Do you think you have what it takes to be a member of one the NBA's hottest dance teams? If so, the Lady Cats are looking for you. The Lady Cats will hold auditions for the 2008-09 squad on August 10 at Time Warner Cable Arena. Leading up to auditions, Lady Cats Director and Choreographer Brandii McCoy will be checking in with all the details and behind-the-scenes information.

Note: the opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of the Charlotte Bobcats organization or of the NBA

Kent Smith/NBAE Lady Cats Choreographer Brandii McCoy teaches a routine at the 2007-08 Lady Cats Auditions.

-- Lady Cats Director & Choreographer Brandii McCoy | 10:50 a.m. 8/08/08

Three days away. I cannot believe the auditions are so close. I’m even getting nervous! Ha

The Lady Cats and I have been on a promotional tour with Cindy, one of our PR managers since last Friday. We have been to WFNZ to chat on a sports radio program, taped a segment for a community calendar radio spot, they performed live on Fox News Edge Tuesday night, photographed at the Charlotte Observer Wednesday morning, and promoted the auditions on No Limit Larry’s Morning Madhouse. After Friday’s Fox News Rising show, we will be exhausted… but that is part of the excitement, getting out there and encouraging women to audition.

The audition process really has come a long way since when I had to audition for an NBA team.) I tell my dancers all the time how lucky they are that they didn’t have tryout way back in my day. (Ok, I’m going to show my age here…) I remember wearing a one piece (yes, Flashdance style) leotard. It had to be all black and we couldn’t wear shorts or pants over it. (Seriously, whoever made us do that, HAD to be doing it just for a laugh). Then we were required to wear white tennis shoes, which we immediately nicknamed “Tic-Tacs” because your feet stood out like a sore thumb! What a sight we were. Flash- dancing our way around the court, with our feet shining as much as our pearly whites.

The audition lasted only one day back then, not as in depth as it is in today’s dance world. We didn’t have a week of boot camp and business interviews with a fancy final audition like they do now. It was eight hours and we learned our fate at the end of the day.

I did meet two very important people that day. First, Alto, my coach at the time. She inspired me to become the best dancer I could be and taught me so much about the marketing aspect of professional dancers. She is the reason I got into coaching and choreography. She paved the way for so much in my life and is now one of my best friends and coaching peers. She currently coaches for the NFL team in Houston, Texas.

Second, was Keasha, now one of my best friends here in Charlotte. She was the girl next to me wearing her black leotard, white tennis shoes and black dance tights. Now, all the girls reading this KNOW that you cannot wear black tights with white tennis shoes, it just DOES NOT work. Lol But she sported that outfit like a champ, and had so much confidence and dance ability, that I was proud that we both made the team together. We danced for five great years on that team and she is forever part of my life.

The point of this story? You NEVER KNOW WHO YOU WILL MEET. The networking opportunities of becoming an NBA dancer are endless. It is so much more than dancing on the court during the games. It is about meeting people from Charlotte, greeting fans at the games, teaching dances at the Junior Lady Cats program, volunteering in our community on behalf of the Bobcats, and gaining friends that you will have forever. That is why you should audition. Not because of the money (because you already know NBA dancers don’t make a lot. Ha) Not just because you like to dance. You should audition because of all the things in addition to the dancing.

I am hoping those girls auditioning on Sunday will be every bit as excited as I was WAYYYYY back in the day. (Side note: If you see one of the judges really admiring your costume, don’t mind her. That’s just Keasha; she will be amazed at how far the costumes have come since her day.)

Cheers!
Brandii

-- Lady Cats Director & Choreographer Brandii McCoy | 4:12 p.m. 7/30/08

It’s that time again. NBA teams from all over the country are holding auditions and selecting member to become dancers for the upcoming season. Here in Bobcats Land, things are no different. We are busy preparing for auditions, booking a media tour to promote the auditions, and getting excited about having a new team.

The aspiring Lady Cats are emailing in with their pre-registration information, and also asking a ton of questions about tryouts. A few are very serious, and others make me smile. I thought I would share a few with everyone, so you can get a look behind the scenes.

The three biggest questions:”How many girls will make the team?”, “Do the current Lady Cats have to re-audition?” and ”What are you looking for in a Lady Cat?”

First, we will select approximately 20 dancers to be a part of our 08-09 team. Some of our beloved Lady Cats from last season are moving away to transfer colleges, some are not re-auditioning so they can take on more responsibilities in their full-time careers, and some are retiring. :( This should be a big year for us to get a lot of new talent on the squad.

Next…Yes, the current Lady Cats have to re-audition and NO they are not guaranteed a spot. It is MUCH harder on them to make it back because they have actually been “re-auditioning” all year long as they represented our organization. Unfortunately, in all my years coaching professional dancers and cheerleaders, there are times when veterans get cut because someone at auditions outshines them. But, the current Lady Cats that are re-auditioning will come into the tryout ready to claim their spot back. They will be fighting hard, because they know how exciting it is to be a part of the Bobcats organization. (Hint, Hint for the new girls trying out, MAKE A BIG IMPRESSION early on Sunday morning BEFORE THE VETS COME IN FOR ROUND 2. When they get there, they will have great costumes on, makeup will be flawless, and they will be well rested. At that point, you will be tired, sweaty, and hungry. Make yourself memorable for us BEFORE the vets come in.)

Finally, what are we looking for in a Lady Cat? Well, where do I start?

I’m looking for the PERFECT CANDIDATE! Four things are important to me.

Are you coachable? Can you come in and learn as a member of this team and continue to get better with the group? If you have reached your dancing peak and you are no longer coachable, I don’t need you. (Think of it this way, if a basketball player thought he was so great that he no longer needed to be coached…what good would he be to Larry Brown?)

Are you a well rounded dancer? Let’s face it, this IS a dance team, and you have to be a good dancer. I am not expecting you to be Mia Michaels or Janet Jackson, but you should be able to dance a variety of styles and be entertaining while you do it. (Yes, we dance to pop, rock, hip-hop, oldies and even some country music at the games. You have to be able to at least pretend you like all of it! Ha!)

Next, Is your schedule flexible? So many girls want to be a part of this organization, and they come in with all intention of just dancing at practices and games, then they are the same girls that have to turn down appearance requests that I send out. I am looking for girls who have flexible schedules who will do community appearances and charitable events on behalf of the Bobcats. (Ladies, the guys in my department and I cannot put the cute costumes on for you and appear in the community on your behalf….haha.)

Finally, Will our fans like you? We hire girls who look the part of an NBA dancer. (This is the hardest part for dancers to hear...you may be the best dancer in the world, but your fitness or your look isn’t what we are looking for. It takes that extra special “something” to become a professional NBA dancer.)

One of the Lady Cat’s biggest fans, Robert, wrote me an email with a few things that he thought were important. “Attitude, not the fake smile, but genuine smiles that say each fan is important to us” is what he noted first. Then he went on to write “I think your girls excelled in this.” (Insert proud moment for me as a coach) He’s right; the genuine girls who have that indescribable desire to represent the Bobcats organization and connect with the fans are the one’s I am looking for. (So if you have that, I cannot wait to meet you on August 10th!)

I’ll check in again next week as the audition approaches…
Brandii