Ice Girls Molly, Maranda, Emma, and Katy

We thank Molly of the Nashville Predators’ Ice Girls for sending us this lovely holiday photo on behalf of herself, Maranda, Emma, and Katy.

Molly has been on the squad since the 1999-2000 season!  Molly is a professional figure skating and hockey instructor, and recently was on a “Dancing with the Stars” type of show in the UK called “Dancing on Ice.”  Plus, she is a Wii character for the UK Dancing on Ice Game.

Maranda is an eight year squad veteran and co-starred in a hunting show with Ted Nugent.

Emma is a rookie, and speaks six languages, with plans for more!

Katy is in her third year on the squad, and is a student, originally from Buffalo, New York, another city with both NHL and NFL teams.

Have a GREAT 2011 Ice Girls!  All of your accomplishments are making me feel like I better add some more resolutions to my plans.

OMG! Lyndsay and Krizia loved this young fan's shirt

So, you take the kids to Orlando, and, of course, you want them to have the time of their lives. You want to take them to a place that is shiny and spotless, with its own castle, with loads of food to satisfy every kid’s taste buds, with things to slide and spin on, where they can have their photos taken with their heroes, and, maybe if they are lucky, to even feel like a superstar themselves. Also, a place so big, you may need a pack animal and provisions to make it from one end to another.

Sounds like going to an Orlando Magic game, especially with the Magic Dancers around! It just seems like kids and the Magic Dancers go together. As Magic Dancers Director Jeanine Klem-Thomas says about selecting candidates for the squad, “A love for children is also a must since we take pride in our Junior Camp and Junior Dancer programs.” The bond between the Magic Dancers and kids was so evident from the time the gates opened until the last fan left on November 10^th, when the Magic hosted the Jazz in the Amway Center.

The gates opened and the Magic Dancers were ready to greet that night’s fans of all ages. And if you want to know how humongously largeriffic the new Amway Center really is, try to find all of the locations where the Magic Dancers are prior to game time! This is where a small equine helper loaded with supplies can come in handy.

Kids and the Magic Dancers are attracted like magnets. In the main entrance, one little, little boy was SO ready for the Magic game, like a fan beyond his years. His hair was blue and he already had a Magic Dancer photo card ready for the Dancers to sign. If I didn’t know better, I would wonder if he was an adult male who received the reverse Tom Hanks treatment in Big. Besides the little boys, there were even little girls dressed like cheerleaders for the game, which was just like seeing girls dressed like princesses at the Disney Parks. Parents snapped lots of photos of the kids with Magic Dancers before the game.

Biggest 'lil Magic fan with Orlando Magic Dancers Jessica, Ashley, and Tara

A little fan with Heather, who has worked in Walt Disney World's entertainment department

A fan with Jazmin, who lists as one her favorite causes the Orlando charity Give Kids the World

Krizia and Lyndsay greeted fans in one concourse location and kids visited them in droves. Lyndsay’s connection to kids is immediately apparent if you read her bio at the Magic web site. Lyndsay details her current occupation as, “I work with children with disabilities. I raise money and plan events for a school for children with motor disabilities.” Even back in high school, Lyndsay writes, “In high school I put together an event for children with disabilities called ‘Special Olympics High School Field Day.’  It was a day for high school ESE classes to experience the events in the Special Olympics.” If she wasn’t a dancer, Lyndsay says, “I’d go around to schools to set up inclusion programs for kids with disabilities and teach tolerance to school kids.”  Sounds like there would be no “Mean Girls” on Lyndsay’s watch!

