Bandette of The Week Amanda T

This week, we take a look at 2nd year vet Amanda T as our Buffalo Bandette of The Week. Dancing on LB's line during games, Amanda spent her rookie season as a member of the newly-formed Ambassador Squad, visiting suites during the games. She did get a chance to dance at last year's Dance Fair and Expo with her squadmates and this year gets to dance regularly, although she does still spend parts of most games with Ambassador duties as well. As well-spoken and intelligent as she is, it's an aspect of being a Bandette she excels at. Add her reliability and selflessness to her obvious beauty, and you have quite the well-rounded young lady as well as hope for the future when you consider how much people seem to think only of themselves so much these days. You can read more about Amanda at http://www.bandits.com/bbio.asp?bandID=AmandaT Amanda's secondary photo comes from the first home game against the Wings. LB's line was greeting fans as they were coming up the escalators to the game. Shown posing for the camera are Jessica, Amanda T, Cheri, and Kelsey.

Jessica, Amanda T, Cheri, and Kelsey

The Teasers Rock Lock 34

The Teasers in action

After the Bandits game Saturday night, I decided to make my way up to Lockport to see a band I hadn't seen in over a year. The Teasers, led by 2003 Jills Alum Aimee L, have been making their mark on the Western NY music scene for close to 3 years now with a wide variety of songs and genres. Through that time, they've built up a huge following that's getting bigger every week. Lock 34 was pretty full when I got there...almost at capacity. According to lead guitarist Parker Greenman, however, it was actually a slow night there. I guess I was lucky it wasn't busier or else I wouldn't have gotten in as I was able to get a vantage point near the speakers in front of Parker.

Just a small portion of the crowd in front of the stage

Aimee helping out on bass

They're even dancing on the bar

See all the pics at http://buffaloprocheerbuffalojills.shutterfly.com/pictures/32652
If the audio sounds a touch distorted, keep in mind I was filming right in front of the speakers. Trust me when I say this is a band you have to see in person to get the full effect.

This site has been running since 2001 with one goal in mind...to positively promote Buffalo's pro cheerleaders. These ladies put in a lot of work to produce a great product and they deserve a lot more appreciation for that than they seem to get. They're not commodities in uniform...they're human beings and continue to work hard at what they do even when they're off the field and retired from the squads.
Obviously we're not going to talk about their private lives here, talking about where Omarlla teaches or where Noelle practices her nursing career but there are a number who do continue to do things in the spotlight or own their own businesses and for all the hard work they've put in when dancing and cheering, giving them a little free publicity is well-deserved.

Currently, the biggest spotlight is on Jills alum Katherine (2007-08) as she and her husband Max have been appearing on The Amazing Race, Sunday nights on CBS. The race itself happened a few months ago and Max and Katie are sworn to secrecy on anything that hasn't already aired but via their fan page on Facebook, they're connecting with the fans and showing deleted scenes from the show as well as answering questions.  https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Max-Katie-Amazing-Race-Season-22/118709101632161?fref=ts

Already in full recruiting mode, the Buffalo chapter of Blondes Vs Brunettes is in its fifth year and now boasts 8-year Jills alum and 1-year Bandettes alum Jenn C as one of their co-chairs. In addition to Jenn, there are several other Jills and Bandettes alumni involved with BvB over the past few years and several more have expressed an interest in playing in the powder-puff football game benefiting the WNY Alzheimer's Association this year. Registration is open to all who want to participate, whether it be a player or a coach at http://act.alz.org/BVBBuffalo13

