In this week’s Flashback Friday, we take a look at one of the hottest cheerleaders in the NFL, Tennessee Titans cheerleader Elizabeth.  This photo was taken at the 2015 P-R-O Convention in Atlanta where I first saw her.  And from that first moment, I knew Elizabeth was special.  Fast forward to the 2018 season and Elizabeth is now a team captain…special indeed.

The Titans have an amazing squad and I was fortunate that their team was wearing their game day uniforms, which always make for a more colorful and interesting image.  See what I mean.

In 2011, I made the trek up to Sacramento, California to cover the Sacramento Kings Dancers auditions and it was quite an experience.  The auditions were held at the Thunder Valley Casino and the ballroom had a nice black backdrop that nicely accented the performance area.  All in all, it was ideal photo shoot location.

There were many beautiful and talented dancers in attendance that day and the above image was of one of the hottest dancers I have ever photographed at an audition.  She was a returning veteran and definitely had the NBA dancer look.  It’s no surprise that she made the squad again and I got some remarkable photos of her that night.

In this edition of Flashback Friday, we take a look back at the 2017 Los Angeles Charger Girls auditions.  Held at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion, the Charger Girls auditions attracted over 250 girls from Southern California and included former cheerleaders from the Laker Girls, Clipper Spirit, Arizona Cardinals Cheerleaders, 49ers Gold Rush, Ladies of Ontario Fury, the UCLA Dance Team and other notable local dance teams.

One of the former cheerleaders in attendance was a former 49ers Gold Rush member and a former Ladies of Ontario Fury dancer named McKenzie.  I photographed her while she was cheering on the MASL Ontario Fury and I remember her as being one heck of a dancer, so it didn’t surprise me when she made the 49ers Gold Rush in 2016.  A number of McKenzie’s Ladies of Ontario Fury dancers would go on to other major league cheerleading squads, such as the Sacramento Kings Dancers, Clippers Spirit, Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders, Laker Girls, Denver Broncos Cheerleaders, and of course, the Charger Girls.

Here’s a bonus pic of McKenzie.

In 2015, I said the Charlotte Honey Bees was the hottest dance team in professional sports and that was not an exaggeration.  I photographed the Honey Bees at the 2015 P-R-O Convention in Atlanta and I saw them in the flesh and they did not disappoint.

One of the most beautiful and photogenic cheerleaders a the convention was Laura from the Charlotte Honey Bees.  She was perhaps the most striking of the Honey Bees and that is a compliment because that entire squad was absolutely gorgeous.  I guess Michael Jordan likes them hot looking…who am I to go against the wishes of the G.O.A.T.

Here’s a bonus pic of Lauren.

This past Sunday, the Los Angeles Rams held their preliminary auditions for their 2019 cheerleading squad.  As you might expect after a Super Bowl appearance, interest in the Rams is at an all time high and the preliminary auditions attracted over 250 young women and men.

Last season, the Los Angeles Rams became the first NFL team to select a male, two to be exact, for their dance team.  The Baltimore Ravens and Indianapolis Colts have had co-ed stunt teams for several years, but I believe the Rams were the first team to select a male for their dance team.   The New Orleans Saints also selected a male for their dance team last year, but I believe they held their auditions after the Rams.

This year, there were several men in attendance at the preliminary auditions and there were two very special individuals with unique qualities that also tried out.  This was in addition to the two hundred talented young women who were among this year’s hopefuls.

I think you could certainly say that these auditions were the most inclusive in history.  And judging by the caliber of young men and women trying out, these auditions were certainly most auspicious…perhaps an indication of the shape of things to come.

More images after the break.

I have been covering the Rams Cheerleaders auditions since 2012 and my first impression at seeing all the candidates at prelims was that this will be a very talented pool of candidates to choose from.  It will be a very tough choice to make, to select the 32 best cheerleaders from this group of beautiful and talented dancers.  This is the big leagues and the caliber of competition was telling.

Registration was at 9:00 a.m. and when I arrived, there was already line of eager candidates waiting to register.  I have never photographed at the practice courts at the Galen Center and I was curious to see the set up, particularly the lighting in the audition space.

