Rookie Michelle: aka Gumby
posted: Friday, September 29, 2006 at 10:13 AM
For those of you who attended this year's Blazer Dancer tryouts, you are guaranteed to remember Michelle. The reason I'm convinced of this is that Michelle did an abnormal leg hold with abnormal flexibility at the beginning of her solo routine. From that point on, it was obvious Michelle was a rhythmic gymnast.
Portland, meet our new Gumby. Michelle is a 20 year old, currently a student at Portland State University. She describes herself as Driven."I know that when I make a goal, I will work very hard to make it and I never give up" she says. Indeed, Michelle's goal was to make the team and that she did with flying colors, in my opinion. Michelle has the sass, the personality, the looks, and the talent. She also loves food and has quite the sense of humor. I think she'll fit right in with the rest of us! I asked Michelle what she has learned from the team so far and her reply was, "I have learned that we can have fun and laugh about things, but when it comes to dancing or working out, we get down to business. It's good to learn this kind of work ethic." I asked Michelle if practicing in the bowl at the Rose Garden makes her nervous. She replied with, "It makes me more excited for the big day to come. I know I will get nervous right before, but I can't wait." Like all the other rookies, Michelle's biggest challenge so far is remembering all of the routines. There has not been one practice this season that we didn't learn a new routine. No wonder the girls struggle a little.
Michelle likes to take funny pictures with her friends and thinks she's a bit weird, but who isn't? She adds about herself, "My dad is my hero. He was in Iraq for a long period of time during the war. He is back now and won't be doing that anymore. My mom is always there for me and is my main support. My sister is close with me. I am going to go to PSU and I am studying theater. I want to be an actress. I don't want to get married for a long time. And I am allergic to snap peas and carrots. Haha!" She continues to add about the team, "I am so happy to be apart of this great group of girls. Everyone is really nice and just fun to be around and dance with. I can't wait to get on the court with everyone!"
Another Rookie
posted: Monday, September 25, 2006 at 11:46 AM
Rea, another one of our rookies, is a 22 yr old from the Mariana Islands but raised in Portland, OR. Rea describes herself as “positive” because her dad taught her to think that way as often as possible. She ads about herself, “I'm pretty laid back, I think. I'm happy when I'm busy. I'm in love with my cute boyfriend (who I live with). I have two dogs and 1 cat. I love my family to pieces, my friends are my saving grace. I love the beach and being in the sun. I also have no problem wearing flip flops year round (I blame that on the island girl in me!)”
Rea is our very own Halle Berry look-a-like. Watch out guys, you are going to fall in love with her! What I appreciate about Rea is her calm and mature yet spunky personality. I personally look forward to getting to know her more. As for her dance back ground, Rea was classically trained, growing up with ballet, jazz, & modern as her staple classes. But despite all the training, Rea still feels emotionally exhausted trying to keep up with Blazers. When asked about her thoughts on the Blazer Dancers, now that she has been able to get to know us a little, she replied with “I'm really enjoying getting to know the people on the team. Everyone has been so welcoming and helpful. It has been a pleasant surprise, I kind of expected people to be too busy to really take the time to help me the way they have.”
I asked Rea what she has learned about this team so far and her response was, “I've learned that I'm not the only person who lives the way I do. Other people in my life think I'm crazy because I have too much going on in my life. But now I've met a whole group of other people that choose to be just as busy as I do. It makes me feel not so crazy.” It sounds like Rea will have no problem fitting in with the rest of us. Rea can’t wait for the season to begin. She is excited to experience a game when the seats are full and the crowd is roaring. I continued to ask Rea what made her try out for the team. She replied with, “I enjoy being a part of a team, I enjoyed it in high school and have been missing the benefits of being a part of a team. I grew up in Portland, I've always known about the Blazers, it just seemed like the right time in my life to try out.”
Announcing The Rookies
posted: Monday, September 18, 2006 at 1:45 PM
Congratulations to the new rookies on our team! Let me start out by saying that these girls are amazing all around. They are sweet, intelligent, beautiful, & talented girls. Portland, you are going to love them! The newly added members to the Blazer Dancers are Michelle, Rea, Chanelle, Jessica, and CaMicha. Here's your chance to get to know each of them before the season begins.
This week is all about Jessica. She's 23 years old and is currently doing advertising and marketing. She describes herself as “spunky” because she thinks it's a good mix of upbeat and weird. Jessica adds about herself, "I love to stay busy and involved... If I'm not insanely busy then I turn into a slug. I really, really love and appreciate my entire family, as they are all really supportive of all of my endeavors and totally crack me up. My friends are also a huge part of my life, and some of my favorite times are being able to meet up for coffee or watch Greys Anatomy and catch up. I also LOVE cats and ice cream, and sometimes get crafty (scrapbooks or cooking)."
