The FAU Dance Team 2007-08 Season Preview

By Ted Hutton
Sun Sentinel FAU Sports Blog

It’s time for the first semi-annual Dance Team Preview. (We’ll have to do another before basketball season, and maybe a football season wrapup, too).

Let’s meet the team.

Left to right, Amy Madill (fourth year), Olivia Holmes (captain, fourth year), Amanda Ritchie (co-captain, fourth year), Stephanie Webb (rookie), Ebony Henderson (second year), Jessica Smart (second year), Amanda Cohen (rookie). Not pictured: Valerie Gentile (second year), Brittany Rivera (rookie).

That’s six returning dancers, with three four-year starters, so the DT has solid senior leadership. The fall is really a warmup for winter, which is prime time for the DT. A tryout is scheduled for Sept. 8, where DT Coach hopes to add seven more members for a total of 16.

But quality is more important than quantity, and DT Coach said she can go with as few as 12.

“Nine girls will be at the first football game (eight on the sidelines--one new rookie still needs to learn the FAU Fight Song), and we hope to have the new additions (from September 8) caught up in time to perform at the third football game,” DT Coach said.

In addition to the uniforms that debuted at FanFest, DT Coach said there will be another for football season, with the remaining ones coming during basketball.

Here’s a taste of what to expect in the newly refurbished Arena: “This year, in addition to our regular basketball time-outs and half-times, we will be doing a James Bond spy theme, a Motown theme, a Hairspray theme, a seventies theme, another country-western theme, another reggae theme, a Caribbean theme, an old-school theme, and we will have "management" dancing with us for that last one (those who have TENTATIVELY committed include Melissa Dawson, Craig Angelos, Dexter Lamont, Katrina McCormick, Danielle Daniel, and Mr. and Mrs. Brogan).

(Note to DT Coach – You need to recruit LB Ed Bradwell for the James Bond gig.)

If you want to know more about the DT members, CLICK HERE to get to page with pics and bios of each dancer.

And while I know my photography has improved greatly, CLICK HERE for many more photos of past DT performances.

I know there is another uniform coming for football season, but it will be tough to top the ones that were unveiled at Fanfest. And if anyone else but DT Coach were in charge, I might worry. But she has proved herself worthy of our trust.

KNOW YOU’RE BMI

That’s Body Mass Index, another way of saying how fat you are.

According to the DT website, in order to audition for the DT, your BMI should be no greater than 22. Curiosity got the best of me, and since there is a link to a BMI calculator conveniently following that requirement, I clicked on it.

And you can to, HERE, but be prepared for a shock.

Those of you who have seen me know that while I am not buffed like Taheem Acevedo, I am not, let’s say, portly. So, I plugged in 5’ 8”, 162 pounds (I lost two pounds during training camp). And my BMI popped up – 24.6.

OK, not bad, right? Well, the normal range is 18.5 to 24.9, so I just slipped into that category. Yikes. To qualify for a DT audition, I would have to be at 148 pounds, meaning losing 14, and I can tell you that ain’t going to happen. I would have to eat less food AND drink less beer, and those are sacrifices I am not prepared to make.

So, I guess me and my lofty BMI will have to remain on the sidelines to appreciate those that are a bit more svelte.