The Westside Gazette
By Tamara G

One of South Florida’s very own is coming back home and in a BIG way! Actress Syndee Winters, who graduated from Miami Palmetto Senior High School and attended Miami Dade College, Kendall campus, is now called Nala (at least when she’s in the touring production of The Lion King, which is coming to the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami May 15-June 10. That’s because she has the starring role as the adult Nala, the future wife of Simba, the big cat in the production.

It’s a role that Winters, 25, says she was born to play. “When The Lion King movie first came out, I knew then that I wanted to play Nala because I was born to sing the song ‘Shadowland’. When I moved to New York, my agent got me a tryout for the Broadway version of TLK back in 2007, but I never got a callback. I thought it wasn’t my time. Three years later, I got another call to tryout again and I’ve been on tour with TLK for two years now.”

Before moving to New York, she taught at several South Florida dance studios and also lent her talents to teaching dance to inner-city youth. She also was a background dancer in several Reggaeton videos that were shot here. Says Winters, “I started my formal dance training when I was 15, in high school, when it was still free and available in high school.” She laments the fact that schools are taking the arts out of the curriculum.

After her move up north, she became a Knicks City dancer for The New York Knicks, performing during halftime shows. Though dancing, singing and acting came naturally to her, Winters says after she didn’t get that first callback, she hired a vocal coach and took up more acting classes to hone her skills so that she would really be ready when the call came again—and it did.

And that brings us back to why she’s returned home to South Florida—her starring role in TLK. So has life changed for her and those around her in how they treat her now that she’s a Broadway star? Winters replies, “Friends from school find me on Facebook and congratulate me and that’s fantastic, but the folks who’ve known me for my entire life, like my best, best friend-she stays with a needle in her hand—ready to pop that bubble whenever my head gets too big.” She adds, “But when I come home, there are some people that I have to see, no matter what.”

So what’s in store for Winters after TLK finally wraps up after years of touring from city to city? She says, “You know how when you’re younger, you always say ‘I want to be a famous singer’ or ‘I want every-one to know me and I want to be rich.’ Now what I want is to do more TV and film work, another Broadway show, and continue working on my own solo music project…. I want to do whatever comes my way.”

From the IUPUI Newscenter:

Dedication and perseverance can well serve students seeking to become social workers so they can bring hope and aid to those they serve.

And as it turns out, those same assets that have helped Melissa as she nears completion of her Master of Social Work degree at the Indiana University School of Social Work at IUPUI also played a role in her four-year quest to become an Indianapolis Colts cheerleader. (The Colts ask that the last name of their cheerleaders not be published.)

Ever since she was an undergraduate student at Valparaiso University, where she majored in psychology with a minor in social work, Melissa has had to juggle working and studying. A job making home visits made her realize she wanted to be a social worker. “I just fell in love with it, and I knew that’s what I wanted to get my master’s degree in. I knew this is where I should be,” she said of the IU School of Social Work.

Melissa had been a cheerleader since she was in middle school and joined the cheerleading squad while at Valparaiso. The cheerleading squad was in high demand, cheering on men and women’s sports. Melissa said the cheerleading squad once provided the cheers at five events in a single day: at a football game, two basketball games and two volleyball games. Today, she credits being able to juggle her busy schedule to the time management skills she developed while studying, working and being a cheerleader at Valparaiso.

Then about four years ago, Melissa set a challenge for herself: to become a NFL cheerleader. “NFL cheerleading is professional cheerleading and is the highest form you can reach. It’s the Olympics of cheerleading.”

To reach her goal of being an NFL cheerleader, Melissa brought to bear the same determination, focus and commitment that have allowed her to thrive in graduate school. As a graduate student, she worked — sometimes as much as 40 hours a week — as well as taking classes. When her classes and studying were done, she switched her focus to becoming an NFL cheerleader and pushed herself to get into the best physical shape of her life. No matter how tired she might feel, Melissa was determined to exercise every day for at least two hours.

Unlike collegiate cheerleading, which revolves around gymnastics and tumbling, NFL cheerleading is all about dancing. She added private dance lessons to her aerobic and strength training sessions and lost more than 30 pounds in the process.

Last year she put her work to the test and tried out, only to be cut in the final round of the Colts cheerleading competition. While Melissa acknowledged stopping at Dairy Queen that night after the disappointing result, she then stepped up the intensity of her workouts over the past year.

Melissa returned to the Colts cheerleaders tryouts last month. This time, she was rewarded by hearing her name called, making her one of the 32 Colts cheerleaders for the 2012 season. She has already made two appearances as a Colts cheerleader, the first at the Colts’ draft party at Lucas Oil Stadium and the other at the Mutt Strut at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Melissa knows the day soon will come when she stands on the Colts field and looks at a crowd measured in the tens of thousands, rather than by the hundreds of people she has performed before in the past.

Melissa, who has finished her classes and is completing the hours required for her practicum, hopes to land a job working with children either in an outpatient or residential setting. But one condition of accepting a job will be her ability to have certain Sundays off during the coming year.

