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Mirror ball predictions

5 reasons Cheer coach Monica Aldama will win Dancing With the Stars

Stephanie Allmon Merry
Sep 3, 2020 | 3:46 pm

In cheerleader speak, Monica Aldama has made mat. The coach of the Navarro College cheer team in Corsicana and star of Netflix hit series Cheer will compete on Season 29 of Dancing with the Stars, beginning September 14.

Aldama, 50, has coached fearless flyers, powerful tumblers, and superb stunters to 14 national championships. A former cheerleader herself, she has built one of the world's best cheerleading programs at the two-year college just 50 miles from Dallas-Fort Worth.

In the long-ago, pre-pandemic world of January, Cheer tumbled into viewers' hearts and became a pop-culture sensation, even earning six Emmy nominations.

Because the national cheerleading championships were canceled this spring, Aldama did not get to add to her trophy collection. But now she can take home the Dancing with the Stars mirror ball trophy.

Let’s break down five reasons why she'll win.

1. She doesn’t lose. Aldama's coached teams to 14 titles, and she has not yet tasted sweet victory this year. With her personal motto, “You keep going until you get it right, and then you keep going until you can't get it wrong," how can she not slay the foxtrot and tear up the tango?

Will she resist her coach's instinct to construct her own routines, record hours of practices on her iPad, and stealthily scout the competition to make her tricks harder? Let’s hope not.

Bottom line — she's been here before. Dancing with the Stars is about a journey to win. The entire Cheer docuseries was about a journey to win.

Someone tie a bow in her hair because she's going full out.

Competitors keeping her on her toes: Vernon Davis, former NFL Super Bowl winner; and Kaitlyn Bristowe, Bachelor/Bachelorette star, who admits she's already scouting the competition.

2. She's got the humble disposition of a sneak-attack winner. When introduced on Good Morning America as a DWTS competitor, Aldama said, "I have never done dance in my life. I've always done cheerleading. And I've learned very quickly that it's completely different, and it's a whole different technique, so I have a long journey ahead of me."

Right answer. Good foreshadowing.

It's a variation on the same things said by pretty much every DWTS competitor with extensive training in "completely different" athletic or dance movement. Watch them unlearn their old moves, then grow and stretch into killer dancers.

By the end, these former gymnasts (Laurie Hernandez, Shawn Johnson); figure skaters (Meryl Davis, Kristi Yamaguchi); and girl band/boy band pop stars (Drew Lachey, Nicole Scherzinger) conquer this "completely different technique" and hoist the mirror ball trophy.

Competitor keeping her on her toes: Figure skater Johnny Weir. He'll be learning a "whole different technique" while out-costuming everyone else. At least they're both used to high heels.

3. She’s a fearless warrior. Stunting is in Aldama's DNA. Pyramid is her passion. Flying requires no cape for cheerleaders.

We expect her mid-dance lifts to soar higher than anyone else's, but woe to the partner who lets her fall. Falls get punished by 50 push-ups on her teams. They also get hashtags. In a famous scene from Cheer, when Mackenzie "Sherbs" Sherburn landed on the ground out of a basket toss, #whodroppedsherbs trended on social media.

Consider yourself warned, #MonicasPartner.

Then again, maybe we'll never know if she slips. This is the coach who didn't let a mid-routine injury at nationals destroy her team's chances of winning. She went to Plan B before Plan A hobbled offstage. Business mode. Warrior mode.

Her game face is her superpower.

Competitors keeping her on her toes: Jeannie Mai. The talk-show host is out for dance floor redemption after losing a dance-off against Tiffany Haddish in Las Vegas at Jennifer Lopez's birthday party. "That's why I'm here," she said on GMA.

4. She has nothing to prove. The season is a battle of Netflix series stars: Aldama from Cheer vs. Carole Baskin from Tiger King vs. Chrishell Stause from Selling Sunset.

Aldama has the clearest advantage because she has the clearest head. Her series ended with joy, not weird murder mystery or Hollywood heartache.

