At 19, Montville High School graduate Cassie Go already has accomplished her dream of becoming a professional dancer.
Last year, Go was one of 31 women chosen from a pool of 300 to become a cheerleader for the New England Patriots. Now, as Super Bowl Sunday approaches, Go has an opportunity to dance in front of millions of people watching from all over the country and beyond.
“I’m so excited,” Go said. “It’s unreal. It still hasn’t even hit me.”
She left Thursday with her cheer squad for Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis, where Super Bowl XLVI will be played. She said her weekend will include a welcome reception, a post-game gala, rehearsals and numerous promotional appearances.
“It’s going to be a full week, and I’m just so excited by every second of it,” she said.
Being a cheerleader for the Patriots takes up a lot of her time, Go said. The cheer team practices twice a week, makes promotional appearances and participates in charity events.
“Being a Patriots cheerleader is 24/7, whether we’re at practice or appearances or practicing on our own,” Go said. “I’m always representing the Patriots and doing the best I can to do that.”
In her spare time, Go gives dance lessons at Alyson’s School of Dance in Colchester. She also works part time at Family Physical Therapy in Colchester and part-time dancing for an entertainment company in Hartford. She still lives at home with her family in Montville.
“Since Montville is so small, everybody is very supportive,” she said. “My family, friends and friends of friends. Every time I see someone, they’re always asking me about it. It’s really nice to have that.”
But Go said she’s also close with the 30 other women on her squad. She said being a Patriots cheerleader isn’t just having a job or being on a team — her teammates are her family.
Began as toddler
Although this is the first time Go has been a cheerleader, she has been dancing since she was 2. She’s done tap, ballet, hip-hop, jazz, modern and contemporary.
“I just love dancing and performing,” Go said. “It doesn’t matter what kind of dance I’m doing. I could be doing my favorite dance in the whole world, or I can be doing one I don’t care for. As long as I’m in front of an audience performing, I’m loving every second of it.”
Go said her dance instructor, Alyson Ayer, has been her inspiration. Ayer also is proud of Go.
“The fact that she’s able to use this to broaden her horizons and to travel and meet new people is a wonderful thing,” Ayer said. “We always knew she was destined to do something with it. I think she has a very special gift. It’s wonderful to see her sharing it.”
Ayer said Go started dancing at her studio when she was 3. At 11, she became an assistant instructor and recently began teaching her own classes.
“She always had a lot of spunk,” Ayer said. “I knew she had something special because she couldn’t wait to get on stage. Any time she performed, it was like a light switch went on in her.”
Rachel Bagdasarian, 11, of Colchester, is one of Go’s dance students. She is learning jazz and contemporary.
“She’s a really, really good, talented dancer,” Rachel said. “There’s still a lot to learn, but I’ve definitely learned a lot so far from her.”
Rachel said she looks up to Go as a dancer.
Go said she plans to continue to be a professional dancer and eventually plans to open her own dance studio. She said she will reaudition for the cheerleading squad in March, but no one is guaranteed a spot.
“Being a professional dancer, I think it’s amazing that I accomplished my dream when I was 18 years old,” Go said. “This is just the beginning. I want to go on and do more things like this, maybe more dance teams.”
“I’m just so thankful for this experience,” she said. “It really feels great that I’m able to do something with my passion.”
Two amazing journeys started in the football season of 2001.
A young quarterback by the name of Tom Brady buttoned up his chinstrap after hometown favorite Drew Bledsoe went down with a severe injury.
The same season, a young dancer named Melissa Amershek moved to North Andover and joined the Patriots cheerleading squad.
The adventure that ensued will forever live on in the hearts of New Englanders, and it would also help Amershek open up a dance studio in North Andover that was recently voted the number 1 dance school in Andover and North Andover in each of the last two years.
For Amershek, the owner of Just Dance in North Andover, that journey began with a test.
Amershek joined the cheering squad in 2001 with only a basic understanding of the game. “They make you take this five page test,” Amershek told Patch. “You’re not allowed to be on the field until you pass the test and you know your stuff,” she continued.
