Ohio Dance Machine Kassandra during a 2014 MLL game

Former Tampa Bay Lightning Girl and Allen Americans Ice Angel Brooklyn’s teams are having great seasons. Their “Cups runneth over”! The Americans won their third straight ECHL Kelly Cup and the Lightning will try to extend the Stanley Cup tonight

Indianapolis has some great traditions centered around Memorial Day weekend, but a relatively recent tradition that MUST be maintained forever and ever is that the Colts Cheerleaders and Pacemates perform during the opening musical number at the 500 Festival Parade in downtown Indy. This year, the tradition continued, as the Colts Cheerleaders, Pacemates, and other local dancers started off the parade by dancing on the checkerboard carpet. And then the ICC and Pacemates performed with parade’s opening musical act, Nico & Vinz, Oslo, Norway’s biggest export since non-fillet fresh fish.

And let’s give a salute to a different kind of “ultimate cheerleader.” The 500 Festival Parade’s Grand Marshalls were the 1955 Crispus Attacks High School basketball team and cheerleaders. Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson was a big part of Crispus Attucks team that overcame obstacles and inequalities to win the 1955 Indiana state basketball tournament, becoming the nation’s first entirely African-American high school to win a championship. Upon winning the championship game, the Crispus Attucks team didn’t have the opportunity to enjoy the traditional ride in a fire truck and celebration on Monument Circle.

To honor the groundbreaking team, there was be a planned stop along the parade route, on Monument Circle. There, 60-years later, the Crispus Attucks basketball team and its cheerleaders, had their long overdue celebration, complete with music, signs, pompoms, and pictures; bringing their story full circle. So here’s a shout out to the cheerleaders finally able to cheer on their team and hear the cheers of the parade crowd.

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The Chicago Thunder Football Club, a proud member of the MidStates Football League of minor league outdoor football, will again include a professional dance team this season. Jenny Hinz, the Director of the Chicago Thunder Dancers (AND also Director of the Chicago Blitz Thunder Dancers) informs us of their upcoming prep class and auditions. Here is the scoop!

Chicago, Are you Ready to Go Pro?
Chicago Thunder Dancers Prep Class
May 28 8:30-10:30pm
$15
*FFC Gym East Lakeview, 3657 N Pinegrove Ave, Chicago Il 60613.

Chicago Thunder Dancers Auditions
June 4 8:30-11pm
$20
*FFC Gym East Lakeview, 3657 N Pinegrove Ave, Chicago Il 60613.

Auditions are $20. Come ‘camera ready’ as we will be filming the web series: Chicago Blitz Dancers, Making the Team!

Email chicagothunderdancers@gmail.com to register or receive additional information.

Registration Starts at 8:15pm
o Train and bus nearby, as well as pay to park
o Plan to come early so you can find the place.
o $15 prep class, $20 auditions

The NHL season was not the same without the Lady Panthers, like Jhoselyn from last season

Alyvia of the Missouri Comets Galaxy Girls, the professional cheer/dance team for the MASL Missouri Comets let’s us know that their 2015-2016 Auditions are around the corner!

INDEPENDENCE, Mo – The Missouri Comets and the Galaxy Girls announced the dates and formats for the 2015-16 season auditions. Prior to the auditions on Saturday June 13 and Sunday June 14, two clinics will take place at the KC Soccer Dome. Information packets are available at http://www.cometsindoorsoccer.com/

The Galaxy Girls have been a tradition with the Comets for many years, and continue to build the relationship between the team and fans on game days, as well as strong connections with the community through public service events.

Audition schedule is as follows:

Audition Clinic #1: Saturday, June 6th, 2015 from 6-9 p.m.

Audition Clinic #2: Sunday, June 7th, 2015 from 9-12 p.m.

Auditions – Day #1: Saturday, June 13th, 2015 from 6-10 p.m.

Auditions – Day #2: Sunday, June 14th, 2015 from 9-1 p.m.

The Galaxy Girls final squad will be announced on Tuesday June 16th via the team’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

Former Galaxy Girls have gone on work with the MLB’s Kansas City Royals Game Day Entertainment, NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs Cheerleaders and with professional dance studios around the country.

For more information about auditions or the Galaxy Girls, please contact Charlie Keller at Charlie@kcprosoccer.com.

Follow the Galaxy Girls on Social Media:

Facebook: Galaxy Girls Dance Team

Twitter: @The_GalaxyGirls

Instagram: cometsgalaxygirls

Heidi followed her heart from California to Nashville to pursue her musical dream. A former cheerleader for the 49ers, Heidi moved to Tennessee and has been a Titans Cheerleader for the past three seasons, all the while also fulfilling her passion as a singer/songwriter. UltimateCheerleaders has followed Heidi from her rookie Titans season to taking the step to Kickstarter to assist the goal of her first recording.

Now Heidi has released her first EP, My Stupid Heart, available on iTunes at this link! My mini review is that you need the perfect songs as you hit the road this spring/summer, whether to energize your morning commute, or to play with the wind flying through your hair along the coast on Highway 1, My Stupid Heart is quintessential car music.

Heidi kindly shared with UltimateCheerleaders the story behind this accomplishment, but had a message for those that helped her pursue her dream. “First, I just want to thank all of my Kickstarter supporters!” Heidi expressed. “I could not have created this album without you guys, and I appreciate you believing in me! Each of these songs is as much yours as it is mine!”

UC-Tell us about each of the songs on the EP; what inspired each of them?

Heidi-Whenever I write a song, I think of a character. Who is this person? What happened to them, what do they feel, and what do they want? Sometimes the character is me, and sometimes the character is imagined, but I always channel my own feelings and experiences when fleshing out the story of each character in a song.

“My Stupid Heart” is the title track on the album. It’s about turmoil, and the feeling of wanting someone that doesn’t want you the same way. You want to let that person go, but you can’t. However, I didn’t want the song to be about being a victim, or about anger. In my own experience, I often go for the men who are exciting and passionate, even though I know that they aren’t interested in a real relationship. I love the challenge, but in the end, when I end up hurt, I only have myself to blame. Too many people like to blame the other person, but I think it’s really our stupid hearts that get us into trouble.

“I Don’t Cry” is a song about strength and power, and not letting another person diminish you. At the time that my co-writers, Luke Sheets and Kata Rhe Crutcher, and I wrote it, I was in the beginning stages of a breakup. In my life, most of my relationships have ended because I couldn’t be what the other person wanted me to be, and when that theme develops again and again, a person can start to think, “maybe I’m not enough”. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve also gotten stronger. I’ve learned that we each have worth, and no person can give or take that worth away. Someone who doesn’t see that worth, does not deserve any tears. It’s not about not being able to cry, or not feeling anything, it’s about choosing not to waste your tears.

During one of our writing sessions, Luke started playing this lick on his guitar and the sound had this unexplainable feeling of hope and joy. I knew that whatever we wrote had to be uplifting, and that’s how “Don’t Give Up On Me” was born. We started talking about how people in Nashville have made it big just before they were about to give up. Lots of people on my journey told me that I would never make it as a pro cheerleader, and here I am in my fifth year in the NFL. If I had listened to them my life would be drastically different today. Lots of people have told me that I won’t make it in music, but I keep trying and pushing. Whatever your dream is, never let someone tell you that you “can’t.” Don’t give up! Dreams do come true!

“Diamond Street” is the song on the EP that’s nearest to my heart. It’s the only song on the EP where the story is one-hundred percent my own, and not imagined, and it was the most difficult to write. One summer in San Diego, I met a man who was in the city as part of a military special ops training course. He was only in town for a couple weeks, and we knew that when those weeks were over, we would be done, but those couple of weeks were magical. I took him to my favorite beach, Diamond Street, and he showed me how a man should really treat a woman, and we loved each other for that short time. On his last day, I watched him pack his bag, and I cried. My heart was broken for months after he left, but we never tried to contact each other. Two years later, I googled him, just to see what he was doing in life. Along with the page I’d seen before of him accepting a medal, I saw a page that took my breath away. The page reported that almost one year to the day we met, he had been killed in action in Afghanistan. Even though we couldn’t be together, I always imagined him out there in the world, maybe thinking of me, and then suddenly he was gone. He’ll always have a special place in my heart, and even though we didn’t last forever, in my heart he’ll always be on Diamond Street.

UC-Most artists have a moment in their songwriting evolution when they first think they wrote something “good”; when was that moment for you?

