The field of candidates has been narrowed down to the top 50. Surprisingly, there are only 12 veterans and NO twins in the running this year.
You can only choose one dancer, so make it count! Voting is open until Monday. Click here to cast your ballot. (Registration required)
Click here to see individual shots of all 50 finalists.
All the Morgans. Rookie candidates Morgan O, Morgan S, and Morgan W.
Auditions are over and 26 ladies have been select to the 2016 squad. Click here to see who was chosen. Congrats ladies!
Click here for photos of all of the finalists
Click here for photos of all of the finalists in team colors
Click here for photos of all of the finalists in swimwear
Click here for photos of all the finalists prepping for the final showcase
Jamie McDonough is now a cheerleader for the New England Patriots. (COURTESY PHOTO)
Jamie, 23, formerly of Kearsarge and now of Boston, learned last week she’s one of the newest members of the Patriots cheerleader dance squad.
“I am so overjoyed,” Jamie, daughter of Alena and Tom McDonough of Kearsarge, said Friday by phone from Florida where she was visiting her sister, Lauren. “Trying out for the team was very personal to me so I kept it pretty quiet and didn’t tell many people about it.”
Jamie was one of 33 women — and 20 rookies — selected from a field of 420 women to cheer for the Patriots.
The dance team performs at all home games. They are required to attend a minimum of two rehearsals per week.
Jamie is a 2011 Kennett High graduate, and her news was greeted with excitement on the Conway campus.
Junior Esmae Doucette called it “crazy and awesome,” as she gave the student representative’s report to the Conway School Board on Monday.
“We’re all very proud of Jamie,” Principal Neal Moylan said. “We’ll be rooting for her and the Patriots, of course.”
When Jamie cheers in her first game at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., in August, when the Patriots play the New Orleans Saints, it will be her first time cheerleading.
But she has been dancing for as long as she can remember.
“I’ve been part of the Act I dance troupe at Tina Titzer’s (School of Dance in Fryeburg, Maine) since the age of 3,” Jamie said. “Tina is like family;, she’s been such a great figure in my life.”
Jamie also was captain of the dance team at Kennett High, and remembers competing as an Eagle around New England.
“It was such a great experience,” she said.
Jamie continued to dance at the University of New Hampshire. She graduated last May with majors in international affairs and communications and minors in dance and Spanish.
At UNH, “I became an advanced tapper,” Jamie said. “I love to tap dance.”
Jamie, who works by day as a study abroad facilitator in Boston, sees joining the Patriots cheer squad as a way to continue her love of dance.
“I’m psyched to be a part of the team. The (squad) has less of a focus on stunts but more on performance, which I want. As long as I can remember I wanted to dance professionally, and now it’s going to happen.”
Tryouts for the squad took place at Gillette Stadium on March 5.
Jamie McDonough in 2009 at Tina Titzer’s Dance Studio. (JAMIE GEMMITI PHOTO)
“Walking in there at Gillette was incredibly intimidating,” she continued. “I have to say all of the girls were just so nice. The director (Tracy Sormanti) is a dream. She told all of us she was so proud we were here and willing to do this.”
The prospective cheerleaders were called in one by one to perform a freestyle dance to their own choreography in front of four judges.
“I felt like I made a good introduction,” Jamie said. “The Patriots are looking for someone who is happy and nice, who interacts with fans and is well-spoken and confident.”
The audition continued with everyone learning a group dance. “It was an opportunity for us to show the judges what we remembered,” Jamie said. “I started out with no expectations, which is why I was so surprised I made it to the next round.”
The final audition was a one-minute solo dance along with an interview with the director.
After the finals audition, the coaches trimmed the field to just 48 women, who were invited to attend the Patriots’ four-day boot camp held over two weeks (from 7 to 10 p.m. midweek and from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on the weekends, plus an hourlong exercise with a personal trainer each day), which would eventually determine the 33 to make the team.
“It was physically intense,” Jamie said, “but I really loved it. I got to meet and dance with the Patriots cheerleaders who were already on the team. Everyone was so nice. The Patriots audition process is one of the longest in the NFL.”
The 2016 team was announced April 3. The roster was posted online that evening.