It was relatively dark and the lighting was mixed, which meant that it would be a challenge to get a decent exposure.  I decided to use a flash and balance that with the ambient lighting.  That one hour before the audition began would be time well spent as I tried a variety of settings while photographing the hopefuls milling about.

Introductions and Warm Up

At 10:00 a.m., Keely Fimbres, the Director of Cheerleading, welcomed the attendees and gave a brief description of the schedule of events.  There would be two rounds on this day.  Round One would be an across the floor routine and then a series of cuts.  The remaining candidates would then proceed onto Round Two and would be joined by the returning veterans.  They would be taught a minute long routine and then perform it in front of a panel of judges, who would then cull the remaining candidates to 60 or so finalists.

After Keely’s presentation, the assembled candidates underwent a warm up and stretching period.

Round One Dance Instruction

John Peters, the distinguished choreographer for the Rams, instructed the candidates on the across the floor routine, which consisted of a series of spins, leaps, kicks and a jazz walk section.  Across the floor routines are used to judge dance technique and physical coordination and are often used to select the most able dancers from the rest of the group.

Round One Judged Performance

After the instruction period, the dancers were lined up and performed the across the floor routine in groups of two.  Rams cheerleading staff members handed out wristbands to those dancers who were selected to continue the auditions process.  For those dancers who were not selected, their day was at an end and they were encouraged to try out next year.

At the conclusion of judged portion, there was an hour and a half intermission before the second round.  The remaining candidates were assigned an audition number and their photograph was taken in front of two large backdrops.  During this time, the candidates were encouraged to eat lunch and hydrate.

The auditions process had begun in earnest.

Round Two Dance Instruction and the Return of the Veterans

At 12:30 p.m., the returning veterans arrived as instructed.  John Peters returned to teach the second round audition routine to the assembled guests.  It would be a minute long jazz dance with several eight count segments.  Mr. Peters’ instruction proceeded at what I considered an accelerated pace, but that would be another measure to evaluate the dancers…that is how quickly they could learn a routine and retain it.  Brilliant.

Round Two Judged Performance

After the instructional period, the candidates were once again lined up and brought before the panel of judges in pairs to perform the audition routine.

After the last dancers performed, Keely Fimbres thanked the candidates for trying out and informed them that finalists would announced the following day on the Rams website.  Finalists would continue the audition process with interviews and additional dance rehearsals in preparation for the final round.

It was a little after 5:00 p.m. and I was exhausted from over six hours of shooting Southern California’s most amazing dancers.  A sore shoulder and a strained calf muscle wouldn’t stop me from savoring the moment.  I had witness something special…the future of the Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders and I couldn’t wait to see the images.

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I would like to thank Keely Fimbres, Chase Isaacs, and the staff of the Los Angeles Rams for allowing me to cover the 2019 Rams Cheerleaders preliminary auditions.  I had a wonderful time and look forward to seeing you again.

And a special thanks to Clint McComb, formerly Rampage the mascot, for the wonderful Chance the Gila Monster bobblehead…good luck in Las Vegas.

In this week’s edition of Flashback Friday, we take a look back to 2009 to one of the fan favorite Charger Girls…Casie. I seem to remember her as a rookie, looking young and wide eyed innocent, but by the next year, she was an experienced Charger Girl who played it up to the crowd and earned the devotion of the fans in our section.

So let’s enjoy this look back to 2009, when the Chargers were still in love with San Diego and San Diego was still in love with the Chargers. You stay classy, San Diego!

Final auditions for the 2019 Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders were held this past Sunday at the Lynwood High School Performing Arts Center.  73 finalists vied for the 32 open spots on the squad and the competition was a very competitive one.  A panel of four judges would review each finalist as they performed a jazz dance routine, a hip hop routine and a high energy technical dance.  At the conclusion of the four hour final audition process, the 32 members of the 2019 Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders were announced.