Heidi-I think a lot of artists believe every song they write is good! (laughs) In all seriousness though, when you spend an hour or two in a writing session and you finally finish a song, it’s like your baby. It’s beautiful to you even if it’s the most ugly creation ever made (that or you’re just happy you’re finally done so you can leave! (laughs)). It’s not until some time goes by and I forget about the song and then re-listen to it later with fresh ears, that I can judge whether it’s trash or it belongs in my work tapes folder. Recently, I was going back through my songs, and I listened to a work tape I recorded with country artist Gabe Garcia. I wrote the lyrics on the plane to Nashville, and he put the lyrics to music. I think it’s actually good…which is saying a lot because a lot of the songs I wrote when I first moved to Nash aren’t amazing (laughs)

UC-Do you think back and wish you could change a lyric, or once a song is done, it is done in your mind?

Heidi-For the songs on my EP, I think we said exactly what we were trying to say. Those songs are definitely done in my mind. For songs in general, I think a song is always fluid and changing. Usually when I finish a co-write, the song is done, and we’ve all come to a consensus on the lyrics. Maybe I gave up something I wanted in this line, and the other writer gave up something in another line, but all in all, together, we have a finished product. However, if I thought of something better later, I would have no problem calling up my co-writer and seeing if he wanted to change a word or line. Maybe it is better, or maybe I’m crazy and it’s a terrible idea, but changing it is always an option. Or, say we wrote a song for a guy, and a woman was interested in using it, I would have no problem changing lyrics to fit the artist.

UC-What were the steps from having songs to getting them recorded? Who were the key people as co-writers, musicians, production staff, et cetera, that made the EP possible?

Heidi-For me, this EP was all about working with the right people. No artist, no matter how talented, can be successful without the right team of people. When my Kickstarter campaign to fund my EP was successful, I knew I had to find the right producer. Luckily for me, my Titans teammate Heather is married to country artist Ryan Kinder, and he recommended his friend and amazing producer/songwriter Luke Sheets. When I met with Luke I knew he shared my vision and he guided me in creating the sound and feelings that I wanted to portray on the EP. I had been writing songs for the EP since I moved to Nashville, but the songs we came up with together really communicated who I was as an artist, and Luke helped me hone in on my personal sound. From there, it was a matter of getting the right musicians together and getting everyone in the studio. We recorded at Curb Studios, and with funding in place, it was actually a quick process. Luke pulled some amazing musicians together and the tracks and vocals were done within a couple of weeks. Then we spent the next month mixing the tracks with Craig White at Curb, and before I knew it, the EP was done. It was a pretty incredible experience.

UC-What are the best and worst parts about having a “Stupid Heart”, and how does it make you the person you are?

Heidi-My “stupid heart” definitely gets me into trouble. I tend to leap before I look and make decisions in love based on gut feelings and passion. I want what I want, when I want it, and I go after it. The downside of a stupid heart is that in love or in life in general, my feelings get invested in things or people that may not have my best interests at heart. However, that same bold and stupid heart is the reason that I’m able to take risks and chase after my dreams. My stupid heart pushed me to try out for the 49ers when everyone told me it was impossible. It led me to move across the country to audition for The Titans, and every day it pushes me to keep going after my crazy dream of a career in music. I wouldn’t be where I am today without my “stupid heart”.

UC-How big a part of moving to Nashville and starting your recording career has the TTC been in your assimilation and success?

Heidi-Being a part of The Tennessee Titans Cheerleaders has made a huge impact on both my music career and my transition to Nashville. When I first moved to Nashville, the TTC gave me an automatic group of friends, and those friendships have continued to be my biggest source of support and encouragement in my life. I’ve made lifelong friendships on this team, and I’m so grateful to be part of a community of strong, smart, and driven women. In my music career, the notoriety of the Titans has certainly opened up a lot of doors, but more than that, the support of my teammates and my coach, Stacie, has had the biggest impact on my music career. For example, my teammate Heather and her husband, Ryan, have spent years together navigating the muddy waters of the music industry, and they are a constant source of advice and support. Similarly, Stacie has years of experience in the entertainment industry, and is always pushing me to think bigger. I think the TTC has been integral to my success in Nashville, and my life would be very different today if I hadn’t made the team back in 2012.