And with that, a seed of passion for football was planted. “By the second or third game we were so into it we could make calls ourselves,” she recalled.
As Brady gained confidence and wins, Amershek and her cheerleading teammates had a phenomenal view from the field.
“It’s intense being on those sidelines,” she said. As the playoffs approached, the intensity increased.
In the divisional round of the 2001 playoffs, the Patriots hosted the Oakland Raiders in what is unanimously known as one of the most dramatic, picturesque, and exciting football games of all time.
The “Tuck Rule” game was played in almost blizzard conditions and it was the last game played at the old Foxborough Stadium. In the waning minutes, the game was almost lost when Brady appeared to have fumbled the ball.
Amershek and her teammates held their breath on the sidelines until the final ruling declared that the Patriots would retain the ball.
“Thank God for that call, it’s made history,” Amershek recalled.
After winning the AFC Championship in Pittsburgh, Amershek, Brady, and the Patriots moved on to Super Bowl XXXVI in New Orleans.
“To be there for the Super Bowl, it was unbelievable,” Amershek said.
When asked which experience was more memorable, Amershek replied “It was the first successful Super Bowl so that would have to take the cake.”
“The Snow Bowl was a close second; that was the last game in the old stadium,” she continued.
Amershek now runs one of the Merrimack Valley’s most successful dance studios, Just Dance.
“This is my passion; it’s what I love to do,” she said.
“I had over 100 customers on day one of opening my doors, and it’s grown every year,” she continued. “Right now we’re at about 300 students and it’s still growing.”
Amershek also credits the town of North Andover for fostering a good attitude toward businesses. “When you’re trying to open a new business in this area, the town works with you so much,” she said. “It’s business friendly, its family friendly, and it’s just a nice, safe area.”
Just Dance offers competition and recreational programs as well as a popular boutique. “We have something for everyone,” Amershek said.
As for her beloved Patriots, there is a big game on Sunday, in case you needed a reminder.
In Super Bowl XLVI, Amershek, like many of us, is hoping for another Patriots victory. “I don’t want to jinx us, but I’m thinking Welker as MVP,” she said.
The adventure continues this Sunday as Brady and the Patriots hope for a fourth Super Bowl win and Amershek and her students continue to dance their hearts out.
Here they are, the 5th, 6th, 7th, or 8th edition of the Pussycat Dolls. (I have completely lost track by now.) The new line up includes Laker Girl alum Vanessa Curry, and Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader alum Erica Jenkins.
Back: Chrystina Sayers, Lauren Bennett, Vanessa Curry, Erica Jenkins
Front: Paula Van Oppen
FYI: the other three PCDs might look a little familiar to you too.
Chrystina was a member of “Girlicious,” the girl group created as a result of the reality show “Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious.” Girlicious was a sort of spin-off of “Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search For the Next Doll,” which has its own pro-cheer connection. The winner, the one selected as “the next doll” was New York Knicks City Dancer Asia Nitollano. (She won, but never actually joined the group. The whole thing seemed kind of shady, but I digress.)
Lauren was a member of the “Paradiso Girls,” the first PCD spinoff group created by Robin Antin, with one or two of the also-rans from “Search for the Next Doll.”
Paula was a contestant on So You Think You Can Dance, season 6. She auditioned for season 5, but got cut. She auditioned for season 6, and made it to the top 20, but then dropped out to be in a movie (“Burlesque, ” according to the grapevine.)
ou of which was “PussycatThe new PCD will make their big debut during the Super Bowl, in a commercial for GoDaddy.com. Watch it here:
Join the world famous Science Cheerleaders! Are you an NFL & NBA current or alumni cheerleader working in or studying science, engineering, math and technology? The ladies have been featured by NASA, on CNN, in Discover Magazine and in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Now the Science Cheerleaders will perform the Big Cheer and entertain at the national Science & Engineering Festival in Washington, DC on Friday, April 27-Sunday, April 29, 2012.