Lyndsay and Krizia greet a wee cheerleader

Someday, upon seeing this photo, this boy in the middle will begin to study possibilities of time travel

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Ingredients: Start with two pearl divers, add one dolphin trainer, vigorously stir in an inspector of damaged freight who has danced on cruise ships, include one finance major, shake in a belly dancer, insert a Radio/TV Broadcast major, introduce a Disney World entertainer, choose to pop in either Dr. Seuss’s Thing 1 or Thing 2, rub in a massage therapist, sprinkle in an early childhood education student, brush in an art major, and supplement with additional devoted dancers, originally from San Jose to Boston, as needed, for a total of over thirty beautiful and talented women.  Directions: Spread over the sidelines of a pre-heated Orlando football stadium, add choreography, and provide water and Gatorade for proper hydration.  Wait for the ‘pop’ of high energy sidelines dance and personality, and, voila, you have the inaugural Florida Tuskers Cheerleaders!  May be served with or without Betty Boop.

The Tuskers Cheerleaders are one of the brand new UFL cheerleading squads, and keep a busy schedule, especially on their Orlando game days.  UFL Cheer Director Billie O’Hara filled me in on their agenda for the last UFL home game of the season, on November 11^th against Hartford.  Billie said, “The Cheerleaders will take the field at 3 for field rehearsal.  After that, we have our pre-game meal. Then we go into hair and make-up. The girls perform on the FanFest stage typically around 6:00 for a 7:00 game. There, they perform a routine, take pictures, sign autographs and ‘mix-n-mingle’ for about 15 minutes. Back to the locker room for final touch ups before we head to the tunnel for introduction and performance. The girls perform five routines per game!”

The Florida Tuskers Cheerleaders greet fans at pre-game FanFest

The importance of the role of the Tuskers Cheerleaders for this UFL squad is demonstrated by some unique events at the games.  Prior to the game, the Tuskers Cheerleaders leave their tunnel in single file and line up along the sidelines.  Then, just like the players, but better because it involves the each member of the squad, every Tuskers Cheerleader is announced by name, and then runs out to midfield.  Also, during each quarter, the Cheerleaders break from sideline formation, and distribute autographed cards to the fans, and after the game they gave away signed squad posters.   During the game, the Cheerleaders also performed numerous sideline routines, and five routines on the field, including changing into some ‘Daisy Dukes’ and performing to some Shania during the third quarter.

Tuskers Cheerleaders' third quarter routine

In addition to the squad, Betty Boop was on the sidelines.  Betty is the “Official Fantasy Cheerleader of the UFL” and is on also featured on some cute garments in the concession booths.  Billie says, smiling, “I help Betty get around at games and make sure she knows a few of the sidelines. She shares the locker room with us and comes to rehearsal, too! She’s the cheerleaders’ number one fan!”

Betty Boop on the pre-game FanFest stage

During their last UFL home game of the season, the Tusker Cheerleaders lit up the sidelines on the field, but some of their “off the field” jobs, hobbies, and interests are quite unique, which I guess is expected in central Florida which has some truly unique opportunities.  As Renee says, “There are 32 girls on the team and everyone is unique in their own way.  Everyone has their different jobs outside the Tuskers, from massage therapist to pearl diver at Sea World.  And there is me with my strange part-time job of inspecting damaged freight in the Orlando area, when I am not teaching dance fitness class.”

How many pro cheer squads can say they have not only one pearl diver, but two!  And they’re sisters!  Kimberly M and Courtney M are the pearl divers at Sea World.  In addition, next store at Discovery Cove, Kyle works with the dolphins (insert envious weeping here).  Discovery Cove is a really great place where you can swim with dolphins and other sea life, but the funnest part is you can go barefoot all day!  Down the road, Kristin works at Universal Studios sometimes as Thing 1 or 2.  But the unifying factor for these women is dance.  Most of the squad having been dancing since they were teeny, and varied aspects of dance are a big part of their lives.  Loren is even a belly dancer.

Kimberly M is a pearl diver at Sea World

Kyle trains dolphins at Discovery Cove

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Jeanine Klem-Thomas (middle left) when the current Magic Dancers squad was selected (click to enlarge)

In any walk of life, it is rare to find someone as welcoming, enthusiastic, positive, efficient, and hospitable as Jeanine Klem-Thomas, Director of the Magic Dancers, the dance squad of the NBA’s Orlando Magic. How nice is Jeanine? Well, in her rookie season as a Magic Dancer, she jumped up and cheered when an opposing team’s player made a great play; that is how nice she is. But more on that later!

