Click here for some pics from this year’s open call for “the Sweethearts of the horseshoe.”

Finalists are currently participating in the annual Patriots Cheerleaders Boot Camp. Twenty-four women will be selected to the 2013 squad following the boot camp.
by Jeremie Smith
Walpole Patch
3/24/2013

The New England Patriots Cheerleaders kicked off the annual Patriots Cheerleaders Boot Camp Wednesday night, the final step in the month-long process to select the 2013 squad.

Finalists made it through the preliminary auditions earlier this month when approximately 320 applications were submitted at open auditions, among the highest turnouts in team history.

Fifty-seven candidates were invited back for final auditions last Saturday and made the cut down to 36. Now, entering its final stages, the 36 contestants will compete in the annual boot camp portion, which consists of four sessions.

At the end of the fourth session on March 30, 24 of the most talented, fit and qualified women will be selected for the 2013 Patriots Cheerleaders.

The finalists will run through intensive training sessions consisting of elements of standard Patriots Cheerleader practices. The sessions will involve rigorous fitness and physical training, choreography, public speaking exercises and promotional appearance training drills.

The 2013 Patriots Cheerleading Squad rehearses twice each week and performs at all Patriots home games. In addition to performing in front of nearly 70,000 fans, a spot on the squad provides many exciting and unique opportunities.

The cheerleaders travel to an exotic location in the spring for the Patriots Cheerleaders Swimsuit Calendar shoot, with this year’s trip set to take place in June at Coconut Bay Resort in St. Lucia. The New England Patriots Cheerleaders serve as goodwill ambassadors for the team year-round, making hundreds of appearances throughout New England. Additionally, the Patriots Cheerleaders have visited deployed military troops in more than 25 countries.

In 2012, they were ranked as the number one cheerleading squad in the NFL by CNBC. Patriots Cheerleaders have also appeared on local and national television, including Entertainment Tonight, E!, Inside Edition, Fox News, Late Show with David Letterman, On-Air with Ryan Seacrest, Good Morning America and the CBS Early Show, and in magazines including Sports Illustrated, Maxim and Muscle and Fitness.

Click here for 600+ photos from Day 1 of this year’s auditions for the ROAR of the Jacksonville Jaguars!

The judges have narrowed the competition down to 36 finalists for the 2013-14 Patriots Cheerleaders. Now they are asking for your input in determining the final members of the team. Click here to vote for your top ten!

A few notes:

1. Registration isrequired (I know, it’s a drag) but it puts you in the running for a free NEPC calendar
2. Voting ends on Friday, March 29 at 5pm (EST)
3. You can only vote once
4. There’s no telling how many women will be eliminated to form the final squad. Heck, maybe they’ll keep all of them. (Over the last few years, the team has ranged between 24 and 31 cheerleaders)
5. Do your votes count? The website doesn’t say so, so I’m guessing not. But it’s probably good for bragging rights for a few of the cheerleaders
6. We have established that there are at least 3 year veterans among the finalists. As many of you eagle-eyed readers have noted, some of these are Alyssa Caddle, Angela Lavoie, Stephanie Sanchez
7. About a third of the group are veterans from last year’s team or returning alumni
8. Rachel was a rookie Charger Girl last year and Kelly is an alum of the Boston Cannons dance team

Before we get too far into audition season, and everyone has spent beaucoup bucks on their audition outfits, I need to make a Public Service Announcement: Beware of The Sparkle Bra.

You’ve seen it. You’ve probably seen it a lot. You might even own one. You like it because it is beaded and sequined and cute. You like it because is widely available and (relatively) inexpensive. But guess what? Those are the same reasons why everyone else likes it too. There is someone wearing this top at EVERY pro audition, so you might want to think twice about wearing it.

Proof. Exhibits A, B, and C:

Sometimes there are several someones wearing it. So before you purchase/borrow a Sparkle Bra, remember that you are taking a risk. You may luck out. It may be one of those auditions where only one person wears it, and that person is you. But it is far more likely that other members of Team Sparkle Bra will be in attendance that day. Especially if it’s one of those NFL auditions that draw dancers by the hundred.

This is what I call rotten luck. Three Sparkle Bras, darn near back to back (204, 206, and 207.) What you don’t see in this photo is the other THREE girls who were also rocking The Sparkle Bra that day.

But what if you’ve already purchased The Sparkle Bra? What if you can’t return it? There’s always the option to accessorize and make it your own. Add some trim, layer it under another top, do what you need to.

Sometimes that works, and sometimes it doesn’t. Apologies to Miss 363. You are adorable, but that white top shows every lump and bump.

The other option is to make your Sparkle Bra part of an overall ensemble that has so much other stuff going on, the bra is almost an afterthought. Like so:

Now you’re all bummed out about your Sparkle Bra. You’re thinking “Forget it.” You’re thinking “Hey! I’ll get this one instead. It’s just as sparkly and just as cute.”

No, honey. Don’t buy that one either. For obvious reasons.

Choose wisely, y’all.
And that’s all I have to say about that.

There’s a great set of photos on the Baltimore Ravens website. Click here for pics from the first rounds of this year’s auditions!