“I did my best to distract myself all day,” Jamie said. “I wanted it so badly for myself and also for the other girls who have overcome so much adversity. I really made some good friends from this experience.”
Jamie McDonough (right) said Alyssa Crane (left), her UNH colleague, also made the Patriots squad. (COURTESY PHOTO)
“We decided independently to try out,” Jamie said. “It was pretty much, see you there, but after each rehearsal we’d text each other.”
The cheerleaders started practice Tuesday, April 12, with a team orientation.
“I am so thrilled,” Jamie said.
According to the website Ask.com, Patriots cheerleader earn about $75 a game, though NFL cheerleaders with prior professional experience can earn up to $1,500 per month.
Cheerleaders also get free perks like beauty care, gym memberships, season tickets, travel, photoshoots and team gear, the website said.
“During the season we’ll be going to the games and making professional appearances,” Jamie said.
She said she looks forward to meeting the Patriot players.
“Julian Edelman is first on my list,” she said laughing. “I’ve never been anything but a Patriots fans; it makes this all so exhilarating. My mom and dad and sister have said they’ll be there for the first game.”
Jamie hopes her success will inspire other dancers.
“If you have the passion, you can persevere,” she said.
You can follow Jamie and her teammates online at www.patriots.com/cheerleaders/roster
Claire Messersmith
The Vermont Cynic
April 14, 2016
While most UVM students cram into dorm rooms to view New England Patriots football games in the fall, one student drives three-and-a-half hours every home game to cheer for the team at Gillette Stadium from the field.
Sophomore Bridget Martin, a transfer student from the University of Rhode Island, found out she had been accepted as an alternate cheerleader for the Patriots in spring 2015, right after she had transferred to UVM.
“It was pretty ironic, I ended up creating a three-and-a-half hour commute versus a 30-minute commute [to Gillette Stadium, the home stadium of the New England Patriots],” Martin said.
“But it wasn’t really planned because I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to go to UVM or that I was going to be a Patriots cheerleader.”
The audition process lasted about two months, and consisted of “an interview, dancing, talking in front of a panel of judges, workouts and a two-week boot camp, to make sure [applicants are] fit enough to endure a whole game of cheering on the sidelines,” Martin said.
“All of these workouts, obviously, you have to do with a smile, because that’s how it’s going to be on game day,” she said.
This past fall, Martin’s first fall semester at UVM, she tried to schedule classes around Thursdays in order to balance school as best she could while honoring her new commitment to the Patriots.
“You never know when you’re going to have to go to a Thursday night football game,” Martin said, “but I did happen to have a few classes on Thursdays. I just used good communication with my professors.”
She said her professors have been understanding, especially because of the higher level of commitment during the fall semester rather than in the spring, when the Patriots are not playing their regular season.
“They happened to be Patriots fans too, so that helped,” Martin said.
During the fall, which is when the New England Patriots’ season takes place, Martin said she usually spends her Thursdays through Sundays near Gillette Stadium.
During the spring, the cheerleaders have practices Tuesdays and Saturdays.
Patriots cheerleaders also have a quota of charity events that they are expected to attend each year based on everyone’s availability.
“For the cheerleaders, we do about 50 a year, and those are random,” Martin said.
“The fall is a huge commitment because we have the practices, games and the charity events,” she said.
The Patriots Charitable Foundation, run by the Kraft family, is the foundation which organized each of the charity events that the cheerleaders took part in.
Martin said one of her favorite things about being a Patriots cheerleader is the people she has met.
Some of the people Martin has met through her new position include the Kraft family, who own the New England Patriots, she said.
“Between that, the fans and the charity events, I’ve been able to make networks through all different types of people,” Martin said.
“And even when I was attending about 50 charity events this past year, each event, no matter how small or big, there was someone who would really move me and touch my heart,” she said.
The commute to Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts from Burlington is an easy drive, and the job is well worth it, she said.
“Those personal experiences were really things I would have never had the chance to have if I didn’t have this job,” she said.
Auditions for the San Francisco 49ers Cheerleaders are over for this year, and 40 dancers have been selected to the team. Among this year’s rookie class are three former San Jose Saberkittens, Natalie, Marissa, and Danielle. Danielle is also an alum of the Golden State Warrior Girls. Click here to see the entire 2016 roster!