While Cheer uplifted and inspired, Tiger King was, as one animal advocate put it, "an inaccurate travesty." Big cats activist Baskin — who may or may not have killed her ex-husband and fed him to a tiger — told GMA she wants to set the record straight after being villainized on the show. Something to prove!

Poor Stause had it all, raking in big bucks selling Los Angeles-area mega mansions on two-and-a-half seasons of Selling Sunset. Then her husband, This is Us star Justin Hartley, sprung a surprise divorce, and by the end of season three, viewers were crying in their mimosas. She's awesome, now, Justin, really. Something to prove!

Competitors keeping her on her toes:Carole Baskin and Chrishell Stause. Fans always love a great comeback story.

Side note: Now that Harry and Meghan have signed a Netflix production deal, can we start campaigning for #TeamMeghanDWTS?

5. She's got the biggest cheering section. The world's most famous cheerleading coach no doubt has the world's loudest DWTS cheering squad, including show fans Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, Reese Witherspoon, Gabrielle Union, and Chrissy Teigen.

Cheering loudest will be Jerry Harris, her Navarro cheerleader whose positive "mat talks" have gone viral. He was the first to congratulate her on GMA, and surely he'll show up on the sidelines for more socially-distanced pep talks throughout the season, right?

The other "cheer-lebrities" on Aldama's squad have millions of Instagram followers, so this popularity contest is over, #MonicaWins.

Competitor keeping her on her toes: Charles Oakley, the retired NBA star whose cheering section could be led by former Chicago Bulls teammate Michael Jordan.

This is what she coaches her kids to do. Is there any doubt she'll win?

Cheer Netflix
Photo courtesy of Netflix
This is what she coaches her kids to do. Is there any doubt she'll win?
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Get the Party Started

Pink amps up the fun with Summer Carnival 2.0 tour coming to San Antonio

Alex Bentley
Nov 14, 2022 | 12:26 pm
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Courtesy photo

Pink will play at the Alamodome in San Antonio on September 25, 2023, as part of her Summer Carnival 2.0 tour.

Grammy Award-winning singer Pink (aka P!nk or P!NK if you prefer) is bringing her Summer Carnival 2.0 tour 2023 to San Antonio on Friday, September 25, 2023.

The initial tour announcement includes 21 dates around North America, starting with Toronto, Canada on July 24. All dates will be at Major League Baseball stadiums or similarly large venues.

In addition to the stop in San Antonio, Pink will also play in Houston on September 27 and Arlington on September 29. All Texas dates — at which she'll be joined by Brandi Carlile, Grouplove, and KidCutUp — are post-summer, but who's counting?

This will be Pink's first appearance in the San Antonio area since her Beautiful Trauma World Tour in 2018-2019.

The tour announcement did not come alongside a new album announcement, but there are signs that one is coming soon. Earlier in 2022, she released the protest song "Irrelevant" in part in response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and she just released "Never Gonna Not Dance Again" on November 4.

Pink's last album was 2019's Hurts 2B Human, which was her third straight — and third overall — No. 1 release.

Tickets for the tour go on sale to the general public starting at 10 am Monday, November 21 at LiveNation.com.

Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning 10 am Wednesday, November 16 until 11 pm Sunday, November 20 through the Citi Entertainment program.

Verizon will also offer a presale for select shows in the U.S. through its customer loyalty program, Verizon Up, from 12 pm Thursday, November 17 to 11 pm Sunday, November 20.

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Kicking it up

Texas flip-flop brand Hari Mari steps into brave new world of women's boots

Stephanie Allmon Merry
Nov 14, 2022 | 10:59 am
Hari Mari Midland boot
Photo courtesy of Hari Mari

Texas footwear brand Hari Mari is helping women transition from flip-flop season to boot season.

Texas footwear brand Hari Mari has arrived to help women transition the closet from flip-flop season to boot season.

The premium, Dallas-based brand known for its comfy, celeb-favorite flops has just launched its first ever women's boot. Called the Hari Mari "Midland," it's described as "a versatile women’s Chelsea boot constructed with premium suede, soft-squeeze foam midsoles, and generous goring to allow for easy slip-on, slip-off access."

