MONTREAL – While football season is still a few months away, preparations were already underway Sunday to ensure that Alouettes fans get nothing but the best come June 30.
Cheerleader auditions were being held today at Cégep André-Laurendeau’s Desjardins Theatre.
Dancers were vying for one of 24 positions available for the 2016 season.
“It’s really stressful,” Sibylle Gauthier, a cheerleader hopeful said. “But I’m really excited and I hope I make it.”
According to a written statement on the Als’ website, the team is looking for women who are “energetic, passionate and who can persevere.”
Cheerleaders from previous years are not exempt from auditions, which keeps them on their toes.
“It’s definitely stressful,” Ashley Couture, a member of the 2015 squad, said. “There’s a lot of great girls that came out this year.”
But she said her love of dance is what keeps her going.
“Dance is my passion,” Couture said. “To be able to share that with a stadium full of 20,000 Als fans at the same time is an awesome experience.”
Couture added that she also enjoyed being an ambassador for the team.
The morning auditions served as a pre-selection, with finals being held in the afternoon.
This year, comedian, acrobat, stunt man and dancer Daniel Delisle will be among the celebrity judges.