Eagles Cheerleaders Heading to the Middle East

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Cheerleaders Heading To Iraq
PhiladelphiaEagles.com
June 25, 2009

On July 1, 2009, six Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders will depart for Iraq and Kuwait as part of a 12-day goodwill military tour. This marks the second consecutive year that Eagles Cheerleaders will travel to the Middle East to visit US military servicemen and women. The tour is designed to entertain and boost the morale of the soldiers, many of whom are serving lengthy tours of duty in Iraq and Kuwait.

The cheerleaders will be performing variety shows at the bases in addition to meet-and-greets and autograph sessions. The cheerleaders will truly get a sense of the soldiers’ sacrifice as they fly in Black Hawk helicopters, sleep in the barracks and endure the severe climate.

Amanda Bedford, a fourth-year member of the squad, will be one of the six current cheerleaders making the trip.

“I’m going to Iraq and Kuwait not only to boost the morale of our brave soldiers and show my support, but also for more personal reasons,” she said. “I have friends and family currently serving our country in the military, as well as family members who have given their lives to protect our freedom. This tour is my small contribution to those who have sacrificed so much for us.”

Joining Bedford will be Krystle Campbell of Media, PA, Tiffany Monroe of Absecon, NJ, Janelle Stangl of Bethlehem, PA, Alexandra Stephan of Shamong, NJ, and Priscilla Williams of Pennsauken, NJ.

The new cheerleaders embarking on the 2009 tour are looking forward to the visit in part because of the experiences that the cheerleaders had during last year’s tour. Rachel Washburn, who was part of the 2008 tour said, “It was a life-changing experience. It was an opportunity for me to express my appreciation and thank them in person for the sacrifices they are making to protect us and people throughout the world. They are so courageous!”

In addition to traveling to Iraq and Kuwait, the Eagles Cheerleaders have also traveled previously to Bosnia and Kosovo for goodwill military tours. The Eagles Cheerleaders are very active in making appearances at military bases and veterans hospitals in PA, NJ, and DE. Most recently, they appeared at the Walk for the Wounded in Delaware County, a fundraiser for injured soldiers, and at a welcome home celebration at Sovereign Bank Arena for 1,600 members of the Army National Guard that just returned home from Iraq.

“These outstanding NFL cheerleaders will have a tremendous impact on the military personnel serving our country. All of the participants have expressed their passion for our troops overseas and are looking forward to a successful tour and once-in-a-lifetime experience,” says David Chavez, President of Pro Sports MVP.

Knicks City Dancer Auditions are Underway!

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Knicks City Dancers Auditions:
June 28, 2009
The Monitor

Hundreds of dancers showed up to make their best moves at Madison Square Garden today, but only a few dozen were chosen to move on to the next round. Meet the women who made the cut – those who will hit the ground dancing again tomorrow, the next step on the road to becoming a Knicks City Dancer.

The dancers return to The Garden [today] for round two, so stay tuned for more behind-the-scenes audition photos and video of the dancers in action, plus hit Facebook for KCD coach Danielle’s updates from the floor.

Click here for MORE:
Meet the Semifinalists
Day One Highs and Lows
Toes to Nose: The Highest Kicks
How’d They Do That?!
Look, Up in the Sky: It’s Dancers in the Air!
Line Up With the KCD Hopefuls
KCD Audition Photos ’08: Round One | Round Two

Scenes from the Clippers Spirit Audition Prep Class

2009-spirit-prep-class_32There was a great turnout for yesterday’s Clippers Spirit audition prep class! It was a terrific opportunity for aspiring dance team candidates to meet the Director, Audrea Harris, Assistant Director Cheryl Aure-Azurin, and a few Spirit alumni: Jessie, Brittany, Nicole, Melissa, and Brilane. (Click here for photos.)

Most of the afternoon was spent learning and performing a new combination choreographed by Cheryl. First, The Spirit girls (who had only learned the dance an hour beforehand) performed for the class, and then Cheryl started breaking down the counts. I swear, I hear that “Boom Boom Pow” song every day, and I had no idea the tempo was so fast.

