THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 15, 1994 TAG: 9407150108
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E13 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JIMMY GNASS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 80 lines
IN A SUBURBAN Chesapeake home, three young women stand poised, ready to dance. Sofas are pushed to the wall. The stereo is cranked up loud. In the corner sits a television, the reason for today's rehearsal. It broadcasts a myriad of flashing, pulsing images: It's Music Television.
When MTV host John Ales and scouts Rich Korson and Todd Warner searched Hampton Roads for contestants to perform on their Lip Service show last month, they almost returned empty handed. Almost.
The one audition they were blessed with at Hampton's Nsect club proved to be worthwhile. The result is Ranee Rubio, 20, Lori Schroeder, 19, and Cheryl Marcelo, 18, are going to New York City July 22 to be on on MTV. The three girls, from Virginia Beach and Chesapeake, all on break from Virginia colleges, are making the best of their summer vacations.
``I think it's really cool,'' Ranee said last Saturday at the audition. ``I see those people on MTV trying to do this, and I think, hey, we can do that!''
On MTV's Lip Service contestants lip-sync and dance to the song of their choice for prizes. The three young women landed a spot on the show, so today they begin rehearsal.
The electronic dance music kicks in, and they begin their routine. Cheryl steals her position as central dancer and lip-syncer. She mimics the words to Crystal Water's ``100% Pure Love'' as if she's looking right into a camera.
Then Lori giggles.
And so do the other two. The routine quickly loses shape, but the women continue to dance anyway. After all, it's only MTV.
``When you think about it, it's kind of cheesy,'' says Lori. ``Lip syncing is not a performing art or anything.''
``We try to be serious,'' says Cheryl. ``But we always end up joking around and not rehearsing properly and acting stupid.''
The trio knows what good dance is. They all started dance lessons between the ages of 8 and 10, and moved on to win awards in competitions and talent shows. It wasn't long before they replaced ballet and tap origins with more contemporary dancing.
When they saw the opportunity to audition for MTV's Lip Service show, Cheryl assembled her friends. They slapped together a routine in three hours and auditioned the next day.
Ranee says no one was there except for the Nsect club's staff.
``I was walking along and some guy runs up to me and hugs me and yells, `I'm so glad you're here,''' says Ranee. The excited guy was Lip Service host John Ales.
``You're the first people we've seen in the last three auditions,'' Ales said to Ranee.
Getting through the audition without laughing proved to be difficult, but they managed.
Even though the Hampton Roads trio was the only team to audition, they did not automatically win by default. The videotaped audition was sent to New York to be reviewed by the Lip Service producer.
Three days later Cheryl received a call from MTV's Amy Katz. ``The guys were raving about you,'' Katz said, referring to MTV host John Ales and fellow scouts. ``We'd like you on our show,'' she said.
The three young women, who named their group Roadtrip, eagerly await getting on the road. MTV will be sending a bus to pick up the local teams July 22. Recent auditions in Petersburg had 700 contestants waiting for the MTV hosts. Out of 700, 20 made the show. These 20, 4 teams in total, will be joining the girls on the ride up.
The shows will be taped over the weekend and then Roadtrip will vacation for a few more days.
The fun isn't over after the women return, either. They're hosting a real dance party at a new Virginia Beach club, The Melting Pot, July 29.
``This is our summer vacation,'' says Ranee. ``We might as well enjoy it.''
And they are. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
STEVE EARLY/Staff
Practicing for MTV's Lip service are, from left, Ranee Rubio, Cheryl
Marcelo and Lori Schroeder.
by CNB