Jeanine’s association with the Magic started with the simple wish to dance with a friend for one season. Jeanine remembers, “I had a high school friend who was a Magic Dancer and she was planning to dance one more season with the Magic. With a little prompting, we both decided it could be great to dance another year together if I were to make it, and so I packed my dance bag and headed to Orlando for the audition! I did make the squad the first time I auditioned, which was a whirlwind of a year since my first season was the year after the Magic made it to the NBA Finals for the first time and during the Shaq era! I was hooked from the moment I stepped on-court and sixteen seasons later, I’d suffice to say I’ve found my home!”

Jeanine's first season as a Magic Dancer (middle row, far right)

Seeing that one could have a life of dance was a gift that came from Jeanine’s mom. “I have been surrounded by dance since the moment I was born,” Jeanine recalls, “My mother was actually a professional Polynesian/Hawaiian hula dancer, and continued dancing well into her later thirties! I loved nothing more than going to rehearsals and shows with her and now it’s come full circle as my three and a half year old daughter loves coming to rehearsals and games with me. I knew very early that to be truly happy, dance would always need to be part of my life and I’m just thrilled that I’ve been able to make a career doing what I love, very few people can say that!”

Prior to joining the Magic organization, Jeanine attended Florida State University, and was a member of their nationally ranked FSU Golden Girls squad. Jeanine graduated with a degree in Nutrition and Fitness, and soon was headed south to Orlando. Soon after graduation, “I auditioned to become an Orlando Magic Dancer in the summer of ’95, and when I made the team it solidified Orlando as my new home. Little did I know it would be the start of a great long-term career with the Orlando Magic as well!” During this period, Jeanine also taught for NCA Danz for many years traveling around the country teaching dance camps.

Jeanine’s Magic Dancer days are filled with memories, but a few remain especially notable. One shows her still ever-present spirit and enthusiasm, as Jeanine recalls, “In my rookie season, I remember sitting under the baskets and we were playing Chicago. This was while MJ was still playing and having been a long-time Michael Jordan fan, I just couldn’t believe that he was running down the court towards me. He made an incredible play and I jumped up cheering for him only to find my captain yelling at me, ‘Jeanine, that’s the wrong team, sit down.’” She recalls, “I was mortified and thought ‘Oh boy, they’ll never keep me after that,’” Jeanine laughs, injecting, “Still here in my sixteenth season!”

Jeanine with Cris Judd, 2004, at a Dance Workshop in Tampa

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TopCat Chika during the November 7th Panthers-Saints game

It was a bright, sunny morning on November 7^th in Charlotte. But the fans on their way to the Carolina Panthers game against the Saints had broken out some warmer garments than expected for this time of year. Unseasonably cool temperatures for this region had swept in over the weekend. So, for the TopCats, the cheerleaders for the Panthers, what is preferable, a cool, windy day like this, or a 100 degree day that might be part of the Charlotte’s late summer?

The TopCats were in locations around the stadium area pre-game to meet with fans and sign autographs from 11 am to noon. One area is the “Panther’s Lair,” which also features mascot Sir Purr, music, and entertainment. Sideline Captain Stacey’s line was there signing autographs and greeting fans. All of the TopCats here preferred these cooler temperatures over summer heat, but one hand raised up in a slow but determined fashion to voice her lone opinion; Jeri said, “I’ll take 100 degrees.” Not one of any of the the other TopCats at any of the pre-game locations preferred the heat to that days’ chill, but one could tell that Jeri wouldn’t mind tropical temperatures, even for three hours of dancing, all year long.