UltimateCheerleaders.com was in attendance at the proceedings and here are our best images from each round of the final auditions.  We begin with Round One – the Jazz Dance, which was coincidentally the routine used in the preliminary auditions and choreographed by John Peters.

More images after the break.

Round One – Jazz Dance

Round Two – Hip Hop Routine

The second round dance was a hip hop routine that was a stark contrast when compared to the previous jazz dance and that would be a good measure to ascertain the versatility of the finalists…and it was very entertaining to watch, as well.

Round Three – Technical Dance

The audition routine for Round Three was described as a technical dance, but to my eyes, this routine was a fast paced dance that began with Latin dance moves and salsa flourishes.  It was brief and high energy and another nice contrast to the previous two dance routines.

The Aftermath – Dance Party USA

After the last group of finalists had performed, the judges and staff retired to deliberate the results.  There was a palpable sense of relief and joy among the finalists and a spontaneous dance party ensued, complete with a dance off and an appearance of Rampage, the Rams mascot.

Endgame – The Results

It seemed like an eternity had elapsed before Director of Cheerleading Keely Fimbres returned to announce the results and I imagine it was a challenge to evaluate the finalists’ performances to get down to the final 32.

As the audition numbers of those who made the final cut were called, shouts of joy and elation were heard and new teammates were embraced.  They had made the squad and endured a long and grueling process to make it through the endgame.

Introducing the 2019 Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders.

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I would like to thank Keely Fimbres, Chase Isaacs, and the staff of the Los Angeles Rams for allowing me to cover the 2019 Rams Cheerleaders final auditions.  I had an amazing time and look forward to seeing you again.

Recently, I attended the Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders auditions where I saw many former Ladies of Ontario Fury dancers trying out for the 2019 squad.  Many of these girls were returning veterans re-auditioning for their spot on the Rams cheerleaders and a few were trying to make the squad as a rookie.  That got me thinking about the 2014 Ladies of Ontario Fury auditions where many of these girls were in attendance and I took a look at my old files for the sake of nostalgia.

So in this week’s Flashback Friday, we take a look back at one hopeful candidate who was at the 2014 Ladies of Ontario Fury auditions.  As I recall, she didn’t make that illustrious squad, but she was one that I thought was good enough to make it and probably should have made that team.  And who knows what would have happened if she did…because several of those who did make the 2014 Ladies of Ontario Fury became Laker Girls, Charger Girls, Clippers Spirit Dancers, Denver Bronco Cheerleaders, Golden State Warrior Girls and Sacramento Kings Dancers.  And of course, a few even made the Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders.

For me, the most amazing event I shoot all year is the P-R-O Convention in Atlanta, the preeminent professional cheerleading and dance convention in the world. Each year, over 250 of the hottest professional cheerleaders gather in Atlanta to experience the most wonderful weekend of dance and team building…and I get to photograph every one of them.

In 2014, one of the most impressive squads in attendance was the Charlotte Honey Bees and in this edition of Flashback Friday, we take a look back at one of the most memorable Honey Bees.

If memory serves correct, the Honey Bees were recently rebranded from the old Charlotte Lady Cats and they had not finalized their uniforms yet, so they wore these rather unique outfits to the convention.

Many years ago, the Los Angeles Lakers used to have playoff game watching parties at the Staples Center…that is when they used to make the playoffs.  They would sell tickets to fans who would watch the away games on the video board at center court and the Laker Girls would perform at the breaks in the action, kind of like a real home game.

Back then, the Lakers were good and the Laker Girls were great.  And long time Lakers fans like me, who could never afford a Laker game ticket, let alone a playoff ticket, got a chance to experience the excitement of a championship game.

It was a great experience and at that time, I was able to bring in a camera and snap some photos of the Laker Girls performing.  It was all good until one day a fight broke out between some Laker fans and a Celtic fan.  And that was that for these game watching parties.  I don’t believe the Lakers ever held them again after this fiasco.

Auditions for the 2019 Los Angeles Charger Girls are coming up soon, so it is somewhat apropos that we take a look back at the Charger Girls…the San Diego Charger Girls…in this edition of Flashback Friday. 2016 was a good year for the Charger Girls…aren’t they all…and one of my favorite Charger Girls to photograph was a rather effervescent one named Lauren.

