For Brittanie of the AFL’s Dream Team, Sweet Home Chicago is the Perfect Location for the ArenaBowl

Born and raised in Chicago, it should be no surprise where Brittanie would like the AFL’s ArenaBowl to be held. See, Brittanie is the Adrenaline Rush Dancers’ (who entertain during Chicago Rush games at Allstate Arena) representative on the Dream Team of 18 dancers that will perform at the ArenaBowl this year. When asked, if not Chicago, what AFL cities would Brittanie like to visit for the ArenaBowl, she responded, “Hands down, I want it in Chicago. There really is nowhere else I would rather be than my hometown. I’d love for my team and family there to support me out there, and best of all, Chicago’s fans are the best; they would definitely be on their feet cheering the entire game. With that all in mind, I can’t even think of a better place to have the Arena Bowl!”

Well, the Rush still have a chance, one of four teams left in the AFL playoffs, so maybe Brittanie will be able to be a “stay at home” dancer, although Phoenix, Jacksonville, and Atlanta would all be nice places for her all-star appearance.

The Dream Team was selected by on-line voting, with two members of each cheer squad on the ballot. Brittanie found out she was a candidate when, “My coach had pulled me aside one practice and told me about the great news, and honestly I was at a loss for words. I know that sounds corny but in a dancer’s eyes this is a huge accomplishment. It was rough going against my fellow teammate since we all are so close, like sisters. However to just be nominated for something like this is amazing, so even if I wasn’t picked I’d still feel honored!“

As we also learned from about her ARD coach, Gloria Esposito, Brittanie was a bit shy when she was young, but dancing helped her show her true spirit. “I was actually very quiet and shy growing up, but when I was on the dance floor it was a whole different world,” explains Brittany. “I could take center stage without being shy at all, and I loved all eyes upon me. Thank you to my parents for starting me off in dance, if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

Brittanie is studying to be a teacher, and in the meantime works as a bartender, which can be quite an interesting study of human behavior. “Being a bartender has its ups and downs, as do all jobs,” says Brittanie. “I love it very much because I get to talk with people all day long, and meet new people every day! Bartending definitely helped me come out of my shell and really learn more about myself and others.”

Through work, Brittanie was encouraged to try out for the Adrenaline Rush Dancers. “It was my manager, Heather,” Brittanie recalls, now in her second season with the Rush. “She is the one who told me about Rush and encouraged me to tryout! Once I got there I was extremely intimidated by all of the talented girls.”

But now Brittanie is amongst the elite of those talented girls. There are some interesting notes about Brittanie in her biography Q & A on the Rush web site. One interesting on-line answer was,

Q: Five years ago I was? A: Learning how to drive…unsuccessfully

Hmm, please explain Brittanie. “Well, needless to say I am not the greatest driver; I hit curbs a lot and I am the WORST at parking,” Brittanie smiles. “My motto: ‘On the line is in the line.’”

Also, dogs kept coming up in Brittanie’s on-line answers, such as:

Q: Favorite thing to do on a rainy day? A: Cuddle up with my puppies and watch movies.

Q: If I could go anywhere in the world, it would be? A: A dog park with hundreds of puppies.

So what kinds of dogs does Brittanie have and what breed would she really like to add to her pack? “I have one dog of my own, he is a Pitbull/Lab mix and he just turned six months,” Brittanie responds. “My first puppy was a Great Dane named Patches that my parents surprised me with when I was about seven. I am such a sucker for dogs, so it wouldn’t matter what type of dog it is, the only requirement is that it weighs more than me (laughs). The bigger the dog, the better!”

So Brittanie likes big dogs, but how about some even bigger critters, the Bears? Because Brittanie is a true all-star among a celestial galaxy of talented women on the Adrenaline Rush Dancers, it makes it natural to picture dancers like Brittanie on the cheerleader-less Soldier Field sidelines. If given the chance would Brittanie try out to cheer for a Bears cheerleader team? Brittanie smiles, “I would in a heartbeat! It has always been a dream of mine to be a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader, but if the Chicago Bears would have a team, I could definitely deal with staying in Chicago to make my dream of dancing in the NFL come true.”

So get with it Bears, act before it is too late or else Brittanie might end up pulling a Mike Ditka and continuing her career in Dallas!

Congratulations Brittanie on your ArenaBowl selection! Have a memorable time, wherever the game is played. And again, thanks to the n’th degree to Gloria Esposito and Erin Herrmann for coordinating interviews with the Adrenaline Rush Dancers. Here are some more photos of Brittanie at the last regular season home game on July 23rd against Milwaukee (click on them once to see the entire photo and once again for full size).