Photos: Wild Bunch dancer hopefuls hit the practice floor

Taking a walk on the wild side with Mammoth's Wild Bunch
Taken: October 6, 2011 | Credit: Laura Kelley



The Wild Bunch Dancers gave “no guts, no glory” a whole new meaning during their practice Wednesday night at Forza Fitness and Performance Club in downtown Denver. The 18 finalists endured an intense workout and rehearsal session that would have made Tony Horton proud.

The lovely ladies kicked off the evening with an intense 45 minute cardio and strength training session that incorporated stairs, sprints, lunges, balance balls, killer ab work, and a few push-ups thrown in just for fun.

Then, before you could say "H20" it was time for some deep stretching before dance rehearsal kicked into full swing. The ladies are learning a routine for the new Mammoth season, but more importantly, they’re showing the coaches if they have what it takes to walk on the wild side. Only 14 of the 18 finalists will be selected for the squad, which is expected to be announced this Friday.

If it was up to Metromix all these dancers would be hitting the dance floor in 2012. Ladies: We salute you with two high kicks, a twirl and splits (and now that we’ve done that, we’re really hoping there’s some ice packs left in the Metromix fridge..OUCH!!). —Laura Kelley, Special to Metromix.

Fresh Faces, Seasoned Vets Named Wild Bunch Finalists

The Colorado Mammoth announced today that 18 dancers have been named finalists for the 2012 Wild Bunch team. Six of the 18 are veterans, while 12 aspire to make the roster for the first time. More than five dozen women participated in auditions this past weekend with hopes of securing one of 14 spots.

The Wild Bunch performs at all Colorado Mammoth home games on HealthONE Field at Pepsi Center, and also makes various community and special event appearances throughout the year. Dancers who make the squad work hard to embody the spirit and brand of the Mammoth both on and off the field.

Wild Bunch finalists are competing in training camp at FORZA Fitness and Performance Club, with the final roster expected to be announced at the end of the week.

Click here to meet the finalists.

Click here to view photos from this weekend’s auditions.

Finalists are:

Alison
Alyssa
Annie
Haley
Hayley
Kate
Katie B.
Katie W.
Kayleigh
Kimberly
Leah
Maggie
Melissa
Nikki
Peyton
Samantha
Sammie
Torrie

Colorado Mammoth Wild Bunch Dancer Auditions

A Mammoth dance off at the Pepsi Center
Taken: September 30, 2011 | Credit: Carly Rose Moser



The Colorado Mammoth's Wild Bunch Dancers began the search for their newest batch of dancers Friday night. Girls lined up outside the Pepsi Center Friday to show off their dancing skills for the chance to become one of the top picks. This was just the preliminary auditions — the dancers will be whittled down to a lucky few that will then head onto the semi-finals this weekend.

Those that make the cut will have to endure the infamous two day training camp. But if they play their cards right and have what it takes they will become the newest member of the 2012 Colorado Mammoth Wild Bunch. — Carly Rose Moser, special to Metromix

DBC on SI.com(Week 2)

ABA Cougar Girls Auditions

Hello Rocky Mountain Spirit!! My name is Apolonia Hansen and I am the head ambassador of the Colorado Cougars! We are the new ABA Semi Pro Team that has came to Northern Colorado!

Right now I am looking for dancers. Our dance tryouts are September 24th at 1:00pm. in Greeley at Northridge Highschool. Currently we do not have specific requirements to make the team, we are just looking for pretty girls that can dance!! I hope you are able to post our information about tryouts to really get the word out! That would help us so much. Thank you for your time.

Click here for more about the dance team and tryouts.

Meet the 2011-12 Pioneer Press Colorado Eagles Chicks!

We'd like to congratulate and welcome the 2011-12 edition of the Pioneer Press Colorado Eagles Chicks! Tryouts were held yesterday, and the following 11 ladies were selected to represent the Eagles in the community and at the Budweiser Events Center.



Back Row: Amanda, Alysia, Kerry Anne, Emily R., Kayla, Emily M.
Front Row: Whitney, Meghan, Amy, Ashlee, Kathryne
Not Pictured: Erica Koehler (Manager)

Cheering on the men on ice at Budweiser Events Center

Eagles Chicks host Loveland tryouts, hire 11 dancers for upcoming season
By Madeline Novey Reporter-Herald Staff Writer



Come October, the Colorado Eagles hockey team hits the ice for the start of another season. When it does, its players will have 11 new greatest fans.

The Eagles Chicks, the team's cheerleading squad, hosted tryouts Sunday at an ice-free and eerily quiet Budweiser Events Center.

And though the name was the same, Budweiser felt different for some of the more than 20 women who turned out.

"It's weird to see the stands so empty today," said 20-year-old Alysia Kamarath. "The fans make it worthwhile."

The junior Colorado State University communications major bore the title of Eagles Chick last season and was back for another go.

Also a former Eagle Chick looking to return, University of Colorado's Kerry Anne Keogh stood near Kamarath during one of several brief breaks throughout the hours-long tryouts. At 5-foot-10, Keogh played lacrosse, basketball and volleyball in high school.

