This week, we take a look at 2nd year vet Amanda V as our Buffalo Jill of The Week. Dancing on Christina's line between Beth and Jenny, Amanda is one of those girls who can never just relax. She loves being on the go and staying busy. Given that, it's no big surprise she chose a demanding and hectic career field like the law.Before joining up with the Jills, she was already doing a lot with cheer and dance and I'm not talking high school cheerleading and dance classes, although she did that, too. She also taught cheering and dance traveling some of the country. It's almost a shame being an attorney will take up so much time as if she has free time after she graduates and lands a job, she could do some coaching in the near future. That being said, given Amanda's penchant for staying so busy, she just may find a way to do that as well. You can read more about Amanda at http://buffalojills.net/article.asp?id=1961018 Amanda's secondary photo is from the Draft Party the Bills held in the Healthy Zone Fieldhouse. Shown posing for the camera are Emily, Amanda V, and Jill.
Emily, Amanda V, and Jill
Don't forget to check out Amanda's tryout video from 1st cuts. After Amanda and Jill made the squad dancing side-by-side last season, they figured they brought each other good luck and signed up for numbers 25 and 26 so they could pair up again. Obviously the plan worked as they both made the squad and we're hoping to see Jill back on the field later this season.
Ghosts and goblins will be roaming the halls of "Eerie" Community College's North Campus for "Safe & Seen Halloween" this Saturday, October 29th between 11a.m.-3p.m. at 6205 Main Street in Williamsville.
"Safe & Seen Halloween" has something for everyone, including visits by Sabretooth, Billy Buffalo and the Buffalo Jills cheerleaders. The event also spotlights American Red Cross B.A.T (Basic Aid Training) and Babysitter Training and includes an American Red Cross blood drive. In addition, members of Local and Federal Law Enforcement, the Main Transit Fire Department, Rural Metro, Mercy Flight, the SPCA, the State Attorney General's Office, The Erie County Health Department, Kaleida's Poison Center, and other local organizations and businesses of all kinds will join together to help educate our community on issues surrounding child and family safety, health and well-being. http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/erie/Red-Cross-to-host-Safe-Seen-Halloween
Over the weekend, the NLL's premier dance team, the Buffalo Bandettes, held open auditions to fill the 15 spots on the 2012 squad. In total, 41 girls tried out, a slightly higher number than usual as they usually have 30-35. On Saturday, as I already reported, the aspiring Bandettes learned a routine taught by Erin Y and Meghan F. Sunday, they had to perform that routine in front of 5 judges as well as answer some questions to see how they would handle thinking on their feet...for when they talk to fans at games and appearances. Going off of what I saw on Saturday, it had to have been a tough call for the judges to select just 15 girls as everyone seemed to pick up the routine pretty well before they left.
2012 Buffalo Bandettes
The 2012 squad will be composed of 6 rookies, 5 2nd year vets (Noelle, Chrissy, Krista, Danielle, and Jessica), 3 3rd year vets (Chelsea, Lauren B, and Stephanie) and 1 4th year vet (Kirsten)
In addition to a number of former Bandettes doing the judging, WYRK's Clay Moden was a celebrity judge for tryouts on Sunday and talks about the experience on WYRK's website at http://wyrk.com/buffalo-bandettes-auditionsvideo/
There's even some video up as well
Now begins the really tough task....getting ready for the 2012 Buffalo Bandits season
While the NFL is in full swing and the NLL season doesn't start for another few months, it's the time of year again when NLL Dance squads have to start getting ready by holding tryouts to fill up their rosters and get ready to start teaching routines to veterans and rookies alike. Rather unexpectedly, I got offered the opportunity just this morning to come to the 1st session of Bandettes tryouts, the workout in which 41 young ladies worked to learn the routine they'll be expected to perform tomorrow for the judges who will select the 15-girl 2012 squad. To teach the routine, Bandettes head choreographer Erin Y had the assistance of Bandettes alumnus Meghan F who, besides her 5 years on the squad as a dancer, co-captain, and then captain, has been a valued contributor for the Buffalo Pro Cheer Blog. Helping with registration today was another Bandettes alumnus, Jessica H, who only just retired after 4 years on the squad.
After everyone got registered, Kirsten led the group through some stretching and warm-ups before it was time to start learning. Meghan only learned the routine earlier in the week but with all her dance experience and 5 years working with Erin Y, she was able to pick it up quick enough to help Erin demonstrate.
All 41 girls seemed to pick up the routine as Erin and Meghan worked with them step-by-step throughout the session, which will make the job of the judges tomorrow that much tougher.
The aspiring Bandettes will be returning to Gold's Gym tomorrow for cuts (closed to the public) when 5 judges will narrow the field of 41 down to form the 15-girl squad so they can start getting ready for the 2012 NLL season including the Bandits Open Practice, the actual date of which should be announced soon. Best of luck to all 41 young ladies!
