Local Business Owner’s Super Bowl Legacy
By Jay Oza
North Andover Patch
January 31, 2012
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.