Cheryl taught an 8-ct or two, then the group would do it a few times with the counts, then they’d do it a couple of times with music, and then she’d teach the next 8-ct. The Spirit girls were spread out in the crowd to help demonstrate and answer questions.

After they’d learned the whole combination and done it a few times, Audrea and Cheryl had them perform it in groups of six. Afterward, Audrea said they’d done very well, but she wanted them to try it again and really perform it – smile, attack the moves, keep it sharp, and make it clean. All of the girls took that advice to heart , and the second round of performances was really fun to watch.

Lesson learned: You can’t underestimate the importance of “selling” your performance.

It was a fast couple of hours. After all of the dancing was over, some girls had to leave, but most stayed for a Q&A session. There were lots of questions about everything – the audition process, what to wear, game night, choreographers, professionalism, time commitment, and balancing life as a Spirit Dancer with your life as a student, employee, race car driver, poet, turkey farmer, or whatever else you have going on.

There were lots and lots of questions.

By the end of the day, all of the girls had a MUCH better idea of what to expect and how to prepare for auditions. Tryouts aren’t for another 4 weeks, so the girls have a good amount of time to work on anything that needs to be improved between now and then.

Speaking for myself, I can’t wait to see these girls bring it on audition day. See you July 25th, ladies!

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Nets Audition Blog

Final Decisions, Finally
By Nets Dancer Bonnie
New Jersey Nets
June 24, 2009

Hi Nets Fans! It’s official — the newest Nets Dancers have been chosen, and I think it’s going to be a fantastic team! Hundreds of girls faced a grueling audition process, and the judges chose the elite to represent the Nets Basketball this upcoming season.

The audition routine for the finals, choreographed by Jon Rua, pushed all of the dancers past their comfort zones and allowed the judges to see who could dance in a new and innovative style. Jon’s choreography has been seen on the court of the IZOD Center before: this past season, he choreographed the fan favorite “Strings,” as well as my favorite piece to perform, “Past-Present,” an upbeat hip-hop routine that incorporated “Juicy” and “Move If You Wanna.”

The young ladies who were chosen for the team all exuded confidence, performed to their best ability, and showed the maturity and technique that are expected of Nets Dancers. After the judges made their final decision, I was elated and honored to be the first number called to join the 2009-10 Nets Dancers!! I’m happy to say that all 13 returning members who re-auditioned made it back. We’re also excited to have a returning member back from two seasons ago, Marla! We also have two brand new girls, Terrie and Jen, who both killed the audition and impressed the judges enough to earn a spot on the team. Meeting them for the first time and seeing how overjoyed they were, I remembered how incredible it felt to be called last year.

The night of final auditions was exciting and stressful, but more than one day’s work went into this process. I had been preparing by following a rigorous gym routine as well as eating healthy. Being a dancer, music has a big impact on me, and an energizing mix on my iPod helped me to stay focused. Here’s a small sample:

1. “Shooting Star (Remix)” – LMFAO
2. “The Fame” – Lady Gaga
3. “Showdown” – Black Eyed Peas
4. “What a Feeling” – Peter Luts ft. Dominico
5. “Champion” – Kanye West

I’ve also looked for inspiration from the world of dance. When I’m not dancing for the Nets, I’m teaching at Dance Arts Academy. The students are preparing for the finale to their year, Nationals in Wildwood. Rehearsing with them and seeing how much hard work and love they put into each of their routines, I am reminded of how passionate I am about this art and how fortunate I am to have it as such a large part of my life.

My favorite summer show has also started up, So You Think You Can Dance. The contestants this season are all phenomenal. Seeing all the creative routines they’ve performed the past couple weeks has gotten me pumped up for another season working with my talented teammates and our ground-breaking choreographers.

I am so proud of our new team, and cannot wait to start a new and thrilling season. I know that I will continue to grow and mature as a dancer and a young woman during my next year with the Nets Dancers, and I look forward to watching my teammates do the same. Congratulations, ladies!!