When I see Jessica, I think of an all around American girl. She's got the gorgeous blond hair, good looks, she's intelligent, and she seems very optimistic. Did I mention she's a dancer? Sorry guys, she's taken! I asked Jessica what made her tryout for the team and she replied with, "As a child and teen there was an aura about the blazer dancers and it seemed so NOT obtainable. However, after I graduated college and came back to Portland, I got to know some of the girls already on the team and felt really encouraged to tryout. I'm so happy I did!" Jessica's biggest challenge so far is soaking in all the routines, but I think she's doing a great job so far. Her expectations for her first year is to simply make some really good friends and grow as a dancer. She adds about the dancers "they are a very inspirational group. Everyone has so much going on with their lives and their positive outlooks and demeanor are inspiring." I asked Jessica how she feels she's doing and she said "Emotionally - great! I have found the experience to be really positive and a great environment to be in. Physically - a little tired. But I think that has been due to finding the balance of Blazers and the rest of life :)" Out of curiosity, I asked Jessica if she felt being a Blazer Dancer was everything she expected it to be. Jessica replied with "I think it's still a little early to tell. Learning how to fit in and keep up with all of the routines definitely makes me understand why we are called rookies! haha!"
Dancing On Concrete Isn't Easy
posted: Friday, September 08, 2006 at 4:08 PM
Hi fans! We are in to our first month of practice and our coach is finding more ways to push us even harder. One of the changes consists of each dancer pairing up with a buddy to meet with and encourage each other to work out outside of practice. The encouragement has been helpful given most of us dancers have busy schedules that we tend to not make time for the gym. Except, I don't have time to add one more thing to my schedule! Aside from working out, we are also encouraged to keep track of what we eat, how many fruits & veggies we consume daily, and so on. Two weeks later, we report to our coach then find a new buddy. Unlike a few other NBA teams, we are not expected to weigh in or keep a certain weight. However, Dee’s method is to help us stay fit & healthy.
Last night had to have been one of the most difficult practices for me. We met at the Rose Garden and started the evening with going through our uniforms. After each girl had a staple outfit, we packed up our stuff and headed out to the floor. The wooden floor we are used to dancing on had been removed and all that was left was dirty concrete, which was hard on our feet, with pieces of glass scattered around. I personally was not in the mood to dance. I was tired from a busy day at work and was ready for a nap.
Dee had us review the routine we had learned at out previous practice, then cleaned it. I thought we were getting a break from conditioning, especially since the rookies were getting complimentary massages. But I was wrong. Immediately after the review, we did lunges from one side of the floor to the other, then back. With only a few seconds in between, we did an exercise for our booties and legs. That wasn’t too bad, but it definitely killed my knees on the concrete floor! As soon as we finished, we continued to do lunges back and forth. That’s when I started to feel the burn. Our next exercise worked our abs. I could feel my spine digging into the concrete each time I lifted up. Then came more ab exercises, squats, push ups, & jumping jax. After several sets of each, my legs felt so heavy that I could barely lift myself up. I tried to jog over to my bag to get my water and I thought I was going to fall flat on my face!
Just when you think we’ve had enough, we learned yet another new routine. Dee could tell we were pretty delirious half way through. There was no air circulation in the room and it felt musty, which made it even harder for us to focus. We ended the practice with our usual review of each routine. This is the part I usually dread, except this time I really felt like I was performing at a game, most likely because we were actually dancing in the arena. By the time we were finished, I had black socks that were formerly white with holes all over the toes. I felt sweaty, tired, and icky from dancing on the concrete. Here comes another week of sore muscles!
Practice, Practice, Practice...
posted: Friday, September 01, 2006 at 11:23 AM
The first few weeks of practice for us Blazer Dancers were pretty intense. If any girl failed to keep in shape during the off-season it definitely showed. Our practice begins with conditioning lead by three of our very own dancers. Marlene showed us how to lift weights and build longer, leaner muscles, Britney worked our abs using the medicine ball, and our coach Deedee worked the most important muscle for us dancers- the legs. We've only had a few practices and I already feel results. I'll tell you what I feel the most... SORENESS! I woke up every morning after practice, almost unable to move a muscle. I thought I was alone until I received emails from several of the other dancers expressing how soar they felt as well. But before you begin to think that the Blazer Dancers are out of shape, let me assure you that the conditioning is only the first part of practice.
Followed by conditioning is a new routine to learn. Melissa and I have been switching off with teaching the choreography we learned at ProDance. Immediately after the routine is taught and rehearsed a few times, the drilling and cleaning begins. This is one of the most exhausting parts of practice. The routine is danced full out but in sections. One mistake causes the entire team to start all over again. This process can last up to half an hour or more until the routine is finished and polished. After a quick water break we find a partner to critique us, and the routine is performed in small groups. This part is essential because it prepares you for the stress you might feel at a game. The last part of practice is the most difficult. It feels like a 30-minute cardio work out after dancing for two hours. Dee will proceed to play every routine we've learned so far. We are expected to mark the routine once, dance full out the second time, then with 10 seconds in between to catch our breath and find our spots, we perform the routine for our coach. One word: EXHAUSTING! By the second routine my muscles want to give in and collapse. This part of practice pushes us to dig deep for that last bit of energy.
After reviewing all of our routines, we grab our planners and sit for a quick meeting to go over promotional and charity appearances and such. Depending on the location of our practice, I sometimes have a long drive ahead of me to make it home. By the time I arrive, I am completely exhausted that it doesn't take me long to fall into a deep sleep. Although our practices might be tough, it only makes us stronger dancers and a better team! I am sure that Portland will enjoy watching the talent we have this year!
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For those of you who attended this year's Blazer Dancer tryouts, you are guaranteed to remember Michelle. The reason I'm convinced of this is that Michelle did an abnormal leg hold with abnormal flexibility at the beginning of her solo routine. From that point on, it was obvious Michelle was a rhythmic gymnast. 
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