New Years is approaching, are you thinking about your next life goals, your new years resolution? Have you encountered an unprecedented life experiance you would like to share and inspire our next generation of cheerleaders? Kalani McClain with the Arizona Cardinals and Casey Reason Companies are creating a movement, Through the Roof!
We are looking for professional cheerleaders (current or former) from NFL/NBA sports industry, who’ve shared the passion for dance. Our mission is to inspire the next generation of young women in the dance community to accomplish their creative dreams/ideas and live extraordinary lives! Have you manifested something in your life you’d dreamed before and now it’s realty? Overcome a life challenge or illness, continued higher education, business owner, musican, model/actress, traveled to extrordinary places or creating a movement to touch others? We want to hear your stories!!
HOW TO APPLY
Want to share, yet busy with life to write two pages and submitt for consideration? No problem… we will be conducting Skype or phone interviews with women who are interested in Jan/Feb (Internet is require for Skype interviews). Through the Roof will be published in 2011 with a selection of your inspirational stories backed by scientific theories sharing the secrets to next-level results.
Make your 2011 be the year to inspire others by your life wisdom. For further information or to schedule your Skype/phone interview please contact Kalani McClain via email at kalanilehua24@gmail.com or http://www.facebook.com/#!/kalanilehua
Be sure to watch the Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders 2010-2011 Swimsuit Special on the NFL Network on January 1st at 10:30pm. This one-hour television special gives you behind the scenes access to the eco-sexy calendar shoots of the 38 beautiful Eagles Cheerleaders and chronicles their week long adventures in Rivera Mexico.
[2010-11 Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleader Calendar]
From DallasCowboysCheerleaders.com
Sunday at the Cowboys vs. Redskins game the DCC made the announcement that Brittany Evans will be their team representative to the 2011 Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The selection process is based on leadership, showmanship, dance ability and votes from the directors and squad peers.
Once Brittany returns from the USO tour to Korea, she will spend the next few weeks preparing for her trip and learning choreography from a DVD provided by the Pro Bowl choreographers. She will perform with the other NFL cheerleader representatives at the Pro Bowl game on January 30, 2011.
Brittany is a 3 year veteran from Pearl, Mississippi. She was voted “Rookie of the Year” by her peers during her rookie season and is a second group leader for the 2010 – 2011 squad. She is employed as a fitness instructor and resides in the Dallas area with her husband.
By Michael Barrett
Gaston Gazette
Back when Megan Hodge was just a teenage Wildcat attending North Gaston High School, she had never seen the Carolina Panthers play in person, and didn’t pay them much attention.
But as a fourth-year TopCat and a captain of the professional football team’s popular cheerleading and dance squad, she now has a prized position on the field for every home game at Bank of America Stadium.
“I mean, it’s amazing. It really is,” said Hodge, 25, who still lives in her hometown of Dallas. “When I tried out for the team in 2003, it was my first time in the stadium. Now I’m a diehard football fan.”
Hodge might get the most attention when she’s rallying supporters from the sidelines. But as a registered nurse who is still pursuing higher education, her life is about more than just pompoms and eye-catching outfits.
Being a TopCat means giving up a lot of free hours she might have otherwise. But she’s found it’s worth it.
“It is a big time commitment,” she said. “But it’s one of those things where whatever you put into it is what you get back.”
Working girl
Hodge’s work ethic can be traced to her days in high school. At 16, she began waitressing Friday and Saturday nights at Riverside Fish House for longtime owners Jeff and Emily Comer.
Emily Comer, whose husband is Hodge’s mother’s first cousin, said the new employee made her presence known immediately.
“She was really sweet to people,” she said. “And she has always had a savvy where she could relate to about everybody. Whether it’s the average man off the street, the top administrator at the hospital or the mayor.”
Hodge’s personality comes not from her good looks, but from her heart, Comer said.
“The most amazing thing is she’s so humble,” she said. “If you met her in the general public, she’d be just another girl. She’s beautiful inside and out.”
Hodge was still a senior at North Gaston when her father died unexpectedly, but she graduated on time in 2003 and continued working extended hours at the restaurant while attending UNC Charlotte. Her older brother, who is now 28, was a student at N.C. State at the time.
“I didn’t want to ask my mom for money and wanted to help pay for school,” she said.
Hodge has a couple of family members who are nurses, and that exposure to the medical field rubbed off on her. She graduated from nursing school in 2007 and began working for CaroMont Health at Gaston Memorial Hospital that same year.
She now works in the hospital’s intensive care unit, where registered nurses bathe, turn, medicate and sometimes feed their patients.
“It’s basically total patient care,” said Hodge. “I’m a bedside nurse, so I’m at the bedside all the time.”
