Buffalo Jills Comedy Show pics and video

The final big event for the Buffalo Jills season is the annual Comedy Show and this year's event, staged at Rapids Theatre in Niagara Falls, NY, featured Master hypnotist Jerry Valley with comedian Matt Bergman.

Omarlla, Christina, Lisa, and Valerie putting some finishing touches on their performance
The night started out with several of the Jills dancers going through a last-minute rehearsal of their performance to be put on between the Bergman and Valley performances.

Meghan and Michelle ready to sell some calendars
After that, it was time to let in a few hundred patrons to the Theatre which included food and a cash bar as well as raffles sold by the Buffalo Jills and of course some incredibly hot Buffalo Jills Calendars.

A look at the filled-up Theatre with Jessica eying the camera
Matt Bergman, who's been heard regularly on Morning Bull on 103.3 The Edge, was up first and put on an entertaining show that even included references to Terrel Owens and certain other NFL players as well as running into high school classmates in rather interesting situations.

After Bergman was finished, the Jills dancers put on a 3-part performance that included all but a handful of the dancers there for the show.

Val and Alyssa part of the group of volunteers to be hypnotized
Finally, Jerry Valley, who's been performing at the Erie County Fair for the past 17 years and, after a few demonstrations, brought a number of volunteers up on stage to be hypnotized. Included in that group were Jills members Valerie, Alyssa, Meghan, and Jills alumnus Stacy (2007, 2010). When people were no longer affected by the hypnotic suggestions, they left the stage to leave those who were most susceptible to hypnosis as everyone is affected in different levels. Meghan and Stacy were among those first to leave the stage with Valerie leaving stage after a short nap and Alyssa staying long enough to just miss being part of the final group of 6 that included the boyfriend of one of the Jills.
See all the pics at http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a375/buffalojills2005/2010/Comedy%20Show/

Being the final big event of the Jills season, some news generally comes out as well as the entertainment. After Kristen and Nicole successfully made the transition from ambassador to dance in 2010, 3 of this year's rookie ambassadors, Meghan, Gina, and Sara, have talked about possibly doing the same in 2011. Gina and Sara already have some dance experience as Jills after having been part of the huge halftime show in Toronto and Meghan did some practicing for that show as well before pulling out. In addition, most of the girls are definitely leaning towards returning for 2011 including Omarlla, who will be going into her 12th season if she does decide to return for certain. Eileen, however, who finished up her 11th season with Omarlla, is leaning towards retirement from the squad...but she still has plenty of time to change her mind on that.

Coming up next for the Jills, some of them will be on hand at SoHo on Wednesday, February 2nd at 6pm for the I Believe in Mindi May benefit, which is being run to help with the medical expenses of a young woman who's going through treatment for a second form of cancer after fighting off her first bout with cancer. Tickets are $25 at the door and the benefit includes raffles with tickets sold by members of the Jills as well as a silent auction.

Also, in addition to the 8 young ladies currently in the Middle East entertaining the troops, Meghan and Taryn are heading off to Seattle next weekend to visit with the troops stationed at McChord Air Force Base and Fort Lewis for the Super Bowl.

Stay tuned to BuffaloJills.com and the Buffalo Pro Cheer Blog for news of other appearances upcoming before tryouts start up in mid-April.

Bandette of The Week Beth

We start off our 2011 Bandette of The Week series with the co-captains and this week, we put the focus on 5th year vet Beth. After starting with the squad in 2006 and winning the Bandettes' Rookie of The Year award, she spent 3 seasons dancing at HSBC Arena before taking a season off and coming back last season. Since joining the Bandettes, she's gotten married, earned her master's degree in elementary education, and starting passing on her love of dance to the cheerleaders that she's coached. Besides loving to dance, she loves to stay busy and travel as well. She's traveled to China a few times as well as Hawaii where Buffalo Jill Katie, who Beth and the rest of the Bandettes danced with in Toronto, currently is for the Pro Bowl. In her bio, she's said that her biggest weakness is being indecisive but that has actually worked out in the fans' favor when you consider that she had decided to quit after 3 seasons but changed her mind and came back to the squad after realizing how much she missed it. Melissa, her captain and one of her closest friends on the squad, is in her 7th season so we can hope that Beth decides to put in at least that much time and keeps contributing in a big way to the NLL's premier dance squad.
Beth's secondary photo comes from the 1st quarter of the Home Opener and features Ashley, Krista, Beth, and Chrissy in the middle of a dance routine.
You can read more about Beth at http://www.bandits.com/bbio.asp?bandID=Beth