TopCats Jeri (left) longs for summer, while Stacey and the others welcome cooler temps

But her line captain Stacey’s opinion was shared by most of the squad, cool temps are preferable, but the gusts of wind that can whiz through the sidelines are less favorable.  But Stacey added, “Once you start jumping around, it is not that bad.” But all parts of the stadium are not created equally, and certainly it is better to be in the sun, to which Stacey replied, “There are a couple sides that are really cold.”

T’fani and Jocelyn also greeted fans in another location closer to the stadium.  T’fani pointed out that the cool temps and wind affects one of their tools of their sidelines trade, “When you start losing feeling in your fingers, you’ve got the problem that you can’t hold onto the poms.  At least when it’s hot, you always have them!”  I don’t think I saw one pom fumble, though, all day from T’fani or the rest of the TopCats.

T'fani and Jocelyn greet fans prior to the game

The TopCats finished interacting with fans when it was time to head to the game.  The one thing that stood out watching the TopCats on the sidelines was their kicks. Of course, high kicks are part of all NFL cheer squads, included in many routines. But the TopCats have this knack of being on the sidelines, going along, cheering as expected, and then, BOOM, huge, upward, vertical kick out of nowhere! When later that month I watched a college game on TV, and Boise State’s field goal kicker missed two short field goals in their key loss to the University of Nevada, my first thought was, “The Broncos really need to go to Charlotte to scout the TopCats for kicking talent!” The importance of TopCats kicks was emphasized when TopCats Coordinator/Choreographer Richelle Grant said in her UC.com interview, “From a fans perspective, I feel it’s important to have visual performances on the field. This includes constant, eye catching movements and formations and high kicks are a must!” No kidding!

Dana kicks up a storm

And there was some impressive high jumps as well. Forget about Air Jordan across town at the basketball owner’s suite; it’s all about Air Shelby at the Panthers games. I don’t know if the kicks and jumps were used to stay warm or not, but gravity was seemingly taking an afternoon off on the sidelines on this day.

Cool temps for Shelby? Might as well jump!

On the sidelines during the game and in the Panther’s Lair during pre-game, a familiar face was supporting and accompanying the TopCats.  Record setting TopCat Shannon was in the house!  Shannon was a TopCat for over a decade, and is still on the sidelines as their assistant.  Shannon commented at the Panther’s Lair, “Eleven years cheering, and I have done this for two, so thirteen total. Thirteen, I LOVE it, I am not going anywhere!” Shannon has been part of the leadership of some other squads, including an arena team, but financial hardships of the franchises shortened their existence. But Shannon is certainly ready if other opportunities to lead dance squads arise!

Shannon's 13th year with the TopCats, in the Panther's Lair with Sir Purr

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Billie surrounded by her Florida Tuskers Cheerleaders and mascot after the last home game

In April 2010, it seems like Billie O’Hara was given a Herculean task.  Billie was named Cheer and Dance Development Director for the new UFL; not just for a team, the entire league!  Billie had the responsibility to establish five complete cheerleading squads, in cities stretching from California to Connecticut.  They all needed their own budgets, directors, auditions, more than two dozen dancers per squad, choreography, uniforms, and more.  Plus, Billie had the task of establishing the UFL’s dance team procedure manual.  Oh yeah, and have that all ready by the 2010 fall season, thank you very much.  And if you have attended UFL games in person or viewed them on Versus and HDNet, you will see those squads not only came to being, but that they have the look, performance, and field presence of squads that have existed for years.

But wait, there’s more!  Oversight over an entire league not enough for you?  Well, Billie is also Director of the UFL’s Florida Tusker Cheerleaders, the franchise that call Orlando’s Citrus Bowl home.  This includes creation and development of her own new squad, including organizing and conducting auditions, final team selection, serving as team choreographer, and overseeing practice and game presentations.  Whew!  So Billie has all the work of high level management of the entire league’s cheerleaders, and the daily hands-on responsibilities of a brand new squad.  How did Billie pull it off?  Did she find a little local Harry Potter magic or some of Tinkerbell’s pixie dust?  We interviewed Billie as the UFL season wound down to learn her formula for UFL success with both speed and quality.

