Dance Team Hopefuls Showcase Their Talent at Pioneer Tryout
Michael Balakier
Monday February 11, 2002
Dance team auditions consisted of a vigorous warm-up, followed by the learning of a choreographed dance. Following the initial cut, participants were then guided through a new set of dance steps. Aside from being assessed on their dancing talent, dance team hopefuls were also judged by a panel of “celebrity judges”, ranging from local radio personalities to members of the local media, including myself as a representative from ArenaFan. Participants were judged on overall appearance, personality, sense of style, confidence, and energy.
Jennifer Harris, who was recently named Director of Choreography for the new Pioneers dance team, presided over the tryout. More than 50 girls attended the tryouts, with approximately 16 being chosen for the team.
“I am so thrilled with everyone and how they did,” said Harris. “There was a better turnout of dancers than I expected.”
Lindsey Fedor, a local college student who participated in the tryout, expressed her thoughts on the tryout. “It was a lot of fun,” said Fedor. “The dances were really good and well put together. It made you work out a whole lot.”
Another dance team hopeful, Vanessa Velikis, was uncertain about what to expect coming into the tryouts, but explained that as the day went on, she became more comfortable. “We had no idea what to expect,” Velikis said, “but we came in with an open mind and once we got comfortable, it was so much fun.”
Michael Balakier first discovered a knack for writing during his senior year in high school while reporting for his school`s newspaper. Aside from being an Arenaball fan, Michael is an avid Syracuse University athletics follower, which poses a problem for him, as he attends the University of Pittsburgh. Michael plans on using what he has learned through his Arenafan experience to remain as impartial as he can during future Syracuse/Pitt events. Michael also serves as co-Editor of the af2 section of Arenafan Online.
