PORT ORCHARD – Elli DiGiovanni is an agent.
Whether in academics, in her profession or in the sport of cheerleading, she is a confident person.
However, when she was a cheerleader at South Kitsap High School, even this ambitious dynamo may not have imagined that in a few years she would don the most recognizable cheerleading outfit in the world and join the ranks of Dallas’ famous Cowboy Cheerleaders.
The 23-year-old native of Port Orchard is a success story in every respect. She excelled in several areas of her life, the last of which was her desire to become a top-tier professional cheerleader.
“It has always been my passion and my sport,” DiGiovanni said of applause and dancing in front of an audience at sporting events.
“It’s a way for me to express myself through movement. As I dance, I think of nothing but the choreography and myself performing my best and leaving everything on the pitch. I love.”
The performance is not new for the young woman.
“I’ve loved dancing and performing since I was a little girl,” she recalled. “My brother, my sister and I used to organize Christmas shows every year for our family. We choreographed our dance routines.
“My friends and I also danced to our favorite songs or new albums that came out. We would recover ourselves. I was non-stop, I was always dancing and composing choreographies to the rhythm of the music.
Which, for those who know it, is not surprising at all. This is just its nature.
“I’m going out. I like to make people smile and laugh. I’ve always been a bit of an entertainer.”
At the tender age of 4, she was introduced to dance when she was enrolled in the Just for Kicks School of Dance in Port Orchard. When she turned 8, the young woman began competing dance at The Dance Gallery on Bay Street.
Once I started high school, deciding to become a cheerleader was a natural choice.
Elli DiGiovanni, a 2015 graduate of South Kitsap High, was a senior cheerleader and president during her time at Port Orchard High School. (Photo courtesy of Elli DiGiovanni)
“I wanted to cheer on football matches and be on the sidelines at basketball games. I really liked the sporty aspect of being a cheerleader because I love watching sports. It was fun for me and I loved the dresses, ”she laughed.
Not surprisingly, the motivated DiGiovanni excelled in class. She was an honors student and involved in student government in high school, elected class secretary, vice president, and ultimately senior class president. Upon graduation, he gave the keynote address on the importance of inclusion.
After graduating in 2015, she attended college at the University of Oregon, earning a bachelor’s degree in accounting in the honors program in business. And amidst a demanding academic load, she was a cheerleader for the Ducks during her four years at Eugene. In her senior year, she was selected to be the dance captain of the team. In 2019, DiGiovanni took a break from cheerleading and entered a one-year program at the University of Washington to pursue a masters degree in accounting.
Her busiest year turned out to be 2020. During those 12 months, she completed her master’s degree, then prepared and passed four grueling certified public accounting exams to get her CPA license.
With academics and professional training behind her, it was time for her inner artist to resurface as she sought another goal: to become a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader.
His decision to try was not a sudden thing. He had long admired the group on television.
“I always knew that if I picked a professional NFL fan team it would be” DCC “because I really liked their dance style,” he said.
Predictably, DiGiovanni’s road to teaming up last year was difficult. And competitive. More than 1,200 candidates competed for just 11 places on the roster. Due to COVID, last year’s trials were virtual. She recorded her auditions from her parents’ home in Port Orchard and sent them to Texas.
The first round of auditions featured 60 seconds of freestyle cheer in which she was able to perform on a song of her choice. She made the cut, then took on the second round of the competition which required her to perform a set routine of the team’s famous “Kick Line”, which involves repeatedly kicking those signature white boots over her head.
DiGiovanni didn’t have access to a studio to record his audition tapes or had a professional video crew to handle the production. Instead, he recruited family members to record his routines in the family driveway adjacent to the garage. When not a production assistant to her daughter, her mother, Tracy, is a lawyer and partner in a Port Orchard law firm, and her father, Dale, is a project manager at Boeing.
