Goddesses Elise and Kristie Spring into Action, Heating Up the Sidelines for the AFL’s Cleveland Gladiators

In Cleveland, every spring, sometimes suddenly and without warning, an event occurs that is so cherished: the first bright, sunshiny, warm-ish day; aka, the first “nice day!” See, spring happens everywhere, but after months of snow and gray skies, there is a special rejuvenation when it happens in Cleveland. For example, Kristie, one of the Goddesses dance team that performs for the AFL’s Cleveland Gladiators, says, “Cleveland goes crazy when there are the first nice days of spring. Everyone’s windows are down blaring music, and downtown restaurants open their patios. I usually head down to one of them with my friends to hang out and enjoy the nice weather. I also like to go for a walk around town with my iPod!” Goddess Elise concurs, “There is nothing better than the first warm day in Cleveland! I don’t have many days off for outdoor activities, so I’m excited not to freeze while I’m walking to work from the parking lot! When I do get extra time I love to run or hike the trails in Cleveland’s Metroparks.”

But, luckily for Clevelanders, even if Old Man Winter takes his sweet time moving out of town, the Goddesses brighten and heat things up during the spring at Quicken Arena. Kristie has been on the Goddesses since their beginning, remembering, “I tried out for Goddess back in 2008 when the team first came to Cleveland. I heard about the team from another dancer. I really did not have much experience auditioning, and did not know what to expect. I was pretty shocked that I made the squad! I was fresh out of high school competing against girls who had far more experience than I did. The experience has been unforgettable and amazing. I’ve met great groups of girls that are hard working and share the same passion as I do. Even the game itself is incredible!”

Rookie Goddess Elise is experiencing this excitement for the first time. Elise’s impetus to join was, “I tried out for the Goddesses because my dance friend, Alyssa, has been on the team for two years. I would see all of her pictures on Facebook, and it looked like she was having so much fun! I have always wanted to be a part of a professional dance team, so I saw this as an awesome opportunity. I was so excited to make the team, almost instantly we all became great friends. It has been so amazing to work with such great dancers; everyone on the team is so talented. The whole experience has been surreal. I have never been a part of something that is so much fun with such great people. All of the hard work we put into it is worth it.”

Elise’s surreal experience included those first moments stepping on to the field, as she recalls, “Being on the field for the first time was unreal. The day before the first game, I got so nervous because I had never performed on turf before. On the day of the first game I started to get very excited, and by the time we ran through the tunnel and onto the field, I couldn’t believe that it was actually happening! After we performed and stood on the field watching the hype video, I had chills. The fans cheering in the stands, the lights, the smoke, the players, the whole atmosphere was unreal! At that point I was so excited and proud of my dance team. We had made it to the first game.”

Veteran Kristie can relate, remembering her first game, “As you’re standing there ready to go out on the field for the first time, the emotions are endless. I was so excited to be able to perform and do what I love in front of thousands of people. There is so much anticipation building up to that first game. All of your hard work pre-season is about to be laid out there for everyone to see. Along with being excited, I was a nervous wreck! There were so many things running through my mind. Do I remember all of the choreography? Am I going to mess up? And most importantly, does my hair look okay?! Once you are on the field everything kind of falls in place.”

Kristie is a lifelong Clevelander, from the eastern suburbs, and Elise is from a small town to the south. Kristie says, “My favorite thing to do in Cleveland is go to all of the sports games. Cleveland is such a sports town. Everything runs off of game schedules and the fans are so passionate, it’s mind-blowing. Win or lose, our stadiums are always packed with fans.” Elise connects her favorite times to her new friends, “My favorite thing to do in Cleveland is to go to Sushi Rock or Barley House for a night of fun with the Goddesses!”

The road to Goddess-hood started for Kristie in athletics, as she recalls, “I originally started out as a gymnast. The floor exercise was my favorite, because of the dance involved. I went and saw my cousin’s dance recital and begged to be signed up for hip- hop and jazz classes. In order to strengthen my technique, I took ballet class. I started competing nationally and regionally for my dance studio. I instantly fell in love with it and the rest is history! I also cheered for my high school football team.”

A family connection was also part of the dance genesis for Elise, saying, “I have been dancing since the age of three, when my mom worked at a local studio. She started me in classes right away. As a little girl, I participated in dance competitions but I eventually grew out of it. When I was a preteen I enrolled in a pre-professional ballet school. I belonged to a Youth Ballet Company all through middle school and high school. While I was with the youth ballet, I had so many awesome opportunities and even danced with the Cincinnati Ballet when they came to Cleveland!” Recently, Elise had a wonderful experience in the Big Apple, fondly recalling, “This past summer I was had the opportunity to intern with Broadway Dance Center in New York City. I lived in Manhattan for the whole summer while taking classes everyday at BDC. It was the most invaluable experience of my dance career. I love NYC and feel like it is my second home. Maybe one day I will be able to live there for good!”

During the game of April 16th when the Gladiators played the New Orleans Voodoo, the Jr. Goddesses also performed. Kristie is the product of similar program, recalling, “When I was their age, I did the Jr. Cavalier Girls almost every year that I could. It was probably one of the biggest reasons I tried out for the Goddesses. Watching the older girls perform at the games gave me the biggest inspiration to go after what I wanted. I did not start dancing until I was about 11 years old.”

