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By Laura Beke
IRVING, Texas - Sitting as if an island, head turning in circles gazing around, surrounded in a sea of tights, pom-poms, stars, boots, patriotic robe and all the "handshake" outfits needed for their own Twelve Days of Christmas tour and not knowing where to start. What to pack first? OK, start with outfits. What is on the itinerary for the first day? Oh yeah, that's right, navy dip pants, crystal pullover, Reeboks and at least two pairs of tights a day because, burr rabbit, it's really cold over there and no warm fleece pants allowed. Stuff costume in, check. Hip-hop costume, check. What about disco? Yep, there it is, check.
Everything packed and ready to go. Sleep? Who needs sleep? Two hours should be just fine before heading off to the airport for a 5 a.m. departure. Besides, there is plenty of time for that on the 14-hour plane ride. And before you know it, there goes that alarm, screaming bright and early in the morning, yet you awake to realize it's only Wednesday, and whew, it's just dress rehearsal tonight. Still time to go to the Wal-Mart or Target for things. Happens this time every year to those Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, 12 strong preparing themselves for the annual 12-day tour overseas to South Korea to help celebrate Christmas with the U.S. troops stationed there. And yes, that is 12 days starting Thursday, Dec. 15, when the 12 members of the squad's celebrated Show Group departed at 10 a.m. for South Korea. Count the days. This means they won't be home for Christmas.
Monica Moore, a second-year DCC and Show Group veteran, knows the score, and understands the squad's sacrifice in the big picture is minimal. "The exact reason why we are going over there is because these men and women are away from their families for more than just Christmas," she said. "They miss birthdays, anniversaries, Thanksgiving, etc. To show them how much we care and people back home care about them is why we love doing this." Or as Christina Parker, a Show Group rookie, put it, "We are excited to just bring them some 'cheer,' no pun intended, and see the smiles on their faces." This tour will be the DCC's 58th USO tour and 26th Christmas visiting troops stationed abroad, and has become a tradition for the past 34 years that the girls look forward to from the minute their season begins in April.
But, to prepare for a USO tour isn't just having a dress rehearsal the night before, then poof, you're ready to go on stage. The ladies of the Show Group, an elite dance group within the squad chosen by Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders director Kelli Finglass and choreographer Judy Trammel, practice extensively, beginning the process of putting this show together in May. Practicing dances, adding new routines and deleting old ones - besides their required practices with the entire squad - the girls work extremely hard so the 1½-hour Broadway-style show will be flawless. They do, though, sometimes have their moments. Like the time one of the young ladies, with a near flawless show just about completed, walks on the stage, smile on and ready to do her section, when much to our dismay, had her poms in hand. It was like, "What are you doing with poms? We don't have poms in this section! Get rid of them!" With as much grace as possible, the big red poms get chucked off the back of the stage, only an embarrassed red face the remaining evidence of the slight glitch. The troops, they probably could care less. But performing is serious stuff for these ladies. Megan Fox, a two year veteran of the DCC and Show Group, said "The show is a little different than last year. We added a new dance called Heartburn (an Alicia Keys song title). Hopefully everything will go smooth and there won't be any of the 'kinks' that normally happen." Maybe hardest, though, for the girls is preparing family members. They won't be home for Christmas, not returning until Dec. 26. "This is my second trip over to Korea but my first actual Christmas away from home so I had to prepare my mom," said Megan prior to Wednesday night's dress rehearsal out here at the DCC's practice studio at Valley Ranch. "Kept telling her on a weekly bases that 'You understand, I will be gone over Christmas.' "Last year I had the best of both worlds. I was able to go visit the troops in Korea and then come home to spend Christmas with my family." Not this time. Same for Makenzi Swicegood, who was much relieved by her family's support. "They are so excited for me," Makenzi said. "My mom is just so excited, and they couldn't be more proud of me. It's great that they are happy for me because it makes it a lot easier and it helps me to be OK with going and not being there for Christmas." Dance and family preparation is one thing. Double-checking necessities is another, and seriously, following Wednesday night's final rehearsal for family and friends, the night stretches on past midnight. Because as Monica says, "The night before tour you are always at Wal-Mart until about midnight, so that is where I will be." Remember, there aren't any Wal-Marts in Korea. So for these next 12 days, or for those of you that like it in terms of weeks, that would be nearly two, these ladies will be flying here and there, and all around the square, singing Jingle Bells with the Blackhawk pilots, only changing the words to fit the occasion. They will go from the border of North Korea (the DMZ) to the southern most tip of South Korea, flying or driving all over the country visiting as many troops as time in a day will allow. And the ladies don't end up at nice, tidy bases all the time, either. There could very well be a stop on this snow-covered mountain, where at its peak sits a small detachment of four to six troops, a small, Charlie Brown Christmas tree their only sign of the holiday season in their digs. These troops are up there alone 365 days, only being visited by the Blackhawk pilots bringing them food for the month - and, of course, within the next two weeks, a few Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, who will construct homemade ornaments with the troops from whatever they can in the house to hang from the prized tree. Or maybe go outside to have a snowball fight with the few troops who live there, and you never know when one of those Texas girls will go slipping down the mountain, creating a good measure of laughter and a well-deserved distraction from the soldiers' everyday routine. The Show Group will perform about eight shows on its 12-day Christmas tour, working hard to spread joy and cheer. But don't you worry, these ladies will find one day out of the 12 to go shopping, too, doing their best to contribute to the local economy. Christmas shopping, you know. And before they know it, it will be time to head home. Goodies from the shopping trip, check. Camera with prized pictures, check. Memories of all those smiles, check, check. (Editor's Note: Laura Beke spent four years with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, and participated in eight USO Tours, including seven trips to South Korea during the holiday season, balancing being out of the country for Christmas against the satisfaction of spreading some Christmas cheer.) |
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