Give me an N!

Byram - Mary Ann McDavit has realized what many young cheerleaders and dancers only dream of. Sort of. She is a member of the New Jersey Nets basketball team’s dance squad. McDavit, is a member of The Sensational Senior Dance Squad for the NJ Nets, a team comprised of senior citizen-aged members who had to pass an audition to be part of this spirited, vivacious, and completely in-step group. They perform their finely tuned and choreographed hip/hop dance routine to an audience of roughly 15,000. But, McDavit, whose cheerful demeanor allows her to describe herself as a source of amusement and fun, wasn’t a shoe-in for her position on the team; she earned it, as did the other 13 members who were chosen from a group of approximately 60 of their peers. “This is truly amazing. When I found out I was offered a spot, I was elated. It is a tremendous time and a real physical commitment. It was a very rigorous audition,” said McDavit. Although the 64-year-old grandmother was a cheerleader as a teen, she admits that things have changed since then. According to McDavit, the training is more intense and although she and husband, Jerry, a retired First Assistant Prosecutor of Sussex County, and McDavit’s number one fan, have always loved to dance, the choreography was challenging. “I have always exercised, so physically I am great…. Mentally I am spent. I keep going over the steps in my mind,” said McDavit. “The NJ Nets organization is very professional and they take these performances very seriously. They will not allow us to perform unless everything is perfect.” McDavit describes a weekly workout that consists of going to the Sussex County YMCA, the NJ Nets sports facility, and one to two hour practices daily, at home. On the day of a game, the squad arrives at 4 p.m. for a two-hour rehearsal before their two-minute performance at the 7:30 p.m.game. “Dancing is so much fun, and it makes you feel better than going to the gym. This is a true juxtaposition to see seniors perform a hip/hop dance routine,” said McDavit. “When we enter that arena with all those fans standing and cheering for us, it is the most incredible high. It makes all the practice and hard work worth it.”