Lots of photos from this year’s open call for the TTC. Click here to check out the photo gallery!
I do believe this is former Miami Dolphins Cheerleader Lacie (2004-2008) . If she makes the team, that would be a pretty terrific comeback. Go Lacie!
Myles Simmons
Los Angeles Rams
April 7, 2016
It’s been 21 long years, but the NFL has returned to Los Angeles.
The Rams’ players will be filing into the temporary facility in Oxnard, Calif. for the start of the offseason program on April 18. But L.A. also needs individuals to be ambassadors to represent the organization with poise and class: the 2016 Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders.
There are a few steps in order to become one of the ladies on the squad, including a few workshops held throughout the Los Angeles area in March. But the red-letter day on the calendar was April 2 for the squad’s preliminary auditions.
Eventually, the team will be comprised of around 35 young women. However, nearly 400 made their way to the practice gymnasium at the University of Southern California’s Galen Center last Saturday. This all-day session would narrow the field down to 66 finalists, each of whom will go through dance rehearsals and an interview before the final auditions at The Forum on April 17.
But to narrow that field on Saturday made for a long, strenuous day.
WARMING UP
“I’m really pleased with the turnout today. I think that everyone here today is very technically trained. So we’re grateful that everyone came out.”
While the auditions didn’t officially begin until 9 a.m., ladies began filling the gym an hour before to register. There was a palpable mix of nervous energy in the room, as some young women stretched on the floor with their friends, and others mingled of the bleachers.
And these ladies came from all different walks of life.
“Right now I’m actually a full-time manager for AT&T,” said one.
“I’m a group fitness instructor — an instructor for Zumba,” said another.
Of course, there were former cheerleaders in the room as well. Some had worked in the Los Angeles market for the Clippers or Lakers. Others had worked in the NFL — places like Baltimore and Washington. And two had even previously cheered for the Rams.
But for this group of young women, Saturday represented the first chance to cheer for an NFL team in Los Angeles. For many, it was the exact challenge they wanted.
“I knew L.A. was expecting an NFL team, so everyone was just kind of waiting to hear who would move here,” said Shelbie K, a former cheerleader for the Lakers. “And once we found out it was the Rams, we were so excited.”
“Obviously, it’s been a rumor for quite some time now that the Rams are coming here. So I’ve been on the lookout, waiting to see when auditions are going to come up,” said Andi R., who’s danced for two NBA and MLS teams. “I’ve been all around, but I’ve never done NFL. It’s on my bucket list.”
As the potential cheerleaders went through their final preparations for the long day, so did Rams Director of Cheerleaders Keely Fimbres-Bledsoe. As she scanned the room, Fimbres-Bledsoe appeared pleased with the turnout for the squad’s re-introduction to the Los Angeles market.
“We have almost 400 candidates today,” Fimbres-Bledsoe said, setting the stage for the morning session. “They’ll do a short warm up, they’ll do across the floor, and we’ll eliminate from there — go on to Round 2.”
Left unsaid was just how soon those cuts would come.
ROUND 1
“You only have that little bit of time to shine on a football field, in an appearance. And it’s first impressions.”
A longtime choreographer in the Los Angeles area, John Peters has previously worked with the Rams and Fimbres-Bledsoe for a number of years. With that familiarity, he knows exactly what to teach and how to teach it for Round 1 with across the floor.
“It entails all the technical elements that a Rams cheerleader would need to have in their basic form for them to make it through an entire season,” said Peters, “and be able to dance the routines that we do throughout the entire season.”
When Peters says the basics, it’s relative. Some of the potential cheerleaders may not have thought the kicks and turns were all that simple. But, as Peters said, it’s about making sure the ladies have the required baseline skills.
After learning the combination in long rows spread out across the gym, the ladies had around 10 minutes to practice the short routine before performing it in groups of three for the five judges. That’s it.
Raising the intensity of the situation, the judges gave only a “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” to each contestant after she performed in her group.
If the potential cheerleader received enough “yes” votes from the panel, she’d advance to the next round with a green wristband. If she didn’t, she’d hear, “Thank you for coming,” and walk over to have her pink wristband removed. Her audition was over.
