Announcing the AKD University Collection

Angela King Designs is excited to present the AKD University Collection! Stay tuned for more products in the AKD University Collection! Follow the link below to speak with a Style Pro about your college costuming needs. 

See AKD Collegiate Customers

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Shop AKD University 

Meet Kayla, AKD Junior Designer, Age 7, Chicago

Meet our Fall 2013 AKD Junior Designer: Kayla of Chicago, Illinois! At just seven years old, Kayla has high aspirations of fashion and performance, which makes her the PERFECT candidate for the AKD Junior Designer program. 

"Fashion is my dream!" says Kayla. "Someday I will design clothes for real fashion models."

Kayla just completed her second season dancing with the Junior Luvabulls in Chicago, where she wears the AKD Role Models brand while performing on the NBA court alongside the Luvabulls pro dance team. Kayla's favorite thing about being a Jr. Luvabull is that she has the opportunity to look and feel like a star and show off her AKD uniform. And you can't beat the excitement of performing in the NBA - especially at age seven! 

Kayla's favorite colors are pink, white and black. Outside of dancing with the Jr. Luvabulls, Kayla enjoys drawing, playing dress up, modeling and singing.

"I would like to become an AKD Junior Designer because I really like to draw, and I want to be a professional dancer and fashion designer when I grow up."  

Over the coming weeks, Kayla will submit her favorite drawings to Angela King-Twitero and the AKD production department. They'll choose one costume to bring to life in Kayla's size. According to Kayla's preferences, the costume experts will select fabrics, create a pattern and actually create Kayla's costume for her. The exciting moment comes when Kayla gets to receive her very own "masterpiece" later this fall! 

Stay tuned as we get to know Kayla and the AKD Junior Designer process. We can't wait to make your dreams come true!  

Follow the AKD Junior Designers

Apply to Become the Next Junior Designer

About the AKD Junior Designer Program: Our intentions in creating the AKD Role Models "Junior Designer" program are to promote design and creativity in our society's youth. We want to reach out to young designers and help them to realize their goals of becoming future fashion leaders. We hope that these Junior Designers will influence more children and teens to become young leaders and encourage them to follow their designing dreams.

Face of AKD to Appear at NYC Calendar Release Sept. 6

For the first time in sports entertainment history, New York cheerleaders have put together a stunning NFL-style swimsuit calendar that is targeted towards the fans of the team they support, but who have no official cheerleaders: The New York Giants.

Entering their 3rd season as the “unofficial” dancers of the Giants, the Gotham City Cheerleaders (GCC) have produced a 12-month pin up calendar for the 2013-2014 football season titled, ALL IN, NEW YORK. The calendar takes an editorial style spin to the paradise-like locations fans have always seen with most NFL cheer calendars. Instead, the calendar was shot and produced in the paradise streets of New York.

As the official uniform sponsor of the GCC, Angela King Designs 2013 Sports Model Search Winner Alexa Kobylarz will attend the release party on Friday, September 6 in New York City. 

The GCC releases their 2013-2014 ALL IN, NEW YORK Swimsuit Calendar on Friday, September 6, 2013 at M1-5 Lounge in Tribeca from 6 pm-10 pm. They will perform various routines and showcase some of their featured swimsuits from various local NYC designers. Tickets are open to the public and can be purchased at www.nyunofficials.com/CalendarPremiere.

Follow Alexa - 2013 AKD Model Search Winner

Visit the Model Search Website

Alexa's Blog- My Year as the Face of AKD, # 3

Hey Costume Lounge visitors! I hope this post finds you well. Sit back and relax because I have a big update for you!

On July 25^th, I finally made my way to San Antonio for my AKD and Go Wild! Wear photoshoot. I was so excited to finally meet Angela and the rest of the AKD staff; Marissa (AKD’s Production and Marketing Assistant) even greeted me with a gorgeous bouquet of flowers when I got off of the plane! From the airport, Angela, Marissa, and Sharon (AKD’s General Manager) and I went to lunch at Boudros, a restaurant along the famous San Antonio River Walk. Then we walked to the Alamo and visited the Long Barracks Museum there; I always love to find out the history behind the places I’m visiting! We then headed to Angela’s home in McQueeney where I stayed at her guest house on the lake—what a beautiful and peaceful setting! Later that evening, we enjoyed the water ski show where two of Angela’s children, Gerrit and Ava, showed off some of their tricks. The show was very entertaining and it was great to see how supportive Angela and her family were of each other!