Billie is a native Floridian, originally from Jacksonville, and has been dancing from nearly the beginning.  “I started dancing at the age of three and never stopped.  It’s all I know!” recalls Billie.  Billie’s dance development hit its stride when she began participating in competitive events.

I wondered if she was ever nervous about these public performances, and Billie remembers, “My first dance competition, I was twelve years old, and I was competing for Miss Petite Dance of Florida.  Forty-seven girls were entered into the competition, so it was a long night!  I was very nervous!  I knew I had a great jazz routine, but I was nervous about my costume.  I was the only contestant with spray painted silver jazz shoes!  I kept telling my dance teacher and my mother, ‘I’m going to lose because I have alien and outer space shoes on.’  They tried to reassure me, but it didn’t work well!  They announced the top ten, then got down to #1 and #2.  All I could think about was the shoes, and I was staring at them as they announced the second place winner. But it wasn’t my name that was called, and I was in shock, looked out into the crowd, and mouthed to my mom, ‘They liked my space shoes.’ I had won the competition. My mom told me afterward, ‘It wasn’t your space shoes they like; it was you and your talent!’ I’ll never forget it! I still have the dance on video.”

“That was the beginning of many competitions to come,” Billie added, “I never wore silver shoes after that ever again and I rarely get nervous win it comes to competing.  I love to compete!”

Billie’s dance training continued at several prestigious dance schools, including the Tremaine Dance Center in Hollywood, and the Douglas Anderson School of the Performing Arts, where she was accepted into the All-American College Program at Walt Disney World.  Billie has also served on the faculty of the Dance Conservatory of Orlando and Academy of Performing Arts.

Billie (lower right) during 1995-1996 Orlando Magic Dancer season (courtesy of Jeanine Klem-Thomas)

Billie’s excursion into pro sports dance included being an Orlando Magic Dancer for four years, and also on the squad for the AFL Orlando Predators.  Eventually, Billie moved into managing the Predators dance squad, the Prowlers.  Her Predators connection is especially strong because Billie’s husband, Pat O’Hara, is their current head coach, and was previously the Predators quarterback, playing for coach Jay Gruden.  Together, with Pat as QB and Jay as head coach, the Orlando AFL team won two ArenaBowl titles.

“It’s a Small World” in Orlando’s football and dance communities, so the stars aligned for the UFL and Billie to coalesce.   Fast forward to 2010, and Jay Gruden is now Head Coach of the UFL’s Orlando franchise, the Florida Tuskers.  The dominoes started to fall when Gruden called Billie with an idea last March.  “I originally went in to interview for the Director position for the Florida Tuskers Cheerleaders with no expectations beyond that.  Jay Gruden asked me if I would be interested, and if I could meet with Brian Melekian, Team Business Director of the UFL.  I said of course! I was thrilled to meet with Mr.Melekian.”

“The interview went very well, and long,” Billie recalls, smiling, “He asked me back for a second interview to sit down with Bill Peterson, the Chief Operating Officer of the league a week later. I had to prepare budgets, proposals, timelines, visionary ideas and concepts, et cetera. About an hour after that meeting, I received a phone call that not only would they like to hire me for the position of the Florida Tuskers Cheerleaders’ Director but also the UFL Cheer and Dance Development Director. I was honored and more than excited to accept.”

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The Orlando Magic's Silver Stars end their routine to big applause

On a night when Dwight Howard would rattle the backboard with emphatic dunks, and the end of the Magic-Jazz game would come down to the final seconds, the loudest, most spontaneous, deafening crowd reaction of the night at Orlando’s new Amway Center was during the first quarter.  The Magic and Jazz weren’t on the court, as they were over at their respective benches during a time out.  The focus of the crowd’s attention was group of performers a little bit older than the players, but the homestretch of their routine created a reaction from the fans so voluminous, it would have scared away an approaching hurricane.

