Celtics announce addition of dance team

The Celtics may or may not put a winning team on the parquet next season, but they will have a dance team on the floor at TD Banknorth Garden. Looking to improve the peripheral entertainment on game nights, the team announced the formation of the Celtics Dancers.

According to Rich Gotham, the team's executive vice president of sales and marketing, ''The Celtics Dancers will contribute to the exciting in-game experience for our fans."

In the past, basketball purists, team president Red Auerbach among them, took considerable pride in the fact the Celtics were the only NBA team without dancers. The addition of cheerleaders a couple of seasons ago was met with mixed reviews from fans.

Applications can be found on Celtics.com. The first round of auditions will take place at the team's practice facility in Waltham June 10 at 10 a.m. Marina Ortega, director of the Celtics Dancers, hopes to put together a team that is ''fit, glamorous, and has a strong commitment to the community, while embodying the pride associated with the Celtics mystique." Ortega wants women who are ''professional and well rounded in their dance background."

Hoping for some luck at the draft lottery, the Celtics will send two-time NBA champion and current director of special projects JoJo White to the draw May 23 in Secaucus, N.J.

SHIRA SPRINGER