Buffalo Jill of The Week Gabrielle

This week, we take a look at 2nd year vet Gabrielle as our Jill of The Week. Spending her gamedays on one end of Christina's line next to Amanda V, Gabby has definitely shown a love of the camera, especially with her huge smiles in the Jets game early this season. But in addition to loving getting on camera, she also loves staying fit and from what I can see, is probably the most fit of all the girls on the squad. As a matter of fact, if she toned up any more, she'd probably be sporting a six-pack on her stomach the way 2005 alumnus Adrienne did. She also loves to laugh and even said she'd want a comedian with her if she were stranded on an island. Perhaps that's part of why she's not going to Saudi Arabia on the current troop visit...she didn't want to miss the Jills Comedy Show. However, she was on the trip to Iraq 2 months ago and like the rest of the girls, really seemed to enjoy the experience, and knowing Gabby, odds are the troops loved having her there. Gabby's secondary photo is from the 8th Annual Buffalo Jills Golf Tournament and features Anna, Natalie, and Anna posing next to the 97Rock van for some photos.

This year, 2nd year vets Gabrielle and Loren chose to dance together for 1st cuts in matching outfits as seen here.

You can read more about Gabrielle at http://buffalojills.net/article.asp?id=1961083

Lots happening with the Jills and the Bandettes

First up, as everyone knows, 8 of the Jills spent a week and a half in Afghanistan visiting and performing for the troops. The girls loved the experiences they had and the military that got to see them really loved having them there. Well, Armed Forces Entertainment has another trip for the Jills to make starting Friday and bringing them home after the Super Bowl. Returning to the Middle East, this time to Saudi Arabia will be Murissa, Loren, Kristen, Kelly, and Jill. Joining them on this trip are Stefanie, Keisha, and Jaclyn. Let's wish them all a safe and enjoyable trip!

Also going on are Pro Bowl festivities in Hawaii right now and representing the Jills this season is 6th year vet Katie. The game airs at 7pm ET on FOX on Sunday and while the game itself isn't exactly hard-hitting football, they will be getting some shots of the cheerleaders so tune in to watch for Katie and that big smile of hers. Also, stay tuned to Ultimate Cheerleaders.com for photos from all the festivities courtesy of Pro Bowl Dan as well as James Blakey, who runs the site. They're already snapping lots of photos and we'll see plenty of Katie posted soon.

This Saturday at 7pm, while Katie is in Hawaii and some of the girls are in Saudi Arabia, the rest of the squad will be at Rapids Theater in Niagara Falls, NY for their annual Comedy Show. This year's event features master hypnotist Jerry Valley, who's been appearing at the Erie County Fair for the last 17 years! If they keep bringing him back that many times, he has to be pretty good to say the least. In addition, Comedian Matt Bergman, who's appeared on Morning Bull on The Edge a number of times will be performing as well. Go to http://www.buffalojills.net/Article.asp?id=2075401 for all the details.

After the Comedy Show, swing down to Hertel Avenue to see 2005 Jills alumnus Ashlee A filling in on vocals with the Studio 54 Dance Band at the Shadow Lounge. Studio 54 has added a lot of new stuff since Ashlee sang with the band full-time and she's been working on learning the new tunes, as well as keeping healthy so she's not suffering from a sore throat like she worked through when she filled in back in November. Shadow Lounge is located at 1504 Hertel Avenue in Buffalo and was voted Best Lounge in the Buffalo Music Awards the last 4 years in a row.

The troop visits aren't done by any means. McChord Air Force Base and Fort Lewis in Seattle have hosted members of the Buffalo Jills rather frequently including Ruby and Gabrielle a few months ago. This time around, they'll have rookie Ambassadors Meghan and Taryn there visiting for Super Bowl weekend.

Now, I said Bandettes too and they have a pair of things coming up you can see them at. First up is the next Bandits home game on February 4th at the arena when the Minnesota Swarm comes to town. Show up before 7 and meet some of the Bandettes as they greet the fans coming into the game. It's a great time to get your photos taken with the girls before they head down to get ready to perform at the game.

Also, the Buffalo Auto Show is coming up from February 9th-13th at the Buffalo Convention Center and appearing on the 9th will be fan favorites Mark Steenhuis from the Buffalo Bandits and Fred Jackson from the Buffalo Bills. Members of the Buffalo Bandettes will be there as well posing for photos with Steenhuis as well as checking out the new cars on display. Go to http://www.buffaloautoshow.com/ for details on the Auto Show.

