Interview with a Rookie Pats Cheerleader

New Patriots cheerleader perfected pep at D-Y
By Jason Kolnos
Cape Cod Online
May 28, 2014

WEST YARMOUTH — Three cheers for Jacqueline Jamiel!

The Cape native has landed a coveted spot on the New England Patriots cheerleading squad for the upcoming season. Jamiel, a Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School graduate, was one of 28 women chosen out of about 320 applicants for the spirited gig.

Jamiel was a cheerleader for her beloved Dolphins football team throughout high school and will soon have an audience of nearly 70,000 fans when she takes her talents to Gillette Stadium.

“It’s been a whirlwind. I still can’t even believe it,” said Jamiel, 22, during an interview at her family’s home this week. “I’m just so proud to call myself part of the Patriots organization.”

Being a Patriots cheerleader, however, is a little different than offering rah-rahs at high school games. They’ve got to have moves, since the professional routines usually incorporate several varieties of dancing.

“We’re one of the only NFL cheerleading teams to actually do call-out cheers,” Jamiel said. “It’s mostly a lot of dancing, a lot of fun, upbeat jazz dancing, which I’m so used to. So it’s been awesome to work with poms and to keep working it.”

Jamiel has studied dance at Mercyhurst University in Pennsylvania and is studying interior design at Suffolk University while living in Boston. She dreamed of becoming a professional dancer.

“I have always done ballet growing up, always been a part of “The Nutcracker,” pointe shoes, the whole thing,” Jamiel said.

“But I think that I’m a better jazz dancer. And even hip-hop, too. I like to really perform and get out there, and I think the Patriots are perfect for my style.”

Her former varsity cheerleading coach at D-Y, Dawn Capra, said Jamiel excels at both dance and drumming up fan support.

“She was so motivated to get the crowd going. A lot of our spirit and enthusiasm was because of her,” said Capra, who owns Cape Cod Cheer Academy in Hyannis.

“And the fact that she’s beautiful doesn’t hurt her at all,” added Capra.

The roughly monthlong audition process in April was demanding, and Jamiel said candidates were required to learn sometimes complicated dance moves quickly and demonstrate that they could master the routines.

She balanced daily training with being a full-time undergraduate student and waitressing part time.

“It was a lot to make sure I was in the gym, always practicing the choreography,” Jamiel said.

“So it was a full-time commitment before I even found out I was a Patriots cheerleader.”

Ellen Botello of West Barnstable, who was a Patriots cheerleader for four years in the 1990s, said the positives of the experience will outweigh any initial soreness or fatigue that Jamiel will have as she learns new dances under tight deadlines.

“It’s a big deal, for sure, and an amazing opportunity to not just perform in front of thousands of people, but also to get out into the community, volunteer and meet lots of people,” she said.

Jamiel can’t count on being buddies with her favorite player, Tom Brady, however.

Botello, a former longtime cheering coach at Barnstable High School, said fraternizing between the players and the cheerleaders is a no-no for the most part.

Tracy Sormanti, director of the Patriots cheerleaders, said she was looking for the most talented, energetic, community-minded and health-conscious women for the team. There are no age limits to be a Patriots cheerleader.

“It’s my goal to select a squad of women who embody the Patriots’ spirit of teamwork and excellence,” Sormanti wrote in an email to the Times.

Sormanti added that Patriots cheerleaders make hundreds of promotional appearances each year at community and corporate events.

One of those extra events Jamiel that is looking forward to most is a Patriots cheerleader calendar shoot in Mexico scheduled for early June.

Gimme a C-A-N-C-U-N, indeed.