By
Hillary Davis
Arizona Daily Wildcat
In a small dance studio in the Fourth Avenue district of Tucson, the Arizona Cat Crew is preparing to take on the country.
Clad in red and blue fleece vests and T-shirts, members of the Arizona Cat Crew, UA's hip-hop dance team, filmed a promotional video last night for their newest sponsors, KWBA-TV58, the local affiliate of the WB network.
The video will be passed along to any other agency interested in contracting the group's talents, and brief segments of the group performing will be featured during the network's commercial breaks - giving the team the publicity it needs become known outside of the university.
Jessica Zagnoni, a media arts sophomore and the group's founder, said the team has progressed faster than she ever would have dreamed when she formed it in October.
"I hoped for this but I didn't think it was going to come this far in the first four months," said Zagnoni, already a hip-hop instructor at the A Tucson Dance Company studio. "I think we have so much potential as a group, we're going to take this opportunity and run with it."
With the help of its sponsors, the Cat Crew is already set to dance during intermissions at boxing and kickboxing exhibitions at the Wildcat House bar, 1801 N. Stone Ave.
The 24-member troupe will also entertain the audience during halftime at UA women's basketball games and perform at the annual step-dance show hosted by the UA's African-American greek houses.
These performances, though, are just the beginning for the Cat Crew - cable television networks have also shown an interest in the group.
"We have a lot of opportunities - ESPN is going to come and film some stuff, HBO is going to come and film some stuff, BET is looking for some dancers," Zagnoni said. "It (the promotional video) is going to help us get out of Tucson and go along the West Coast (and) nationally."
Garret Wong, a business management junior, said he had never performed before joining the Cat Crew, and was pleased that the hip-hop troupe was introduced to round out UA's talent.
"This is my first real, formal, organized dancing with rehearsals and performances," he said. "I think it's a lot of fun."
Chrissy Stamm, a physiology senior, said she has been dancing for 15 years and was not nervous before the cameras.
Although she wants to become a chiropractor, Stamm said she is enjoying her time with the dance team now, especially the energetic, positive interaction with her teammates.
"I think everyone is really excited to be on it, so it's contagious when we get together," she said.