Finally, there are a couple of things concerning the Jills coming up in the next few months to touch on. First up is Jills tryouts. There's a few details left to iron out but the Open Workshop will be held on April 10th and 1st cuts on April 17th. Both of these dates will be held at the Tralf Music Hall in downtown Buffalo with start times at 1pm. Stay tuned to BuffaloJills.net and the Buffalo Pro Cheer Blog for more details.

Secondly, it's not too early to think about summer and sending kids to a summer camp and the Jills will be once again running a camp at Niagara County Community College this summer. Check http://buffalojills.net/Article.asp?id=1995288&spid=34534 for more info with more coming soon.

Bandette of The Week schedule!

With the Bandits season in full swing, we want to make sure everyone knows each of the Bandettes that will be performing every game at HSBC Arena this season and for that, it's time to get the Bandette of The Week schedule set. This season, we'll be starting with the co-captains and ending with the captains...with the rest of the squad chosen at random between. So without further ado...

• 1/29 Beth
• 2/5 Kirsten
• 2/12 Lauren B
• 2/19 Jessica H
• 2/26 Jessica M
• 3/5 Stephanie
• 3/12 Danielle
• 3/19 Chrissy
• 3/26 Ashley
• 4/2 Krista
• 4/9 Chelsea
• 4/16 Noelle
• 4/23 Lauren S
• 4/30 Melissa
• 5/7 Justina

You can see the Bandettes when you get to the arena before 7pm for a 7:30 start greeting fans as they come up the escalators with Justina's line on one side and Melissa's line on the other. The Bandits' next home game is February 4th hosting the Minnesota Swarm with the 21-and-over postgame party following the game at Cobblestone Bar.

The Bandettes at the Bandits Home Opener

The 2011 Buffalo Bandits came into the 3rd game of the season with a 1-1 record and some more decidedly defensive-minded games, having only scored 9 goals in each of their previous games. Coming in, the Toronto Rock were clicking on all cylinders from an offensive standpoint and the Bandits had to turn on their offense and pulled out a 15-14 OT win in front of 16,685 excited Buffalonians starved for a winning team.

Jessica H, Lauren B, and Chelsea in the West end of the pavilion

Prior to the game, the Bandettes greeted fans coming into the game and posed for photos and signed autographs for the fans.

Melissa's line in the East end of the pavilion

During the game, the Bandettes kept the energy going with a lot of dance routines in the Zamboni entrance to the arena and really pumped it up with some outstanding dance performances at intermissions.

Stephanie, Melissa, and Lauren S in action
Postgame parties, unfortunately for younger fans, moved away from Pearl Street to the Cobblestone bar where fans over 21 could meet and mingle with the players and Bandettes. While the 21-and-over rule is a detriment, the fact that the players and Bandettes are a little more accessible than at Pearl Street may make up for it for some fans. Personally, I preferred the Pearl Street set-up because a league that markets itself as family-friendly would do a lot better to keep post-game parties the same way but everyone will have their own opinions and should check it out after a game this season.

See all the pics at http://s17.photobucket.com/albums/b87/bandettes/2011/Rock/

Next up for the Bandettes, they'll be on hand dancing up a storm as the Bandits play host to the Minnesota Swarm on Friday, February 4th at HSBC Arena. Faceoff is at 7:30 with gates open at 6.

Also, stay tuned to the Buffalo Pro Cheer Blog this week as I'll have the Bandette of The Week schedule posted with veteran co-captain Beth leading off the series starting next weekend!

Buffalo Jill of The Week Laura

If you actually need an introduction to our current Jill of The Week, congratulations on waking from your coma. 4th year vet Laura is easily the most well-known member of the Buffalo Jills and it has more to do with what she does away from the squad than her duties as a member of the Jills Ambassador Squad. She's well-known as the Martin Archery Girl with 3 National Archery Championships and can be found all over the country at various exhibitions involving archery and hunting. Yes, I said hunting too. That's the other big thing she's involved in. She's become an avid hunter the past few years and landed her own show on ESPN2 this past summer called Redfield Redzone. Now, before you think she's strictly tomboyish (without looking the part obviously), she's also an ace in the kitchen and has won awards for her baking. She's even frequently taken some of her famed cookies to Jills practices over the past few years. Those were practices the rest of the squad made sure not to miss!! Laura's secondary photo is from the Fieldhouse prior to the Browns game in December. For that game, Ruby and Laura got to meet and greet fans inside the Fieldhouse before donning their ponchos while handling promotions in the stadium during the game.