With such an impersonal process — at this point, the ladies did not even have numbers to identify them — it’s no shock the entire room was filled with nervous energy. That includes from the judges themselves.
“It was a little frightening, and a little intimidating for us because usually you hide behind a piece of paper and say yes or no. This is right in front of them to say you’re in or out,” said Sandy Charboneau of Pro Tour Productions, one of the judges. “I think that’s what [the first round] was about — first impressions. Do you like them or do you not like them?”
In some ways, it’s disarming just how machine-like the process goes. A group of three walks up, Peters counts them in, the ladies dance, and the judges render their decisions. And it’s clear as an observer who should and should not move on to Round 2. But that doesn’t necessarily make it easier when a contestant is out of the running.
“Unfortunately, I got cut. But that’s ok,” said Chace, who seemed disappointed but still upbeat about the experience. “People are often so shy to audition, but if you take your life, and you look at things and you say, ‘Oh, I don’t really want to do that,’ out of failure, out of fear, out of being scared of losing — you’re not going to live your life.”
“I get emotional because I’ve been on that side,” Fimbres-Bledsoe said. “I’ve auditioned many times, not made a lot of teams, not made a lot of things. So for me, it is personal. It’s emotional. So I do feel for everyone. But I am grateful that they all came out today.
“I just feel for them,” she continued. “It’s not easy. This is very ‘L.A.’ This is exactly what they do at every audition. Sometimes, you don’t even get to stand there. They’ll just tap you out and say, ‘Thank you for coming.’”
There were some hung heads, and a few tears. But there were also 132 ladies who received that green wristband to move on to Round 2.
“I just did across the floor, it was the first audition of the day, and I got through the first round. So I’m so excited,” said Aubrey A. “I really listened to the corrections and tried to apply it to my across the floor. And I think that’s what got me through.”
It’s about 11:45 when the last group of three finishes its Round 1 routine. Fimbres-Bledsoe addresses the group to congratulate those who have made it through.
“Be sure to get something to eat if you need it,” she says, “because the next round will start exactly at 12:30.”
And for those still in the room who did not advance, it’s time to leave.
ROUND 2
“We’re not looking for soloists. We’re looking for team players.”
The relaxed atmosphere of the lunch period proves short lived, as Peters explains the second round is about to be significantly harder.
“I’m going to be teaching them a routine that’s more like what we would be doing at a sideline or a timeout, or a halftime performance,” Peters says. “It’ll show a little bit of style of all the types of things that we’re going to need for them to be able to do. They use pompoms, so we need strength of movement. We’ll have some technical dance elements in it as well — a little bit of hip hop type of stuff, because we do a little bit of everything for Rams cheerleaders to appeal to the audience.”
Peters breaks up the routine into three sections to teach it. There are hip turns, spins, flips, kicks, leaps — everything you would imagine from a complex cheerleader routine. But these young women are not given much time to master the choreography.
“It is hard to pick up a routine depending on your skill set, but some girls take a little longer to go home, have to really process things, and then they can come out and shine,” Charboneau says. “Unfortunately, in this industry … you don’t have that kind of time. So you have to show that you learn a routine fast. You have to come out and then perform it.”
And there is a difference between simply knowing a routine versus performing it. Charboneau pointed out a few indications.
“Charisma. Hair flipping. Smiles. Personality,” Charboneau says. “You can learn the five steps [just like] everybody else, but are you going to stand out with that personality coming out and you say, ‘wow, that girl shines’? There should be 20 girls on the court and you can see that one girl. And that’s the girl that you want on that football field.”
Peters takes about an hour and a half to teach the dance, weaving the three sections together. After running through it a few times, the pairs begin a 15-minute practice session, during which the audition song — a sped up remix of Fifth Harmony’s “Work from Home” — blares over the speakers. Some pairs work off to the side, trying to develop chemistry. A big group forms in the middle of the floor, as some dancers appear to struggle to retain the choreography without looking at their competition.
And then, the music stops. No more rehearsing.
That goes for when the pairs begin performing, too. If the ladies aren’t in front of the judges, they sit quietly on the edges of the floor for what is perhaps the most nerve-racking part of the day. There are 66 pairs, and they perform in order from No. 1 to No. 132 — nothing is random. So while the first few pairs do the routine the dance when it’s fresh, the last few have to wait over an hour.