So let’s enjoy this look back to 2016 and savor the memories because the times, they are a changing with respect to professional cheerleading.

The Arizona Cardinals Cheerleaders have an amazing squad and I have enjoyed my time covering their auditions over the years. They always attract some very beautiful and talented dancers and the locale is often lends itself to some interesting photographs. And in 2017, I was able to get many wonderful images of some amazing cheerleader hopefuls and the above photograph is of returning veteran Jacqueline, one of the most impressive of those trying out that year.

In this edition of Flashback Friday, we take a look back at the 2014 P-R-O Convention in Atlanta and the Tennessee Titans Cheerleaders.  Back then pretty much all of the squads wore their game day uniforms for the convention and that was one of the main reasons why I love to shoot this event.  You can get some amazing photos of the hottest cheerleaders in professional sports wearing their game day uniforms…that’s certainly more interesting to photograph than black dance pants and corresponding crop top, eh.

One of the attendees at the convention was a Tennessee Titans Cheerleader who was featured on the Fox television show, So You Think You Can Dance.  Her name was Marissa Milele and she was, as advertised, a great dancer and she looked pretty hot in the TTC uniform.

In this edition of Flashback Friday, we take a look back at the 2013 Dallas Cowboys Training Camp in Oxnard.  The Dallas Cowboys have had a long history of holding their spring training camp in California and they most recently have held their camp in Oxnard, California.  In 2013, I was able to secure a media credential to be able to shoot the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders at the opening ceremonies and I was able to get this shot of a lovely DCC.

Yes, the DCC are special and if you have a chance to see them in person, don’t pass up the opportunity because they are truly a spectacle to watch.

At the 2015 P-R-O Convention in Atlanta, the St. Louis Rams brought a small contingent of cheerleaders to partake of this great weekend of dance and team building. They had the good sense to wear their game day uniforms, which in my opinion, are quite spectacular on the girls. And one of those St. Louis Rams cheerleaders was a rather fetching lady named Autumn. She was kind enough to pose for a few photographs for me and this was one of my favorites of her.

It’s Christmas in June!  In this edition of Flashback Friday, we take a look back to 2010 and reminisce over the San Diego Charger Girls blue velvet Christmas uniforms.  I happen to think that the Charger Girls Christmas uniforms are the best in the NFL because they are one piece and snug in all the right places.  They really make the girls look great and extra special.

The Charger Girl in the photo is named Hannah and I always thought she was special because not only was she good looking, but she was very photogenic as well.  So I hope you enjoyed this look back to 2010 and ghosts of Charger Girls past!

Our 2019 P-R-O Convention coverage is here!  It was another amazing weekend of dance and I took more 7,000 photos during the course of the two day event.  And as I begin the laborious process of individually selecting and post processing the hundreds of final images, let me whet your appetite by beginning our coverage with a true All Star…Charlotte Honey Bee Jill.

So as I finish up my image editing, let’s take a look at our first 2019 P-R-O Convention All Star…Honey Bee Jill.

We have many more 2019 P-R-O Convention All Stars to come and please check back in a few days for our Day 1 coverage of the 2019 P-R-O Convention. 

There were a lot of new teams and new faces at the 2019 P-R-O Convention in Atlanta and one of those new squads that was there was the Carolina Panthers.  The TopCats brought five amazing cheerleaders to Atlanta and I was able to photograph a few of them.

So without further ado, may I present our next 2019 P-R-O Convention All Star…Carolina TopCat Jasmine.

So who will be our next 2019 P-R-O Convention All Star?  You won’t want to miss this one, she’s special…but aren’t they all?  Come back tomorrow to see who is up next.

Over the years, the Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders have been of my favorite squads to photograph at the annual P-R-O Convention in Atlanta.  They usually bring a fairly large contingent of girls and they typically wear their colorful game day uniforms at some point during the convention…and that’s a big plus in my book.  Yes, I like the MVC.