You can read more about Laura at http://buffalojills.net/article.asp?id=1961209

Keisha and Ruby in Albany

This past weekend, Ambassador Squad captain Keisha went to Albany to settle her bet with Q103's Mrozek after losing their picks matchup for the season. There to provide moral support was 2nd year vet and fellow Ambassador Ruby. In addition to settling up Keisha's bet, they made visits to various establishments around the Albany area. Q103 has all the pics up at http://q103albany.com/buffalo-jills-visit/

and yes, Keisha ate her wings.

Don't forget, you can meet Keisha and Ruby along with most of the rest of the squad on January 29th at Rapids Theater in Niagara Falls, NY for the Buffalo Jills Comedy Show with master hypnotist Jerry Valley! Go to http://buffalojills.net/Article.asp?id=2070066&spid=34534 for tickets.

Vote for Chelsea!

With the NLL season in full swing, the NLL has started their Girl of The Week voting and this week, 2nd year veteran Bandette (and lover of the camera) Chelsea goes up against a girl from Boston and one from Colorado. We all know the Bandettes are THE premier dance team in the NLL and did either of those other two girls perform in the biggest dance/music halftime show outside the Super Bowl like Chelsea did? Obviously voting for blonde beauty Chelsea is a must so let's get to http://www.nll.com/ and cast your votes. Read more about why to vote for Chelsea at http://www.bandits.com/bbio.asp?bandID=Chelsea

Don't forget, the Bandits Home Opener is Saturday night at HSBC Arena at 7:30...you'll be able to see Chelsea and all of the Bandettes in action for a game for the first time this season.

Buffalo Jill of The Week Reena

This week, we take a look at rookie dancer Reena as our Jill of The Week. This Indian (the country, not Native American) beauty spent her gamedays on Eileen's line between Murissa and Katie and spends much of the rest of her time working on finishing up law school. Quite often, Jills become close friends after joining the squad and there are some occasions in which friends join the squad together after knowing one another a few years. Reena, who joined the squad when Stacy came back, has been friends with Stacy since they were in kindergarten. They've cheered together for several years and even served as captains together in high school. The name "Reena" means "peaceful" in the Greek language but it must mean completely the opposite in India as Reena is a very energetic young lady and I have a hard time picturing her relaxing very much. She seems to be a bundle of nervous energy at times and can be a lot tougher than she looks, as her squadmate Jaclyn found out at the Open Practice held in November. Finally, in her bio she states that she can't name a favorite musical artist but I have it on very good authority that her favorite song is Will Smith's "Gettin Jiggy Wit It." Reena's secondary photo is from before the December game hosting Cleveland. While waiting to head out onto the field for their pregame performance, many of the Buffalo Jills pose for photos inside that make-shift tunnel that covers the tunnel area. Shown here posing for a photo are Jill, Reena, and Nicole.

After having been friends since kindergarten, it only made sense that Stacy and Reena would tryout together as seen in this video from 1st cuts.

You can read more about Reena at http://buffalojills.net/article.asp?id=1974007

Bandettes and Jr Bandettes!!

Got a couple of exciting developments with the Bandettes to tell you about today. First of all, the 2011 Buffalo Bandettes webpage is now up-to-date. Go to http://www.bandits.com/bandettes.asp to reacquaint yourselves with all 10 returning veterans and get to know the 5 new rookies on the squad. Chrissy, Danielle, Jessica M, Krista, and Noelle will be starting their first seasons as Bandettes as the Buffalo Bandits hold their home opener on January 22nd against the Toronto Rock at 7:30.

Also, the Buffalo Bandettes are proud to announce the annual Buffalo Junior Bandette Cheerleading camp. This year’s clinic will run on March 26, 2011 & April 2, 2011, with times to be announced at a later date. Girls aged 7 to 17 are invited to register to learn a routine from the 2011 season and will perform during halftime of the April 2 game against the Washington Stealth. Go to https://www.formstack.com/forms/?1039587-NMAlnArOar for further details and registration

Some appearances upcoming

This Saturday and Sunday, Albany is the place to be as Keisha and Ruby head to the Capital Region to settle Keisha's bet as far as her picks this year on Q103. She and Mrozek from the afternoon show were picking games all season long and despite holding a lead most of the season, Keisha fell behind in the last two weeks and has to eat a dozen Atomic Wings at Buffalo Wild Wings from 3-4:45. After that, and probably guzzling a gallon of milk after eating those, Keisha and Ruby will be visiting plenty of spots in the Albany area throughout the weekend. Get all the details at http://q103albany.com/buffalo-bills-cheerleaders-keisha-ruby/