For some of the rest, we'll give you a list

• Dance taught in Buffalo by Jills choreographer Kelli Wagner- http://www.fusiondancestudio.org/
• Dance in St Catherine's Ontario with direction by Jills alum Elizabeth (2004-05) - http://www.expressionsdancearts.com/
• Disney vacation bookings by Bandettes alum Meghan F (2006-10)- https://www.facebook.com/pages/Meghan-Fox-Vacation-Specialist-with-Dream-Come-True-Vacations/256538441063257?ref=ts&fref=ts#!/pages/Meghan-Fox-Vacation-Specialist-with-Dream-Come-True-Vacations/256538441063257
• Hair accessories by Bombshell, Rush, and Bandettes alum Casey- https://www.facebook.com/maddilouhoo
• Bridal fashions by Jills alum and actress Theresa Joy - http://www.etsy.com/shop/deLoop?ref=pr_shop_more
• and of course, The Teasers http://teasernation.com/

The Bandettes at the Bandits-Rush game

The game itself was nothing any Bandits fan will ever want to remember as the only bright spot was the play of newly-acquired Alex Kedoh Hill, acquired in a trade with Rochester for asst captain Scott Self. Hill, stashed on Rochester's practice squad all year, came up with a few big plays as well as a hat trick in the 14-7 loss to the Edmonton Rush, playing in Buffalo for their 1st time ever.

Bandettes posing in pregame

I got to the arena a little late myself, just minutes before the Bandettes came out to perform in pregame and there were a few notable absences with Amanda C, Brianna M, and reigning Bandette of The Week Alicia not in action. MaKenzie returned to action after a game off and, to cover ambassador duties, Chelsea and Brianna V, currently in voting for NLL Girl of The Week at http://www.ilindoor.com/2013/03/19/nll-girl-of-the-week-its-brianna-of-buffalo-going-against-skye-of-washington/ , filled in. To help out with dancing, a special guest performed with the current Bandettes in the halftime performance in the form of Bandettes alum Danielle (2005-07,09) who showed she still has the moves.

LB, Cheri, MaKenzie, and Amanda T cheering on a Bandettes goal as Danielle (2005-07,09) looks on

Bandettes posing at halftime in their "gangsta outfits"

Kirsten and Danielle (2005-07,09) coming off the field after halftime

Stephanie and Kirsten in action

See all the pics at http://buffaloprocheerbuffalobandettes.shutterfly.com/pictures/6352
Next up for the Bandettes, they'll be back in action April 20th as the Bandits play host to the Rochester Knighthawks in their regular season finale.

Bandette of The Week Alicia

This week, we take a look at 2nd year vet Alicia as our Buffalo Bandette of The Week. It was probably a given years ago that Alicia would end up as a Bandette. Besides being a huge lacrosse fan, especially the Bandits and former asst captain Pat "Speedy" McCready, she's been dancing since the age of 3 and her favorite color is orange....she's actually kind of obsessed with it. She even likes the Denver Broncos in the NFL with their color scheme. You can read more about Alicia at http://www.bandits.com/bbio.asp?bandID=AliciaD Alicia's secondary photo is from the more recent game against Philadelphia and was taken at the pregame party at Cobblestone Bar where LB's line was visiting with fans and selling raffle tickets. Shown posing for the camera are L.B., Alicia, MaKenzie, and Kelsey.

LB, Alicia, MaKenzie, and Kelsey

Buffalo Jill of The Week Emily

This week, we take a look at now-4th year vet Emily as our Buffalo Jill of The Week. Dancing on Omarlla's line as her co-captain between Emmy and Chaundra, Emily will be taking over as line captain in 2013, after finishing up her undergraduate degree in dance. She doesn't plan on stopping her education as she does still plan to pursue her MBA with the eventual goal of opening her own dance studio. Dance is Emily's life and even as a Jill, she puts in a lot of time with dance away from the squad and has even participated in a few ballet recitals the past few years. She's also a very devoted big sister as she considers her little sister to be the best gift she's ever received and when the Jills did Open Practices (as well as presumably with the Jr Jills), Emily has been a standout with the attention she's paid the little girls she's teaching. You can read more about Emily at http://buffalojills.com/profile.php?PID=70 Emily's secondary photo comes from last year's Season Ticket Holder Draft Party held at the Healthy Zone Fieldhouse. Shown posing for a photo are Emily, Jacki, and Lisa.

