James, East Coast Correspondent – Page 198

[San Antonio Talons Sky Dancers]

Congratulations to 4-year veteran Sarah G,. who will represent her squad at the 2013 Pro Bowl.

[Sarah at Bengals.com]

Once more into the vault for some photos that I never got around to posting.

I was in Miami last December when the Dolphins hosted the Raiders in week 13 of the 2011 NFL Season

And yes the Dolphins did win the game, by the convincing score of 34-14.

Tatiana

Andrea

Amy

Truly

Samantha

Monica

[Dolphins Cheerleaders Gallery]

[MiamiDolphinsCheerleaders.net]

Don’t miss one of these upcoming Going Pro Entertainment Expos in Kansas City, DC and Houston! Each “come and go as you please” event includes pro level dance choreography, fitness workouts, presentations within communication, makeup, and appearances by vendors related to the industry of professional entertainment. Group discounts are available. Visit www.goingproentertainment.com or click on the banners below.

The Colorado Ice and the Loveland Athletic Club would like to announce open auditions for the Icicles Dance team on Wednesday, December 12th at the Loveland Athletic Club; with registration and check-in starting at 7:00pm. Loveland Athletic Club is located at 1000 South Lincoln Ave., Loveland, CO 80537.

Participant age requirements have changed; if you are 18 and have graduated from high school you can apply to audition for the Colorado Icicles Dance Team. You should have dance experience and be able to commit to weekly rehearsals, games and related team functions. Individuals auditioning should wear spandex shorts, tights, a spandex bra top and some type of dance shoes.

The Colorado Icicles are professional dancers that provide exciting and fun entertainment during all Colorado Ice home games. Icicle dancers are also actively involved in the community, taking part in Ice appearances at community events, fundraisers, post-game parties, and other activities throughout Northern Colorado.

Pre-registration is $20. Payment can be by Check, Cash or Credit Card until December 10th. If paying day of audition bring $20 cash (bring exact cash). Checks and Credit Cards will not be accepted on the day of audition.

To register you can call the Colorado Ice offices, 970-472-0128, contact r.crumb@thecoloradoice.com, go to the Icicles Page on our website to print a registration form and mail in or bring to the Colorado Ice Office. A 3 x 5 photo (will not be returned) and registration form need to be turned in or brought to auditions. All dancers will be required to show a drivers license or ID card with date of birth on it and sign a waiver form before participating in auditions.

[Colorado Ice Dance Team]

From UW-Stout News:

A group of children in the Child and Family Study Center at University of Wisconsin-Stout have a soft spot for the color purple and the Minnesota Vikings — even if they are from Wisconsin.

It’s all because of an energetic student teacher named Molly.

This fall Molly has been working with the four-year-old kindergarten class as part of her practicum requirements in UW-Stout’s early childhood education program.

MollyThe students quickly took a liking to Molly, but they were surprised one day when she came to class as a special guest. She showed up in a Minnesota Vikings cheerleader outfit.

Wearing a purple-and-white skirt and top with tall white fashion boots, Molly told them about her exciting part-time job.
For the last two seasons, Molly, a UW-Stout junior, has been one of the professional cheerleaders who performs at all Vikings NFL home games and makes appearances on behalf of the team.

With the Vikings on the road Sunday, Dec. 2, in Green Bay, she won’t be on the sidelines, but chances are the children in the class will be thinking about their special friend if they happen to see the purple-clad Vikings on TV.

“She’s amazing with the kids. She really stands out as one of my top practicum students,” said Maggie Keenan, four-year-old kindergarten teacher who oversees Molly.

During her presentation to four-year-olds on campus, Molly taught children several cheerleading moves and shared pictures of herself at Vikings games.

“The kids responded really well,” said Keenan. “Now, they all think of her as Molly the cheerleader.”

Exciting and educational

Presenting to the class brought together several of Molly’s passions — getting a college education, working with young children, dance and the Vikings.

Molly, whose last name isn’t publicized because of cheerleading team privacy rules, has been a lifelong Vikings fan. She graduated from Burnsville (Minn.) High School.

