Members of the team are: Whitney Camacho, Breanna Cruz, Selena Espinoza, Raelynn Franklin, Rachel Fuerstenberg, Dallas Garcia, Kylie Garcia, Lillith Geddis, Sameerah Jackson, Alina Lopez-Harrington, Amaya Marinez, Felicity Meza, Julianna Migliore, Abigail Miller, Autumn Miller, Karianna Ortega, Avery Pace, Kelsay Servant, Ayannah Soster, Delilah Vinson and Jenny Vinson. Photo by Lisa Migliore
By Nichole Aranda
Lisa Migliore was surprised when she got a voicemail from a phone number she didn’t recognize.
“Hi Lisa. I’m Andrea Perez with the Phoenix Suns.”
Gila Rose Dance Studio was invited to perform for a Prime Time or Halftime performance on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024. Lisa was faced with a decision. Try to pull everything together and have a contract signed and ready in eight days or be waitlisted for a possible performance next season. Gila Rose just opened in August 2024 and their studio is very new. Even veteran teams would be hesitant to make such a commitment in that short time frame.
Most teams have a year to prepare a performance. They are usually allotted 45 days to make all the important decisions: costumes, music, choreography, etc. and get it sent in and approved by the Suns Entertainment Group. Lisa and Dallas Pace, both instructors with Gila Rose, had no doubt in their team and community and used their personal money for their down payments and locked in their time slot.
They faced a few challenges, such as putting together a routine with choreography that would suit each of the girls’ ages and skill levels and raising the funds required by the Suns organization so close to the Holidays. Not to mention that this is the peak time for illness, and a number of the little dancers, their families, and their coaches all fought off such illnesses and did their best to get and stay healthy before the performance.
As a team, on Nov. 19, they had raised the $4,725 in ticket sales and were able to send 21 dancers from the Copper Basin community with approved video, music, costumes, and all other family-friendly audience materials. The girls also put in countless hours in such a short time, even taking up their personal time, to ensure they were more than ready.
The girls, donned in their black and gold uniforms, smiles and full of ambition, gave an exceptional center court performance, prior to tip off at the Suns vs. Pacers game at Footprint Center to a medley of Hip Hop music.
This group of girls worked hard fundraising to pay for this trip and making sure their performance was top notch!
“So happy that Avery and these girls had this opportunity to perform at the Phoenix Suns,” Coach Dallas Pace, and mother of Avery Pace said.
“I am grateful my partner and I are able to provide this type of team and culture for our area youth,” said Lisa Migliore. “I am grateful and exceptionally proud of Dallas and our dancers that are fairly new to coaching and dancing at this level. I hope for many more years of serving our youth and our communities. Thank you to everyone that made this possible for these girls. The smiles on their faces made my day. They get to cherish and hold this memory close to them as they grow. Gila Rose, proud of us.”
Gila Rose would like to thank all of the family and sponsors that made this possible: Derek Gonzales, Darenda Day, Michael Migliore, Jacob Pace, Eddie Tire and Automotive, American Southwest Credit Union, Carlene Denton-Roach, Vicki Palmer, A Diamond Ranch, Jeremi and Rebecca Brewer and family, Greg and Kari Marin, Manuel Palacios, Kate and Joanne Lerma, Vivian Baltierra, Jeff and Angelita Gregorich, Johnathan and Chelsea Wernett and Family, and Grammy Nominee Richie Evans with The Evans Administration, LLC for their generous donations and support.