Hotel, uniforms, poms, autograph cards are provided. Cheerleaders must fund transportation, meals, and white boots. Cheerleaders must learn four short routines and cheers by video. Current cheerleaders should acquire permission from directors to participate.
Going Pro Entertainment is proud to serve as the choreography and creative production team for the Science Cheerleaders. Costuming is provided by Go Wild! Wear by Angela King Designs.
If you qualify to be named a Science Cheerleader but are not interested in wearing the uniform or performing, there are other opportunities for you! “The Big Cheer” will be led across the United States in various cities on April 27. This is just one way you can serve in the Science Cheerleader role without leaving your hometown.
All qualified cheerleaders should contact THE Science Cheerleader Darlene Cavalier at darlene@sciencecheerleader.com. Learn more about the Science Cheerleaders programs at www.sciencecheerleader.com. Learn more about Going Pro Entertainment at www.goingproentertainment.com.
After fulfilling a personal dream by joining the Oakland Raiderettes, Harmony Rebeiro has made a career of molding future professional dancers.
Her newest launching pad will be right here in Lodi.
It was 10 years ago that Rebeiro opened up her first dance performance studio in French Camp, a tiny two-room space in a warehouse that drew around 40 students. She would add another, larger Dance and Cheer Stars in her native Manteca that took in over 150 pupils.
And tomorrow at 11 a.m., a musicand food-filled celebration will mark the grand opening of her newest location, over on 167 Commerce Street. Classes officially kick off on Feb. 6, with the studio providing youth classes in tap, ballet, jazz, hip-hop and lyrical dance, as well as cheerleading.
For Harmony and her husband and co-owner, Paul, it was a fast, wild ride to this new spot — and it all came together during a New Year’s trip to Philadelphia.
“We had been talking about franchising. I got a phone call saying there was a studio that was going to be going out of business, and if we were interested,” said Rebeiro, who now lives in Lathrop.
“We had a meeting on the Tuesday that we came back, and we decided Thursday we’re gonna go. We’ve had the keys for two weeks, and everyone’s really excited, and our staff has really come through.”
Indeed, ace instructors are what Dance and Cheer Stars carries in bunches, and what Rebeiro thinks set her brand of dance studios apart. Not only has every teacher gone on to dance with NBA or NFL teams — including fellow Raiderettes — but each one has done so after coming through Rebeiro’s studio.
In other words, those who want to eventually compete at the highest level can find an avenue through Rebeiro.
“What makes us unique is that I have shown I can turn the kids into professionals,” she says. “We have kids that don’t want to be professional, they just want to come and dance. And we have that. But if they want to take the next step, get jobs and work in the industry, we’ve had a huge turn-around and I think that makes us different.”
With her little son, Bryce, in her arms, Rebeiro walks into her newest studio on Wednesday afternoon, fresh from teaching classes back in Manteca. As she gives a grand tour of the spacious location — featuring two sizable dance practice rooms, with the office walls painted in a bold scheme of pink, black and white — Rebeiro is undeniably amicable, but above all else, exudes knowledge and passion about her craft. She talks about trying out three different times before becoming a Raiderette for the 2005 and 2006 seasons; about the importance of teaching kids ballet, despite its unpopularity, because it truly contains “the fundamentals of dance”; and her love for the challenge of tap dancing, which she reverently calls a “big puzzle” that “messes with your mind and your feet.”
“Kids will come in and be like, ‘It’s so hard, dance is so hard,’” Rebeiro said. “I always tell them, if dance was easy, I wouldn’t have a job. You need someone who can teach it.”
The New England Patriots Cheerleaders will hold an open audition for the 2012 squad on March 3, preceded by an optional audition workshop this Saturday.
Women who are at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma or GED are invited to attend both the recommended optional workshop and the open auditions.
The workshop will prepare candidates for the audition process. It will take place in Gillette Stadium’s Putnam Club West. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. and the workshop ends at 2. The registration fee is $100.