This week, we take a look at our other unconventional rookie as our Buffalo Jill of The Week. Melissa spent 6 1/2 seasons dancing as a Bandette with the last season as a captain after several as a co-captain. Spending her gamedays dancing on Valerie's line between Val and Loren, she's loving the experiences of being a Jill so far. As a matter of fact, it was working with the Jills last season in Toronto that got her thinking about trying it out. The last year has been a big one for her not only as far as the transition to the Jills, but in her personal life as well as she's now happily married to someone she's been with for several years. Brad not only has been there for her through her entire career but makes her and those around her laugh, something you need in every relationship. Besides the time she spends with her husband, nothing makes Melissa happier than when she's performing. When she's not performing, she's actually rather quiet , especially compared to most of her linemates like Valerie and Murissa. That doesn't mean she's shy or anything, though. One way she does express herself very well though is through writing. She started college as a communications major with an interest in reporting and even after she switched majors, she wrote some NLL Girl of The Week articles on her squadmates for NLL.com. You can read more about Melissa at http://www.bandits.com/bbio.asp?bandID=Melissa Melissa's secondary photo comes from the 9th Annual Buffalo Jills Golf Tournament and was taken before the golfers started arriving as everything was being set up for the day. Shown posing for a photo are Natalie, Melissa, and Jenny.
Natalie, Melissa, and Jenny
Don't forget to watch Melissa and Beth together at 1st cuts putting on a great performance. Bandits fans have seen how outstanding they are for years...now Bills fans get to see it as well.
This week, we take a look at one of the non-conventional rookies on the Buffalo Jills. Beth may be a rookie when it comes to being on the Jills, but 4 1/2 seasons on the Bandettes makes it hard for me to think of her as a rookie...especially when you consider I've known her and Melissa longer than any current Jill except Omarlla. Found on Christina's line dancing alongside Amanda V, Beth may be kind of a good luck charm for the teams she cheers for. In her 3rd season on the Bandettes, the Bandits won the NLL Title. She took the following season off and the Bandits lost in the Eastern finals. After she and the rest of the Bandettes joined the Jills and Jills alumni in Toronto for the big halftime show there last year, Beth got to thinking about what it would be like to join the Jills. It wasn't an easy decision for her to leave the Bandettes and she was actually more concerned about her squadmates reacting to her leaving the Bandettes than she was about making the Jills. She needn't have been concerned on either front as they were all excited for her on her transition and obviously she made the squad. While nothing was a given, I myself would've been shocked had she not made it. After her 1st 3 solid seasons on the Bandettes, when she came back in 2010 after a season off, she jumped right into the role of a co-captain. It remains to be seen how many seasons Beth plans to stick around on the Jills but if she does put in a decent amount of time, becoming a co-captain on this squad is something I can definitely see happening. She's not afraid to lead her squadmates and was seen as kind of a big sister on the Bandettes by her younger squadmates. Beth's secondary photo comes from Lot C before the Bills-Pats game last month. Shown posing for the photo are Beth and Amanda V.
Beth and Amanda V
Don't forget to take a look at her and Melissa putting on a great performance at 1st cuts.
Only a few photos from NFL.com this week...you can see them at http://www.nfl.com/photos/09000d5d822f30b1#id:09000d5d822fa72d Thanks to Sasha at http://ultimatecheerleaders.com/ for seeing the pics before I did this week
Maybe they just realized we had some extra help with pics. Pro Bowl Dan was up for the game as well and got plenty of Jills pics before and during the game as well as a few game pics. We'll see about getting those out soon.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and in honor of it this year, the Jills put on a HUGE, and I do mean HUGE, pregame performance at the Bills' only home game this month. To help promote breast cancer awareness, the Jills brought in 150 Buffalo Jills alumni spanning 6 decades of Jills cheerleaders to perform for the crowd. In addition, all but 5 of the current Jills Ambassadors joined in as well. Prior to the game, after I broke away from my tailgate party, I swung by the 97Rock Tailgate party where Alyssa, Reena, and Jessica were holding court selling and signing calendars and posing for photos.
Alyssa, Reena, and Jessica
Val's line in Lot C
Gabrielle and Loren in Lot C
After some time with them, I swung over to the Shredd and Ragan tailgate party where Amanda F and Ruby were talking with fans in a private party there and Valerie's dance line came out to perform and pose for photos before heading into get set for the performance.
Unfortunately, I made it into my seat just after the ladies all made it out of the tunnel but luckily I was able to get some pics of them on the sidelines as they got ready to perform.
Gabrielle, Jennifer (2008-09), and Julie P (1997-2002) lead one group along Bills sideline
Laura and Courteney among the several Jills alumni
After the performance, the entire group, lined up in the scoreboard red zone area in the shape of a giant pink ribbon through player introductions and the National Anthem before returning up the sideline and back through the tunnel.
Angelina (2007-10), Jennifer (2008-09) Jamie R (2003-08) Korinne (2004-06) and
Stephanie G (2002) among other alumni
Omarlla's line in action during the 2nd quarter
After the game got going, Reena and Jessica worked on promotions throughout the game, getting their pretty faces on the big screen multiple times while the Jills went to the sidelines and the alumni settled in to watch the Bills go to 4-1 over the Eagles.