“My mom and dad were behind the camera,” he recalled. “My dad pulled out a scale and took out his tools to make sure it was even and centered. I had to ask my mom to press “play” to record and my dad started the music. It was certainly a family commitment ”.
After surviving round three – a video interview – DiGiovanni was invited to the Cowboys training camp in Dallas. For three weeks, candidates were hijacked in a pandemic bubble at a resort where candidates battled for the final cut.
Eventually, the 5-foot-5 candidate survived the final cut and formed the famous 36-member squad.
DiGiovanni’s exploits at training camp were captured on video for television audiences on CMT’s long-running television show “Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team.”
“When I found out I made the team, I had the biggest smile on my face. I could not believe it. I was so excited and happy that all my hard work paid off. I was officially able to call myself a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. It was really a dream that came true, “he said.
DiGiovanni enjoyed his rookie year on the team last season, appearing at the AT&T Stadium, located just outside Dallas. Due to COVID restrictions, cheerleaders were unable to be on the pitch and instead performed on touchdown decks in the endzones wearing masks.
But being a member of the nation’s most famous cheering team presents challenges.
“It’s considered a part-time job, but it’s a huge time commitment. Most of the girls on the team have full-time or part-time jobs, ”she explained.
In addition to her cheerleading responsibilities, DiGiovanni herself is employed full-time as an auditor at a public accounting firm, where she examines and controls company financial statements.
It is no exaggeration to say that the fame bestowed on the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders outstrips many of the football players who wear the team jerseys. Their celebrity status began to grow when, in 1972, team management decided to replace high school cheerleaders who had been on the sidelines with athletic young women performing highly choreographed dance routines.
The team quickly became a worldwide sensation, thanks to its unmistakable uniform: cowgirl boots, shorts and fringed tank tops – all white – and blue blouse. Lone State Texas stars on shorts and tank tops and sparkling pompoms complete the distinctive outfit.
“The uniform is iconic,” DiGiovanni said. “Two years ago, it was listed in the Smithsonian Museum of American History, which is quite interesting.”
DiGiovanni maintains a regimen of exercise and healthy eating to keep up with the rigors of typhus.
“Exercise and fitness are another passion of mine. Workout is a time for me to be in my zone and do something I enjoy doing. I like the way it makes me feel and the way it makes me look, ”she said.
He trains for 60 to 90 minutes a day, six days a week.
“I try to maintain a very balanced diet, getting only the right amount of nutrients, proteins, carbohydrates, vegetables, fruits and fiber. I love food and I love to eat. If I like it and my body accepts it, then I’ll eat it, “he giggled.
But joining the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders for one season doesn’t guarantee membership in the next year. Every year, every place is up for grabs and DiGiovanni will soon face the summer tests for the 2021 team.
Fortunately, this homegrown force of nature is not the one to hold back in the face of a challenge. Given his successful track record in studies, work and dance, don’t bet DiGiovanni will earn the right to step into those white cowboy boots again next football season.
& # xD;
How many years did Brennan try out for DCC?
& # xD;
& # xD;
What season did Kashara try out for DCC?
& # xD;
Can DCC have tattoos?
“Being a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader is a full time job. On the same subject : In the fight of NFL cheerleaders for fair pay. Whether it’s rehearsal, calendar shooting, guest appearances, or whatever it is, it’s a full-time job.
It has been a long journey. I tried four total years. Three of those years, I’ve been to training camp.
- How many years has Brennan been a DCC? Brennan Cook, who has been DCC for two seasons, also wrote on Instagram that she was cut and disagreed with that decision.
- Season 10. 23 year old from Kentucky. She and Raylee just moved in together. They met at the audition and just hugged each other after they went through training camp.
- Yes, you can try if you have a tattoo. Our policy is that even the smallest of tattoos may not be visible in the uniform or rehearsal clothing.
Can you have tattoos as an Eagles cheerleader?
What are the requirements to be a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader? Requirements Read also : Justine Lindsay is making history as the first openly trans cheerleader in the NFL.
