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Four Ridgewood High School students have been chosen to perform in Italy's New Year's Day
celebration.
Ridgewood High School pom squad members Christina Hesslau (from left),
Ashleigh Faulhaber, Jennifer Matthews and Jessica Feberova have been selected to perform in a New Year's Day celebration in Italy. Cettina Nardulli (right) has been selected to perform on Thanksgiving in Philadelphia.
(Michelle LaVigne/Staff Photographer)
And another student was selected to perform on Thanksgiving in Philadelphia.
Ridgewood pom squad members rehearse a routine August 17, 2010 on the school football
field. Four members of the squad were selected to join an international dance performance
held over New Year's in Rome, Italy. Another was selected to perform on Thanksgiving in
Philadelphia.
(Michelle LaVigne/Staff Photographer)
The dancers invited to perform in the Rome parade are part of the All American program,
according to the school. They were selected from Universal Dance Association summer camps
around the country.
Ridgewood High School pom squad members Jennifer Matthews (from left) and Ashleigh
Faulhaber, and Christina Hesslau (from right) and Jessica Feberouva have been selected to
join an international dance performance, which will be held over New Year's in Rome, Italy.
Cettina Nardulli (center) has been selected to perform on Thanksgiving in Philadelphia.
They are in the process of raising money for the trips.
(Michelle LaVigne/Staff Photographer)
The school said senior Christina Hesslau and sophomores Ashleigh Faulhaber, Jennifer
Matthews and Jessica Feberova are among more than 300 high school dancers from across the
country who will perform in Rome on New Year's Day.
In addition to performing in Rome, they will be able to tour the city.
"This year we had five people make it," said head poms coach Amanda Cacioppo. "You can only
send six. We had five out of six make it so it's really good. We've never gone. We've never
done anything like this, and they just want to try to raise funds to help get them there."
Freshman Cettina Nardulli will participate in the Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia.
Her trip is from Novemvber 23-26, 2010.
"Even though it's not Rome, it would be a really good experience," Nardulli said.
Hesslau said she is definitely going on the Italy trip, while Feberova and Matthews said
they are 90 percent sure they are going.
The poms have yet to raise funds for the Italy trip. One on the planned fund-raisers is a
car wash, scheduled for 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM August 28, 2010 at the school.
The cost of the trip is $3,125 per person, Cacioppo said. The trip is from December 26, 2010 to January
2, 2011. This includes a special uniform, a jacket, a T-shirt, skirt and poms, as well as a
professional tour guide. Meals, airfare and transportation are also covered.
Hesslau's mother will be accompanying the students on the trip.
Faulhaber said she hopes to see Trevi Fountain during the sightseeing trip. They also hope
to see the Coliseum and Vatican City.
Cacioppo said she would love to go to Italy but she would also have to raise funds.
"I would love to go to experience with them because I never did anything like this in high
school," she said. "I went here, I was on the team and we never did anything like this. So
this is huge.
"Last year was our first year trying out. Jennifer (Matthews) did make it but we never did
anything. This year having so many people make it, it would be a good experience to go
together."
The girls agreed they are definitely looking forward to the Italy trip.
"This is like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Hesslau said.
"It will definitely beat staying here during New Year's and doing nothing," Feberova said.
Nardulli said she was chosen for the Philadelphia parade after tryouts, which were held
July 31, 2010 at a dance camp at Northern Illinois University.
"Because I'm a freshman I had to try out for the JV All American," she said. "Then you had
to stand basically in front of the whole camp. I was with one other girl and you had to
perform the routine that they made up, then you had to add your own choreography at the
end."
Nardulli said she also hasn't raised the necessary funds for her trip yet. Her trip costs
$697.
"But if I do get a chance to go it would be really good," she said.
Cacioppo said a Thanksgiving Day dinner is also provided.
Donations for the Italy trip can be sent to Cacioppo's attention at Ridgewood High School,
7500 West Montrose Avenue, Norridge, 60706.
Article written by Craig A. Whitney on Thursday, August 19, 2010 for the
Pioneer Press Norridge and Harwood Heights News and online at
http://www.pioneerlocal.com/norridge/news/2616984,norridge-rhspoms-082610-s1.article.
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Sophomore Rosella Camastra (at center, left) grabs a soapy sponge from a bucket August 7, 2010 while washing a car with other cheerleaders during a car wash and barbecue fund-raiser for the cheerleading squad at Ridgewood High School in Norridge.
Junior Kristen Brinati dries the back windshield of a car on August 7, 2010 during a car wash and barbecue fund-raiser for the cheerleading squad at Ridgewood High School in Norridge.
Cheerleaders Julie Wagner (from left), Amanda Kelly, Heather Ronstadt and Stacy Anderson try to flag down cars August 7, 2010 during a car wash and barbecue fund-raiser for the cheerleading squad at Ridgewood High School in Norridge.
Cheerleaders wash the exterior of an SUV during a car wash and barbecue fund-raiser August 7, 2010 for the cheerleading squad at Ridgewood High School in Norridge.
Ridgewood High School pom squad members Christina Hesslau (from left),
Ashleigh Faulhaber, Jennifer Matthews and Jessica Feberova have been selected to perform in a New Year's Day celebration in Italy. Cettina Nardulli (right) has been selected to perform on Thanksgiving in Philadelphia.
Ridgewood pom squad members rehearse a routine August 17, 2010 on the school football
field. Four members of the squad were selected to join an international dance performance
held over New Year's in Rome, Italy. Another was selected to perform on Thanksgiving in
Philadelphia.
Ridgewood High School pom squad members Jennifer Matthews (from left) and Ashleigh
Faulhaber, and Christina Hesslau (from right) and Jessica Feberouva have been selected to
join an international dance performance, which will be held over New Year's in Rome, Italy.
Cettina Nardulli (center) has been selected to perform on Thanksgiving in Philadelphia.
They are in the process of raising money for the trips.