Our next 2019 P-R-O Convention All Star is a Captain of the Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders and one of the most photogenic cheerleaders in attendance at the convention…introducing Emma.

We have many more special cheerleaders and dancers to feature, so check back soon to see the next 2019 P-R-O Convention All Star.

2019 has been a year of change in professional cheerleading.  Recent social developments have led to the elimination of several traditional all female dance teams in favor of more coed hip hop squads or promotional teams.  Sadly this has become the norm.  And other changes, some long over due, have necessitated the evolution of professional cheerleading to where it is today, a more inclusive and socially responsible endeavor.

That being said, there will always be a demand for in game entertainment that engages the fan base and enlivens the game day experience.  This is an ever evolving concept and events like the annual P-R-O Convention in Atlanta meet that demand by providing the very best in dance choreography for the modern day sporting event.

And because it is what it is, the P-R-O Convention is, for me, one of the best events to cover and a personal favorite of mine.

Each year, the best professional cheerleaders gather in Atlanta, Georgia to attend the annual P-R-O Convention for two days of intensive dance training and team building.  This year marks the 16th anniversary of this amazing event and over 250 cheerleaders and dancers were in attendance.

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The P-R-O Convention is the premier professional dance convention and the instructors represent the very best in professional cheerleading and dance.  This year’s instructors included:

Jakene Ashford – NFL Atlanta Falcons Cheerleaders
Tara Battiato – NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cheerleaders
Theresa Baugus – NFL Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders
Jerod Fewell – Hip Hop Extraodinaire
Denise Garvey – NFL New York Jets Flight Crew
Katie Gibbons – NBA Cleveland Cavaliers
Stephanie Jojokian – NFL Washington Redskins Cheerleaders
Brandii McCoy – NBA Charlotte Hornets Honeybees & AHL Charlotte Checkers CheckMates
Dres Reid – Industry/Hip Hop
Tracy Rutledge – Former NBA Atlanta Hawks, AFL2 Georgia Wildcats
Nicole Smith – NFL Carolina Panthers TopCats
Toni Wall – NBA Cleveland Cavaliers
Derric Whitfield – NBA Washington Wizards, Wizard Girls
Marla Viturello – Philadelphia Soul/NFL Alum

UltimateCheerleaders.com was given exclusive access by the organizers of the event, All-Pro3 and for our readers who have never attended a dance convention, the following report will give you an idea of what goes on during a weekend of nonstop dance action.

SATURDAY

It is my custom to wake up a little early and grab a full breakfast before my day begins in earnest.  For me, the P-R-O Convention is a long day of hard work and there is little downtime, even during the lunch break, so starting the day off with a hot breakfast is imperative.  And at breakfast, it is the time where I am able to review my priorities for the day and focus on what I need to get done.

It is the quiet before the storm.

The first dancers started showing up just after 8:45 a.m.  Every year, there are some girls that get there early because they want to scope out the sponsor tables and peruse the convention-wear on sale.   Every year, I mention that the savvy convention attendee lines up early to get the best selection and this year was no different.

Convention Sponsors

The Line Up is a provider of custom dance costumes and creative performance apparel.  Their uniforms and performance apparel are worn by the most renown professional dance teams, such as the Minnesota Vikings, Washington Redskins, Houston Texans, Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens, and the Wizard Girls.

Pastry shoes was showing off their line of dance sneakers that have become popular with many dancers.  Pastry’s distinct quality features and passion for innovation have established the brand as America’s #1 Dance Sneaker for professional and university dance teams.

Peavey Hosiery, a long time sponsor of the convention, provided a complimentary pair of tights to all the dancers in attendance.  Peavey is better known as the hosiery supplier to Hooters Restaurants.

Clean Juice, a new sponsor, believes in a healthy body and strong spirit.  They were there providing samples of their organic juice to the attendees.  Clean Juice is the first and only USDA-certified organic juice bar franchise with more than 70 stores open nationwide.

