FROM GIRLS TO LADIES.

Byline: - Simone Schramm

For the past two decades, Vicky Johnson has shown the children of Pacoima that there is something better than life on the streets. Better than the gangs, drugs and teenage motherhood that ensnare so many promising youngsters.

Her Ladies First & II Hype Drill Team has thrust dozens of children into a world few of them knew existed.

On Feb. 19, the group will celebrate with its sixth annual ball, which honors the achievements of Johnson, her volunteer choreographers,and the boys and girls who work so hard at achieving their goals.

Under Johnson's nurturing hand, the kids have traveled to Chicago, Las Vegas and New Orleans to compete against drill teams from across the country. So far, they've come home with nothing less than first- and second-place trophies. This August, the team will compete in another national competition in New Orleans.

Gay Morgan, who has known Johnson since childhood, isn't surprised by her friend's success.

``She won't turn a child away, and she will let them perform regardless of their skill level,'' says Morgan, whose daughter is on the team.

Johnson, a bank teller with a love of dancing, assembled her first drill team for the 1984 Pacoima Christmas Parade. The experience was so much fun for Johnson - as well as the girls - that the group began to practice regularly.

The girls practice a style of dance that involves intricate hand and foot movements performed to the syncopated beat of drums. There is no other musical accompaniment, and the performers don't use pom-poms.

Most girls on the team come from single-parent households, says Johnson, who mentors many of her young charges. Watching the girls learn and grow as they master complicated dance moves fascinates Johnson to this day.

``I currently have a young girl named Natasha who is not perfect, but she really puts a lot of hard work into it - and that's what I love.''

While some girls have used their drill-team experience as a springboard to other success, Johnson has seen some leave the team only to meet misfortune.

However, she has been able to combat those challenges by enlisting the support of sponsors that include Washington Mutual, Galpin Ford and Fox Beauty of Pacoima.

But there's still a lot of work that lies ahead. The group needs a new building and vans to transport the girls from place to place. Parents currently fill the gap by using their own vehicles.

The group is also looking for local drummers. The team uses percussionists from San Bernardino, where they sometimes hold practices.

``What I'm trying to do is start my own drum line to play with us,'' said Johnson. ``I would like to have a team of five guys or girls that love to play the drums.''

The group practices Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at the Pacoima Community Center, Suite 3, 11243 Glenoaks Blvd., Pacoima. It accepts children ages 7 and up who maintain at least a C average in school.

The group will hold its annual ball at 6 p.m. Feb. 19 at Mission College, 13356 Eldridge Ave., Sylmar. Tickets are $15 to $20. For more information on the drill team and the gala, call Johnson at [phone], or the Pacoima Community Center at [phone].

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Vicky Johnson has been giving young girls a new purpose in life since 1984 through her Ladies First & II Hype Drill Team.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer