

From former Raiderettes to family duos hoping to join them, there is always the “girl-next-door” trying to become part of the Raider history, now 50 years in the making. Such is the case of Melanie who drove from Discovery Bay and also attended the prep classes in order to get ready for the auditions. “I wanted to learn the techniques that they use and gain more confidence,” said Melanie.

Many may ask the candidates why they want to join the Raiderettes and Melanie has imposed such a question on herself as well, “I question myself ‘why’ and among the many things that come to mind the adrenaline rush of performing in front of 60,000 plus people who are all looking at you perform is the main reason why for me,” Melanie explained.

As the final group goes in to present themselves, all that is left to do for all of them is to anxiously wait for the judges to deliberate and make their decisions on who will be asked to attend the final round of auditions next Sunday.

After having been there all morning and waiting for a few extra hours, all of the candidates waited for their number to be called. While it was well known that not all of them would make it to the next round, it did not prevent any of them from showing their emotions as they found out the outcome of the judges decisions. Either way it was both an exciting and learning experience for all those who attended.

The candidates who made it to the next round did not take long to realize that they needed to work even harder as the dance aspect of the audition is next along with an in-depth look at their personalities which will be all major factors into whether or not they have what it takes to be chosen as a Raiderette for the upcoming season.

To find out who makes the squad for the 2009 Raiderettes be sure to check Raiders.com next Monday.

Cheerleader Tryouts Draw Talent

By Brooke Bentley
HoustonTexans.com
April 20, 2009
[photos and video]

At the 2009 Houston Texans Cheerleader tryouts on Saturday at the Methodist Training Center, hundreds of beautiful and talented dancers came to fulfill their dreams of performing on the sidelines at Reliant Stadium.

More than 600 women registered to try out, then had to go through three rounds of cuts to make it to the final group of 42. Those girls will go through two more auditions, including a performance next Saturday at the Houston Texans Draft Party that will give fans the chance to judge the girls on their dances moves and charisma.

The additional round of tryouts was added by Texans cheerleader services manager Alto Gary to evaluate how the girls interact with fans and conduct themselves in public appearances.

One of the most accomplished choreographers in the NFL, Gary made it harder than ever this year to become a Texans Cheerleader. For the first time, returning veterans could not skip the initial rounds and had to try out from the beginning with the rest of the participants. One of the rounds required the girls to learn a dance routine that was more complicated and fast-paced than in years past, which quickly set apart the more accomplished dancers.

“We are not too worried about them messing up the dance moves right now. We’re just seeing who’s got that spirit and who is going to be able to cheer us well from the sidelines.” – Brandon Harrison
Gary began the day by getting the girls pumped up with tunes from DJ Ram and broadcasting a video with good-luck messages from celebrities like Lady Gaga.

After learning the first-round routine, the girls performed in waves across the football field. They earned marks from Gary, her crew and hundreds of guest judges, among them Texans players, suite holders and VIP sponsors.

Left tackle Duane Brown, guard Kasey Studdard and safeties Dominique Barber and Brandon Harrison represented the team. While each admitted to having little dance experience, they said they had refined their judging criteria.

“There is a wide range of talent,” Harrison said. “We have seen some of the girls we recognize from last year, and they are really on it and know what they’re doing. There’s a little bit of a drop-off from some of them; it looks like they’re a little lost out there. But we appreciate them for coming out.

“I like to see a lot of energy, some passion and excitement. We are not too worried about them messing up the dance moves right now. We’re just seeing who’s got that spirit and who is going to be able to cheer us well from the sidelines.”

A large group of participants were cut after the first round, and Gary and her crew got down to business in rounds two and three. With several popular veterans like Betsy, Ashley and 2009 swimsuit calendar cover girl Erica not returning, Gary wanted to find girls who exceeded the highest standards she holds for the squad. It wasn’t easy, but by the end of the day, she felt like she had gotten there.

Despite the sweat and tears that had been shed, most of the girls said the tryouts were an amazing experience they wouldn’t trade for the world.

MiamiDolphins.com:
Thousands came out to the Aventura Mall to watch the Final Auditions for the Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders 2009 squad. Out of the 78 finalists, 42 were selected to start training to become a Miami Dolphins Cheerleader. Twenty-two returning veterans and twenty rookies were selected.

“This was by far the most competitive audition we have had, all of the ladies auditioning were talented and beautiful”, said Dorie Grogan, Sr. Director of Entertainment and Cheerleaders.

The new cheerleaders will make their debut appearance at the Miami Dolphins Draft Party on Saturday, April 25 at Dolphin Stadium from 4pm to 8pm.

Click here to view headshots

Lisa Guerrero: It seemed like a good idea at the time
The Los Angeles Times

The coffee I was sipping while perusing latimes.com this morning almost came out of my nose when I got a load of Last Call and the horrible/fabulous “Ram It” video. Not for the obvious reason that it is possibly the most embarrassing music video ever made, but because I am personally responsible for it.

