Tiffany and Krista of the New York Jets Flight Crew show off the “Cheer Heart.”
Vanessa of the Arizona Cardinals Cheerleaders
South Florida Gold Basketball, the newest American Basketball Professional Team to come to South Florida, Announced the hire of former Miami Heat Dance Team Captain Shawn Sherlock. As the new VP of Dance Team Operations, Shawn will direct and choreograph dance team routines and promotions for the squad. The announcement was made this week by Michale Watson, CEO and Owner, of South Florida Gold.
“I am so thrilled to be part of such a wonderful group of individuals within this newly formed organization. I can’t wait til opening night when the new Dance Team hits the floor for the first time”, says Shawn.
Shawn was born in Clearwater, Fla., but spent most of her youth in Atlanta, Georgia. After attending the infamous Northside School of the Arts, she started out her career as a dancer joining the Atlanta Hawks Dance Team. After two seasons with Hawks, she set her sights on South Florida and took on the role of Dance Team Captain with the Miami Heat. That’s when she was asked to dance alongside pop-icon Prince. Shawn stepped off the court for a few years to pursue her lifelong dream as a reporter and earned her B.A. degree at Florida State University. Over the next 8 years, she worked on air in three major markets, including ABC, CBS and CNN’s affiliate Bay News 9. The last several years, she’s been part of a major Fortune 500 organization in sales. A recent chance call led her to accepting the new role with the South Florida Gold as VP of Dance Team Operations.
“There is so much potential here in this area for a families and sports fans to go see true professional sports up close. It’s a perfect fit for a fan to come watch something special. It’s a great chance our dancers to perform live and enjoy a true team experience from the ground up”, says Shawn.
New England Patriots Cheerleader Captains Heather and Stephanie demonstrate the “Cheer Crab”, a staple of the Patriots Cheerleaders fitness regimen. I took multiple photos of the “crab” to get the best shot. While I was snapping away, I asked the cheerleaders if they could continue to hold the pose. Their confident reply: “Oh, don’t worry, we can hold it.”
The Patriots Cheerleaders are getting new uniforms this season. Heather and Stephanie were sworn to secrecy so all we know is the new look is said to be quite glamorous.
And while she was at the P-R-O Convention, Stephanie celebrated her birthday. The four-year vet and captain has also cheered/danced for the Arena League New York Dragons, the indoor soccer New Jersey Ironmen, the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, plus a couple of minor league baseball teams. As she says, “I just love to dance.”
Kristen Girault was the first Miss Louisiana to place in the Miss USA top 10 since Ali Landry won the contest in 1996
By Alex Restrepo
NewOrleansSaints.com
Growing up in Metairie, it was Kristen Girault’s dream to be a Saintsation.
She began dancing at the age of 3 and joined the Junior Saintsation program the first chance she could. She was a member of her high school dance team, the Carmelettes, at Mount Carmel Academy. After she graduated in 2009, she reached her dream while at LSU as she earned a spot on the Saintsations in 2010.
Along with performing for the Saintsations and studying at LSU, Girault was competing in beauty pageants. She was the first runner-up in Miss Louisiana Teen USA 2009 and 2010, and was in the top 10 of Miss Louisiana USA 2012.
After a number of strong finishes, Girault took the spotlight on Oct. 27, 2012 as she was named Miss Louisiana USA 2013 at the annual pageant at the Heymann Performing Arts Center in Lafayette, La.
Her life was a whirlwind after being crowned. The title quickly took over the three-year Saintsation’s life as it became her full-time job to represent the state.
“I have received some incredible opportunities that I would not have gotten otherwise if not for this honor,” said Girault. “I have been able to travel the state and met some people in a new way. Everything changes for you.”
Girault took the national stage on June 16 when she competed in the 62nd Miss USA pageant. With more than 85 family members and friends cheering her on at the Theatre for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas, Girault made the first cut of the 51 contestants to earn a spot in the top-15 for Miss USA. After her showing in the swimsuit competition, she reached the top 10. She was eliminated after the evening gown competition.
Girault became the first Miss Louisiana to finish in the top 10 of the Miss USA contest since Ali Landry from Breaux Bridge won the Miss USA 1996 title.
“I wasn’t too nervous,” she said of the Miss USA contest. “It was weird but with the group of girls we had, we were very calm going into the show. It didn’t hit me until right before I went on stage for the live telecast.”
A little over a week since the Miss USA competition, Girault is still trying to recuperate from her state-wide tour but she is incredibly grateful for the experience.
“Everybody was nice after and asking if I knew how well my finish was historically in the competition and I would say ‘Yes I do, but I really just want to sleep now,’” joked Girault.
During her time as Miss Louisiana, Girault has been a strong advocate for a healthy lifestyle and has stressed the importance of eating healthy and staying active. She has promoted numerous charities, including American Heart Association, Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, Children’s Miracle Network and Habitat for Humanity.
Girault credits her time with the Saintsations for helping her prepare for the rigorous responsibilities of being Miss Louisiana. As a Saintsation, the Metairie native would travel throughout Louisiana and the Gulf Coast for public appearances. During a number of those visits, Girault encouraged kids to keep up a healthy lifestyle through the NFL’s Play 60 program. .
“Being on the (Saintsations) for three years definitely gave me the biggest workouts of my life, especially on gamedays,” said Girault. “It prepared me physically for that. Making appearances in the city as a Saintsation helped me learn how to best represent my team and city, similar to my role now in representing the state. Going out and traveling the state was a breeze as Miss Louisiana because it became second nature for me due to my time as a Saintsation.”
Things are beginning to slow down for Girault. In August, she will return to LSU Nursing School in New Orleans. She will continue her education there for two and half years. She plans to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in nursing in 2015 and become a Registered Nurse.
Girault is not sure what the future holds after she finishes with school. However, if her young resume smothered in accolades is any indication, the sky is the limit for the 22-year old former Saintsation.
Washington Wizard Girl Brittney
Washington Redskins Cheerleader Captain Monique was at the P-R-O Convention, but as you can see from the photo, she wasn’t able to dance. The full story of what happened is to painful to recount. The short version is she now has two screws in her foot and one surgery remaining. Then she starts rehabbing. Monique says she has every intention of being on the field with her teammates this season. That’s dedication!
Gotham City Cheerleaders BriAnna and Natalie live in Binghampton, New York. To save some money they decided to take take the bus rather than fly. Amazingly, there is an actual Greyhound bus that runs from Atlanta to Binghampton, but the journey is 23 hours long! That is some dedication
Finals for the 2013-14 Brooklynettes took place at The Mark Morris Dance Group last Tuesday.
The Finalists. It was the conclusion of a 4-day audition process: Open Call Saturday, Call Back Sunday, Boot Camp Monday, and Finals Tuesday.
Captains and Eight-year veterans Jessica and Siobhan with Kimberlee Garris, the Nets Director of Entertainment Marketing, who is entering her ninth season with the team.
Courtney is a Villanova grad who studied Finance, International Business and Spanish. She cheered for the Philadelphia Eagles for two seasons.