Emily, Jacki, and Lisa

Vote for Brianna V as NLL Girl Of The Week

Last year's NLL Girl of The Year, Stephanie, with Brianna V

The Bandettes now have another girl in the running for the NLL Girl of The Year competition and it's rookie Brianna V! Considering that the NLL Girl of The Year title currently resides in Buffalo with 2nd year vet Stephanie O, we should definitely put our best foot forward to ensure it stays in Buffalo! Brianna V, a college grad who loves Mighty Taco, is an excellent choice to represent the Bandettes in regards to her beauty as well as her dedication and strengths. Go to http://www.ilindoor.com/2013/03/19/nll-girl-of-the-week-its-brianna-of-buffalo-going-against-skye-of-washington/ to vote for Brianna and vote often!

NLL regular season schedule expands to 18 games in 2014

The National Lacrosse League has announced that as part of a comprehensive strategic plan, the league’s Board of Governors have voted to increase the length of the regular season from 16 to 18 games for the 2014 NLL season. The comprehensive strategic plan includes findings from a recent survey conducted of NLL fans throughout North America. Among the survey’s findings was a desire by the fans for additional regular season games.
more at http://www.nll.com/news_article/show/238810
What that means is 9 home and 9 away...which translates to 9 games in which to see the NLL's premier dance team, the Buffalo Bandettes, perform!

Bandette of The Week Lauren K

This week, we take a look at 2nd year vet Lauren K as our Buffalo Bandette of The Week. Irish in heritage, Lauren is one of the more goal-oriented girls I've dealt with on the Bandettes or the Jills. She has her degree in communications with a minor in dance and has been using both of them for years already. She's a dance instructor and the writer for the Buffalo Dance Examiner. She's even taken up a choreographer's job recently. How she finds time for everything is beyond me. She even has goals of writing a book and getting a job in the entertainment industry working in promotions. Considering all she's done in that area with the Buffalo Dance Examiner the last few years, she's already shown she's more than qualified. If not for all her work, last year's Dance Fair and Expo probably wouldn't have been as successful as it was. You can read more about Lauren at http://www.bandits.com/bbio.asp?bandID=LaurenK Lauren's secondary photo comes from the more recent game against Philadelphia and was taken while Kirsten's line was greeting fans coming into First Niagara Center for the game. Shown posing for a photo are Danielle, Brianna A, Lauren K, and Chelsea.

Danielle, Brianna A, Lauren K, and Chelsea

Buffalo Jill of The Week Jayanti

This week, we take a look at rookie dancer Jayanti as our Buffalo Jill of The Week. Dancing on Christina's line between Christina and Myesha, Jayanti is working towards a career as a wildlife conservationalist with the eventual plan of helping to save endangered species. If any of those endangered species are spiders however, one has to wonder how devoted she'll be to them...lol. But considering she wants to leave an impact on the world when all is said and done, her chosen career path is pretty fitting. If she has free time with that, she'd like to give acting a shot as well, maybe starring in a future Star Trek movie with the current Uhura, Zoe Saldana. With her ability to mock accents, she's got a chance to make a mark in Hollywood if she wants to go for that. You can read more about Jayanti at http://buffalojills.com/profile.php?PID=56 Jayanti's secondary photo comes from the Bills Home Opener against the Chiefs. In a photo taken
late in the 2nd quarter, we have Myesha and Jayanti revving up the crowd.

Myesha and Jayanti at the home opener

Meet Jayanti in this short video from last year's 1st cuts with intro by Jills choreographer Kelli Wagner.

As seen in this video from 1st cuts, where Jayanti is shown alongside Kristina, she's quite the dancer as well as a beauty.

The Bandettes at the Bandits-Mammoth Game

The game itself was nothing to write home about unless you like reading about collapses as the Bandits, after jumping out to a 3-0 lead, fell apart in route to a 12-6 defeat at the hands of the Colorado Mammoth.
Thankfully, that's not what this Blog is about as our focus is on the beautiful young women dancing for the team, the Buffalo Bandettes, long-recognized as one of the top squads in the NLL.
To start the evening, the Bandettes were hard at work selling autographed lacrosse balls to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the Buffalo Bandettes.