The boots also include dual-density memory foam inserts that provide the "immediate, out-of-the-box comfort" that Hari Mari prides itself on.

“Our female sandal customer asked and we listened,” says Hari Mari Founder, Lila Stewart, in a release. “Over the years, we’ve been perfecting our sandals, which customers love for the immediate comfort and durability, so we decided it was about time we brought these same product characteristics to women’s boots.

The Midland is offered in three colors — autumn, black and taupe — and sells for $170 , in Hari Mari’s Dallas Flagship store, on HariMari.com, and select retailers across the country.

It's a bold step into the already crowded world of boots, especially in Texas. But the brand promises that the comfort level will set them apart.

"This beautiful, classic boot will allow our female customers to wear Hari Mari footwear through cold and warm months alike, experiencing the brand’s fanatical commitment to comfort whether it’s 80 degrees out or snowing," Stewart says. "And, believe us, they will feel the difference. It’s Hari Mari’s calling card and we’re excited to be able to offer year-round footwear to all of our customers."

Since it was founded in 2012, Hari Mari has built its reputation not only on quality, fashion-forward flip-flops (and other kinds of shoes and apparel), but also on its sustainability and philanthropic efforts, which are a part of the company’s DNA. Hari Mari gives 1 percent of sales to support kids battling cancer through its called Flops Fighting Cancer initiative.

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Markets to Watch

San Antonio shines among the top real estate markets to watch in 2023

Arden Ward
Nov 14, 2022 | 9:28 am
San Antonio downtown skyline skyscrapers
Visit San Antonio/Facebook

San Antonio is the No. 12 market to watch in 2023.

As we head into 2023, real estate investors and developers should have their sites set on San Antonio.

The Urban Land Institute (ULI)'s annual Emerging Trends in Real Estate report, released October 27, names San Antonio among the top 15 U.S. markets to watch in 2023.

The report, a joint project between ULI and PricewaterhouseCoopers, "provides an outlook on real estate investment and development trends, real estate finance and capital markets, property sectors, metropolitan areas, and other real estate issues throughout the United States and Canada."

It is based on surveys and interviews with real estate industry professionals.

After an in-depth analysis, the report identifies the top U.S. markets to watch, based on overall real estate prospects. San Antonio ranks No. 12 overall and joins a trio of other Texas hot spots: Dallas-Fort Worth (No. 2), Austin (No. 4), and Houston (No. 14).

A top trend heading into 2023 is the continued "normalization" of markets following the post-COVID boom. Notes the report: "Almost every market in the country received lower ratings for both investment and development prospects this year, illustrating that outlooks are darkening just about everywhere following the brief post-COVID exuberance shown in last year’s survey across a variety of metrics."

However, it continues, "the pandemic seems to have reinforced some trends, notably the dominance of what we called the 'Magnet' markets — many of which are in warmer Sun Belt regions — at the top of the Emerging Trends 'Markets to Watch' standings."

Those "Magnet" markets include San Antonio, Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, and Houston, among others. The report further categorizes markets into subgroups, with San Antonio, along with Dallas and Houston, falling into the "Super Sun Belt" group.

"These markets are large and diverse but still affordable, forming powerhouse economies that attract a wide range of businesses. Despite their large population bases, most are among the fastest-growing markets in the United States. Moreover, their economic performance has been solid through thick and thin," the report states.

"Though every market lost jobs during the pandemic recession, recovery has been much quicker and more complete in the Super Sun Belt markets. These metro areas collectively have the highest average rating of any subgroup, as it did last year."

Austin, meanwhile, is classified as a real estate "Supernova," defined as a smaller metro area (1 to 2 million residents) that has "exploded into prominence over the past decade or so."

According to the report, Austin has the highest investor demand of any market, while Dallas tops the list for development/redevelopment opportunities. San Antonio ranks first in the nation for homebuilding prospects, the report says.

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