Let me explain -– and apologize.

From 1983-87 I was a Los Angeles Rams cheerleader. We were known as “The Embraceable Ewes,” the “Los Angeles Rams Cheerleading Entertainers” (that was the official nickname) and the “Less Hot Professional Cheerleaders of Los Angeles” (that was the unofficial nickname).

The Raiderettes were hotter than we were due to their bigger pom-poms.

At that time, besides cheering, I was modeling and beginning an acting career. On a plane home to Los Angeles after shooting a commercial in Atlanta, I sat next to a gentleman who was a video producer. We got talking about what a huge deal the “Super Bowl Shuffle” was for the Bears the year before (1985) and I said wouldn’t it be great if the Rams did a video too?

A couple weeks later, we were at Anaheim Stadium shooting “Ram It.”

Unfortunately, I’m in it. Fortunately, I’m unrecognizable. About 2:45 into the video, I’m the tall skinny blond (!) in the back row, second to the left. By way of explanation, I was a bleached blond with acrylic nails and about 10 pairs of white pumps. It was the ’80s and what can I say? I also loved the Go-Go’s, so sue me.

As I recall, the only starting player of note who refused to participate was Jim Everett, making him look like a genius in retrospect. As bad as “Ram It” truly is, you simply cannot deny the genius musical stylings of Eric Dickerson (4:15 into the video). Spectacular.

On a separate note, who knew that the Rams organization would become a virtual breeding ground for embattled “Monday Night Football” sideline reporters?

The release of the video was met with a lukewarm response, which makes it even more curious that they also released a “Making of ‘Ram It’ -– Behind The Scenes” video. Believe it or not, that’s floating around somewhere too, and it’s even more brutal than the original — and, like, 30 minutes long!

Needless to say, “Ram It” was no “Super Bowl Shuffle.” And, as has been pointed out before, if the players had concentrated more on football than choreography, they might have actually won a Super Bowl themselves. Maybe not.

On a sad note, while watching this video (which I haven’t seen in 15 years) I noticed linebacker Carl Ekern on his motorcycle about the 3:50 mark. In 1990, two years after he retired, he died in an accident near Ridgecrest. He was 36 years old.

I hope “Carl-E” is up there somewhere smiling and rapping in that big football field in the sky.

– Lisa Guerrero

China Daily|BEIJING, April 18 — As one of America’s most famous cheerleading troupes performed at a park in downtown Shanghai on Friday morning, puzzled bystanders were more likely to associate it with the city’s new flagship Barbie store than flourishing Sino-U.S. ties.

Waving pompoms and gyrating in blue and white costumes and replete with white cowboy boots, the official dance troupe of the Dallas Cowboys (a National Football League team) practiced tai chi with elderly Chinese, and swapped dancing tips with hua-gu (flower drum) dancers.

“We’re hoping to mix our cultures a little bit,” said Meagan Sharp, 20. “We’re going to give them our pompoms and let them play around and see what they can take from us, and maybe try to add our power and punch to their gracefulness.”

The girls, who go by the moniker America’s Sweethearts, are as famous as it gets in cheerleading circles. They have at least two movies named after them – the first starring Jane Seymour in 1979 – as well as a recent reality TV show called “Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders: Making the Team”.

While their forebears performed for the U.S. troops in South Korea to celebrate Christmas in 1979, the troupe had never visited China – until American Airlines (AA) flew them over to celebrate its third anniversary in China.

The aim of the weeklong jaunt, which ends on Saturday, is to break down cultural and other barriers using sports and entertainment as a hammer, said Victor Lee, AA’s Greater China regional director.

“It’s good to get people from our home base in Dallas to mix with people here,” he said. “On a broader level, all kinds of sports can be without borders, and we want to show how everyone can participate and enjoy them, even if they cannot understand or play them.”

Similar to Major League Baseball’s historic China debut a year ago – when the San Diego Padres played a two-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Beijing – the emphasis was on fun and cultural integration.

Lee said the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (DCC) were made for Shanghai, if not made in Shanghai.

“They are full of passion, enthusiasm and energy, and Shanghai has that kind of character in China. It’s a booming city looking to the future, and the people are very receptive to this kind of cultural impact,” he said.

Three-year veteran American Sweetheart Tobie Percival, who put China on her to-do list after watching last year’s Beijing Olympic Games, was shocked at the sight of metropolitan Shanghai.

“I wasn’t expecting all the skyscrapers,” she said. “I was thinking more like this park, kind of more greenery and trees, that kind of thing. But no matter which direction you look in, there’s a high rise.”

Whitney Isleib, 21, said she could see cheerleading taking off here in a big way as China starts to integrate U.S. trends with its own.

“I definitely think it could get incorporated into Chinese sports. I think the Chinese would love to learn cheerleading. I mean, I saw their kicks. They’re getting pretty high.”