Also, don't forget about the Jills Comedy Show on January 29th at Rapids Theater in Niagara Falls, NY. Tickets are now available for the show that features hypnotist Jerry Valley and comedian Matt Bergman as well as a performance by the Buffalo Jills along with raffles, a cash bar, and plenty of snacks. Get your tickets at http://www.buffalojills.net/Article.asp?id=2075401

Buffalo Jill of The Week Courteney

This week, we take a look at 2nd year vet Courteney as our Jill of The Week. She's spent her time as a Jill on the Ambassador Squad and has been outstanding in the role. Going to Bills games the last few seasons, it's hard for fans to maintain a positive attitude with the state of the team and that's a part of where the Jills come in. Obviously on gamedays, the Jills dancers provide entertainment on the sidelines and during breaks in the action during the game but before the game, young women like Courteney do what they can to pick up the fans through their roles on the Ambassador Squad. One of her strongest qualities is her positive attitude and it's definitely infectious, which you can tell once you spend a few minutes talking to her. The girl could convince Bills fans that they wouldn't lose to the Patriots....and probably did that to quite a few in Lot C at the home finale. Despite being so good as an ambassador, she also loves to dance and was one of the Jills ambassadors who were part of the huge Toronto halftime performance. As with everything else in her life, she threw herself into it and her loving husband listened to no artist except Hinder for several weeks while she practiced her performances. Courteney couldn't wait for Toronto so she could perform...her husband wanted to see her perform, but was also happy to get to hear music other than Hinder for the first time in several weeks...lol. Away from the squad, besides being happily, or should I say ecstatically, married, Courteney took her marketing degree and uses it to help run the business that she and her husband share and away from that, they share a love of field hockey. Courteney's secondary photo is from before the November game hosting Detroit. Members of the Jills Ambassador Squad were at the Shredd & Ragan Tailgate Party in Lot C before each home game and for that game, we have Courteney, Amanda F, Meghan, and Gina shown posing for the camera.

You can read more about Courteney at http://buffalojills.net/article.asp?id=1961062

A few tidbits to pass along

First up is a little reminder about the Bandettes' game debut. The Buffalo Bandits NLL team starts off its 20th season this weekend in Calgary and after a game next weekend in Philly, return home to host the Toronto Rock at HSBC Arena on January 22nd at 7:30pm. This will be the 1st game appearance of the 2011 Buffalo Bandettes after first performing with the Jills in Toronto and then at the Bandits Open Practice on December 5th. After the game, you can use your game ticket to do away with the cover charge at the Post-game party at Pearl Street Grill and Brewery where players and Bandettes will be in attendance winding down after what we hope will be a win over Toronto.

On January 29th, Rapids Theater in Niagara Falls, NY is the only place to be as the Jills are holding their annual Comedy Show. Master hypnotist Jerry Valley is the headlining performer after having performed at the Erie County Fair for the last 10+ years. Tickets are $25 in advance through the Jills and at the door. In addition to Jerry Valley, comedian Matt Bergman will be performing. Bergman has been on Morning Bull on 103.3 The Edge and will be doing some college and club shows with James from the Edge. In addition, there will be raffles, a cash bar, and snacks available as well as entertainment from the Buffalo Jills. It's a great cause, supporting these girls who don't get paid for the vast majority of what they do, so stop out for this 7pm event. Get all the details and order tickets soon at http://buffalojills.net/Article.asp?id=2070066&spid=34534

Finally, I'm sure there's plenty of young ladies out there who want to cheer and dance at the highest level possible, which means trying out for the Buffalo Jills. Nothing is finalized on 2011 tryouts as of yet but we will have that info as soon as it becomes available. One thing we can say is to expect tryouts to begin in April this year so that gives you more time to get in shape and maybe even review some Jills videos just to get a feel of what to expect if you do intend to tryout for the dance squad. Obviously, the tryout routine differs every year but each dance choreographer, like the Jills' Kelli W, does have a specific style of dance and if you're familiar with her style, it can help you with Jills tryouts immensely.

Following is the tryout routine from last year as demonstrated by Jills captains Christina and Omarlla. As I said, the tryout routine for 2011 will be different from this one, but this video may give you a taste of what kind of dancing to expect to learn. Stay tuned to http://buffalojills.net/ and the Buffalo Pro Cheer Blog for further info on Jills tryouts.