That’s why Andi R. — former Lakers and Clippers cheerleader and contestant No. 132 — had to develop a strategy to stay focused.
“I was trying not to watch too much, just because I feel like that can mess me up,” she said. “Everyone dances differently. So I was trying to kind of just sit with my eyes closed and do it in my head.”
The visualization technique was apparently popular for those who were successful.
“I sat, closed my eyes, visualized it perfectly. And then got up and made that reality,” said Shelbie K., No. 53. “You have to be connected to yourself and not even look at any other girls.”
Both Andi and Shelbie were able to get through the dance, performing the choreography as it was taught. Many others did not share the same fate. Some dropped a couple steps but where able to get right back in it. Others simply could not get past the first few moves before getting lost.
The break up in sections also seemed to be a blessing and a curse. If a dancer lost her place in the second section, she could sometimes get right back in it with the third.
And a derailing factor for more than a few routines was one dancer dropping a step or two, looking over to her partner, and that partner making eye contact. For whatever reason, that one simple act could throw off both dancers, possibly costing both a shot as finalists.
These instances underscored the difficulty and unique nature of this audition.
“I’ve tried out for as many teams as you can think of, and it’s unheard of to learn a whole routine that you perform on gameday in one day in one round,” said Brittany W. “It’s intense. And then we did it again in lines, which is also unheard of. But I like it. Switch it up.”
Nevertheless, there were plenty of young women feeling good about their chances after all 66 pairs had finished their dance. Fimbres-Bledsoe also gave the contestants an opportunity to do the dance one last time in groups of 10.
“I would say the first time I performed it, I felt a little bit shaky. I had a little slip up, but then I caught back on,” said Brandi W. “They let us do it again, so I definitely redeemed myself. I think I was able to show the judges that I do know the choreography.”
“It was absolutely amazing, just to have the opportunity to be around so many talented, beautiful, dynamic women — it just pushed you to be your best,” said Shardia W. “It just gave you a little more courage to come out here and try to shine. I’m tired, I feel like I ran a marathon. But it was definitely worth every minute.”
For Shardia, Brandi, and 64 other young women, their spot as finalists would be solidified over the next two hours in a small conference room one floor below the gymnasium.
DELIBERATIONS
“If we think that there’s potential, or we want to see them again, we’re going to advance them.”
While the panel of five judges made their decisions known in Round 1, for Round 2 they silently wrote either, yes, no, or maybe on a form at the end of each dance. Occasionally, the panel would make some notes as well.
“In this room, we give everyone an opportunity to fight for who they feel we want to see again, because sometimes today gets a little tiring,” Fimbres-Bledsoe said just before the start of deliberations. “So if we think that there’s potential, or we want to see them again, we’re going to advance them.”
Much like the rest of the day, the process is fairly impersonal. Without an image the ladies in the room, Fimbres-Bledsoe first goes from No. 1 to No. 132 asking for either a yes, no, or maybe vote from the judges and Peters. If the vote was unanimous on the first pass — whether up or down — the discussion was over for that candidate. If a potential cheerleader needed more discussion, that would be done after all the numbers had been voted on for the first time.
It’s in this room that the vision of what the judges are looking for in a cheerleader begins to crystalize based on the comments they make about each candidate.
“All the judges are here for different reasons,” Fimbres-Bledsoe says. “So we all see something different in every girl — whether it’s her physical appearance, her hair, how well she speaks, her dance ability. Everybody brings something different to the table.”
As the panel goes through the ladies marked for discussion, they look at pictures shot just before each dancer began her, Round 2 audition.
There’s no one set of criteria for what could make a positive or negative impact. Any comment can either help or hurt a potential finalist.
Did she cheer for an NBA team? That could be a positive. Did she cheer for another NFL team? Depending on which one it was, that could be a negative. Is she a good-but-not-great dancer? Maybe put her through to see how she interviews.
How will she be as a teammate?
“She’s the only girl I saw grab her partner’s hand and say, ‘Good luck.’ That definitely counts for something.”
Can she actually do the dancing required to be a cheerleader?
“We’re never going to do more than a double pirouette, but they need to at least do a double pirouette.”