She also works in the hospital’s diagnostic heart catheterization lab. And Hodge has applied for graduate school with the hope of becoming a nurse anesthetist, which would allow her to specialize in administering anesthesia before surgery.
“She never runs out of energy,” said Comer.
Dancing queen
Hodge had been involved with dancing in some capacity from the time she was 3 years old. She was on the North Gaston High School dance team, but when she got away from it in college, she missed it.She first tried out for the TopCats in 2007. Out of more than 200 hopeful young women, only 25 would survive the final cut. Hodge was one of five rookies to make the team.
“You kind of doubt yourself when you get to final auditions and there are 50 or 60 girls left,” said Hodge. “Everybody’s beautiful, and they’re all great dancers and educated.”
Now four years in, she has the third longest tenure of anyone on the squad, which has members ranging in age from 21 to 33. She just finished her second year as a captain.
TopCats are selected based on their personalities, showmanship, dance skills and physical fitness, according to the Carolina Panthers website. Auditions are intense, and those who make the team represent a variety of professions, including business, finance, teaching and medicine.
“They want us to be well-rounded individuals, to be out in the community and setting a good example for young girls,” Hodge said.
One-of-a-kind experience
Being on the team is like being a part of another big family, Hodge said. The TopCats have their own locker rooms and on-site practice area.
“We’re in each other’s personal space, so we become like sisters,” she said. “Everybody gets along with everybody.”
On Sundays with a 1 p.m. home game kickoff, the TopCats arrive at the stadium at 7 a.m. for practice and a game day run-through. They break to eat and get dressed, then do appearances outside the stadium. By 12:15 p.m., they’re in the player entrance tunnel and ready for the main event.
They practice routines every Wednesday night, and each Saturday before home games.
Certain rules apply. The TopCats must adhere to codes of conduct, such as not fraternizing with Panthers players. A team member can perform for a maximum of 10 years. They’re paid, but most perform for the enjoyment, not the check, Hodge said.
Hodge said her most disappointing experience may have come when the Panthers lost a 2009 divisional playoff game to the Arizona Cardinals. Carolina seemed on pace for greatness that January.
“I was ready to go to the Super Bowl,” she said.
The two-win 2010 season has also been tough. But Hodge said the fans make them feel appreciated.
“When we go into the end zones to dance, fans cheer and support us even if we’re losing,” she said. “We keep each other’s spirits up.”
As much as she loves it, Hodge said she may have to give up the part-time cheerleading gig once she begins graduate school. But she could always return later. And for those who’ve watched her balance a career with school and a one-of-a-kind pastime, she’s made her mark.
“I’m extremely proud of her,” said Comer. “She has just become a wonderful young lady.
Cheers for New York Knicks as Knicks City Dancer
By Lisa Kapps
Utica Observer-Dispatch
As a teenager, Latoya Brooks would head to Dancenter for practice instead of hanging out with her friends.
“I just love dancing so much,” said Brooks, a Utica native and 2006 Thomas R. Proctor High School graduate. “It’s my passion.”
For Brooks, now 22 and a Manhattan resident, hard work, passion and dedication have paid dividends: She is cheering for the NBA’s New York Knicks as a Knicks City Dancer.
On Monday night, Brooks was back at Dancenter to lead a class for some of the studio’s younger dancers, many of whom are eager to follow in Brooks’ footsteps.
‘I get to dance for a living’
Being a Knicks City Dancer has offered Brooks some tremendous opportunities, from traveling to Europe during the NBA preseason to working with charities.
But, best of all, she said, “I get to dance for a living.”
For Brooks, who has been dancing since she was 5, becoming a professional dancer is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.
She said she always hoped she would become a professional dancer, and, despite some “nerve-racking” auditions and tryouts, she acheived that dream last season.
“I’m very blessed to be dancing with the Knicks,” Brooks said.
‘She followed her dream’
Carrie Putrello, owner of Dancenter, said the class was a good opportunity for her students, who were glad to have a Dancenter alumni return to the studio.
“We’re just really proud of her,” Putrello said. “She followed her dream.”
More than a dozen girls attended Monday’s class, during which Brooks led students in a short cardiovascular workout and taught a dance routine.
Beth Sanger, 19, of Whitesboro, said Brooks has always been a role model for her.
Cristiana Cavallo, 18, of Utica, said younger dancers could emulate Brooks’ work ethic because “she’s definitely a natural talent, but she’s worked really hard.”
Brooks offered advice to the local dancers: “Never give up. Don’t be intimidated. Never give up and do your best. Anything can happen.”
She added, “I tried my best and it got me where I am today.”
