Detroit — Their arms and legs moved in sync with the rhythm of the music. As the music filled the arena, more than 100 women danced in unison.
This performance marked a significant milestone. It celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Detroit Pistons’ dance team.
The Detroit Pistons Dancers’ performances at each home game have become a staple for fans. Typically, the roster of dancers under the direction of dance director Natalie Miramontes is much smaller: 19 women perform lively routines to entertain the crowd at various points and engage in in-game promotions that enhance fan interaction inside Little Caesars Arena.
But during this halftime performance of the Pistons’ 115-101 victory over the Golden State Warriors earlier this month, the Detroit Pistons Dancers took center court with dozens of former dance members joining in. The energetic beat of “I Bet U Won’t” by hip-hop artists Mouse on da Track and Level blasted from the arena’s sound system as the dance team began their choreography.
“We know how big this is and the legacy that we are leaving. It’s a tribute to this organization and the longevity of it,” current Detroit Pistons Dancers member Olivia Salerno told The Detroit News. “The amazing opportunity the Pistons have given us as dancers for 30 years. It has impacted so many dancers, from young to old. It’s clear that people love it here.”
The halftime performance showcased a captivating dance that brought together former and current members from three decades.
“It was so exciting, seeing people who are a part of the sisterhood that we have not seen for a long time,” former dancer Brittany Jones said. “To see everyone come together and catch up on everyday life, it is very special to be a part of this sisterhood. This is way more than dance.”
The performance was divided into several parts, with each segment featuring dancers performing to a musical piece that represented their respective eras. The first half of the performance featured members from Automotion — the Pistons’ original dance team, which was rebranded in 2011.
Each era was celebrated with passionate cheers from family, friends and longtime fans. The admiration and support that the Detroit Pistons Dancers have received over the past 30 years is a testament to how a car ride from East Lansing to Auburn Hills laid the groundwork for their long-term success.
“This has been a huge accomplishment. To hear all of the great feedback from all the alumni, to say how much I’ve built this program, it has been very honoring to me,” Miramontes said. “Our fans are continuously telling us each year how much we are elevating, and the great representation of the city. I take a lot of pride in it.”
The power of manifestation
In the weeks leading up to the 30th anniversary, Shay Scott — the first dance director (1996-2001) — reminisced by looking through photos from the team’s inaugural season.
She did not remember every photo shared in the team’s group chat, but Scott will always remember how she started laying the groundwork for the Pistons’ dance team four years before their debut at the Palace of Auburn Hills in November 1996.
“Something I’ve believed in all my life is visualization, knowing what you want in life and visualizing doing it,” Scott told The News. “For years, I visualized myself driving from my home down I-75 and getting off. Walking into The Palace. Visualizing what my office would look like. I imagined how I would handle training, how I would handle auditions — I had all of that in my head.
“The blueprint had been there for years. I went to school for fashion design and had already sketched costumes. It was more like a manifestation. I was prepared.”
During the early 1990s, Scott was a member of Michigan State’s dance team when George Blaha and Greg Kelser approached her about starting a professional team for the Pistons. At that time, the Pistons were one of two franchises without a dance team, following the league’s introduction of them in 1979, which began with the Laker Girls. The Boston Celtics were the last team to welcome a dance team.
“I remember the days when I used to go to basketball games as a teenager and as a college student, when there were no acts in between halftime and quarters. People just sat there and talked amongst themselves,” Kelser said. “I remember when the Lakers introduced the Laker Girls. They became part of the glitz that is Los Angeles, but it also helped bring energy into the building.”
Kelser noted that “the (Detroit Pistons Dancers) have always been popular amongst fans. I think they have truly evolved. Their precision is on point. They put a lot of pride and effort into it. Those girls have to be as good an athlete as the males who are playing the games in order to have the level of consistency they have in their performance.”
The conversations that Scott had with Blaha and Kelser prompted her to contact Pistons management every month for two years. She received several interviews, but the Pistons decided against adding a dance team to their game day experience.
