Pacemates, Colts Cheerleaders, and Colts Cheer Alumni kick off the 500 Festival Parade

Just as last Sunday’s Indy 500’s flying start featured the first row of the three speediest drivers roaring past the start/finish line, the 56th IPL 500 Festival Parade needed a triple boost to match its theme, “Turbocharging Indy.” So what better way to kick off the parade with the Indianapolis pro cheer triple threat of the combined Pacemates, Colts Cheerleaders, and the Colts Alumni Cheerleaders! In addition to a routine with the three squads on their own, they then danced during the parade’s opening singing number performed by country music’s Tate Stevens.

With the Pacemates in their Memorial Day weekend traditional checkered tops, the Colts Cheerleaders in uniform, and the Colts Cheer Alumni in their blue tops and silver poms, the parade had a perfect injection of energy! And if you remember, last November Colts Cheerleaders Megan (above) and Crystal Anne (below left) had their hair shaven during a game to support Colts coach Chuck Pagano, who was fighting cancer. Well, Megan is now an alumni, and Crystal Anne is back on the squad, and their locks are returning quite nicely!

We asked veteran Colts Cheerleader Allie (pictured above right) about this unique performance venue:

What was it like to perform on the unique “stage” to open the parade?

Allie: Performing at the start line of the Indy 500 Parade was exhilarating and surreal. We were joined by 50 of our Alumni, as well as the Indiana Pacemates, to perform a short dance number around an Indy 500 pace car centerpiece. After that performance wrapped up, Tate Stevens (winner of this season of The X-Factor) emerged from the pace car, surprising the crowd, to perform his hit single, “Holler If You’re With Me”.
Dancing to his flawless live performance in front of such an electric crowd coupled with a finale of streamers and confetti shooting in to the stands made for one of my top five favorite appearances in my three years as a Colts cheerleader!

What was the experience of walking in Indiana’s largest parade like?

Allie: Having the honor of leading the 2013 Indy 500 Parade down the streets of Indianapolis surrounded by a crowd of nearly 300,000 was something I never envisioned having the opportunity to experience! My cheerleading career has consisted of a number of local small town parades, however, the Indy 500 Parade was in a different league. At a certain point on the parade route, I began to compare the experience to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The animated floats, character balloons, and energetic crowds were dazzling!

Did you like being able to perform with Pacemates and ICC Alumni?

Allie: The Indianapolis Colts are in our 30th year as an organization so being able to celebrate that accomplishment with members from each of the 30 squads was such a special opportunity. We met at the training facility to practice a couple weeks before our big performance and were able to get to know the alumni and hear stories of their experiences. One highlight was hearing from one of the original Colts Cheerleaders about a surreal and hilarious moment while browsing an antique shop and finding a photo of her 1984 squad for sale!

What are you looking forward to as next big events for the Colts Cheerleaders this summer?

Allie: This is an exciting time to be a Colts cheerleader. We have a few photo shoots coming up in the next couple of weeks including our annual swimsuit calendar, our training camp to prepare routines is upon us, and most exciting of all is that the beginning of another winning football season is just a few months away! GO COLTS!

Thanks Allie for sharing your thoughts about this experience!

So the parade gave us a chance to see the cross-section of seasons, with the Pacemates still cheering on the Pacers in the Eastern Conference championship series, and the Colts Cheerleaders preparing for an NFL pre-season that will be here before we know it. Maybe both the Pacers and Colts can add another parade to Indy’s future: championship parades! “Holler If You’re With Me” on that one Tate!

Click on this link for a bunch more photos.