Stacey Behind-The-Scenes Gallery

You could hear Stacey’s pointed high heels and black rolling suitcase echoing throughout the employee entrance at Charlotte Bobcats Arena.

On this particular game night, the first-year Lady Cat arrives a tad early – at 4:27 p.m. – with her patented flashy grin. She’s striking, dressed neatly in a pink overcoat and her teeth are chalky white.

While waiting for a Bobcats camera crew to shadow her throughout the night, she hurriedly answers a cell phone message from her proud mother. It’s a game day ritual, but also an indication that she doesn’t forget her small-town roots.

The special entourage on this night is because of Stacey’s recent nomination to represent Charlotte on the NBA’s first-ever All-Star Dance Team, comprised of one ambassador for all 30 teams.

“I moved here three years ago, so it’s exciting to be a part of a city that is growing so fast,” Stacey, who takes pride in her roots from a one stoplight West Virginia town. “To grow with this organization is a lot of fun. And to represent the city that you live in is a huge honor.”

An afterthought for years, the league normally sent the host city’s dancers to fulfill their entertainment and corporate appearance obligations. But this year, with Las Vegas serving as the first-ever non-NBA city to host the festivities, the league took a large leap to legitimize the dancing community while also channeling hits to each team’s Web site.

“That was a big step for our world,” said Brandii McCoy, who is in her first year as Lady Cats Director and Choreographer. “We may not be the team selected, but for Stacey to represent us and the league to say, ‘We know now that entertainment is so big for each team, let’s send one representative.’ It was a really big step for us as professional dancers.”

Three dancers were nominated from each franchise. From the 24-member Lady Cats, line-leaders Stacey, J.B. and Monique were selected as finalists. From there, the girls were the subjects of an online referendum when users selected their preferred candidate after navigating through photographs and accompanying biographies. The reception was so successful that the voting was extended for two days past the original deadline.

“You work so hard to get to the point that we’re at now,” said Stacey, a former dance coach when in graduate school at Marshall University. “You put a lot of time into it, so just to be nominated, I was so thrilled.”

With her ticket already booked, Stacey’s All-Star itinerary is slammed. She has to learn five routines from a world-renowned choreographer. Practices are a full day’s work – 15 straight hours – and last two days prior to the first performance. Like the All-Star players who often struggle with continuity, the dancers will have to mesh before the Jam Session presented by Adidas commences on Friday. In addition to the learning the new routines, the team has to squeeze in corporate appearances.

But the quick turnaround between a new routine and a game performance is nothing new in the dance world. The Lady Cats practice every Monday and Thursday for two hours apiece. The time commitment and relative low pay per hour emphasizes that the Lady Cats really are professionals – both during the day and at night – because most have full-time jobs.

“It shows that entertainment wise, these girls are professional dancers,” McCoy said. “They have professional careers. We have teachers, bankers, stay-at-home moms, so everyone has a full-time job and does this on the side. We don’t make a lot of money, but it shows that the crowd comes to the game not just for the basketball, but for the whole entertainment package.”

Behind Stacey’s bleach blonde hair and tan curves is a Pfizer pharmaceutical sales rep. On this night she had to slide off from work early to be able to make her mandated 5 p.m. dress rehearsal. At center court before the game, the Lady Cats hone a particularly exhausting routine to the tunes of Maroon 5.

They then retreat back to the locker room to apply proper makeup and the first of many wardrobe changes. After a 30-minute rest, they huddle around the Rhythm Cats as the Bobcats starters are introduced. After that, it’s back to the locker room.

They continue to hone their routine as McCoy points out small errors minutes before the featured performance, which eventually came during the second official timeout in the second quarter. Back in the tunnel, the women decompress about their miscues – if there were any – which is virtually invisible to the general public.

During the second half, the women divide into three groups. A faction heads to the corporate suites to hobnob with sponsors. The other two sets are separated, with one on each baseline. Stacey is the designated leader of an eight-girl group, relaying the steps from McCoy.

“She’s a really good team player,” said fellow Lady Cats dancer Jessica. “She picks up really quickly and is also good to lend a helping hand. She’s a really good teammate as far as camaraderie goes. And she’s a good friend outside of dancing.”

Though it’s the same venue, Stacey is in another league from where she was a year ago. After getting cut in the Bobcats inaugural season, the recent bride danced for the ECHL’s Charlotte Checkers last season. Stacey’s story is a reminder that the Lady Cats spots aren’t guaranteed year after year, which emphasizes dancers to constantly prove themselves.

“To have tried out for the Bobcats dance team two years ago and then to come back and try out again, for me as a new director, that was a huge step,” McCoy said. “It shows that not only did she want to make the team, but that she had worked really hard to get where she was.”

Now Stacey, through her distinguished work ethic, is busy packing that same black suitcase as the Lady Cats ambassador in Las Vegas.

“To make the (Bobcats) was exciting,” she said, “and then to add this on top of it, it’s icing on the cake.”