Jessica and Reena late in the game
Some of the Jills watching the final moments
After the big win, I ran into a few familiar faces. On her way out of the stadium was Jill, who's off crutches and walking again after 2 badly sprained ankles this summer. She's still working on a lengthy rehab program and we're hoping to see her back on the sidelines in about 2 months time. I also ran into Lisa L (2003-04) who enjoyed getting back onto the field again and into Danielle H (1998-2002) who we've seen a lot of lately being one of the most notable Buffalo Jills alumni involved with the Blondes Vs Brunettes organization. After a stop by my tailgate party to pick up Pro Bowl Dan, who also has a great many photos from the game we should be seeing soon, I went over to Danny's restaurant to see several other Jills alumni.
In addition to seeing several alumni I didn't know, I got to talk to Jodi (2000), Jen R (2000-03), Kristine (2002-05), Tammy (1994,95, 2002), Danielle (1998-2002) again, and even one alumnus who didn't dance, Francine (2000-04), who's still very much pregnant but plans to be back in action for next year's Blondes Vs Brunettes events and game.
Several Jills alumni posing for photos at Danny's after the game
Next up, the Bills and Jills return to Rogers Centre in Toronto for a game against the Washington Redskins on October 30 with a 4:05pm kickoff. The next time they return home to the Ralph will be in 3 weeks when they play host to the Jets
This week, we take a look at our first rookie as our Buffalo Jill of The Week. Jenny, who dances on Christina's line next to Natalie and Amanda V, has already made her mark on the squad in a few ways. For one, she drives further than anyone else on the squad with her home being in the Syracuse area. I would have to guess she keeps her iPod fully charged to keep her company on that drive. She even volunteered for an appearance in Jamestown on Opening Day so her normal 2 1/2 hour drive turned into 4. But her contributions so far go beyond that kind of dedication...she's also quit the exceptional dancer as she and Myesha were the only 2 rookies to perform at the Jills Golf Tourney this year. When you have that few rookies doing it, it says something about how great they are as dancers. A lot of girls, when they join the Jills, are still working their way through college. Jenny's already a college grad with her degree in communications and her hope is to be able to use that degree for the ASPCA to help find homes for all the abandoned and otherwise homeless animals around. With all the charities that get a lot of attention, the ASPCA is one that, while the needs are simple to get help, the attention it gets to get that help isn't what it should be. I have a feeling Jenny would be able to help change that. Read more about Jenny at https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1L5vBIFSSrlfgx1A7KSOmBX7H34IOaCTpeUEF8yOhlgg Jenny's secondary pic is from the Lions preseason game prior to the Jills coming out for pregame. Shown posing for the camera in the tunnel are Jenny and Natalie.
Jenny and Natalie
Don't forget to check out her tryout video from 1st cuts!
On Tuesday, 6th year vet and captain Christina of the Buffalo Jills appeared on National Television Show Anderson Cooper, a new talk show this year whose focus that day was on, among others, Paula Abdul. Christina once met Paula several years ago and got the chance to meet her again on the show. Then, she appeared on Winging It, on CW23 in Buffalo, with a recap of what happened and also talked about this Sunday's big pregame performance.
CW23, a TV station in Buffalo, has, for the last 4 years or so, had a young woman employed as a spokesperson. The 1st two years, Lydia Dominick filled the role and while in that role, worked with the Jills pretty frequently. She even became kind of an honorary Jill while doing a series on Jills tryouts and now she's co-hosting a talk show on WGRZ-TV. Her replacement, Allie Hartwick is now about to leave the job herself (they are basically given 2-year contracts to keep a new face in the job and give the ladies some experience in the television industry). This year, among the people up for the job are a few Buffalo Jills alumni and one Buffalo Bandettes alumnus as well as some current Jills
At 7A is 4th year vet and current Buffalo Jills Ambassador Squad captain Laura http://www.cw23.com/dpp/cw_star/search_videos_a/cw-star-video-7A
At 9A is 3rd year veteran Ambassador Ruby http://www.cw23.com/dpp/cw_star/search_videos_a/cw-star-video-9A
At 10A is 2009 Buffalo Bandettes alumnus Erin M http://www.cw23.com/dpp/cw_star/search_videos_a/cw-star-video-10A
12A is 3-year Buffalo Jills alumnus Michelle http://www.cw23.com/dpp/cw_star/search_videos_a/cw-star-video-12A
27A is 2009 Buffalo Jills covergirl Katy R http://www.cw23.com/dpp/cw_star/search_videos_a/cw-star-video-27A
At 5B is 11-year Buffalo Jills alumnus Eileen http://www.cw23.com/dpp/cw_star/search_videos_b/cw-star-video-5b
All we as fans need to do is vote by clicking the Facebook like buttons on their pages and it'll help give them a leg up, so to speak, on the competition
