Arriving from different directions, valuable Jewels Allie and Deonna adorn the Jacksonville Giants’ sidelines
Only a few months in Jacksonville, and already rookie Deonna is a sidelines star
One Jewel is from just south of town and has been dancing for the squad’s coach for as long as she can remember. Another Jewel has lived in cities farther to the north, and has only started dance training in the last few years. However, Allie and Deonna share an unbridled enthusiasm for both dance and their Jacksonville Jewels Dance Team. Allie and Deonna shared with UltimateCheerleaders their routes to Jacksonville, and what draws them be part of the Jacksonville Giants ABA team, an organization known for their ABA championship and consistent winning ways since they were formed.
Second-year veteran Allie is a lifelong Floridian, with a long history with Pam Masters, Coach of the Jacksonville Jewels Dance Team. “I have actually been dancing with Miss Pam since I was five,” Allie, a Saint Augustine native, recalled. “I danced for an ABA team that was here about four years ago, the Jacksonville Jam, and then when I heard about the Giants’ first season, I was really excited and thought I would try out again. And then when I found out Miss Pam as the coach, it was just a perfect match.”
Pam, known as Miss Pam to her students, IS dance in Saint Augustine, and the northern coast of Florida in general. Pam is Owner/Director of Showtime USA, and as Allie explained prior to a Giants home game, “Actually Showtime is the halftime act tonight, and I danced with Showtime my whole life.” Regarding Miss Pam’s and Showtime’s importance in local dance, Allie stated, “It’s kind of the place to be. Miss Pam is the one, definitely.”
Second year vet Allie has been dancing for Miss Pam Masters since before Pam was born
Allie explained the reason for Pam’s success as, “She knows what she wants, and she is really good at pushing us to get there. She is awesome. She is actually, to me, my second mom. I’ve grown up with her.”
Allie moved to Jacksonville from Saint Augustine to attend the University of North Florida. After receiving her degree in Public Relations, Allie has had a wide range of experience in PR, including working for the Giants last season as Public and Community Relations Coordinator. Allie has also worked in marketing for the Wounded Warrior Project, in addition to marketing, advertising, brand development, special event planning, and fund raising for varied groups.
On the other hand, Jewel Deonna is not only new to Florida; she is pretty new to studying dance too! Originally from Atlanta, Deonna just moved to Jacksonville in June. Deonna attended Savannah State University in Georgia as an undergraduate, receiving a degree in Computer Information Systems. Then, Deonna went to graduate school at North Carolina A&T State University, studying Industrial Technology. Deonna was working in Charlotte before her recent move to Jacksonville.
Deonna explained, “I work for Wells Fargo, I’m an Information Security Analyst.” Hmm, interesting Deonna. If someone, say myself, was trying to refinance a home mortgage, couldn’t you just go into the system and knock a couple percentages off my current rate? Please! “I don’t work on the mortgage side,” Deonna patiently detailed. “I just make sure that all your ATMs and everything stay up so you can get your money.” And that is wonderful Deonna, but refinancing is like a never ending scavenger hunt. Can’t you just log in, and, voila, presto chango? I beg of you! “I don’t want to lose my job,” laughed Deonna. Good answer Deonna; I guess. Sigh.
With her analytical side all developed, Deonna decided to add dance to her life’s program relatively recently. “I have been dancing for almost two years, so I am a late bloomer,” Deonna shared. “I just started really simply, taking classes, when I was in Charlotte. One day, I said, ‘You know what? I am just going to get up and I am going to go for it, that is something that I have wanted to do for a while,’ and I just got up and did it.”
And her interest in all aspects of the pro dance experience is what drew Deonna to the Giants and Jewels. “Even before I even moved here, I was looking at dance teams that I wanted to try out for,” Deonna said, “and what drew me to the Jewels is the fact that I see the Jewels, and the Giants organization as a whole, as very family friendly. They do a lot of work in the community and I really, really love that, because dancing is really wonderful, but I like things on the humanitarian level. So that is one of the things that drew me to the team.”
Certainly the players for the Giants have big league dreams, and so must the Jewels, one might assume. Nope, both Allie and Deonna like it just fine being part of the Jewels, and are not looking to move on.
That is another common trait Allie and Deonna share, even though Jewel Allie is a Floridian who has been polishing her dance skills with Miss Pam since she was young, whereas Jewel Deonna is from out of state and, until a couple of years ago, was a ‘diamond in the rough’ in her dance skills. Now, both are part of treasure trove of sparkling Jewels on the sidelines. And if the past is any indication, with the Giants on-court future as secure as the systems Deonna serves as an analyst, Allie may have to plan for the special event when the Giants bring home another ABA championship. No matter what, the Jewels certainly must be contenders for ABA’s most elite dance team.
And now, if only my mortgage miraculously refinanced itself, we’d all be winners….
Many many many thanks to Pam Masters and the Jewels for all their assistance, and especially to Allie and Deonna for taking some of their valuable time to share their thoughts with UltimateCheerleaders! Deonna had just been at the site right before I had spoken to her, and I thank her for her support and feedback!
More photos of Allie and Deonna are at this link