She then got into dance, thanks to her friends.

In her experience dancing for other sports teams, fans were abrasive; they yelled inappropriate things, she said. But that's not the case with the Eagles.

"We just have the best fans," she said. "I've always felt so welcomed in this building."

As part of tryouts, the women -- ages 18 to 24 -- learned two dances and interviewed with a panel of judges.

In any one season, they learn one or two dance routines a week. That's upward of 30 per season, said former Eagles Chick and team choreographer Alyssa Pohm (or Stanton, after she marries on Saturday).

"It is intense," she said, as 16 dancers -- down from 23 after first-round elimination -- practiced steps over and over again to The Black Eyed Peas' "Don't Stop the Party." What makes it more difficult is that many of the dances will go into what Pohm called "the vault," or memory, for possible future use.

"You learn it, perfect it, and you're done," she said.

Rumors the Eagles would move to the East Coast Hockey League came true in May when head coach and general manager Chris Stewart announced the team would play as an ECHL expansion franchise for the 2011-12 season.

As a result, the team's schedule ramped up and puts the players on ice at home at the Budweiser Events Center more than 30 times, starting in October. The dancers do not travel with the team when it skates elsewhere.

Pohm said the team's increasing success has definitely attracted more talent to and interest in the dance squad.

"I hope to just keep that forward momentum, in terms of rigor and commitment of the team members," said Erica Koehler, the Eagles Chicks new dance manager. A member of the team a few years back, Koehler takes the place of Lisa Kennedy.

"You have something to live up to," she told the dancers sitting on the bleachers before the start of tryouts.

Eagles Chicks selections:
Alysia Kamarath
Amanda Bennett
Ashley Cowan
Amy Menhennett
Emily Maginnis
Emily Ryon
Kayla Christian
Kathryne Richmond
Kerry Anne Keogh
Meghan Daly
Whitney Sarbaugh

Kayla Christian, 19, studies sport exercise science at the University of Northern Colorado and loves the energy of a big athletic event. And hockey, she said, brings something special to the table.

"It's just such a raw sport to watch," Christian said, taking a break before the second performance set.

A sophomore, Christian would like to pursue a short career in professional dance for sports teams, but plans to work as a physical therapist for professional athletes.

Until then, she's focused on supporting a team she loves.

"I call myself an Eagles fan, of course!" she said, laughing. Then she descended the bleacher stairs on the center's south side and joined her colleagues for another tryout performance.

Wild Bunch Auditions Date Update

Preliminaries: Friday September 30, 2011

Semi-finals: Saturday, October 1, 2011

Finalists’ Training Camp: October 3rd and 5th; (7-9:30pm)

2011 Preliminaries and Semi-finals will be held at Pepsi Center in downtown Denver. Click below for more information. Training camp will be held at the Wild Bunch practice facility in Downtown Denver.

Audition Details »

Prep Class Information and Registration »

Denver Broncos Cheerleaders set hearts racing

Broncos Cheerleaders Calendar release heats up the track
August 19, 2011
Credit: Laura Kelley



The Denver Broncos cheerleaders traded in their pom poms for racing helmets Friday night as they kicked off their 2012 Calendar Release with a little friendly competition.

The lovely ladies met up with their fans at The Track at Centennial for a little go-kart racing. Hundreds of people showed up to the event, which raised money for the Keeping Kids on Track Program. Money raised goes to help at-risk youth who are members of the Tennyson Center for Children and The Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Denver.

Before gearing up to hit the track, the beauties spent some time with their fans putting their Jane Hancocks on that steamy 2012 calendar (and yes, we even snagged one to put up in our Metromix office because You know, for the kids). Overall, it was a successful night with the ladies giving the pros a run for their money on the track (if you think these girls can throw a mean high kick on the field you should see them going 60 mph around the track).

If you missed the event, you didn’t miss out on the new calendar. Just head over to the Broncos Cheerleaders website to order a copy and to find out more about each and every one of the of the ladies giving the Broncos their spirit this season. — Laura Kelley, special to Metromix

RMRG Pep Squad Auditions

Miss auditions? Still interested in cheering on the RMRG? Don't worry. We are still accepting new dancers for one more week. Email sarah.kaplan64@yahoo.com for more information or just show up at Bally Total Fitness at 7635 W 88th Ave in Arvada at 7:30 next Wednesday.

Like to cheer? Dance? Love RMRG? The RMRG Pep Squad RMRG is holding auditions on August 10 from 7:30 to 9:30pm at Bally Total Fitness at 7635 W 88th Ave. in Arvada. Anyone interested can email sarah.kaplan64@yahoo.com for more information!

Eagles Chicks Audition & Workshop Dates Set

The Colorado Eagles announced today that auditions for the 2011-12 edition of the Pioneer Press Colorado Eagles Chicks will take place on Sunday, August 28th at 10:30 a.m. at the Budweiser Events Center*.

