MIAMI (WSVN) - Forty aspiring dancers worked hard, and while it was a tough decision to make, only 25 lucky girls made the final cut for the Miami Heat’s dance team.
“I just couldn’t believe it,” said one dancer. “I’ve been wanting it for so long.”
Just over two dozen young women will join the team at the American Airlines Arena. “It’s gonna be an amazing season,” said Miami Heat Dancer Manager Natalia Gonzalez. “I feel that the talent I have this year, the women I have this year, is just gonna make it an easy ride for everybody.”
The girls claimed their spots on the squad after making it through a tough initial tryout, and a four day boot camp where they competed against other dancers. “Deliberations is always hard because it’s four judges,” Gonzalez said. “We all have different likes. We all have favorites. We all butt heads sometimes, but I think at the end of the day, we have a common goal.”
Veteran Heat dancer and cancer survivor, Lindsey Murray, kept her spot on the team. She was diagnosed with cancer in 2012 when doctors found a tumor the size of a grapefruit just behind her rib cage.
Another young woman who made it through was Adriana Smith. “We’re very happy to finally have her on the team — Adriana Smith,” Gonzalez said.
Smith auditioned five times before finally hearing her named called. She was just one of the many girls who were ecstatic when they heard their name get called. “I did not expect to make the team, but I was hoping for it from the beginning,” said another dancer. “Just being able to say that I’m a Miami Heat dancer after my first try is an amazing thing.”
Fans will be able to see the team when basketball season begins in October.
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