How well did she adhere to instructions?
“It was laid out for everybody. Everybody is equal — you get one shot and one shot only. So for her to ask that question… For me, it’s a no.”
“She does not follow directions. She was wearing shorts.”
How did she perform in the audition?
“She’s beautiful…but she had flailing technique.”
“She pretty much re-choreographed the entire thing.”
But the question at the heart of it all: Can she be a Los Angeles Rams Cheerleader?
“She’s the most beautiful girl at the audition.”
“She’s very good as a teammate.”
“She dances effortlessly.”
“She is Ms. Cheerleader. She could be the captain of the cheerleaders.”
It takes about an hour and a half, but about 7 o’clock, the Rams have their 66 cheerleader finalists.
“I’m a little nervous, I think,” Fimbres-Bledsoe says. “It’s going to extend our show, but it gives us an opportunity to see more talent.”
You, too, can have the opportunity to see the finalists in person at the Final Auditions. The event will be held April 17 at The Forum. Tickets start at $10 and may be purchased at ticketmaster.com by clicking the link here.
By Kathleen Schassler
The Middletown Press
April 8, 2016
CROMWELL >> Football fans may be surprised to find the head cheerleader for the 2016 New England Patriots Cheerleading Squad scooping ice cream at a local restaurant.
Known as “Captain Tory” to the squad, Victoria Spadaro, a Cromwell dancer and the manager of Mortensen Dairy Ice Cream, is beginning her third season with the team, her second as captain, Spadaro said Friday.
Being a part of the team has taken the Cromwell High School graduate to many exciting places, like the sidelines of the 2015 Super Bowl XLIX when the Patriots won the championship, and a 2016 swimsuit calendar shoot with the squad in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
The squad performs before nearly 70,000 fans at home games. Patriots cheerleaders have also visited deployed military troops in more than 25 countries and appeared on local and national television, according to Michael Jurovaty, assistant director of media relations for the team.
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“It took me three years to make the team,” said Spadaro, who is one of 420 dancers who vied to win one of 33 spots. A competitive dancer, Spadaro got inspired to try out for the squad by former Coach Brittany Bonchuk, who led Spadaro’s dance team at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain. Bonchuk was in her fourth and final year on the Patriots squad when the CCSU student was a rookie.
“When you audition more than once, you have to ask yourself, ‘Am I improving?’” said Spadaro about the challenging, six-week audition process that includes an optional clinic to help newcomers enter the process. Though she progressed further with each audition, she questioned herself, and ultimately is thrilled that she stuck with it.
“You’re in a sisterhood,” said Spadaro, who travels throughout the region making appearances with the cheerleading team. “We get to see what is happening in New England. We meet so many people who care enough to do wonderful things in their communities.”
The cheerleaders are talented, expert dancers with years of experience, said Spadaro, who got her start in a Rocky Hill studio. The squad dances on the sidelines at games, with some tumbling added in, she said. Prior to joining the group, Spadaro coached a competitive dance team at Cromwell High School that she also helped to start, she said. “They were the favorite team I ever worked with or coached,” said Spardaro, who served as assistant coach to Cromwell teacher Alishia Coleman before stepping up to coach in 2012-13, prior to making the Patriots squad.
“Those kids are dedicated. They want to compete,” Spadaro explained.
The cheerleader dedicates herself to the part-time job with the Patriots, one that requires “a full-time commitment,” said Spadaro, who also works another part-time job in addition to managing Mortensen’s — as a dance instructor at New England Dance in Cromwell. The two local jobs offer her the needed flexibility to travel three days a week to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, for practices and home games in the fall.
“I love it,” Spadaro said of her work with the squad.
This year, the more than four-hour, round-trip commute to Gillette will be a bit easier since several rookies from Connecticut have joined the squad. “Now we can carpool,” said Spadaro, who uses the travel time to listen to books, music or NPR.
Proud parents Kathy and Jonathan Spadaro have come to see their daughter perform many times, she said. “Every time [Dad] comes to New England, he wears green,” said Spadaro, of her father, a fan of the New York Jets, a Patriots rival. “Everyone knows.”
