How did you get your start as a Dance-Pak girl?
It was only my second year living in Toronto and I had heard about auditions happening for the Pak. I went to the audition with a group of friends because I thought it would be fun and that I had enough experience. And, obviously, I ended up getting it.
So you do have a dance background?
Yes I do. I’ve been dancing ever since I was four. I started with a mix of ballet, tap, jazz and as I grew up I knew it was what I wanted to do as a career. I’ve been going to school for dance, but just graduated a few days ago! I now have a Bachelor of Arts majoring in dance. It took me five years, so I’m pretty happy right now.
What was the Dance-Pak audition process like?
It’s really cool. I’ve actually been helping teach for the last two seasons because I’m captain. The environment for the auditions is really easy going. Everyone is there to have fun, there’s no need to feel intimidated. We’re there to help you gain a little bit of experience as a dancer. You wait your turn and as we call you up you take part in some freestyle dancing as well as a bit of choreography. The coach sits on the panel to watch and we eliminate as the day goes on. Some girls are really scared or intimidated, but I always tell people to come try out, it’s a lot of fun.
Is there a type of dance that you specialize in?
Well, you have to be a well-rounded dancer, so while ballet was a great starting point, now I can branch out into whatever I want. I did a lot of ballet when I was younger, but I really like to take part in everything from hip-hop to jazz funk. Being a well-rounded dancer is really helpful in the Toronto dance industry.
How do you get ready before a game?
The on-court rehearsal usually starts at 4 P.M. depending on game time. We come to the Air Canada Centre and have our on-court rehearsal which basically just figures out spacing for dances, so we all know where we’re going. Once that’s finalized we have an hour-and-a-half until game time and we use it to get our makeup done, go over choreography and just relax. Once the game starts, we get out there to greet the fans and that’s when all the chaos starts. [Laughs]
Do you have any crazy fan stories?
You know what? No, I don’t. All of our fans are so supportive and if anything they just get us even more pumped up for every game. They’re always so excited that they help motivate us and it makes the experience even more fun. It’s a great community. They’re not crazy, they’re just flat-out awesome.
What are some misconceptions about Dance-Pak girls that you think people have?
I’m not really sure about any misconceptions but I do know what kind of girls we truly are. We’re all really hard workers. We come from a lot of different walks of life and work together as a team. We’re down to earth girls and we’re very supportive of each other. We’re just dancers and we love what we do.
What would you say is one of your favourite things about being part of the Dance-Pak?
I love this question. It’s so difficult to answer because there’s a lot that I love. I’ll start off simply: I love that every other day of my life I get to come to work and dance in front of 20,000 fans. This job has also made for some incredible travel opportunities to destinations I never thought would be possible in my life. I’ve been to China twice and was just in the Phillipines last summer for different appearances and NBA events. I get to travel with the girls on the team and they’ve become my best friends. The best part about it is that you get to see how basketball is appreciated and supported in different places around the world.
What do you do in the off-season?
Off-season is my time to relax and rejuvenate. I do keep up with my dancing, so I try to take as many classes as I can. I am actually a part of other dance companies in Toronto; that helps a lot. This summer will be different because when I was in school I was also taking summer school courses, but now that I’m done it’s going to be an open summer for me. Honestly though, it’s not really that long of a time. The traveling that we do is mostly over the summer and auditions start in July. The off-season is great, but it goes by really quick.
What are you hoping to do once you’re no longer with the Raptors?
I have no idea! [Laughs] And I think that’s kind of the beauty of it. Especially right now, having just finished school. It’s kind of been a question everyone is asking me and I don’t really have an answer yet. I try to just live in the moment. I love being with the Raptors organization right now, it’s really fulfilling. It’s the best job on the planet. I’m just going with the flow.
