In addition to watching a competitive team, enjoying the amenities of a world-class stadium, and eating cheese-drenched waffle fries out of a plastic helmet, one of the pleasures of attending a Brewers game at Miller Park is the auxiliary entertainment. From between-inning trivia to that thing where an entire section wins free groceries from Sendik’s or whatever, there’s always something to keep the baseball-loving masses entertained and/or distracted.
But there may be one less bit of fun in 2015: The Milwaukee Diamond Dancers—a group of professional dancers known for their on-top-of-the-dugout and in-crowd performances—have recently learned that their corporate sponsorship has been pulled, and that they likely won’t be coming back for what would be their 10th season with the Brewers. Fans of the group have taken to social media in hopes of saving the team, with the Save The Milwaukee Diamond Dancers Facebook page netting over 3,600 fans in less than a week.
How the movement plans to save the Diamond Dancers is unknown, though there’s clearly an interest in doing so. Which only makes sense: If the Brewers can have a 3-D hologram of Bud Selig shuffling papers in a replica office, surely they can have a professional dance troupe rocking out to some Jock Jams.
Here’s the message from the Facebook page:
You may know the Diamond Dancers from attending Milwaukee Brewers games. You’ve seen them perform before the first pitch, dancing during the player introductions, doing in-stand promotions, in the parking lots visiting your tailgate with giveaways or you’ve seen them do a kickline into a jump split on the dugout during the 7th inning stretch. Outside of Miller Park,many of you have seen them in other settings as well. The Diamond Dancers participate in over 25 community and charity events every year.
As the second dance team in all of Major League Baseball, The Diamond Dancers have been in the community for 9 years. Unfortunately, they were recently informed that due to the loss of their corporate sponsor, there will NOT be a 10th season. Of course this directly affects the Director who helped start the team, the 27 current teammembers, and the large group of alumni dancers but it is also a huge loss for the Southeastern Wisconsin community as well.
The Diamonds host at least 7 Junior Diamond Dancer clinics every season. This gives young dancers the opportunity to learn a routine and perform on a big stage, at Miller Park before a game. The Diamond Dancers haven’t only organized and given this special opportunity to the youth. With a dancer who lost her mother to breast cancer and many others who had family affected by breast cancer, the Diamonds decided to start a new program just three season ago. They have held clinics for women who are survivors of or are currently battling Breast Cancer. These Honorary Diamond Dancers were given the opportunity to celebrate life with a performance on the field at Miller Park at no cost. The Diamonds fundraised each year to support getting these women a once in a lifetime opportunity.
The ladies of the Diamond Dancers don’t just sparkle with the glam of being on a Professional Dance Team. They find many other ways to give back to the community and inspire others to do so as well. They held their 2nd annual Power of Purple Dance Competition in September. At this competition, over 30 dance teams from all over Wisconsin attended. All of the profits raised went towards the Pancreatic Cancer Network, a charity that doesn’t get nearly enough funding but is in highest need for it. The Diamond Dancers raised over $18,000 at the competition for The Pancreatic Cancer Network this year alone.
Without the Diamond Dancers, sure there won’t be the famous jump splits on the dugout, but there is so much more that the community will be missing.
With your help we can keep this charitable, professional group of strong women in our community. Not only dancing at games and continuing to celebrate life through dance, but by giving back to their community and charities as well as this is what this group lives for.
Please share this page, like this, or share any of your experiences as to why Milwaukee cannot let such a good thing go.