San Francisco 49ers
April 4, 2016
Click here to view select images from the San Francisco 49ers auditions to find their 2016 cheerleader squad.
Top: Bridget, Blake, Melissa, Shelby, Rose, Lauryn, Courtney, Sydni, Whitney
Middle: Teran, Elaine, Kayla Ann, Anna, Delani, Shelbi, Madison, Karissa, Glory, Angelica
Bottom: Denise, Marissa, Kayla Nicole, Tina, Rebecca, Tawnie, Devin, Emily, Tyler
Chargers.com
April 08, 2016
After deciding to hang up her gold pom poms three years ago, Marissa never fully imagined this day would come.
The former veteran was a Charger Girl for a trio of seasons before deciding to take a break to start her own business. But on Thursday night, she did what few have done, and inked a spot on the hottest dance team in the NFL after a lengthy hiatus.
“My heart is on this team, I’m brightest when I’m on this team and I wanted to be a bright light for my teammates once again,” she said after she took her team photo. “It’s indescribable. It doesn’t feel real. I’ve been wanting to come back for so long. I still have friends on the team so for me, it was hard to see them on the field (performing without me). I’d help out on game days, but I really just missed being out on the field.”
This season, America’s Finest City will be represented by 15 veterans and 13 fresh-faced rookies. The group features a veterinary technician, pediatric nurse, medical sales representative and real estate professional. There are also eight local students on the roster, including four from San Diego State University and four from the University of San Diego.
According to Marissa, coming back wasn’t any easier this time around than it was three years ago. Having been a veteran, she felt that familiar pressure Thursday night.
“It was a lot more difficult this time around. I knew what to expect and I knew what (the judges) would expect of me. But I also knew that they’d be watching and making sure that I knew what it took to be able to come back on the field.”
Veteran CG Delani echoed Marissa’s sentiments and added that although the competition is fierce, knowing what being a Charger Girl is like and all that comes with it is something she wasn’t ready to give up.
“I’ve been a dancer since I was three years old so the pressure is always on for me,” said the veteran entering her third season with the team. “But I guess this is a good thing because it just means that I care about it. If I didn’t care, I probably wouldn’t be nervous… Being on the team, you realize how incredible it is and how many amazing experiences you have. You never want to lose that, so coming back each year makes it that much scarier.”
Marissa and Delani were two of hundreds who auditioned on Saturday for a coveted spot on this year’s squad. After two rounds of cuts, Charger Girls Director Lisa Simmons and a panel of judges sent 70 women through to finals. After rigorous interviews through the week, the 70 convened downtown on Thursday night one final time. They performed two routines – a pre-choreographed dance that they did in groups of three and then a solo, the latter being the final opportunity to showcase their individual strengths and leave everything out on the dance floor.
After a long, arduous deliberation process, Simmons narrowed the 70 down to 28.
“We welcomed a lot of new talent at this year’s audition which was really refreshing for us as judges,” Simmons said. “(But) our job was extremely difficult tonight. We had so many incredibly talented, unique, gorgeous and dynamic women who auditioned and made it to the final round. We are confident we put together the best possible team for this year’s squad.”
Talent was aplenty and Simmons even had to bid farewell to a few veterans from last season who re-auditioned. While she closed doors for some, she opened ones for others and said her favorite part of the evening is calling out the numbers of the girls who made the team.
“It’s always a pleasure to be the one to call out their numbers and see those ladies who have continued to audition year after year after year who don’t (originally) make it, but make it tonight. To be a part of that journey with them is one I hold dear to my heart and it’s a real exciting time for us tonight.”
As one of the lucky ones who heard her number called, Rose said it took some time for the reality that she’s a Charger Girl to set in.
“I, for some reason, can never (comprehend) my number being called,” said the rookie. “I always assume it’s someone else’s and then all the girls next to me said, ‘Oh my gosh, Rose! That was you!’ I was like, ‘Are you sure? Really? There’s no way they called my number.’ But they did!”
New not only to the team but also San Diego, Rose is excited and eager to cheer on the Bolts in the city she now calls home.
“I’m most looking forward to just representing the team, immersing myself in the city and being part of the culture. I moved out to California out for adventure and since I grew up in Texas my whole life, this is the best way I can give back to a city I’m new to.”