Deanna is a five-year veteran and is working towards her BA in Communications.
Usually it’s Sasha who comes up with the nuggets of obscurity, but I’m patting myself on the back for this one.
Last month Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild, who is the chief executive officer of E.L. Rothschild and married to Sir Evelyn Robert de Rothschild, of THE Rothschild family, became a Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleader for a day.
Lady de Rothschild is also on the Board of Directors of Estée Lauder Companies and The Economist Group.
[Lady Rothschild at Wikipedia]
I’m buried at work under a ton of snow. (For those who don’t know, I live outside Philadelphia) But instead of dealing with the wintry weather, or recovering from the holidays, it’s time to start thinking about 2011 NFL Cheerleading Auditions!
Saturday, April 30, 2011 from 9:00 am to 11:00 am (times are approximate)
Registration starts at 9:00am
All contestants will be taught a dance and kick line combination for Preliminaries from 9:00-9:45am. There is an option for all contestants to learn the choreography early on Friday night, April 29 at Prep Class (see Prep Class Schedule). Competition starts at 10:00am.
Contestants will receive a competition number and perform the learned dance combination in groups of 5 to music we will provide (Top 40 music). After all contestants have auditioned the judges will retire to make their decisions. At approximately 11:00am call backs for the Semi-Final Phase will be posted outside the admittance gate. Those selected will re-enter the stadium at this time.
*All contestants who received a “Free Pass” at the Prep Classes must arrive by 11:00 am to register for the Semi-Final Phase.
Saturday, April 30, 2011 from 11:30 am–3:00 pm
Contestants must bring their Preliminary contestant number or their “Free Pass” to re-register for the Semi-Final Phase. Contestants will perform the dance combination and kick line in groups of 5. Upon completion of the dance section, the judges will retire to make decisions and return shortly for the announcement of those selected to advance to the next phase. Those selected will stay for a brief meeting to discuss the final phases of the Audition process: Interviews, Clinics and Performance.
(only for candidates selected at Semi-Finals)
Monday, May 2 @ Sun Life Stadium in the Cheerleader Studio 3:00pm-6:00 pm or Tuesday, May 3 @ Miami Dolphins Training Facility 3:00-6:00pm – You will sign up for a specific interview time slot on one of the above dates.
(there are three clinics you will be required to attend – only for candidates selected at Semi-Finals)
Tuesday, May 3 @ Miami Dolphins Training Facility in Davie, FL – 6:00pm-10:00pm – Clinic 1
Wednesday, May 4 @ Miami Dolphins Training Facility in Davie, FL – 6:00pm–10:00pm — Clinic 2
Thursday, May 5 @ Miami Dolphins Training Facility in Davie, FL – 6:00pm–10:00pm — Clinic 3
Saturday, May 7, 2011 from 9:00 am–3:00 pm at Aventura Mall
(Individual Talent Presentation & Group Performance – only for candidates selected at Semi-Finals)
Open to the Public — The final phase of the auditions will take place in a public location in front of an audience.
[Complete Auditions Information]
By Brooks Taylor
WOWK-TV
Stacey Sanderson is heading to Hawaii. The former Chapmanville resident and current member of the Top Cats, the cheerleading squad for the Carolina Panthers will represent the team at the 2011 NFL Pro Bowl.
“I am still in shock,” she said. “I’ve known for a couple of weeks now, but I am still shocked that it’s me.”
Stacey’s teammates voted her in to the game, and that is something she said is humbling.
“I honestly had no clue that this could happen to me, but it does and it feels so good to know that they think that much of you,” she said.
Her mother, Linda Griffith, said this honor is something that has been in the making since about the time Stacey started to walk.
“Stacey has always been a cheerleader all her life,” Griffith said. “She started doing cartwheels probably at the age of two.”
Of course she also said she didn’t know cheerleading could take her this far.
“Never imagined in a million years,” Griffith said. “You just don’t think of things like that, you don’t decide for your children what they are going to do.”
This isn’t Stacey’s first trip to Hawaii, when she was cheering for Chapmanville; she got to cheer in the Hula Bowl. While she said that trip was fun, she is glad to get the chance to go again.
“When you are 16 I don’t think you even know what is going on and you cant appreciate it, so I know this time I will take a million pictures, I will soak in every second that I’m out there,” she said.
I addition to cheering for the Panthers, Stacey has also cheered for the Charlotte Bobcats of the NBA and Charlotte’s hockey team the Checkers.
Sunny is a two-year veteran of the Ben-Gals. She has an M.P.A. Homeland Security from Upper Iowa University and a B.S.B.A. Operations Management from The Ohio State University.
