2012 Tryouts Recap
On June 16th, the Wizards held their annual Wizard Girls Open Tryouts at Verizon Center and it was the first time tryouts were held on the arena’s main floor. Wizard Girls’ captains Devon, Brittney, and Julia were in attendance to scout and meet the contestants. “It’s a pretty incredible experience this year,” said Julia, “It’s the first time it’s been on the arena floor. It gives the girls an experience like none other and it’s like being at a game.” Around 150 talented dancers attended the tryout in hopes of becoming one of the 20 members selected for the Wizard Girls’ dance team. Among others in attendance were Wizards’ forward Trevor Booker, Washington Redskins’ tailback Tristan Davis, and local DMV and national celebrities such as 93.9WKYS FM on-air host EZ Street, 95.5WPGC FM on-air host Sunni, and DJ Quiksilva.
The contestants began the day with registration, which included receiving their assigned number. The contestants warmed up and prepared for the intense, yet fulfilling day ahead. Along the sideline, the contestants were critiqued by Wizard Girls staff and celebrity guests. Booker thought the tryout was a success. “It’s a fun event. A lot of people came to tryout so it’s pretty big.” The contestants were shown a routine by Dance Team Manager Derric Whitfield. Many of the contestants fared well in the first round as the choreography was designed to bring out the different passions and styles of the contestants. After witnessing the first round, guest celebrity judge Tristan Davis revealed, “I had a little background in dance so I know what I’m looking for” when asked what he looked for in each contestant. “You’re on a national scale and its millions of people watching some games so you have to come with it."
After the first round of cuts, instructor Whitfield delivered another flawless choreographed routine with more difficulty - this time to test the technical skills of the contestants. Wizard Girls’ captains Devon, Brittney and Julia continued their evaluations of the overall talent. Devon was very impressed with the turnout and the level of competition displayed on Verizon Center’s floor, “Today we’ve gotten a lot of great girls that brought their A game so they really have us looking and thinking WOW!” As the second and third rounds came to a close, the number of contestants dwindled down to 29 finalists after three elimination cycles. The 29 finalists will attend the Wizards' Draft Party on June 28th. Following the Draft Party, the finalists will interview with the Wizard Girl's staff before the final 20 are announced.
Fans still have chance to ensure their favorite contestants make the final cut through online voting, which can be done here and will run until after the Draft Party on June 28th. The 29 finalist have a lot to prove in the coming days but it is worth the effort to represent the Wizards during the 2012-2013 season. “We’re going to work together to make sure that it’s an amazing team and give our team the best captain squad they can possible have,” said Devon. “We will make it a memorable and good experience, and have fun.”