We're looking for young women who are dynamic, well-spoken, and talented to represent our organization and to continue our established level of excellence. The Eagles Chicks were recently voted the third-best pro cheerleading squad in Colorado!

For more information on the auditions, download the Audition Flyer and Application Form here.

Need help preparing for the audition?

The Eagles Chicks will be hosting a workshop on Aug. 14th for all prospective dancers. Click here for the Audition Workshop Flyer/Registration Form.

Want to spread the word to your friends? Click here to download an audition flyer.

* - Date, time & location are subject to change.
Dancers must be at least 18 years old as of Oct. 1st.
Auditions are closed to observers.

Cheerleader Calendar Shoot: Zip Line

Hey Fans!!!

WOW!!!! Our trip to Vail for our 2012 Calendar has been a blast! It couldn’t be a more perfect place to shoot a calendar that really represents our beautiful state of Colorado.

After a busy first 2 days of shoots, we decided to take a break and have a little fun as a team. What better activity is there for this than zip lining?! We all packed into four cars, and made our way to 4-Eagle Ranch in Wolcott, Colorado (a little town about 30 minutes west of Vail) where Zip Adventures of Vail is based. This ranch is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. There is a display of old cabins and rustic ranch equipment which are carefully placed around the ranch, stunning views of fields and mountains (including the New York Mountains), and a variety of critters that live there- horses, pigs, alpaca, donkeys, chickens, goats, a buffalo, dogs, and barn cats. (We end up taking a couple of our photos there on Day 4 which turned out to be incredible- check them out!) Once we arrived, we signed our waivers and harnessed up!

The guides took us out to the course in a 1973 Pinzgauer, which is a 6 x 6, 12 person military troop transporter that was made for the Swiss Alps.

The course consists of a total of six zip lines. The first five lines string back and forth across the canyon becoming faster, longer, and higher as you progress. The sixth zip line takes you from the end of the course, all the way back to the beginning by going through the canyon. The highest zip line is 200 feet above the canyon floor, the fastest zip gets up to 35 mph, and the longest is about 1000 feet long! It’s a ton of fun!!!!

My favorite part about our zip line adventure was the tandem zips that we did! There are a couple of zip lines that allowed us to partner up and zip together. I have never ‘giggled’ so much in my life! I was partnered up with Becky and we couldn’t stop laughing the whole way…. SOOO FUN! (Even the guides were making fun of us for laughing so much!)

A couple of the girls were really fun to watch: Margaret was doing all sorts of acrobatic moves in the middle of the canyon. She was quite the dare-devil! Lelanna and Jess were very nervous at first (you could tell by the look on their faces as they walked up to the first zip), but they did it and had a blast! Michelle, who zipped last year at Zip Adventures, was now working on her steering skills… I think she finally managed that by the third zip! Becky was not only practicing her high kicks in mid air, but she was also able to fit her ab workout in during her trip across the canyon.

Once we all finished, the guides drove us back to the ranch where we unharnessed. It couldn’t have been a more perfect afternoon. I think our pictures show that!!! It was definitely one of the highlights of my trip.

Thank you to Zip Adventures of Vail, and thank you to our AMAZING guides- Andreas, Kyle, Kyle, and Brian!!

Meet the Nuggets Dancers

DBC Race to Keep Kids on Track

The Denver Broncos Cheerleaders’ Race to Keep Kids on Track and 2012 Calendar Release, in short, is a fundraiser featuring calendar signing and go-kart races (in 60mph karts) with the Denver Broncos Cheerleaders.

Also included:

Complimentary Denver Broncos Cheerleader 2012 Calendar
Wahoo’s Fish Taco
Budweiser
Denver Broncos Alumni Race
Music

… 100% proceeds benefit at-risk youth programs.

The Track at Centennial (near Denver Broncos practice facility at Dove Valley and the Centennial Airport)

13600 Eaglerock Road, Englewood, CO 80112

Friday Evening (ONE DAY ONLY!), August 19th, 2011 @ 6pm

Click here for tickets.

Wild Bunch Team Auditions Announced

The Colorado Mammoth has announced that Wild Bunch dance team auditions will be held on Saturday and Sunday, September 17-18, at Pepsi Center. Finalists will then participate in training camp at FORZA Fitness & Performance Club for the next two weeks, with the 14-dancer team to be unveiled at the end of September.

“For the past few years, I’ve been amazed at the quality of dancers who audition to become members of the Wild Bunch,” said Amy Jo Wagner, the team’s coordinator and choreographer. “It’s been an extremely competitive tryout, and I envision this year will be no different.”

The Wild Bunch performs at all Mammoth home games, and also appears at community and special events throughout the year.

“Above and beyond their ability to dance, these young ladies are brand ambassadors for the organization and do a tremendous job representing the Mammoth both in-arena and at appearances,” said Mammoth President and General Manager Steve Govett.

Those interested in trying out for the Wild Bunch must be at least 18 years of age and be able to commit to all 2012 home games. More audition information can be found here.