The open auditions on March 3 will take place in Gillette Stadium’s Dana Farber Field House. Candidates will perform two designated routines and a freestyle combination. They will be judged on dance ability, showmanship, overall appearance and level of physical fitness. Judges will narrow the field to up to 65 participants to be invited back for final auditions on March 17. A more detailed description of the audition process can be found at www.patriots.com/cheerleaders.
The 2012 Patriots Cheerleading Squad will comprise 24 to 30 women. The squad rehearses twice a week and performs at all Patriots home games. In addition to performing in front of nearly 70,000 fans, a spot on the squad can provide some great perks. The cheerleaders will travel to an exotic location in April for the Patriots Cheerleaders Swimsuit Calendar shoot and cheerleaders have visited deployed military troops in more than 25 countries. Patriots Cheerleaders have also appeared on local and national television, including Entertainment Tonight, E!, Inside Edition, Fox News, Late Show with David Letterman, On-Air with Ryan Seacrest, Good Morning America and the CBS Early Show, and in magazines including Sports Illustrated, Maxim and Muscle and Fitness.
The Patriots Cheerleaders are also seeking non-performing promotional models. For details on how to apply to become a Patriots Cheerleader promotional model, visit www.patriots.com/cheerleaders.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Mission Accomplished! Titans Cheerleaders Brintley, Jalanda, Jessi, Stormi, Tanzye, and Titans Cheerleader Alumni and 2007 Pro Bowl Representative, Jennifer, have made it home safely after a weeklong goodwill trip visiting military bases in Kuwait.
Sponsored by the Morale, Wellness, and Recreation (MWR) department of the military and accompanied by Pro Sports MVP, the six ladies visited Camp Arifjan, Camp Virginia, Camp Buehring, Camp Morrell, Ali Al Salem Air Base (The Rock), and Camp Patriot. On each stop, our very own Titans Cheerleaders treated the troops to a one-hour variety show performance, which involved singing, dancing and interactive skits.
“Being able to bring a smile to the troops and let them know that Americans still support them was the highlight for me,” said Titans Cheerleader Stormi. “If Stacie (Director of Cheerleaders) said she needed people to go to Iraq next week, I would be the first one to volunteer. I would never pass up an opportunity like this again.”
Stormi is also the wife of an active duty officer stationed at Fort Campbell, who will be deployed this coming summer. Additionally, she works for the USO on base, serving as one of the Titans most military-involved cheerleaders.
Each day in Kuwait was accompanied with a new adventure, a new exciting task, and meeting new wonderful people who are serving our country. Among the numerous incredible activities in which the cheerleaders participated were visiting a K-9 unit and assisting a few Airmen in building a temporary hanger. They also flew in a Blackhawk helicopter with the 1-108th AV Brigade, and ate dinner each night alongside U.S. troops. Additionally, the ladies visited the wounded in the military hospitals and were able to meet our own Tennessee National Guard Unit in Camp Arifjan.
“I knew that this experience would be enlightening, however, I was not prepared for the emotion that came with you standing face to face with the men and women that sacrifice their time with their families to protect our country,” cheerleader Tanzye said. “As a teacher, I have a special place in my heart for the soldiers that left their children to serve. I will forever be in their debt and they will forever be in my prayers.”
The goodwill trip was an effort to show support, appreciation and love to our men and women serving in Kuwait by offering a small piece of home to our fellow Americans on the other side of the world.
Titans Alumni Cheerleader, Jennifer said, “I didn’t want to come home. It was an extraordinary, life-changing experience, one that I will remember forever. Our military is, without a doubt, filled with our nation’s finest individuals.”
“It is amazing to visit our troops when they are serving our country,” said Stormi. “I think we each got something different out of the trip. It brought comfort to me knowing when my husband deploys to Afghanistan this summer, hopefully someone will be able to bring a piece of home to him while he’s there.”
At 19, Montville High School graduate Cassie Go already has accomplished her dream of becoming a professional dancer.
Two amazing journeys started in the football season of 2001.
By Joshua Love
