Pom Pon Archive
Diane L. Green Photography LLC in Swartz Creek Announces 2009 Senior Model Search
Diane L. Green Photography LLC of Swartz Creek my want you. For the first time their photography studio is providing an open senior modeling competition to area high school juniors of the the 2007-2008 school year. Previously the studio had invited only students they knew personally to participate. Diane explains " This year we have had a great deal of interest from parents and seniors about how we choose our models for advertising. While we are local to Swartz Creek and have concentrated our advertising and service on the Swartz Creek community we have had seniors from Grand Blanc, Linden, Bentley, Kearsley, Flushing, Mt. Morris, Durand, Flint, Carmen-Ainsworth and Fenton this year. It was very surprising since we hadn't advertised in any of those areas directly. As we are seeing students from those schools we wanted to include them as well. The idea of a model search just seemed logical. We have had a lot of fun and success photographing this years models at Dow Gardens and Mackinac Island. We have already planned next years locations at Dow Gardens, Mackinaw City, Mackinac Island, Grand Haven and down town Chicago." Students interested in becoming a model for the studio must have parental consent, and submit an application (available at their website) along with one head and shoulder and one full length snap shot. "We are looking for a cross-section of students for our 2009 advertising that represent the many different styles students express today." If you are interested in becoming a senior model for the studio you can visit their website at www.dg-pics.com/seniors.html or contact the studio by phone at 810-496-3498.
Poms Place 7th at the Palace.
Its been a year of hard work for the Swartz Creek Pom team and last weekends trip to the Palace of Auburn Hills was the warm up for their up coming trip to competition in Florida. Going in the girls had high hopes from the long hours of daily practice but their performance was marred, as were several other teams by sound system issues at the Palace. While any of us who have seen the girls perform during one of the Swartz Creek JV or Varsity basketball games knows these girls are great in performance. Coach Hodges has worked hard to give these girls an up beat, high paced and entertaining dance routine to rival anything seen on ESPN. This years team has worked hard at achieving this level of performance. With that said is is a little hard to believe that the judging at the Palace went the way it did. In an interview with Patti Badgley (one of the pom moms in attendance) " The girls started their routine and then the sound just cut out. You couldn't here the music. The coach tried giving the girls an 8 count and the girls picked up with it and continued their routine." After the competition the team met with judges and were told they had been given deductions for talking on the floor and that their coach was a distraction. Now I know nothing about judging competitive dance but it seems to me that whoever writes the rules to judging should consider a re-write for arena equipment failure. If the sound system is on the fritz the team on the floor should stop. It should be declared an improper start due to technical problems and the team should not be judged on any of that performance. The technical problem would be fixed and the team scheduled back into rotation after a short breather. What do you think? Send us your thoughts on this by e-mail to editor@dg-pics.com.
Swartz Creek Varsity Pom Coach Plans on Keeping the Tradition Alive!
By: Krista Reaves
Coach Alissa Hodges
Alissa Hodges is right in the middle of her second year coaching the Swartz Creek Varsity Pom Squad, but she already has the plans for her team mapped out.
“I hope for the team to win a national title in the next three years and to place high enough to be shown on ESPN at nationals from here on out,” she said.
Alissa said she is definitely in this coaching position for the long term and doesn’t plan on leaving anytime soon.
“I’m going to coach as long as possible,” she said.
Alissa was on Middle School Poms for three years and Varsity Poms for four. After graduating from Swartz Creek in 2002, she was on Universal Dance Association staff and attended Michigan State University. Last year, out of dedication to her team, Alissa commuted to team practices from East Lansing in order to finish up at MSU while coaching..
Alissa said she doesn’t feel like she is much older than her girls and sees them as friends too.
She said it’s important to remember there is a time and place for everything.
“It’s ok to get off topic and have fun sometimes, but you just have to realize where to draw the line and get to work,” she said.
Despite the hard work that coaching a team involves, Alissa said she really enjoys it.
“The best part of coaching is seeing how the girls come together as a team and seeing how happy they are when they do well and succeed,” she said.
Alissa said her love for the sport and respect for her past coaches and all they have done for her is what made her want to coach.
“I love seeing girls begin to love poms the way I did and keeping up the tradition of Creek poms.”
Alissa said the most important parts of coaching are: “Patience, understanding and discipline.”
Coach Alissa Hodges gives the Poms some last minute words of wisdom before their half-time number during one of the Swartz Creek home basketball games.
Mid-air acrobatics caught by the camera show one of the jumps during the Poms high energy dance routine.
A view of our Poms in formation.
If for some reason you have missed the Swartz Creek Poms routine, plan to attend the next Boy's basket ball home game. The poms show their style during half time of both the the JV and Varsity games. Do you know which Pom danced in the Macy's Thanksgiving day parade?