In August 1996 — three months before the Pistons opened the 1996-97 season — Scott received a phone call from former team president, Tom Wilson, who gave her the go-ahead. Although thrilled, Scott faced a quick turnaround to assemble a team before opening night.
“We did not do anything during the preseason because they called me in August, which is late to start a dance team audition,” Scott said. “I went on every TV station. Every radio station. I was interviewed by every newspaper. I reached out to all the dance studios and sent flyers. This was before social media and the internet. The word had to get out.”
In six weeks, Scott assembled the Pistons’ first dance team, Automotion, consisting of 16 women. Scott did so alongside Veronica Miller, who received the flyer at her dance studio as a then-19-year-old hip-hop choreographer. Miller was a part of Automotion’s first dance audition and later joined the team during the fall of 1998.
“It was a pretty big deal for me, I was very excited,” Miller said. “It was the first time I was put into a professional position, and I was learning as I went. I got to pick that first team, and that was a big honor.”
The Pistons’ dance team debuted during Detroit’s 95-89 victory against the Indiana Pacers on Nov. 1. Their moment came during the first timeout, but there was no introduction by the arena’s PA announcer. Inside The Palace, the original team took center court and danced to Quad City DJ’s “C’Mon N’ Ride It (The Train).”
The team received a mixed reaction at the end of their performance, foretelling the road of acceptance that lay ahead.
“I remember my boss at the time saying, ‘If you guys don’t make it this year, we are not doing it anymore,'” Scott said. “We had one year to prove ourselves. It was a lot of pressure.”
Finding resiliency
Niki Rochelle is celebrated as the first African American woman to join the Pistons’ dance team. She was a part of Automotion during its first three years. Rochelle quickly caught the attention of Miller and Scott during the team’s inaugural audition, and they made every effort to keep her with the team.
At 21, Rochelle spent much of the first season trying to determine where she belonged on the team amid the criticism she faced.
“It was not what most people thought. I caught it (criticism) from so many different sides, like, ‘Oh, she is not black enough.’ Or, ‘Tell her to tone it down because she is over-dancing the other girls,'” Rochelle said.
Although Rochelle occasionally felt frustrated, she experienced a breakthrough moment halfway through her first season. She decided to stop worrying about what others thought of her and instead focus on the opportunity. Her change in perspective was influenced after a conversation she held with Pistons legend Rick Mahorn.
“Rick got in my tail during my first season. He was like, ‘What are you so emotional about? If they are not talking about you, you are not doing something right,'” Rochelle said. “I just started to focus. It is not going to be about what the outside noise is saying. It is going to be about what we are trying to build. … Here we are 30 years later.”
Rochelle’s personal struggles exemplify the challenges faced by the Pistons’ dance team as a whole. In their inaugural season, Automotion was an experiment that faced an uncertain future. Some people questioned the team’s legitimacy, raising concerns about dancers at basketball games and whether it was exploitative.
Despite skepticism and the unappealing conditions of suiting up in the Detroit Vipers’ old locker room, the Pistons’ dance team persevered. Their resilience from the first season laid a strong foundation that has led them to be part of one of the NBA’s pristine franchises for 30 years.
“This is not just about basketball; it’s also entertainment for the fans who show up to the games,” Blaha said. “The routines that the dancers do, especially when there is a special theme like Christmas, all add to the game-day experience. They have always been very professional and can hold their own with any dance team around the league.”
Every move during the team’s 30th-anniversary celebration was executed with precision, showcasing how the Detroit Pistons Dancers have become a key part of the franchise’s game-day experience.
“I don’t want to take away from anyone else, but I am very proud of where we are now,” Scott said. “It was a lot of foundation that had to be built. It’s amazing.”
coty.davis@detroitnews.com
@cotydavis_24
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Manifestation and resiliency: How Detroit Pistons Dancers built a 30-year foundation
