Last night I had the opportunity to shoot photos during an SKD practice. I had the chance to do this last year, and it was exciting to do it again. Taking photos of the SKD is always fun. If you want to see photos from the practice last year, click here.
Jenn Santich, the SKD's manager, is usually at the practices, but tonight a small group of SKD flew off to India for an NBA promotion. Brittney led the team today in getting the routines down for the next game.
The dancers work very hard to get each move spot on and in sync with everyone else. These girls are professionals and perform in front of thousands of people at each game. Every move they make has to be just right.
Even though the practice is physically demanding and requires a lot of concentration, the dancers do take the time to keep things light and they do have a fun time with each other. It's great to see these ladies interact. They truly are a team.
It's awesome to see how graceful the dancers are at such high speeds. The dance routines that the SKD perform are extremely fast paced. They pack a lot of moves into every single beat of the music.
Seeing the dance routines come together piece by piece is a joy to watch. Each routine is broken down into parts, practiced, practiced some more, and then perfected.
Roxy is part of the SKD social media team. She also represented the Kings at the All-Star game last year in New Orleans. She, along with all the other SKD, have such a positive energy to them. Not only are these ladies great dancers, they are also fantastic people.
To make sure everything is spot on, Courtney records a routine on her phone. Just like the NBA players watch film of their games, the SKD need to watch their performances to check if all the dancers are getting everything right.
During pauses in the rehearsal, many of the dancers, like Corina above and the dancers behind her, spend time perfecting their moves so they can master them. I'm sure this extra effort and attention to detail makes a huge difference when it comes time to get on the court.
Communication is a huge part of the dance rehearsals. The SKD help each other by seeking advice and encouraging each other. Each dancer knows that they are a vital part of the team and that each of their voices are important.
At one point during the rehearsal, half the team performed while the other half watched. When the routine was finished the SKD had a chance to debrief about what they saw their partner do. After that they switched roles with each other.
The practice was about two and a half hours of hard work with just a short break in the middle. It was a privilege to be able to come in an see the SKD work again last night. I'd like to thank Jenn Santich and the rest of the team for being such gracious hosts for me! See you all on Sunday!
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