LB, Stephanie, and Cheri

After getting a ball from LB (NLL Transition Player of The Week Jay Thorimbert, BTW), I snapped a few photos of the girls on the lower level selling lacrosse balls as well as Stephanie and Brianna A, who were hard at work selling lineup sheets to fans coming into the game. 

Amanda C and Lauren K

After that, it was up to the 100 level where the rest of the squad was hard at work selling their lacrosse balls. A lot of the purchases were made on the lower level so Amanda C and Lauren K stationed themselves where fans coming in direct from the parking ramp would see them first, proving that they have brains in addition to beauty.

Chrissy, Danielle, and Chelsea

Eventually, it was gametime, and with Chrissy back in action after being out of town last week, the Bandettes put on some stellar performances including a new one at halftime sporting some sparkled-out baseball caps.

Kirsten's line in action

Finishing off their 1st intermission performance

LB's line in action

Showing off their "gangsta" look as Kelsey put it

The "S" in their spelling in the 3rd intermission performance

whole squad dancing together in the 4th quarter

See all the pics at http://buffaloprocheerbuffalobandettes.shutterfly.com/pictures/6118

Next up for the Bandettes, after go to Colorado next weekend to try to get some revenge, they're back at First Niagara Center on March 23rd as the Bandits play host to the Edmonton Rush, a team that hasn't played in Buffalo in several years.

Bandette of The Week Stephanie O

This week, we take a look at 2nd year vet Stephanie as our Buffalo Bandette of The Week. Known as a major camera ham, which is a very good thing as far as we're concerned, Stephanie is the reigning NLL Girl of The Year after her squadmates pushed hard to get votes for her every round last year. Beyond the title itself, Stephanie got a lot more out of winning the title like that. For one thing, she saw first hand how close-knit the Bandettes squad can be the way everyone pulls together to achieve something for one of the girls. For another, she got some new friendships out of the deal, notably Candice of the Toronto Rock Cheerleaders, who she bested in the 1st rd of voting. Candice and the rest of the Toronto Rock Cheerleaders came down to Buffalo in the middle of the 2012 season and even put on a performance at halftime of the game. Stephanie and Candice got to meet a few weeks after their contest and struck up a friendship that's still going strong today. Of course being friends with Stephanie is pretty easy anyway as she's funny, friendly, and easy to get along with. You can read more about Stephanie at http://www.bandits.com/bbio.asp?bandID=StephanieO Stephanie's secondary photo comes from early in the Rock game while waiting to head out for pregame. Shown posing for the camera are Stephanie and Brianna V.

Stephanie and Brianna V

Buffalo Jill of The Week Chaundra

This week, we take a look at rookie dancer Chaundra as our Buffalo Jill of The Week. Dancing on Omarlla's line between Gina and Emily, Chaundra is the latest in a long line of knockouts on the Jills or Bandettes in the nursing field. Between Chaundra, Jami, and Myesha, the 2012 Buffalo Jills could cover an entire day taking care of a patient....who wouldn't love to be that patient? Right now, Chaundra is "only" a certified nursing assistant but plans to further her education to become a full-fledged RN. Originally from North Canton, Ohio, near the birthplace of the NFL, she's so into fitness that she's a competitor in international fitness competitions and a dance instructor in her spare time. In addition to becoming an RN, she'd love to own her own dance studio. That's quite a lot to undertake but if she sets her mind to it, I wouldn't put it past her to accomplish it. You can read more about Chaundra at http://buffalojills.com/profile.php?PID=61 Chaundra's secondary photo comes from the Bills Home Opener against the Chiefs. In a photo from the 3rd quarter, we have Rita, Jami, Chaundra, and Gina performing for the fans.

Rita, Jami, Chaundra, and Gina

Meet Chaundra in this video shot at last year's 1st cuts with commentary by Jills choreographer Kelli Wagner.

