by Beau Wicker
Pharos-Tribune
INDIANAPOLIS — The final votes have been tabulated, and Logansport native Courtney Vojtasek is an Indiana Pacemate.
The 2010-11 Pacemates were announced after an Audition Showcase Wednesday night in the entry pavilion of Conseco Fieldhouse. At the end of the program, a special panel of judges chose and announced the 15 dancers who will comprise the Pacers’ dance team for the upcoming NBA season.
Vojtasek thought she was a long shot entering the competition. Though the roll call was in no particular order, when several Pacemates were announced before her name was called, she became even more skeptical.
“I didn’t think it was going to happen,” she said.
Then, near the end of the end of the roll call, her named was announced.
“I was really excited,” she said. “I’m really excited about the opportunity to represent the organization and perform in front of all the Pacers fans.”
Vojtasek thought she was a long shot because she lacked the technical dance experience most of the 25 finalists had. She said some finalists had upwards of 20 years of dance experience.
But Vojtasek does have six years of dance experience of her own and in recent years has been training extensively trying to make up for lost time as compared to others vying for a spot on the team. And she plans on improving more now that she’s a member of a professional dance team.
“I’m sure they’ll help me improve in areas that are necessary,” she said.
And what she lacked in dance experience she was able to make up in other areas.
She said the judges were also looking for entertainment value, presentation and poise, fitness and someone who would represent the organization well, which she tried to exhibit at the Audition Showcase. So the fact she was older than most of the women at age 29, was a former gymnastics standout at the NCAA Division I level and currently works as a accountant for the Department of Defense in Indianapolis probably helped.
Every member of the Pacemates has to try out for a spot on the team before each season, and some tried out and didn’t make the team this time around.
Vojtasek put in a lot of work — from working on her dance skills to gathering needed online votes to even changing her body composition — to make the team.
In changing her body composition she said she actually tried to lose muscle instead of gain it.
“I stopped working out as much because I didn’t think I’d make the Pacemate cut,” she said. “I was too muscular so I stopped lifting altogether to try to get more of a dancer’s physique. I’m still a little too muscular, but I’m now a Zumba dance instructor — which also helps me improve my memory skills for choreography. So I’ve switched from lifting to teaching Zumba.
“I just wanted to give it my all. I figured this was probably my last hurrah.”
The Pacemates get paid $50 per game and minimum wage during practices. They also get paid during appearances and receive free hair care.
“It’s a good deal,” Vojtasek said. “Even if we didn’t get paid at all I would still do it.”
She added she may try out for the team again next year.
“We’ll see how it goes. If I really enjoy it it’ll be hard to stop,” she said. “Maybe with having a year of learning and improving skills, it won’t be such a challenge to pick up choreography. I don’t want to rule it out.”
Vojtasek added a highlight of the night was that her father, Nick, a big sports fan who still resides in Logansport, was at the Showcase to see his daughter accomplish a big goal of hers.
About the Pacemates
The Pacemates have just as lengthy a history as the Pacers’, since they both started in the ABA in 1967. When the Indianapolis basketball team joined the NBA the Pacemates were invited to join the league as well and officially became the NBA’s first dance squad.
The Pacemates are not only in charge of keeping the crowd involved during home games, performing during timeouts and bringing down the house during their halftime routines, they are ambassadors for the game of basketball itself. The Pacers’ season is only seven months long, not including playoffs, but being a Pacemate is a year-round commitment.
The women make public appearances at all kinds of Indianapolis events, from joining the Indianapolis Colts cheerleaders in Monument Circle every winter to help light the tree during the Circle of Lights Festival to visiting and playing with the kids at the Riley Hospital for Children.
It is not just the local community that is affected by the joy and exuberance these girls provide; they have traveled all over the world to help globalize the game of basketball. The Pacemates have even made several trips to the Middle East to perform for our troops and help boost morale.
