DALLAS -- The Dallas Mavericks Dancers preliminary auditions began with 246 ladies chasing their dream of joining one of the most respected dance teams in professional sports. After several cuts and plenty of tears were shed, the 54 remaining ladies advanced to the finals where they were joined at Gilley's Dallas by the ten veterans returning from last season.
The action began shortly after 11 a.m. with the ladies performing the routine they had learned during the first day of auditions. They emerged in groups of three to dance before the judges panel. With this year's talent pool at such a high level, third-year director Mallory Mils had them go through the routine again for the judges' consideration. While the judges left to deliberate, the ladies were taught additional steps to the routine to prove they quickly can pick up on new choreography.
Ladies who survived the first day included a former San Francisco 49ers cheerleader, former Dallas Stars Ice Girl and a former Dallas Vigilantes dancer. The common them among them was the Mavs Dancers auditions were more fast paced and had less time waiting around than other audition processes they had encountered.
There were six veterans who are auditioning for a spot to return for their third seasons. For Saturday's preliminary auditions, they were on hand in a supporting role to help the ladies gain confidence. The finals provided a flip-side as it was 'go-time' for all of the veterans who had to show the judges they were worthy of returning for another year in front of 20,000 fans per game at American Airlines Center.
At the end of the day, 40 ladies -- including the ten returning veterans -- were invited to training camp beginning the very next evening. The final roster will be announced within the next week.
FOLLOW JAY BETSILL ON TWITTER @THEFAMOUSJAY