From the 2011 P-R-O Convention – Texans Cheerleaders Michelle and Rachel (or Rachel and Michelle)

Guidelines on how to send your photos are here.

Complete ‘Photo of the Day’ Archive here.

Going Pro Entertainment broadens its reach beyond pro dance and cheerleading in summer 2012 presenting the Going Pro Expo in Chicago on Sunday, June 24. 2012.

“Going Pro Entertainment was founded on serving the professional cheerleading and dance industry,” says founder Laura Eilers, 6-year NFL cheerleader. “We realize that pro dance crosses into many other genres such as fitness, pageantry and modeling. Pro dance alumni are often asking ‘What’s next?’ and find success in fitness competitions or broadcasting. Likewise, many pro dancers have their roots in pageants or promotion work. The topics we discuss as pro cheerleaders are applicable to so many other women who want to look and feel great. Therefore, Going Pro is proud to partner with Hi Fi Fitness in Chicago to launch our new event format: the Going Pro Expo!”

On Sunday, June 24, the Chicago Going Pro Expo will offer workshops, shopping, networking and choreographers throughout the day. A single ticket admission starts at $12.00 and will allow attendees free entry to a number of presentations and vendors. Choreography session tickets should be purchased separately, which includes event entry.

Meanwhile, active workshops allow attendees to meet and share ideas with outstanding professionals including Wynne Lacey, the director of the NHL Chicago Blackhawks Ice Crew; Mickey Oliver, DJ and creator of local Vegas-style musical Intensi-T; Alberto Daniel, owner of a self titled salon; and Going Pro’s founder Laura Eilers, also the reigning 2011 Ms. United States.

Choreographers include Rebecca Girard, former director of the Detroit Pistons Automotion Dance Team, Gloria Esposito, current director of the Chicago Adrenaline Rush Dance Team, and Melanie Austin, former Indiana Pacers dancer and contestant on Season 3 So You Think You Can Dance.

Register for the Chicago Going Pro Expo at http://goprochicago2012.eventbrite.com.

Chicago Going Pro Expo
Sunday, June 24, 2012
9:00am-6:00pm
HiFi Fitness, 820 North Orleans, Suite 100, Chicago, IL 60610

Vendor Inquiries: Are you interested in reaching women over the age of 18 who are in the industries of fitness, dance, pageants, modeling and entertainment? Showcase your business at the Going Pro Expo. Space is limited! Contact Pierce at 312-544-9787 or pierce@bodyfitlab.com.

The dance team for MLS Chivas USA is in midseason form! Click here to check out photos from their home game on 4/21. For this game, they wore their brand new promo dresses, which are stinkin’ adorable and were a big hit with the fans.

Click here for more photos from the game!

Sandie Newton
CBS DFW
May 21, 2012

DALLAS (CBS 11 NEWS) – They have been America’s Sweethearts since 1972, when they first graced the field at Texas Stadium. Now the iconic cheerleading squad has picked their 2012 candidates to attend training camp. For the next month and a half candidates will compete to win a coveted spot on the official Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader roster!

Two weeks ago, hundreds turned out for the first day of the 3-day audition process. In all, 79 finalists, representing five countries and 19 states, were whittled down. This past weekend they took to the Cowboys Stadium field, to dance, kick and shake their poms.

Fourteen judges (I was honored to be a judge once again – this my 10th year!) deliberated long and hard, as competition was especially tough this year. There were 25 veterans returning to try out, along with the super talented newbies.

In the end – a great group of 45 were chosen and thrilled to start the training camp process.

For the past seven years, as a part of their top rated reality show Making the Team, CMT has been on board filming the entire audition process. Each year the show consisted of just eight episodes but this year – due to popular demand – they will film 13 weeks of segments.

Apparently, producers know the world watches not only America’s Team but the Sweethearts as well!

Also making Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders news this week – Men in Black 3 opens and the stars, Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, invited all the top American cities to donate an item, representing their state, to be placed in a time capsule that will be sent to Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

CBS 11 decided DCC poms would be a perfect choice, so three of the cheerleaders donated poms and they were sent to Hollywood for official placement inside the time capsule. Both stars of the movie loved the bright and shiny poms, but Will Smith did mention it was hard to hold them as he is a proud native Philadelphian and his Eagle Pride hurt just a little with all that silver and blue!

Movie executives promise the capsule will not be opened for 43 years!

The new 2012 DCC squad will debut on the field in August at the first pre-season home game and Men in Black 3 opens this week citywide.

It’s all a win/win in my book!

Lots of great photos have been posted on the Cincinnati Bengals website. Click here and check ‘em out!

Watch the opening number:

From the “Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team” page on Facebook:

Save the date for this CMT special on Saturday, June 2 at 8/7c! Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Brides follows three DCC brides-to-be as they juggle their performance schedules with the rush to plan their weddings. Who do you think will be on the show?!