2015 was a good year. There were many special Charger Girls on that squad and one of my all time favorites was Charger Girl named Delani D. She was a great dancer…very good looking…and very photogenic. I must admit, I enjoyed her time on the squad and like most of my favorite Charger Girls, I got many wonderful photos. Not all cheerleaders are photogenic, but the special ones have this quality. And Delani was special.
Here’s a bonus pic of Delani. Enjoy.
The Washington Redskins Cheerleaders have been in the news lately and I thought I would share my thoughts on the squad. I have had the good fortune to photograph the squad the past few years at the annual P-R-O Convention in Atlanta and I have nothing but great things to say in my limited experience. I think their squad is one of the hottest in the NFL and that may have gotten them in a little trouble because in this day and age, a women that is sexy and dressed provocatively can draw the ire of some segments of our society.
I have also met some very impressive and special women from that squad that are very intelligent, well educated and have successful careers. What do they have in common? They have a passion for dance, love to perform and enjoy representing the Redskins organization.
In this edition of Flashback Friday, we highlight on of those special Washington Redskins Cheerleaders…Rachel. This is a photograph from some one on one time during a brief lull in the dance training…and as you can see, Rachel is a very photogenic and just wonderful to shoot.
In this edition of Flashback Friday, we take a look back at one of my all time favorite Charger Girls, Angela M. She was on the team for several years and all throughout that time, I was able to get some truly amazing photographs of her. We sort of had a special connection and had this wonderful photographer/model vibe going on that led to many of my favorite Charger Girl images.
Here’s a bonus pic of Angela.
2018 LOS ANGELES CHARGER GIRLS
AUDITIONS INFORMATION
Since their inception in 1990, the Charger Girls have become one of the NFL’s premiere performance groups. Recognized for their charisma, talent, athleticism, professionalism and community involvement, the Charger Girls have also been ambassadors for the organization both nationally and abroad, including trips to Australia, Germany, Mexico, Guam, Japan and several other Asian countries. Additionally, the Charger Girls have appeared on numerous television shows on the local, national and international level. Team members perform at all Chargers home games, work with the Jr. Charger Girls program, participate in photo shoots and much more. During the open call audition process, applicants will be judged on dance ability, crowd appeal, showmanship and individual applications. For finalists, there is an interview process and a final dance audition.
2018 CHARGER GIRLS APPLICATION
AUDITIONS DATES
May 20, 2018 (Open Call Audition)
May 21, 2018 (One-To-One Interviews) FINALISTS ONLY
May 22, 2018 (One-To-One Interviews) (cont.) FINALISTS ONLY
May 23, 2018 (Interview Finals) FINALISTS ONLY
May 24, 2018 (Final Dance Audition) FINALISTS ONLY
TIME (Open Call Audition Only)
10:00 a.m. Check-In. The audition will start promptly at 11:00 a.m.
LOCATION (Open Call Audition Only)
Bay Club South Bay
2250 Park Place
El Segundo, CA 90245
PARKING
TBA
ATTIRE
Suggested attire includes dancewear and jazz, dance and/or athletic shoes with non-marking soles.
REQUIREMENTS
You must be at least 18 years of age by the date of the open call audition. There is no maximum age limit. Team members must have flexible schedules for twice-weekly rehearsals, all Chargers home games, photo shoots and appearances during and prior to the season. Team members must also attend a three-day weekend mini-camp in June. Team members must have a reliable means of transportation.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
All interested applicants should complete an application. A 5×7 or larger (B&W or color, head shot or full body shot) photo is required. Photo will not be returned.
Mail completed application and photo to:
Los Angeles Charger Girls
c/o: Charger Girls Auditions
3333 Susan Street
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
or drop-off at:
Hoag Performance Center
c/o: Charger Girls Auditions
3333 Susan Street
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(M-F 7AM-9PM)
StubHub Center
c/o: Charger Girls Auditions
18400 Avalon Boulevard
Carson, CA 90746
(M-F 9AM-5PM)
IMPORTANT
Finalists must be available to attend the following events:
One-To-One Interviews: Monday, May 21st or Tuesday, May 22nd
Interview Finals: Wednesday, May 23rd
Final Dance Audition: Thursday, May 24th
I think that my experience covering the St. Louis Rams Cheerleaders over the years can be summarized as the best two and a half hours of photographic fun. These pageant style audition finals are jam packed with activities and include an interview, swimsuit and dance portion…with each segment providing amazing photographic opportunities. I was given a fair amount of latitude in terms of shooting behind the scenes and moving about the venue once the finals began, so I was able to get some amazing photos. And I should mention that Missouri girls are hot!
The trip to St. Louis was really fun, almost a mini vacation…a working vacation. I stayed in a cool place, the Moonrise Hotel, which was a few doors down from the audition site, the Pageant Theatre. And there were some really great eateries within walking distance of the Moonrise…my favorite being a tasty Italian restaurant called Tavolo V.
I kind of wish the Rams were still in St. Louis…good times indeed.
I have a special fondness for the Charger Girls because I photographed them every year I was a season ticket holder for the San Diego Chargers, from 1999 to 2016. Last year, I was able to cover their 2017 Charger Girl auditions at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion and let me tell you, that was an amazing event to cover. The Charger Girls regularly attract several hundred girls to their auditions and last year was no different. It was a very long day as you can imagine with the large number of participants and simply getting through two rounds of judging took in excess of 6 hours.
Yes, the Charger Girls are special…very special indeed.
The Charlotte Honey Bees have the hottest dance team in all of professional sports. Year in and year out, they field the most beautiful and talented dance team in the NBA, NFL and professional sports…bar none. Let’s be honest here, looks are a part of the game. They all know it, from the dance team directors to the dancers themselves, so let’s not deny the obvious. But looks are only part of what makes a professional cheerleader special.
In this edition of Flashback Friday, we take a look at one of the most photogenic cheerleaders that I have ever photographed…Charlotte Honey Bee Victoria Vesce. Not only is she drop dead gorgeous, she is a great dancer and a great model as well. In my time with her at the 2015 P-R-O convention in Atlanta, Victoria knew how to position her head, her body, her hands in a perfectly aesthetic and feminine way…and did so with little direction. In short, she was a natural at modeling.
I had an idea one day…that the wall of the tent where the Charger Girls were signing autographs in the Bud Light Power Party would make nice backdrop for a few posed photos…assuming I could get them to sneak away and pose for me during the down time in the autograph session. I first started taking these photos in 2013 and a few years later, I did it again and this is one of my favorite shots from that effort.
Rebecca had it going that day and her hair looked amazing that Sunday…yes, I’ve said this in the past…big, sexy hair is important for an NFL Cheerleader. Here’s another shot of Rebecca from that day.
Oh how I miss my time in San Diego…those were special days indeed.
California is such a wonderfully diverse place and it is in this diversity that our strength and richness as a community is evident. Over the years, Southern Californians have been blessed by a diverse and talented dance teams and the Charger Girls have been certainly been amongst the most diverse in all of professional sports.
So in this edition of Flashback Friday, let’s take a look at one of my favorite Charger Girls, whom over the course of her career, stood out and then became a Team Captain…introducing Tina.
This weekend, the Los Angeles Rams are holding their final auditions for their 2018 cheerleading squad. One girl who is sure to be their is Sativa-Skye, the Rams 2018 Pro Bowl Cheerleader.
In this Flashback Friday post, we take a look back a Sativa-Skye at the 2015 Ladies of Ontario Fury dance team auditions. I knew she was a shoe in for this squad because she had it it all…looks, dance ability and that special quality that makes her stand out amongst a bevy of beautiful and talented dancers.
Sativa-Skye wasn’t the only member of the 2015 Ladies of Ontario Fury to make it to the next level. Eight other girls from that team would go on to the Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Clippers, and the Sacramento Kings.