Despite her love for the Vikings, she has the Green Bay Packers in her blood. One relative on her father’s side of the family played quarterback for the Packers in the 1920s and another relative, Dominic Olejniczak, was president of the team from 1958-82.

She enrolled at UW-Stout because of its strong early childhood education program. “Stout is so well known for this program. I love Stout — the campus and the people — and it’s a perfect distance from home,” Molly said.

The 150-mile roundtrip from campus to Minneapolis has made for some long nights, however. Vikings cheerleaders practice for three hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays and for two hours on Sundays. If there’s a home game, they still practice for two hours before the game, she said.

Being on the team adds up to a lot of hours and miles, but she loves the excitement of running onto the field on Sundays ahead of the players and cheering them on at field level.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. You’re doing something amazing,” Molly said.

She believes the experience has made her a better student. She has earned the Chancellor’s Award at UW-Stout for achieving a high grade-point average. “Sometimes when you’re busy, when you just keep going, you do better,” she said.

“I’ve learned a lot of life skills and professionalism, how to act in an interview setting, for example. It’s helped my confidence and helped me so much in my speech class,” she said, adding that she has attended two NFL cheerleading clinics in Atlanta for the team.

It’s her second year on the team. She was part of the squad’s training program during her freshman year at UW-Stout and made the team as a sophomore, surviving four rounds of tryouts, an interview, a football knowledge test, a Vikings history test, a pageant at the State Theater in Minneapolis and the finals at Mall of America.

She was one of 35 women to make the team out of more than 200 who applied. At age 19 she was one of the youngest.

She enjoys the camaraderie. “We do a lot of bonding activities. They’re my best friends,” she said of her cheerleading squad teammates.

Molly has danced since age 2½. As a state-level dance competitor in high school, she was noticed by Vikings cheerleaders coaches and encouraged to try out.

Team cheerleaders must know about 30 dances. In addition to game performances, for which they are paid, they do numerous charity appearances on behalf of the team and sign autographs, often for children.

“The little kids are so excited. It’s awesome,” Molly said. “I love being on the team.”

[Molly at Vikings.com]

Leslie Shaw-Hatchard shares the full experience of being a professional cheerleader in Texas. For the first time ever she honestly reveals a hidden and sometimes questionable side of cheerleading. The book is titled “What I Learned Half Naked: Tales of a Pro Cheerleader” as it documents the many lessons Leslie learned in uniform during her cheerleading journey. The book reflects good and bad times spent working as a cheerleader, choreographer, assistant director and director. Leslie was privileged to spend time working with the Dallas Mavs, the Dallas Cowboys, the Dallas Burn, the Coca-Cola Cheer team and the Dallas Sidekicks.

Leslie has spent the last 19 years performing and teaching dance throughout the U. S. as well as France, Germany and Switzerland. Her dance training began at the age of 5, and has since developed into a professional career, with such credits as performing for the National Football League, National Basketball Association, National Soccer League and the Major Indoor Soccer League. Leslie’s involvement with professional sports began in 1990 when she was selected as one of 36 Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders from a field of over 300. In 1991, Leslie began dancing for NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, and she continued entertaining basketball fans as a Dallas Mavericks Dancer for the next five years, receiving recognition in 1996 as the Dallas Mavericks Dancers’ Veteran of the Year and Dancer with the Most Positive Influence. In 1997, Leslie joined the dance team for the Dallas Burn, Dallas’s outdoor soccer team. She most recently was the founding Director for the NBA D-League Texas Legends Dance Team in Frisco, TX in 2010. For eleven years Leslie was the Company Director at the Broadway Dance Center in Garland, Texas. She regularly choreographs award winning routines throughout Texas and the U. S. She often serves as a guest instructor and professional adjudicator for Marching Auxiliaries Dance, Crowd Pleasers drill team organization, and Halftime Entertainment (HTE). Leslie has been married for 15 years and resides in McKinney, Texas. She teaches full time as a dance instructor at Power House of Dance and is currently the Cheer Power Director in Frisco. Leslie is also the proud mother of 11 year old daughter, Kennedy and 13 year old daughter, Madison. Leslie recently completed writing her first book and is looking forward to its release.