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The Oakland Raiderettes are the cheerleading squad for the Oakland Raiders
professional American football team. They were established in 1961 as the
Oakland Raiderettes. When the Raiders moved to Los Angeles in 1982, the
cheerleading squad became known as the Los Angeles Raiderettes. However, when
the franchise moved back to Oakland in 1995, the Raiderettes changed their name
back to the Oakland Raiderettes.
Current coaching staff
* Karen Kovac, Raiderette Director/Choreographer
* Laura Jollay, Assistant Choreographer
Notable former cheerleaders
A number of former cheerleaders have found success outside the organization:
* Erica Arana, current four year veteran, model, and actress
* Danielle Gamba, Playboy Cyber Girl of the Month, October 2004
* Jennifer (Jenn) Grijalva, actress, MTV's The Real World: Denver
* Anjelah Johnson, stand up comedian and MADtv cast member
* Kiana Tom, TV fitness instructor, model, and actress
Erica Arana (born April 26, 1977) is an American model and NFL cheerleader of
Mexican descent. A four-year veteran and Oakland Raiderette, she is a
spokesmodel and primary face for all western-region Coors Light point-of-sale
advertising for the NFL. Arana was selected by the NFL to represent the Oakland
Raiderettes in the NFL Cheerleader Playoffs television show which debuted in
2006 on the NFL Network.
Arana was born and raised in Fillmore, California. She attended Fillmore High
School where she excelled in track and field. She currently holds records for
the high jump, triple jump, long jump, 4x400 m relay, and 4x100 m
relay.[citation needed] She placed third in the state of California while
attending Moorpark College competing in the heptathalon.[2] Arana also has
competed in many national soccer tournaments.
Danielle Elizabeth Gamba (born November 22, 1982) is an American model and
dancer of Italian and Spanish descent. A Playboy model, she has appeared in
various issues and calendars as well as in Mystique Magazine.
FHM magazine named Danielle Gamba their only "International Honey" after
breaking the magazine's record for winning the "Hometown Honey" duel 3 months in
a row[citation needed]. Subsequently, they named her their Official Lingerie
representative for the United States, appearing in 7 of their publications
before they discontinued their print-edition FHM US due to low subscription
numbers. In addition to her modeling, she was a "Raiderette" for the Oakland
Raiders, but was later dismissed after they learned of her nude pictorials.
Danielle appeared in Playboy, FHM US & UK, Maxim and publications worldwide, as
well as performing as dancer in The Nutcracker for the Oakland Ballet. She also
holds a bachelor's degree in Apparel Design from SFSU. Her other credits include
music videos and television appearances.
Danielle Gamba will make her film debut next year in the epic comedy, City of
Shoulders and Noses. She will portray a Yale University nursing student who
falls in love with a charismatic sculptor in 1965. The film is being produced by
Sybil Danning, George Parra, and Tommy Ardolino.
Anjelah Johnson (b. May 14, 1982) is a stand-up comedian and one of the four new
cast members in the thirteenth season of MADtv.
Biography
Early years
Johnson was born and raised in San Jose, California. She is Mexican and part
Native American. She comes from a large family of five siblings and over 20
cousins. Johnson started out as a Pop Warner cheerleader and continued on as a
cheerleader throughout high school, College, and finally as a professional
cheerleader for the Oakland Raiders. As a member of the Oakland Raiderettes she
was named Rookie of the year and performed in Super Bowl XXXVII.
Career
After studying for 3 years in college she decided that it was time to make the
move to Los Angeles and pursue entertaining professionally. Upon arriving in Los
Angeles, Anjelah began dancing, acting, modeling and lending her voice
professionally. Knowing that comedy was her calling, she registered for a
stand-up comedy class, and before she knew it, she found herself performing
stand-up all across North America in comedy clubs, churches, casinos,
universities, and even for United States troops in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Since
then, this rising star has landed herself guest roles on "Love Inc.", FX's Emmy
& Golden Globe Award-winning cop drama, The Shield, and has also appeared in a
myriad of advertisements of both the television and print varieties.
MADtv
Johnson joined the cast of MADtv in 2007, as a featured performer, for the
thirteenth season. She made her debut on the show on November 3, 2007.
Characters
On November 24, 2007, Anjelah debuted her character Bon Qui Qui on MADtv who
became an instant hit through Youtube.
Kiana Tom (born 14 March 1965 in Maui, Hawaii, U.S.) is an American model,
television show fitness instructor, actress and a former Los Angeles Raider
cheerleader. She is part Chinese, Hawaiian and Irish. She stands 5'6" (170
centimetres) tall. She is also trained as a virtuoso piano player.
Since 1988, she was one of the hosts of a fitness instruction television series
called BodyShaping. Eventually, she went on to host her own show, Kiana's Flex
Appeal which premiered in 1995.
She appeared on the cover & in a nude pictorial in the May 2002 American issue
of Playboy. She has also previously co-hosted the X Games and X-treme Energy and
hosted the Fitness America Pageant Series.
She co-starred in 1999's Universal Soldier: The Return. Her father is Layne Tom
Jr., a Chinese-American actor who played Charlie Chan's son in 3 of the Charlie
Chan movies, among other roles.
Kiana has created and promotes a line of fitness products including her book
Kiana's Body Sculpting, the Kiana Fitness Wear clothing line, the Kiana Fitness
Nutritional Line, and a series of exercise instructional videos officially
titled Kiana Fitness Videos. She has over 15 years of experience in the fitness
industry.
Awards
* United States Sports Academy Eisenhower Award
Recognition
* USA Today- Very best fitness advice
* Fit Magazine- Top 10 TV trainers
* Cosmopolitan- Top TV workouts
Family
* Married: March 2002
* Husband: Dennis Breshears
* Daughters: Anelalani (born 2002); Asialea (born 2006)
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