Automotion’s All-Star

“I was laying sick on the couch,” she said. “I had this terrible, terrible cold. And I was so cranky and miserable, and then Rebecca called me.”

Rebecca Girard is Automotion’s director. She called Erin with some news that cured her cold better than chicken noodle soup could have: Erin would represent Automotion on the NBA All-Star Dance Team in Las Vegas this weekend.

“I just lit up. I was so excited,” Erin said. “It really didn’t hit me when she first told me, but then the first person I called was my mom, who was at work. She freaked out and got so excited, and then it kind of hit me. It was surreal but really fun.”

It also was well deserved. Erin has been entertaining fans at The Palace for 10 years – two with the Detroit Shock dance team, Shockwave, and then two more with the Arena Football League’s Detroit Fury before joining Automotion for the Pistons’ 2003-04 championship season.

“We nominated three dancers, and then the fans around the world voted, and any one of those three girls would have been completely worthy of going (to Las Vegas),” Girard said. “But in Erin’s case it was even a little sweeter because she has been with the company for 10 years and she does really deserve it.

“She’s put a lot of time in here and grown up with the organization,” she said. “She’s an amazing ambassador. I can send her anywhere and know she’ll represent the Pistons 110 percent. She’s very worthy.”

This will be Erin’s second visit to Las Vegas. Her first trip also was Automotion-related, for dance camp. Though she will be swamped with rehearsals most of the week, Erin knows what she’d like to do with her free time.

“Vegas is amazing for shopping,” said Erin, who calls shopping her favorite stress buster. “The only setback is the taxes are a little higher than here. But they have amazing shops. I’ll definitely be going out there and buying some outfits.”

Wardrobe aside, Erin said she’s most looking forward to making new friends with her all-star teammates. All 30 NBA teams have one representative on the squad.

“I’m very, very excited to meet the other 29 girls because I just want to see what their backgrounds are, and what their team does for them, and see who they are as people,” Erin said. “I’ve never met anyone besides the (Automotion), and we have this kind of local celebrity here. I want to see if they go about it the same way.”

Erin’s already getting to know one fellow dancer, Heather from the Denver Nuggets’ dance team. The two will be roommates.

“We’re just telling each other, ‘Hey, I’m going to bring the curling iron,’ or ‘I’m going to bring the snacks,’ so that we don’t overpack. Even though,” said Erin, breaking into a smile brighter than the Vegas strip, “I know I will overpack – most definitely.”