Chaundra's more than a pretty face as seen in her performance at 1st cuts last April.

The Bandettes at the Bandits-Wings Game

Coming home after a road win in Toronto, the Buffalo Bandits had a perfect opportunity to grab a share of 1st place in the NLL East with a win over the Philadelphia Wings. Early on, it looked like that was exactly their intention as they went to the half with a 7-2 lead. But the visiting Wings had other plans as they pulled out a tie with 3.7 seconds left to force overtime where they put a one-timer past Cosmo 2:14 into the extra session to leave Buffalo with a 11-10 win over the hometown Bandits.

While the Bandits fell apart in the 2nd half, their better looking sisters, the Bandettes, did quite the opposite with a new-style dance performance during 3rd intermission that drew as loud an ovation as their always popular spelling routine at the end of their 1st intermission performance.

Danielle, Brianna A, Jessica H (2008-11), Chelsea, and Lauren K

Prior to the game, I stopped by Cobblestone where L.B.'s line was on hand selling raffle tickets and greeting fans before heading over to the FNC where Kirsten's line was posing for photos and signing their new posters for the fans.

Jessica, Lauren K, and Kirsten

Kelsey and MaKenzie

Jessica, Brianna A, MaKenzie, Amanda T, Kirsten, and Kelsey

Kirsten, Stephanie, and Brianna A showing off their flannel shirts and "Daisy Dukes"

For the Bandettes, it was about more than their performances as, in addition to their 2013 posters now available, it was old home week of a sort. In addition to Ashley (2010-12), putting in appearances to see their old squadmates were Danielle W (2011-12) and Jessica H (2008-11). And with Bandettes director Jaclyn out after recently giving birth, former director Erin J stepped in to help Erin Y with longtime Bandettes alum and friend to the Buffalo Pro Cheer Blog Meghan F (2006-10) lending a hand as well.
See all the pics at http://buffaloprocheerbuffalobandettes.shutterfly.com/pictures/6012


Next up for the Bandettes, they're back at the First Niagara Center on March 9th as the Bandits play host to the Colorado Mammoth!

Bandette of The Week Chelsea

This week, we take a look at 4th year vet Chelsea as our Buffalo Bandette of The Week. Known as one of the biggest camera hams on the squad, Chelsea is a lot more than that. With 3+ seasons as a Bandette under her belt, she's taken more of a leadership role of late, helping Kirsten out and acting as sort of a big sister to her younger less experienced squadmates. Of course Chelsea as a big sister comes naturally as, in her rookie season, she regularly brought her little sister not just to games, but to the Bandits post-game parties when they were held at the more family-friendly Pearl Street Grill and Brewery. She even had her along with her when the Bandettes performed alongside the Jills in Toronto in 2010. You can read more about Chelsea at http://www.bandits.com/bbio.asp?bandID=Chelsea Chelsea's secondary photo comes from the recent game against the Knighthawks. Before the game, Alicia grabbed Chelsea to pose for a pic with her before heading out for their performance.

Alicia and Chelsea

Buffalo Jill of The Week Laura

This week, we take a look at retiring Jills Ambassador Squad captain Laura as our Buffalo Jill of The Week. Laura is probably the most recognized lady on the Jills and it has nothing to do with the Jills. Between Martin Archery, Redfield Redzone, CW23, and "Tell Me How You Really Feel," Laura's always kept in the public eye. Her next venture on tv may be a cooking show since she is reportedly a fantastic cook. Right now though, her big focus is on Team RWB, an organization working to connect military veterans to their communities through physical and social activities. With her husband directing the Buffalo chapter, Laura has been active in marathons on behalf of the cause. You can read more about Laura at http://buffalojills.com/profile.php?PID=65 Laura's secondary photo is from the Jills Open Workshop last spring featuring the 3 most recent Jills Ambassador Squad captains, Laura, Danielle S, and Keisha.

Laura, Danielle S, and Keisha