Washington Football Team Hosts Open Tryouts For New Dance Team

ASHBURN, VA — The Washington Football Team will host open tryouts for its new co-ed dance team in May at FedEx Field. The dance team will replace the now-dissolved cheerleading squad at home games during the football season and at community events throughout the year, according to a news release from the franchise.

The new dance team is a part of the franchise's ongoing rebranding process. In March, the Washington Football Team hired Petra Pope as the senior advisor of game day entertainment. Pope previously held similar positions with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets of the NBA.

"I can’t wait to begin to put the vision for the Washington Football dance team into action," Pope said in the news release. That vision will begin with pre-audition clinic at FedEx Field on Saturday, April 24. The clinic will begin at 9:30 a.m., and Pope will use the clinic to express her expectations for the game day experience.

See also: No More Cheerleaders For The Washington Football Team

The audition will begin on Saturday, May 8. Callbacks and final selections will be held on Sunday, May 9. COVID-19 guidelines will be enforced at the auditions, including masks and social distancing.

"We are developing a fresh approach that isn’t typical in the NFL currently, but how we execute that will depend on the talent we have come through FedExField in early May," Pope said. "The dance and hip-hop scene in D.C. is one of the best in the world and I’m looking forward to seeing what the local athletes and dancers bring to auditions."

Prospective dancers can sign up for the clinic and audition on the Washington Football Team's website. The registration form will be available until 11:59 p.m. on May 1.

In March, the Washington Football Team announced they would not be bringing back their cheerleading squad for the 2021 season. The franchise was embroiled in multiple controversies regarding its treatment of cheerleaders.

Former cheerleaders settled a sexual harassment suit with the team last year, according to the Washington Post. Members of the franchise were accused of creating unofficial videos of the cheerleaders while they were changing during a photo shoot.

The franchise was also accused of using the cheerleaders as escorts during an event in Costa Rica in 2013, according to a report from the New York Times. The cheerleaders were instructed to pose topless in the presence of onlookers, the report said.