An UltimateCheerleaders.com Special:
Celebrating 10 years of the P-R-O Convention
The P-R-O Convention is the premier professional cheerleading and dance convention. Every June, the very best cheerleaders and choreographers from professional sports descend upon Atlanta, Georgia to learn new routines and showcase their talents. It is the largest gathering of professional cheerleaders in the industry. And this year, they are celebrating their 10th anniversary.
Over the years, UltimateCheerleaders.com has been privileged to cover P-R-O and to honor the 10th anniversary of this amazing event, Tracy Rutledge, one of the principals of All-PRO3, has agreed to answer a few questions about the history of the P-R-O Convention.
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Please tell us a little about yourself and All-PRO3. How did you come up with the idea for the P-R-O Convention?
I am a former NBA dancer for the Atlanta Hawks and my husband and I owned a cheer gym for many years. All-Pro3 encompasses ALL THINGS PRO. From our P-R-O Convention with current professional cheerleaders, to our Real Deal Workshops for aspiring professional cheerleaders, we cover All Things Pro. The concept for the P-R-O Convention came from a need in the industry to provide useable choreography that all teams could perform.
This is the 10th anniversary of the P-R-O Convention, the premiere professional cheerleading and dance convention. Please tell us a little about this history and background of this event.
Ten years ago, we started with the idea that teams wanted actual, useable choreography that could be performed on football fields, basketball courts, hockey ice, soccer fields, and lacrosse fields. We have been blessed in that we have the BEST guest instructors teach for us. They are the ACTUAL coaches and choreographers for professional teams.
What were the first few years of the convention like? And how has it evolved over the past 10 years to where it is today?
The first convention was a lot smaller. Ha ha. But we always had faith in what we were delivering to the customer and had high expectations for it to grow. Now, after all these years, we are thrilled to have over 350 participants.
With more than 350 cheerleaders attending, what is it like putting on a convention of this size and scope? And how important are your sponsor relationships?
We have had to move hotels a few times due to the growth of the convention. A big ballroom is a MUST for our convention.
Our sponsors are paramount to us. We have continued our partnerships with some amazing companies while continuing to add to our partner list. We are always looking for new, unique partners to showcase their company at the P-R-O Convention. Businesses interested in sponsorship opportunities should contact us for more info.
P-R-O attracts the very best choreographers in professional cheerleading and there is a nice variety of routines taught, from sideline routines, quarter breaks, poms, hip hop, kick lines, etc. How do you determine the types of routines to teach at the convention?
That is what makes our convention so unique. The ACTUAL directors and choreographers of teams teach, so you get a fantastic variety of choreography from the best in the business. We always determine the types of routines taught beforehand, to ensure that our participants get a variety of useable routines to take home. From country, to hip hop, to jazz and novelty. We have even had holiday dances and pink (breast cancer awareness month) dances.
One of the positives that standout about P-R-O is the music. The songs are hip and contemporary, yet appropriate for the types of routines you teach. How is the music selected?
We work closely with DJ Ran, our resident DJ and music professional, to make sure we have a good mix of current music and some classic music. Every stadium and arena is different, so it allows our participants and teams to take home some routines that their fans will love.
Two of the most unique aspects of the P-R-O Convention are the Sidelines Distractions magazine and the Real Deal Workshop. Why publish your own magazine?
The Sideline Distraction Magazine is such a hit with the participants that we continue to do it year after year. All of the work that these girls put in throughout the year, it is a great opportunity for them to be recognized by their peers at the P-R-O Convention.
And one of the best events of the weekend is the Real Deal Workshop, where the instructors discuss professional cheerleading from the Director’s point of view.
Anyone who has ever attended our Real Deal Workshop, will never forget it. It’s highly entertaining, and if you listen closely, you will get some valuable information on how to stay on a professional team. I don’t know that there is any other chance to hear the “Real Deal” straight from the coaches mouths. They offer advice that is not normally offered up at their own clinics, totally unfiltered, and amazingly humorous. This is one of the highlights of the weekend.
For the cheerleader who is interested in attending, what can she expect? Why should she attend the P-R-O Convention?
Professional Cheerleaders & Dancers can expect over 25 fully choreographed routines throughout the weekend. Our class schedule offers great variety. You also receive a cd of all of the music to take home. There is a wonderful opportunity to mingle and network with other professional cheerleaders/dancers and coaches. We tell the participants that you never know where you may audition one day, so it is a great way to meet so many others in this profession. Lunch is provided both days, so we are confident that we provide the best value in Professional Cheerleading/Dance Conventions.
What is the most rewarding aspect of your involvement with P-R-O?
Seeing all of the talent from our amazing instructors. Knowing that they (the attendees) can take the material back to their respective venues, and perform unique routines for their season. Regardless of what team you come from, and what league you represent, you can use the material.
I once interviewed an executive with a NHL team and he said that they were not in the sports business, but that they were in the entertainment business. As teams include more entertainment at games, what do you see as the future for professional cheerleading.
There are so many more pressures added to professional cheerleaders/dancers now. Instead of just performing, they are now models, fitness experts, and ambassadors for their organization. Allowing the girls to get together for one weekend allows them to relax and have fun in a non-competitive atmosphere.
We have also noticed that smaller markets and other professional sports are starting to add cheerleaders/dancers to their business models. We welcome those girls. At the end of the day, we want to represent every sport with professional cheerleaders and dancers, not just the most recognizable ones.
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Our thanks to Tracy Rutledge for taking the time to answer a few questions about the P-R-O Convention.
If you are a professional cheerleader interesting in attending the 2013 P-R-O Convention in Atlanta, please click here for more information.
And for all of you who are planning to attend, UltimateCheerleaders.com is looking for a few, good cheerleaders to feature in our P-R-O Convention All Stars featurettes. See you there!
