SAN ANTONIO \u2013 The San Antonio Spurs\u2019 Silver Dancers are returning to the court for the first time in eight years, joining the Spurs Hype Squad for the team\u2019s season debut.<\/p>\n
The Silver Dancers\u2019 comeback team is a brand-new group.<\/p>\n
\u201cBringing the Silver Dancers back, we are really focused on making this team the best that we possibly can from scratch,\u201d Presley Draeger, a dancer on the team, said.<\/p>\n
The Silver Dancers perform precision pom and jazz, while the Hype Squad focuses primarily on hip-hop, stunts, tumbling and break dancing, said Ronnie Guest III, the Spurs\u2019 senior entertainment coordinator.<\/p>\n
Guest said the Silver Dancers were an iconic presence in San Antonio.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were such an iconic brand,\u201d Guest said. \u201cWhen we were going through the transition and then now bringing them back, it\u2019s such an exciting time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brandon Fierro, a member of the Hype Squad, said connecting with fans is a highlight. He also brings the experience to his full-time job as a seventh-grade math teacher.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love being a testimony for my students that you can never give up on yourself and you can strive for perfection and excellence in everything that you do,\u201d Fierro said.<\/p>\n
The audition process included 800 to 900 videos during the choreography round, Guest said.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone\u2019s talented,\u201d Guest said. \u201cSo you\u2019re kind of looking for like how they speak, how they carry themselves, how well can they represent, because a lot of the times it\u2019s not just the performances. It\u2019s interacting with the crowd. It\u2019s going out to community appearances.\u201d<\/p>\n
Draeger said watching the Hype Squad perform and seeing fans\u2019 excitement about the Silver Dancers\u2019 return has made the experience rewarding.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously there was the old Silver Dancers, which we appreciate because they started the stepping stone for the Silver Dancers,\u201d Draeger said. \u201cBut bringing the Silver Dancers back … really focusing on Silver Dancers this year and nothing before that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Guest, who manages the two entertainment teams, said it has been \u201camazing\u201d watching members of both teams balance and bounce off each other with their different talents.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt wouldn\u2019t be this season without having both the Silver Dancers and Spurs Hype Squad alongside each other,\u201d Guest said.<\/p>\n
The Silver Dancers will make their long-awaited return with a debut dance at the Spurs\u2019 season opener at Frost Bank Center.<\/p>\n
KSAT Sports will air a Spurs season tip-off special starting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday live from the Frost Bank Center. Catch all the excitement live on KSAT 12, KSAT Plus<\/a> and KSAT.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n