Ok, is this, or is this not the same person? On the left, we have Mysterious Female Person at this year’s New England Patriots Cheerleaders finals. On the right, Angela Lavoie, alumni Patriots Cheerleader (on the team for the 2007, 2008, and 2010 seasons.)

Everybody knows the Pats Cheerleaders have a three-season term limit. Three seasons, and you’re out. That’s been the rule for as long as I can remember. Angela did her three, so that can’t be her. But that other girl…IS her. Seriously, do they not look exactly alike? Is Angela back? Is that her evil twin?

As they say in Español, explicame por favor, because I do not understand this. And it’s going to bug the crapola outta me until I get some answers.

At long last, the Brooklyn Nets have posted individual profiles for their inaugural dance team. Click here to check ’em out!

Hog’s Breath Cafe Sirens to wow fans
Gold Coast Titans
12 Mar 2013

[Watch the video]
[Photo gallery]

The iSelect Gold Coast Titans have today unveiled an exciting new look for the club’s cheerleaders, with the newly named Hog’s Breath Cafe Sirens** to light up Skilled Park in 2013.

No longer labelled the ‘Titanettes’, the Hog’s Breath Cafe Sirens will form part of the club’s off-field entertainment for 2013 in a re-brand under a new two-year sponsorship agreement.

The name ‘Sirens’ relates to the origins of the Titans in Greek mythology, where the Sirens were dangerous and beautiful creatures, portrayed as femmes fatales who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island.

In a reflection of the Hog’s Breath philosophy to “have fun and enjoy yourself” – the Hog’s Breath Cafe Sirens have a clear vision to become of the fittest and most entertaining cheerleading squads in the NRL.

Hog’s Breath Cafe representative Greg “Disco” Miller said he was excited about his organisation’s involvement with the Sirens for the next two years.

“This is the perfect partnership – the Titans are known for being a family focused club and Hog’s Breath prides itself on being a family focused restaurant,” said Miller.

“We are all about fun and the Sirens are a perfect fit for our brand. Not to mention the great fun the Hogster will get to have with all the Titans fans at each home game. It’s a great association for us to have.”

Kicking-off with the Titans’ opening home game against the Canberra Raiders on Sunday, the Sirens plan to introduce a more commercial dance style to their routines and take a step back from their previous American-style cheerleading stunts.

Part of the new agreement will also see the Sirens have more of a public presence outside of Titans home games, with members of the squad to conduct community visits to the Titans Learning Centre (TLC) at Mudgeeraba Creek State School throughout the year.

Sirens spokesperson Megan McInally said she was excited about the squad’s new direction.

“The girls are really excited about the new direction Hog’s Breath is taking with the squad. It has really given them a huge boost and a great new focus,” she said.

“The girls have been training their routines at Ikin Dance adopting a new commercial style as well as working on their strength and conditioning. We are looking forward to showing off our fittest squad yet as well as having a stronger focus on community involvement in the TLC program.”

**sidebar: things work a little differently in Australia and New Zealand. The cheerleaders have their own corporate sponsorship, which includes naming rights, and signage on the team uniforms. The Hog’s Breath Cafe is a popular chain of steak houses, not a reference to the ladies’ dental hygiene. This particular company sponsors several of the cheer teams in the National Rugby League. Sponsorships change fairly often. Before they became the HBC Gold Coast Sirens, they were known as the Norco Titanettes. Before that, they were the Chill Titanettes. And before that, they were the Jetstar Gold Coast Titans cheer squad. And this team has only been around for 6 years! No offense Aussies, but I’m glad we don’t do that over here.

Heads-up Sacramento/Bay area dancers! The Sacramento Warriors indoor football team is hosting dance team auditions this weekend (Saturday, March 16.) They are looking to field a team of 10-15 dancers, but if there’s a lot more talent they may expand the size of the team.

The dance team will perform at Warriors home games, which take place on Saturdays from April through July. That’s right around the corner, so rehearsals will begin right away. Dancers will be compensated per game, and will benefit from perks like tanning and hair styling. There will also be other fun opportunities such as paid promotional events, hosting youth dance camps, coaching junior performance teams, etc.

When and where
Saturday, March 16
3pm – 5pm (walk in registration begins at 2pm)
NorCal Fit
8771 Elk Grove Blvd, Elk Grove, CA 95624

Audition format
You will be asked to perform basic technical elements across the floor (kicks, pirouettes, grande jetes, etc.). You will also learn and perform two short sideline combinations, and a 6-8 eight count jazz/hiphop routine that includes a short freestyle element. The audition numbers of the ladies selected to the team will be posted shortly after the audition concludes.

What to bring/wear
Wear a cropped sports bra/dance bra top, fitted dance bottoms, and appropriate dance footwear. Hair and makeup should be “game-day ready.”

Dancers must be at least 18 years old. Please bring photo ID and $20 for the registration fee (cash only). You can also pay the registration fee in advance by clicking here.

Additional details are posted on the team’s facebook page.

**Judges Wanted**
The Warriors are also looking to expand the judging panel. They welcome judges from a variety of backgrounds, but prefer that they have some experience with semi-pro or professional dance teams (whether that experience is as a choreographer, clinician, technical instructor, coach/director, current member, or alumni member). If you’ve got the time, the interest, and the bona fides, please contact Hilary at WIFAWarriorsDanceTeam@gmail.com