The following is an excerpt from Queens College dance team alumna, Claudette Torres – who details the tryout process and her successful naming to the Philadelphia Eagles cheerleading squad.

After my first year out of college, I thought this would be my opportunity to really think about my life and what I would want to make out of it. I have been dancing for as long as I could remember and one of my biggest goals throughout my life was to dance for a professional team after college. I saw the Eagles Cheerleaders perform during an Eagles game and I knew I wanted to audition for (the 2011) team.

The open call audition took place back in March at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Roughly 400 dancers came to audition for a spot on a team of 38 cheerleaders. The audition was a very long process, consisting of open call, semifinals, and finals. After the open call audition, the dancers must audition along with the cheerleaders from the previous year; each cheerleader must audition every year if they wish to remain on the squad. After the semifinals round, only 60 dancers were left to go off to the final audition. The final audition judged us in the categories of: physical fitness, dance, and public speaking.

The morning after the final audition, the email was sent out of the names of the new 2011-12 Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders. I was speechless when I read my name! It has been such an exciting and incredible experience since then!

Even though the NFL was having a lockout, the Eagles Cheerleaders still continued preparing for the possible football season. Once the lockout was over, the Eagles Cheerleaders were back in full force, appearing at different fundraisers, events, interviews, rehearsing twice every week, and photo shoots for different projects for the year. My first time performing on the field was on Aug. 11, during the Eagles' first preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens. It was such an exhilarating experience to dance on an actual NFL football field and perform for 78,000 fans!

Without the support and motivation from all my family and friends, I probably would not have had the courage to audition.  The Queens College Dance Team was instrumental in preparing me for such a highly recognized position on a professional cheer and dance team.  I am so happy that I have the opportunity to be a part of the Eagles organization, and so thankful for my family and friends for being there every step of the way. I feel very blessed to have a full-time teaching job as a physical education teacher, and to be one of the newest members of the Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders. Everything has been such a new and exciting experience and I am enjoying every moment.