Discount Dance Supply is the leading dance wear catalog and online retailer in the United States.  Specializing in a wide selection of high-quality, affordable dance wear, dance shoes and dance performance wear, Discount Dance Supply was present at the convention showcasing their products and services to all attendees.

Welcome and Introduction

A little before 10:00 a.m., the girls started filtering into the main ballroom and claimed their spot on the dance floor.  This is a longstanding tradition as the returning professional squads always secure their spot on the dance floor early…yes, it is important and there is usually a pecking order.

This year, there was extra space up front because of the absence of a few teams that are normally here in Atlanta.

Yes.  The times, they are a changing.

But not all change is bad.  This year, there were a lot more college dance teams in attendance and that was a good thing…but someone needs to tell them that they can come up to the front of the room and dance with the professional cheerleaders.

Are you reading this, USF SunDolls?

Shortly after 10:00 a.m., our convention hosts from AllPro3 welcomed all the attendees and introduced the instructors to their usual rousing fanfare.  This year, fourteen instructors were in Atlanta and they represented the very best choreographers in professional dance.

Warm Up

Marla Viturello of the Philadelphia Soul started off things by leading the group in a vigorous warm up and stretching session.

Group Dance

The first official dance routine taught at P-R-O has always been the group dance and this year was no different.  Brandii McCoy of the Charlotte Honey Bees choreographed a nice country themed dance to the viral hit of the year, “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X.

Sidelines Distractions Cover Girls Announcement

Once the group dance was taught, it was time to recognize this year’s Sideline Distraction magazine honorees.  The names of the girls who made it through the selection process were announced and they were called up to the stage to stand and be recognized for their achievement.  Over twenty girls were announced and the final two were this year’s cover girls…Emily from the USF SunDolls and Gigi from the Atlanta Falcons.

Upon conclusion of the ceremony, the Sideline Distraction magazine was distributed to all the girls in attendance.  This was important because not only did the publication feature some of the most talented cheerleaders and dancers in professional sports, it also included the schedule of instruction.

Session 1 – 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

This year, there were 27 classes featuring a variety of dance styles, routines (jazz, hip hop, funk, country, holiday).  For the first session of day 1, there would be four classes: Jakene Ashford – disco, Denise Garvey – classic rock, Jerrod Fewell hip hop, and Marla Viturello– an alumni exclusive.  At the conclusion of the instruction period, the girls would gather in the grand ballroom and showcase what they learned.

Lunch Break – 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

At 1:30 pm, we broke for lunch.  There were a few cheerleaders hanging out in the grand ballroom so I snagged a few of them, my usual lunch time routine, to pose for some photos for my P-R-O Convention All Star series.  According to the schedule, there would be no down time.  Sunday would be a full day of activities and there wouldn’t be time to shoot the girls between sessions, so I tried to maximize my opportunities and be able to showcase as many beautiful and talented dancers for our readers.

Session 2 – 2:45 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

After the lunch break, it was back to the dance sessions.  It was 2:45 pm and the day of dance instruction had only just begun.  In this session, there were another four classes taught: Derric Whitfield – “booty” dance, Tara Battiato – country, Theresa Baugus – pom, and Stephanie Jojokian – field jazz.

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Session 3 – 4:15 P.M. TO 5:30 P.M.

At the conclusion of the Session 2 showcase, the girls were quickly ushered on to their final classes of the day.  Four more dances were taught: Katie Gibbons – Jazz, Dres Reid – Hip Hop, Nicole Smith – field jazz, and Toni Wall – court jazz.

End of Day 1

It was 5:30 p.m. and the last showcase of the day had concluded, but there was one more dance to perform.  After six hours of instruction and 12 dance routines, the girls had to perform the very first dance they learned…the group dance.

After that rousing performance, the organizers excused the attendees for the rest of the day and offered one piece of advice…get some rest because there was another day.

Up next: Day Two from P-R-O. Please check back soon.

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I want to take this opportunity to thank Brandii McCoy, Alto Gary, Tracy Rutledge and the staff of AllPro3 for allowing me the opportunity to cover the 2019 P-R-O Convention.  I had a wonderful time and hope to see them again, next year.