When Jeri Kadison celebrated her adult bat mitzva in 1999, she could not have foreseen the effect it would have eight years later.

"Growing up in Teaneck, my family never thought about girls having a bat mitzva," she told NJ Jewish News in a telephone interview from her Manhattan apartment. Following a painful divorce, she embraced her Judaism, immersing herself in Torah and Hebrew at Temple Emeth in Teaneck. "It opened up a whole new world for me."

Her studies gave her the confidence to do something she had considered out of character: auditioning for the NETSational Seniors, a dance troupe that performs at halftime for the New Jersey Nets.

"I was very shy as a teenager. I never danced or tried out for the cheerleaders," she said. The tipping point was reading her horoscope on the day of the tryouts last November. "I'm not a new-age person, but [it] said, ‘Come out of your shell and show the world what a fun-loving person you are.' So I said, if not now, when?"

About 40 people tried out. Thirteen made the cut, including one man. Kadison, who will turn 60 in May, is the youngest in the group. The performers wear their age proudly on their jerseys during the shows. Two women are in their 80s; their granddaughters are part of the Nets' regular dance squad.

Kadison got to practice what she preached — having fun — in her dual occupations as a language and speech pathologist specializing in rehabilitating cancer patients and as a stress management coach for brides, grooms, and their families.

"I've always been behind the scenes, making other people's lives happier and healthier," she said. Now she enjoys being in the spotlight, recognized at the local drug store and on the subway.

Although the dancers get "a little compensation," Kadison said the biggest reward is the buzz she gets from the players and fans. "Everyone makes it such a wonderful experience. We hear through our coaches that [the players] just love us; they're so proud of us.

"And the fans are just so amazing. They want our pictures and autographs."

The dance routine takes less than two minutes. "Everybody takes it very seriously because we're doing precision hip-hop moves. It's not just a bunch of grannies out there doing the jitterbug."

The long-time sports fan follows the Nets, Mets, and Jets, although she grew up as a Yankees fan; Elston Howard, a catcher on the team from the late 1950s to the '60s, was a fellow Teaneck resident.

During the interview, Kadison was busy packing for a trip to a wedding in Buenos Aires. After months of twice-a-week rehearsals on top of her hectic career, Kadison said, "I'm looking forward to sitting [on the plane] for 17 hours. I haven't stopped dancing since November."

Although she had originally planned to spend several days in Brazil, she cut the trip short because of her commitment to the Nets. "I land at Newark at 12:30, go through customs, and [straight] to practice."

"The roar of the crowd and that energy — I love being a part of that. I'm very appreciative of this opportunity."

The next appearance for the NETSationals, April 13 against the NY Knicks, will be their last performance unless the Nets maintain their position in the top eight teams and qualify for a playoff berth.