Four hours earlier, in an empty arena, things were much quieter.  In mid-afternoon on November 10th, the Silver Stars of the Orlando Magic, were on the shiny, pristine NBA court, rehearsing for their performance that night.  The Silver Stars are a squad that performs at the Magic games, and are comprised of local men and women who have put their day jobs behind them and are enjoying retirement in central Florida.  Initially, down to the south on the turnpike in Miami, the Heat first introduced a squad of retirees to perform during their NBA games.  Certainly it was a natural to have a senior squad in central Florida, too, and Orlando Magic Dancers Manager Jeanine Klem-Thomas formed the Magic’s Silver Stars in 2005.  The Silver Stars all reside in the same retirement community.  Jeanine says, “The Villages of Lady Lake is one of the largest and most prominent retirement communities in the United States with residents from across the country.  We reached out to them as it seemed like a perfect fit and location to find members for the team!”

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Richelle Grant, Coordinator/Choreographer of the TopCats, on a cool November 7th Panthers game day

Especially during the NFL season, the time of the members and management of the cheerleading squads is so very precious.  So when I asked Richelle Grant, the Coordinator and Choreographer of the TopCats (the cheerleaders for the NFL’s Carolina Panthers), if she would answer some questions for UltimateCheerleaders.com, I definitely wanted her to respond at her own convenience.  But Richelle actually asked me to give her a deadline, responding, “I’m journalism major, so working in a news station environment has made me that way.”  Richelle could not have been nicer, and you can tell her attention to detail have served her well in her TopCats career.

Richelle is in her tenth season of varying roles with the TopCats, starting as a member of the squad, and eventually becoming part of the squad’s management.  Read on to learn about Richelle, while also featuring photos of some of her squad and their captains.  Richelle filled us in on her TopCats career, including being part of a Super Bowl team, and answers the eternal, burning question, “Does the top cat of the TopCats have a pet cat?”

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South Carolina's homecoming game when Richelle (lower left) was on the sidelines

Kia greets fans they enter to attend the Bobcats game

“They are the champions, NBA Dance Bracket…”  Last season, fans went Lady Cats gaga, voting them to the championship in the NBA dance bracket competition.  The dance squad that supports the Charlotte Bobcats upended all challengers to reach the pinnacle.

When fans completed the gauntlet of passing through the typical layers of security and ticket processors to attend the November 6th Bobcats game against Orlando in Time-Warner Arena, they were greeted by the beautiful smiles of Lady Cats Kia and Lacey, who were passing out game programs.

I asked Kia, in her second season as a Lady Cat, how it felt for her squad to win the NBA Dance Bracket championship last season.  Kia replied, “That definitely was exciting. It was my first year, and it was something new, and then just the fact that we won was overwhelming, but very humbling.  We feel like we have something to live up to, and we have a strong team this year, so we’re going for number one again.”

The Lady Cats are in many ways a dance team remix from last season, with eight of the twenty dancers in their rookie season.  When I asked Kia if she was surprised they surpassed all the other teams last season, including some big markets, Kia replied, “I was, I really didn’t know what to expect.  Everyone, all over the NBA, is beautiful, and all of the teams have a lot of talent, and for us to win was just amazing.”

Kia’s information on the Lady Cats’ site includes a couple of references to footwear.  Her hobbies include, “shopping for shoes,” and her guilty pleasures are French fries and shoes.  Hmm, seems like a recurring theme.  When asked how many pairs she has, Kia laughs, “Someone just asked me that, and I really have no idea, I just bought five pairs last week.  Yes, I love shoes.”  And I can attest to that, Kia sported two pairs of boots and a pair of shoes during the game.  Come to think of it, the entire squad did, too.

Kia’s favorite quote is, “Dance like no one is watching.”  Well, sorry Kia, your too talented and lovely, and I think everyone is watching you!

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