“We’ll definitely have some competition in the future.”

China sent its first modern cheerleading squads to an Olympics when it played host in August. It is also starting to branch out from the traditional State-led sports system by embracing the U.S. college sports model, a move being pioneered by Beijing’s Tsinghua University.

Percival said the squad would be taking home more than just the cuddly blue Shanghai Expo 2010 mascots they got during a gift exchange with the local drum dancers, some of whom were in their late 60s.

“We’ll try to incorporate as much of what they do as we can. It’s definitely amazing to blend different cultures and traditions into what we do, because we like to be diverse and include everybody,” she said.

The DCC’s maiden appearance in China was, to all intents and purposes, an unqualified success.

“This is quite different from Chinese culture,” said Fan Guangfa, a middle-aged Chinese man who climbed up a lamppost to get a better view. “But I wish they would come here more often.”

Some things got lost in translation, but the message of cultural exchange, however garbled, ultimately made its way to the masses.

“Wow,” said one man from Xi’an, Shaanxi province, who was carrying his grandson on his shoulders. “American Airlines’ stewardesses are really stunning, aren’t they?”

When the toddler grows up, the difference between the two will no doubt be much clearer.

Check out the Dallas Mavericks Dancers in this weeks Sports Illustrated NBA dance team gallery!

[Checking in on the pro cheer world Down Under.~Sasha]

Melissa Matheson
The Penrith Press
3/10/2009

THE Pink Panthers are ready to pounce. The Panthers’ cheer squad have new uniforms, new moves and a new male member for the 2009 season.

Aaron Neich made national headlines after being on the front page of the Press when he was selected for the squad.

Watch the Panthers cheer squad auditions:

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View the photo gallery.

He said he was surprised at the attention and the pressure that comes with it.

“Everyone’s expecting to see something good,” he said. “They haven’t seen me or the way I dance.”

Squad “veteran” Katrina Lee said Aaron has brought a new dynamic to the team.

“I’m a veteran, this is my third year here,” she said. “It’s fun dancing with a guy.

“I think there’s more opportunity for more moves; last year, it wasn’t limited, it was just different.”

Team mate Ashleigh Seymour is a former Miss Teen Australia and was a member of the Parramatta Eels cheer squad before joining the Panthers.

“I took a year off last year so I’m just looking forward to getting back into it with the local team,” she said. “It’s amazing having all the crowd out there watching the game and cheering for you.”

The cheer squad is managed by Westside Performing Arts’ Laura Harrison and Jenine Wright.

MIAMI (CBS4.com) ― The Miami Dolphins made the final selections for the 2009 Miami Dolphins Cheerleader team on Saturday.

Dozens of fans gathered to watch the final round of tryouts at Center Court in Aventura Mall. T.J. Altman said he’s made the trip down from Lakeland, Florida for several years.

“We come every year,” said Altman. “That’s why we bring our seats so we can be comfortable it’s an all day affair.”

What began with over 200 participants was whittled down to 78 ladies auditioning for a spot on the 2009 team. In the end judges cut the list down further and only the top 40 ladies were selected.

By Bryan Reckard
Navy.mil
4/16/2009
[hi-res photo]

YOKOSUKA, Japan (NNS) — Several Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders hosted a cheerleading clinic at Fleet Activities Yokosuka’s (CFAY) Purdy Gym for young girls from the base and the surrounding areas April 14.

The cheerleaders visited CFAY to meet service members, sign autographs and host the clinic as part of a joint effort between the CFAY Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) Entertainment Department and American Airlines.

Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader Ally Traylor said that the group had already visited several military installations this year.

“We have been very fortunate to go to a lot of bases,” Traylor said. “It is our second day in Japan, so we have visited a few, and we also just got back from South Korea this past December on a USO tour, so we we’re able to visit bases over there as well.”

During the clinic, cheerleaders taught the girls a dance routine and gave all participants a chance to ask the cheerleaders questions about their jobs as Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.

“We’re really excited that they can be with us and learn some of material,” said Kelsi Reich, also a member of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. “We get to show them that we’re grateful to them and their families for serving our country.”

Isaiah Mincks, MWR youth sports director, said the clinic gave the girls a chance not only to meet some famous cheerleaders, but it also gave them an opportunity to have fun and stay active.

“It gives the kids an opportunity to do something active and get the blood pumping for a little bit,” Mincks said. “They are having a good time.”

Reich said that visiting Japan was a wonderful experience and she is thankful that she was able to come overseas to meet service members and thank them for all they do.

“I’ve never been in Japan before, this is my first time here and it’s an amazing experience,” Reich said. “I never thought in a million years I’d be ale to come here and visit the different bases with the Marines, the Navy and the Air Force, but it’s a big blessing to be here and to see the troops and to tell them thank you for serving our country.”