The next day was the big day—my photoshoot! I couldn’t wait to model all of the latest AKD designs, but I was also eager to see which of my designs Angela chose to make. When I arrived at the shoot, I easily spotted my designs out of the large rack of uniforms—the vibrant colors immediately caught my eye and were hard to miss! The four finished sets were identical to my designs, and it was amazing to see my personal ideas brought to life.

Here is a behind-the-scenes picture of me sporting my coral one-shouldered design with Angela:

I can’t thank her enough for believing in me and my dream of designing dance wear! We finished the day with a lovely dinner in Gruene at the Gristmill River Restaurant and listened to some live music at Gruene Hall, the oldest dance hall in Texas.

Next, it was off to Pro Action Dance at the Palms in Las Vegas! I was excited to attend the convention for the second year in a row; last year I went on behalf of the Honeybees, and this year I was representing AKD! I loved seeing familiar faces from professional and college dance teams and meeting new ones as well; the dancers and choreographers alike created a motivating, positive and fun atmosphere for everyone in attendance. It was also an honor to learn from the one and only Tabitha and Napoleon D’umo, better known as Nappytabs! Throughout the weekend, I sported my four designs as well as Angela’s designs in class. I was unbelievably humbled by the compliments I received about my designs and grateful that they were well received. The AKD booth remained busy as well, with Angela, Sharon and Rani (AKD Style Pro) doing a wonderful job engaging current and potential AKD clients; everyone couldn’t get enough of AKD at Pro Action Dance!

When we weren’t working in Vegas, we certainly took the opportunity to enjoy ourselves and each other’s company. From delicious dinners to a memorable Pro Action cocktail party in the Palms’ Two Story Sky Villa (check out the picture below of us on the hilarious rotating bed!), it was wonderful getting to know Angela’s longtime colleagues in the industry. Watching Angela reunite with her closest friends was an absolute joy; there was a sparkle in her eye and you could tell she was in her element.

After the final performance at the Pro Action Showcase, I was sad to leave Angela, Sharon, and Rani. However, I couldn’t help but be thankful for the opportunities gained and connections made on the trip. Once again, I cannot thank Angela enough for her hospitality, guidance, and generosity. She along with AKD have definitely made an impact on my life, and I can only hope to one day inspire others in the same way she has!

Next month, I’ll be writing about a very exciting international trip I have in a few weeks with the Brooklynettes! Can you guess where we’re headed? Here’s a hint—it is known as the “Lion City.” Come back next month to see if you’re correct!

Dream BIG!

Alexa

Ultimate Cheerleaders Shoutout to New Style Pro

Our newest member of the AKD family is one popular lady! Raquel Garcia, former choreographer for the Spurs Silver Dancers, has been appraised for her dedication and amount of time spent with not only this team, but also the San Antonio Rampage and WNBA Silver Stars. Check out the article from UltimateCheerleaders.com below:

Original Article By Sarah Tressler, MySanAntonio.com

If you happen to be looking for a career with the Spurs, there’s good news and bad news. 

The good news is that a position is about to open up. The bad news is you’ve got some pretty petite shoes to fill – size 7, to be exact.

Raquel Garcia, 39, has been the Spurs Silver Dancers choreographer for more than a decade, but on Sept. 15, her contract will expire, and, with a set of 3-year-old twins and a 6-year-old son, she has decided to resign from the team, as well as from her position as choreographer for the WNBA Silver Stars SBC Star Squad dance team and The Rampage Ice Girls dance team.

“We’re in the process of looking for someone else,” said Spurs Director of Game Operations & Special Events Chris Garcia. (Full disclosure: Chris Garcia and Raquel Garcia are married.) “She reflected over this past year, and she figured it was probably time to move on and focus on her family.”

The 2013 season was a big one for the Spurs, and thus a big one for the Silver Dancers.

