Aug 22

Rookie BlazerDancer Lisa—commonly referred to as a firecracker—can’t stop dancing. Literally. For Lisa, dancing is as natural as breathing. “I know I’ll be dancing forever. It’s something that lives in your body that you can’t get rid of it,” Lisa said. “It’s something that you have.”

At four years old, shy little Lisa began dancing ballet and practicing gymnastics. This foundation led her to her high school dance team, the Tigard Tigerettes, where her classical training morphed into what she calls “a different type of dancing.” Dancing that invigorated her performances and pushed her to the next level of showmanship. So much so that she started a hip-hop group with her friends. Liza’s Dream Team, also known as LDT, dance on the big stage at the Rose Garden when they opened for America’s Best Dance Crew on their stop in Portland.

With the need to dance so deeply ingrained in her it was natural to continue dancing at the collegiate level. A four-year member of the University of Oregon Cheer squad satisfied her passion while she studied business marketing. While supporting the Ducks she enhanced her leadership skills and led the squad as a captain her senior year.

A degree in hand, Lisa moved back to Portland and took the step that would keep her dancing. She auditioned for the BlazerDancers and earned a place on the team.

Now, as a first-year BlazerDancer, Lisa will share her love of—and need for—dance with Trail Blazers fans night in and night out. She’ll also get the special treat of dancing with her sister and fellow BlazerDancer, Eri, for the first time in their dance careers.

As she begins practicing and preparing to entertain Rip City, Lisa’s fulfilling her compulsion to perform. “Dancing has been a part of my life for so long, I keep doing it,” she said. “I can’t ever really stop.” We Trail Blazers fans should consider ourselves lucky, Lisa truly is a firecracker on the dance floor.

Meet BlazerDancer Eri!