Can you signs of a future successful dancer at the “junior” stage? Elise replies, “When I see little girls dancing, the best indication for me that they will become awesome dancers is their stage presence! The little girl who is on stage giving it her all and totally loving it will most likely be the girl with a successful career. Sometimes it’s not about the tricks you can do, but the heart and soul you put into your dancing. If you’re out there having fun and making the people watching you want to dance, then you’re doing a great job.” Kristie shares, “When watching the Jr. Goddesses, I find a lot of dancers that have so much potential in their young years. Some signs that I feel are significant in indicating that they someday may be a great dancer are if they pick up choreography quickly, they have confidence and style, and if they have good technique.”

And these young performances can produce lifelong memories, as Kristie remembers, “The most memorable performance on a ‘big stage’ at that age was my dance competitions and conventions. We took classes from the biggest names in the dance world, and the competed in front of them. Stepping on the stage for my first competition was an experience of a lifetime. We worked so hard to get there and it showed when we did our number.”

Kristie attends college in Cleveland with a noble ambition, majoring in special education, in addition to two part-time jobs. A couple of interesting tidbits about Kristie are that she is 25% Japanese, and has been a vegetarian her entire life.

Currently, Elise says, “When I’m not fulfilling my duties as a Goddess, you can find me at one of my other two jobs. I am a licensed cosmetologist and I work at a day spa in my hometown. My other job is at one of the most popular restaurants in Cleveland. It is fun to be there because my teammate Alyssa also works with me!” As far as the future, Elise reports, “I’m not going to college yet so I can dance professionally but when I do go I’d like to go for marketing or public relations so I can work behind the scenes of a sports team instead of on the field.” Elise can connect to another goal through her fellow Goddesses, explaining, “A few of my teammates have been NBA cheerleaders which I think is awesome! That is a dream of mine so to be dancing with them is pretty cool.”

So, in addition to multiple jobs, their hard work and love of dance lead to an opportunity to be part of the AFL, and Elise and Kristie’s families and friends love that they have a Goddess in their midst. Kristie says, “The reaction of my friends and family when I told them I was on the squad was thrilled. They all have always supported me in everything I have done. I’ m sure they were excited about coming to the games, too! School has been pretty flexible with my AFL commitments. I take a lot of online courses so I am not committed to being in a classroom every night. My part- time jobs are super flexible with my schedule. Luckily, my jobs are on the weekends and my bosses are pretty cool.” Rookie Elise received the same reaction, “My friends and family have been very supportive throughout this whole Goddess experience. They are my biggest fans. It was rewarding to see the excitement on their faces at my first game. My employers have also been very supportive of my Gladiator commitment. I am very blessed to have great bosses and co-workers who understand I have a very stressful and demanding schedule. So far I have been able to make my life work, I get overwhelmed at times but it truly pays off.”

So, the Goddesses have supportive families, friends, and co-workers, but are also part of the close-knit Gladiator family. Elise loves this aspect, stating, “The Gladiator fans are the best, it’s not a huge organization, so when I meet Gladiators fans I am so excited! One day I saw a Glads sticker on someone’s car, then that same night a lady at the Gym had a Gladiators tee-shirt on; it was so cool to see that.” Veteran Kristie agrees, “The Gladiator fans are seriously the most amazing people. Everyone gets really in to the games. We have a couple people who dress up like actual Gladiators and come to every game. It’s really exciting to see people who return for more than one game. We all recognize many of the people that come back season after season.”

And showing the visible role that the Goddesses perform to represent the team, fans can even buy Gladiators tickets on-line from their favorite Goddess. Has anyone been keeping score of who sells the most? Kristie replies, “We do keep track of how many requests we get, but we like to keep it to ourselves. It’s not so much a competition. We’re just happy when people buy them!”

So whether it is hours of practice and performance, charity events, greeting Cleveland’s enthusiastic sports fans, and even providing promotional support in ticket sales, the Goddesses are an important part of the Gladiator organization. There is another football team in Cleveland, but, alas, they do not have a cheer squad. Based on Kristie’s years of experience with the Gladiators, what would she tell those other guys that they are missing, both on and off the field, that they may not realize that a cheer squad would add to their franchise? Kristie responds, “Oh boy. We get this question a lot! They are missing such an exciting part of the game…the entertainment! Of course everyone comes to watch the football team, but who wouldn’t want to see a dance team as well? It is perfect game time entertainment for the crowd during time-outs and breaks. It definitely adds another element to the game. Off the field, our dance team does a lot of charity work and appearances to promote our season. A dance team is a perfect tool for advertisements and community work. I guess the other football team doesn’t know what they are missing!”

Well, if those local NFL types walk on over and take in a Glads game in Quicken Arena, when they see the Goddesses before, during, and after the game, meeting and performing for fans, they would learn in a hurry. No matter what the weather is like outside, Kristie and Elise will add sunshine to Gladiator fans’ game day experience, and also add a little heat to the sidelines. In Cleveland, any day is like the first perfect day of spring if Kristie, Elise, and the rest of the Goddesses are around!

Many many thanks to Kristie, Elise, and their Goddess director Kristen Bickel for this interview opportunity!