UC-How have you changed from the woman who first drove from Cali to Nashville prior to your rookie season? Musically, vocally, and as a person?

Heidi-I think I’m still the same wide-eyed dreamer that packed everything in my little white Nissan and drove across the country to pursue a crazy dream, but I think I’m stronger. Every little setback makes me push harder to achieve my dreams. If anything, I think I believe even more strongly that with hard work and commitment, one can pursue one’s passions and be successful. When I first moved to Nashville, everything was an unknown possibility, but seeing how far I’ve come in three years, I feel like success is tangible, and I’m so excited to see what happens in the next few years!

UC-What’s next?

Heidi-The next step for me is getting my music out there. I’m currently meeting with publishing and management companies, and my goal over the next couple of years is to build a team that I believe in as much as they believe in me. Right now I’m trying to find the right fit for me and my sound. It’s a really pivotal time in my career, and the choices I make now will have a lasting effect on my future. Throughout this process, I’m also always writing, learning, and growing as a songwriter and an artist.

UC-Now that you have been on this journey, what about the process surprised you, and what advice would you give others following their dream, in Nashville or elsewhere?

Heidi-One of the things that surprised me during the process was how much the studio musicians individually contributed to the album. I always imagined that these guys came in to the studio and played what they were told to play and left. In reality, not only did the band basically learn my song after hearing it once, which is amazing, but each member also brought his own style and ideas to the project. The final product is as much each of theirs as it is mine. They took my vision and gave it life.

To those following their dreams, I would say, whatever your passion is, go for it! You may fail, or you may be wildly successful, but you’ll never know if you never try. So many people in this world will try to bring you down or make you believe that your dream is impossible. If you are willing to put in the time and the work, I believe that dreams can come true!

Thanks so much Heidi! And more photos of Heidi over the last two seasons are at this link.

Danielle Pierce, Dance Director for the Florida Tarpons, based in Estero, Florida, of the X-League Indoor Football will be soon having auditions for the Florida Tarpons Reel Girls. Info below!
—————
Are you ready to become one of the Professional Cheerleaders for the “Florida Tarpons Arena Football Team”? Do you enjoy cheering or dancing? Then, WE WANT YOU! Florida Tarpons Reel Girls are looking for Talented, Friendly, Motivated, and Bright Women to Perform at Football Games, Make Personal Appearances, Be in the Calendar Girls, Community Work, and Much More. So Come On Out To Be Part Of An Amazing and Rewarding Team. ALSO YOU GET GREAT PERKS FROM OUR SPONSORS…Let’s Go Tarpons!

Date: March 21st 2015
Where: Mid West Cheer Elite
11819 Metro Pkwy, Fort Myers, FL 33966
Registration Time : 7:30-8 am
Audition Fee: $35
Schedule of the Day-
Learning Audition Dance From Instructor: 8-11:30 am
Break: 11:30-12:30
Audition Time With Panel of Judges: 12:30 pm
Requirements-
(2) Piece Halter/Sport Top w/ Shorts or Pants
Florida Id: Age 18 & Up

Any Questions? Please Contact:
DANIELLE PIERCE (DANCE DIRECTOR)
EMAIL: TarponsCheerleading@gmail.com
PHONE: 239-867-8414

The Chicago Blitz, a proud member of the American Indoor Football League, is expanding its organization to include for the first time ever a professional dance team. Jenny Hinz, the Director of the Chicago Blitz Girlz informs us of their upcoming Auditions, and additional information is below:

Chicago, Are you Ready to Go Pro?

Chicago Blitz Girlz Auditions
February 26 8:30-11pm
*FFC Gym East Lakeview, 3657 N Pinegrove Ave, Chicago Il 60613.

Auditions are $20. Come camera ready as we will be filming the web series: Chicago Blitz Dancers, Making the Team! Email chicagoblitzdancers@gmail.com to register or receive additional information.

Registration Starts at 8:15pm
o Train and bus nearby, as well as pay to park
o Plan to come early so you can find the place.
o $20

What should I wear?
Hair and make-up camera ready! Wear something form fitting but comfortable. Belly shirts are not required. If you have black or yellow consider wearing the colors to support the Chicago Blitz!