“This past year was amazing; even though we weren’t champions at the end, it was just an awesome ride,” Raquel said.

But all those extra games at the end of the season started to add up for the new mom. She finally made the bittersweet choice to leave.

“The deciding factor for me was when I looked back at this past year – if I counted the nights when I was at rehearsal and the nights that I was working games, whether that be Spurs, The Rampage or our WNBA Silver Stars, which we’re currently in, I was away from my children 150 nights. So someone else put my own children to bed. And it should be their mommy,” Raquel Garcia said. “There’s no price tag I can put on that.”

The audition process to select next season’s Silver Dancers started Aug. 10 and was one of her last orders of business.

More than a hundred girls in hot shorts and fitted tank tops twirled, kicked, coupe-turned, and whipped their hair to Miranda Lambert’s “Mama’s Broken Heart” for the first round; after cuts were made, the remaining 60 or so learned a new routine to Maroon 5′s “Love Somebody.”

Throughout the instruction period, Raquel Garcia, energetic and petite, stood on a small stage and danced through the whole routine with the girls over and over, keeping in step while giving precise instructions through a microphone.

Just before she stepped out of a curtain-enclosed area to teach the second routine, she fished through her Louis Vuitton handbag for a stick of deodorant.

“Don’t want to stink-a-roonie!” she chirped. This neatly summarizes her personality – disarmingly sweet with an emphasis on presentation. She’s not unlike the quintessential Disney princess.

Raquel Garcia worked her way up from her high school pep squad to the to the cheer team and on to the Kilgore Rangerettes dance team in college. After graduation, she set her sights on a professional dance career and made the Silver Dancers team in 1994. With five seasons with the Silver Dancers under her belt, she took a job with an ad agency, but her passion for dance endured. 

In 2003, she became the choreographer for the Silver Stars dance team, followed by her position as the Silver Dancers choreographer.

Now, her plans are simple: PTA, church and working from home with a uniform-design agency outfitting pro and collegiate teams in Texas. But most importantly, “I’m gonna be a stay-home mommy,” she said.

So what does Raquel Garcia’s husband, the Spurs director of game operations, think about the end of going to work with his wife?

“It’s fantastic,” Chris Garcia said. “It’ll be nice to just be able to hold hands and walk around at the games and be married.”

Meet Raquel Garcia, Texas Style Pro

View Style Pro Directory

Establishing A Successful Junior Program

Angela King Designs is thrilled to produce many of the junior cheerleader program costuming for NFL and NBA teams across the United States, including the Chicago Bulls, the Arizona Cardinals, the Denver Broncos and the Carolina Panthers. Right now the NFL youth programs are getting pumped for their field performances and other fall activities. One of the favorite parts of their experience is receiving their AKD Role Models uniform!  

Is your team developing a new program or enhancing your junior cheerleader or dancer program? With a 25-year history in the professional cheerleading industry, AKD founder Angela King-Twitero literally "wrote the book" on the business of cheerleading including a special chapter dedicated to youth programs. AKD's talented Style Pros can lead you, not only in junior costuming creation, but also development of your program to maximize profits and keep your participants happy and returning year after year. 

From "The Business of Professional Cheerleading," enjoy this excerpt from Chapter 6, page 54.

JUNIOR PROGRAMS

Running a junior program is a bit like operating a dance studio. There are classes, costumes, and a performance. In most cases there is one flat fee for a child to be a part of the junior program. The one scheduled fee will cover all the activities the child will participate in, as well as their junior costume. Or, if needed, the fee schedule could be broken into two parts: the clinics/game package and the costume priced separately. This will give returning parents the option of purchasing a new costume each year. The numbers of children who participate can vary from a small number to over 500.

Classes or clinics are set up to teach the children the routines they will perform at halftime of a game. The cheerleaders are the instructors and should be paid for their teaching time. You will need a large facility, like your practice field or gym. Also, break the children up into appropriate age groups. Each group will learn a dance number and perform it as a part of the show. When all is said and done, with the addition of the professional cheerleaders, you will have a spectacular halftime show for a game.