Swartz Creek High School Senior dances on 5th Avenue in the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
By: Krista Reaves
While most of the Swartz Creek community was eating turkey and watching football, Lisa Badgley, a senior on the Swartz Creek Varsity Pom Squad, was dancing her way down 5th Avenue in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Lisa was awarded this opportunity after performing an individual routine at the Universal Dance Association’s team camp, held this past summer at Oakland University.
Lisa said she has wanted to be in the parade for a long time.
“I’ve wanted to be in the parade since seventh grade and my parents said they would let me do it my senior year,” Lisa said.
Lisa said the trip was a combination of preparing for and performing in the Macy’s Parade and experiencing New York City for the first time.
Lisa arrived in New York City by airplane the Saturday before Thanksgiving, with her mom, to join over 500 other dancers and cheerleaders preparing for the parade.
Upon arrival, Lisa said she went to orientation, where she learned all of the rules and also had a practice before settling in for her first night at the New York City Hilton. All of the performers were sent a DVD in the mail prior to the trip and were expected to know their routine for the parade.
On the second day, Lisa said they had a practice in the morning, so she was free to explore the city with her mom the rest of the day. “There were chaperones on the trip, but I was able to be ‘checked out’ to my mom for parts of the day,” she said.
Lisa and her mom took a tour of the Big Apple and Lisa said she loved seeing where a lot of movies were made.
“We also went to Ground Zero, it was so sad to see the memorial and everything,” she said.
Lisa said they went to a nearby fire station and met actual 9-11firefighters and also visited the Empire State Building.
Some of the practices were held right in Herald Square, where the parade day performance took place.
Lisa said she and her mom went shopping all over the city, one of her favorite things to do.
“We definitely bought a lot when we were there,” she said.
“One night we saw the Radio City Rockette’s and another night we saw Tarzan the musical, on Broadway,” she said.
On the day of the parade Lisa said she was very excited, but the weather was raining and “freezing.”
Lisa said the performers had to wear bright orange outfits with the number 80 on them in honor of the 80th Anniversary of the parade.
Lisa considered it “weird” to be in New York City on Thanksgiving and said it really didn’t feel like Thanksgiving at all.
“Usually I’m at home watching the parade with my family on TV, so to actually be in it, was really weird,” she said.
Lisa said it was great to see some celebrities in the parade line-up while waiting to perform. She and the other performers walked in the parade and then performed their routine upon reaching Herald Square.
Lisa said after the parade she took a much needed nap because she was exhausted from all of the excitement of being in New York and performing.
“After my nap we went to TGI Fridays for dinner, Thanksgiving Dinner at TGI Fridays”, she said with a laugh. “It really didn’t seem like Thanksgiving.”
Lisa said she loved performing in the parade and it was the best part of the trip.
“Being in Herald Square with the lights, cameras and loud music was my favorite part about the entire trip, and also the shopping,” she said.
Lisa said she loved New York City, but prefers living in Swartz Creek.
“At first it was really cool, but then I got annoyed. We had to walk everywhere, so I could never live there. It was so busy and crowded. I had a great time but I was glad to come back to a small town like Swartz Creek,” she said.
Lisa plans on attending the University of Michigan- Flint after graduating and she said she really wants to dance in her future. She said she is considering trying out for UDA staff, which hosts camps and competitions, including the National Dance Team Championship in Orlando, Florida each year.
Lisa said this years’ varsity pom team is very close to one another and get along well.
“This is the closest team I’ve ever been on,” she said.
Lisa said she has high hopes for the rest of the season.
“I want us to do well at Nationals and also win at The Palace so we can perform at halftime of the Detroit Pistons Game. It’s going to take a lot of practice, but I think we can do it,” Lisa said.
Swartz Creek Pom Pons
Show Their Moves
If you have been to the Swartz Creek football games and think you have seen the Pom Pon girls show their routine you couldn't be father from the truth. The place to see what these hard working girls can really do is during the half-time show at Swartz Creek Women's Varsity Basketball. Last Tuesday night dressed in their full regalia our Pom Pons displayed one of the finest, fast paced, high energy dance numbers seen to date. These young ladies rival any half time Pom team show seen on national television and they are here in our own backyard. The team performs during the Swartz Creek Women's Varsity Basketball home games half-time. Check the Athletic schedule for a complete listing. Want to get a glimpse? Check out our photos of the team in action below.
Is your daughter on this team? Click on the image above to view our photo gallery, then select Swartz Creek Pom Pons 2006-07. Ask the team coach, your daughter or contact our office for the password.
Attention Juniors!
Book your Senior " Classic
or Total" Photo package
before April 15th, 2007
and receive 10 photo sheet
exchanges FREE!
Offer extended unitl
April 15th.
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