The costumes should reflect your big cheerleader costumes but be age appropriate at the same time. I costume quite a few junior programs with our Role Models division, and the main goal is to make the juniors feel just as special as the professional cheerleaders but keep the costumes appropriate to their age and developing bodies. When purchasing the costumes, buy them at a low enough rate to be able to mark the price up when selling to the parents. If you purchase the costume for $40.00, sell the costume for between $60.00 and $70.00.


Receive the full article by purchasing The Business of Professional Cheerleading book by Angela King-Twitero

Learn more about AKD junior costuming at www.akdrolemodels.com

Follow the AKD Junior Designers program

Free Gift with Purchase through November 1

Don't miss this special offer! Earn a custom bomber jacket in your team colors with single retail order of $2,000 or more (Retail $148.09 with up to three colors and rhinestone zipper). Offer valid through November 1, 2013. 

View the Style Pro Directory

View the Bomber or Baseball Jacket at Gowildwear.com

AKD Pro Action Las Vegas Video

Thank you to Pro Action for hosting AKD and 2013 Sports Model Search Winner Alexa Kobylarz this weekend in Las Vegas! 

Enjoy this video, and see behind the scenes photos on Facebook:

Spotlight on Style Pro Raquel Garcia

RAQUEL GARCIA
Phone: 1-877-97-GO-AKD x720
Email: RaquelAKD@gmail.com
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Territory: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas

Background: 

• Former Choreographer and Coach of Spurs Sports and Entertainment (11 seasons)
• Former Director of Junior Silver Dancer clinics in San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Laredo and Austin
• Spurs Silver Dancer (5 seasons)
• Owner, 5678-Danz (founded 2002)
• World Famous Kilgore College Rangerettes (4 years)
• Kilgore College: Ranger Beauty, Homecoming Court, Vice-President of the dance club 
• Choreographer: Farelly Brothers movie “The Ringer”
• Coach on MTV’s MADE 

ABOUT RAQUEL GARCIA: 

Angela King Designs welcomes to the Style Pro team Raquel Torres Garcia, a resident of San Antonio, Texas and Style Pro for the state of Texas. 

Raquel Garcia recently retired as the Choreographer and Coach of Spurs Sports and Entertainment. In her 11 seasons with the Spurs, Raquel oversaw all teams including the Spurs Silver Dancers, Junior Jammers, Sterling Silver, Rampage Ice Girls and the Silver Stars Star Squad, as well as directed all Junior Silver Dancer clinics in San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Laredo and Austin.  

Raquel is also a former five year member of the Spurs Silver Dancers, a former member of the World Famous Kilgore College Rangerettes and has trained extensively with many of the country’s leading authorities in dance. While at Kilgore College, Raquel was a Ranger Beauty, voted onto the Homecoming Court, and served as the Vice-President of the dance club. Raquel founded the company 5678-Danz and still trains privately and choreographs for teams on occasion. 

Raquel's career highlights also includes conducting choreography for the Farelly Brothers movie, “The Ringer” and appearing on MTV’s MADE as a coach. Raquel and her husband are the proud parents of a 6 year old son and 3 year old boy/girl twins. 

View the Style Pro Directory

AKD Goes Pro in Las Vegas

This coming weekend will be one of the highlights of the year for Angela King Designs! We along with our Sports Model Search winner, Alexa Kobylarz, will be attending the Pro Action Dance convention in Las Vegas. Pro Action is a great opportunity to see what teams are being represented by such fabulous ladies in the world of dance and cheer. Seeing this amount of talent from all over the country is simply amazing! Girls from professional, semi-pro, and collegiate teams will be in attendance learning hot new routines from the best of the best in the business. 

For us, it is a chance to make new connections with teams from all over the U.S. We cannot wait for this great opportunity, so make sure and stop by the AKD table to say hello and have a chat with us. We'll be there to answer any questions you may have, and more exciting news- Angela herself will be there! 

We know this is will be a great weekend for dancers, directors, and choreographers in the industry. For those of you ladies that will be in attendance, we can't wait to meet you! Check back later for an update of the event from Alexa, Our 2013 Face of AKD, as she will be blogging about her experience at Pro Action! 

Angela King Designs, Inc.