Jenna is a former Tennessee Titans Cheerleader.
From the WRCBTV.com
Jenna McKee joined the Channel 3 Eyewitness News staff in June 2008. You can see her reports throughout the week on Eyewitness News at 6:00 and Chattanooga’s #1 newscast, Eyewitness News at 11:00. Jenna is a Tennessee native and most recently worked for WKRN-TV in Nashville as a reporter. Before her stop in the Music City, Jenna was an Anchor/Reporter for WBBJ-TV in Jackson, TN. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Electronic Media Journalism from Middle Tennessee State University where she was a Blue Raider cheerleader.
Our list of reporters is here.
Kiko Martinez
Examiner.com
After three seasons as a professional cheerleader for the NBA’s Sacramento Kings from 2001-2003, Vanessa Born decided to head south to L.A. to pursue her dream of becoming an actress. Since making the trip to Hollywood, she has earned small parts on shows such as “Hannah Montana” and “CSI: NY.” Born, who is part Spanish, now stars in “Bring it On: Fight to the Finish,” the fifth installment of the popular cheerleading series.
Vanessa Born and Christina Milian star in “Bring it On: Fight to the Finish.”
Were you a fan of the first four movies?Oh, yeah. The very first movie set it off for me. I was a cheerleader in high school and college and then in the NBA. Basically, these are movies that you live and die by.
So, you were one of those cheerleaders that knew all the dialogue word for word and loved spirit fingers?(Laughs) Yes! I remember slumber parties and reciting those movies verbatim.
Since the “Bring it On” series has its own fan base, did that put more pressure on the cast to live up to expectations?
There was actually pressure to give it something new like the different mechanics and different cheerleading combinations. The writing is really funny. Our two writers are comedy writers that gave us something amazing to work with. Then, luckily, we were working with an awesome director, too. If you felt like there was something you wanted to improv, [director Billie Woodruff] would let you go and do it. We just went with it.
With all your experience in cheerleading, I’m guessing there wasn’t anything too challenging in terms of choreography.You’d be surprised. I was a professional dancer in the NBA for three years with the Sacramento Kings. Even still, the training was so intense! I was surprised. My butt got kicked on that set a lot.
So, are you a Sacramento Kings fan?
Of course. It’s so hard living in L.A. Everybody’s got something to say.
Tell me about cheerleading in the NBA.
Cheerleading in the NBA really prepared me a lot for acting. I was really shocked. You go through so much media training and how to present yourself. In Sacramento, to be a cheerleader, you have to go through a lot. It’s hard work. I give it up to every dancer in the NBA who is going for the gold. They have a really tough job but it’s a really fun job.After three seasons with the Kings, why did you decide to leave?
I wanted to be an actress. I was the clown on the squad. I was always cracking jokes. I was always the one with the cheesy smile. I thought about it and I really wanted to go to L.A. and act. Luckily, I had a very supportive team. They were very supportive when I left.
Since you have so much experience, were you the one on the set everyone would go to if they wanted cheerleading tips?
If anyone wanted to rehearse I was always available. I was always the one saying, “Okay, let’s do it again!” Everyone would be like, “Alright! We’ve done it 6,000 times already!” But 6,001 would make you even better.
Any bumps and bruises along the way?
(Laughs) Yes! I got very injured in a stunt that we tried. It was pretty awesome, but I pulled a back muscle. It was my first pulled muscle ever. I’ve never broken or pulled anything in my entire cheerleading career. I was out for a couple of days. You get a lot of bruises on your legs, but it’s nothing you can’t handle.
So, for those people who say that cheerleading isn’t a real sport, you just show them your bruises?
Oh my gosh! Anyone that says cheerleading isn’t a real sport is crazy! Just look at any of the ESPN cheerleading competitions. They do some of the most amazing acrobatic performances I’ve ever seen in my life.
Former LA and Oakland Raiderette Alise Cayen has written an inspiring children’s story about a young girl who works hard to realize a dream in Patty Pom-Poms.
Patty Klapinsky would give anything to be a sports star like her brothers — to belong to something — but she can’t seem to find her niche.
Encouraged by her brother, Patty goes to one of his football games and is mesmerized by the cheerleaders. The very next day, Patty gets to work, making her own pom-poms and practicing every day in order to be the best she can be!
The big day for cheerleader tryouts finally arrives and Patty knows that she has what it takes to be a great cheerleader. Does Patty make the team? What lessons does she learn along the way?
Cayen’s inspiring story is engaging and sends a message about persistence and hard work toward realizing dreams and accomplishing goals. Drawn from her own personal experience as a professional cheerleader and dancer, her narrative brings her characters to life with vivid description and rhythmic dialogue; her children’s tale is an outstanding work of fiction with a wonderful message.
Alise Cayen was a professional cheerleader for the Los Angeles and Oakland Raiders for seven years. She has an extensive dance background and has worked as a high school cheerleading and dance coach. Ms. Cayen is a television producer, scriptwriter, poet, high school dance and English instructor and coordinates a police academy magnet school, preparing high school students for law enforcement careers. Ms. Cayen is writing the second volume of Patty Pom-Poms in her Cheerventures series and has just completed a children’s book about police officers. She resides in Los Angeles.
Buy the book here.
The IceGators are proud to announce the final dancers to join the GatorGirls Dance Team: Brittany Hale, Krysten Theriot, Kristy Jimenez, Ashton Vilcan, Chasidy Gautreaux, and Sheridan Riles. The girls have a wide array of experience ranging from cheerleading to professional dance teams throughout Louisiana and Texas and are eager to start the new season.
The girls will be led by choreographer April Lafargue and coordinator Lisa Chouest. Lafargue has over 24 years of dance experience, and over ten years of teaching and directing experience. She was a member of the Lake Charles Civic Ballet Company and studied with the Broadway Dance Center, The Edge Performing Arts Center, and Millennium Dance Complex. Chouest is the reigning Mrs. Gulf Coast and a former new Orleans Saints Saintsation.
Mrs. Louisiana Gulf Coast
Lisa Chouest
1st Alternate
Mrs. Louisiana United States
Imani Josey won the coveted title of Miss Chicago in March and was named to the Luvabulls’ 2009.10 team in August
From Bulls.com
Over the last two seasons, a member of the Chicago Luvabulls has claimed Miss Illinois USA honors. With the selection of the 2009.10 team in August, the Luvabulls now have the reigning Miss Chicago on their team too.
A trained dancer and award-winning playwright, Imani Josey won the coveted title of Miss Chicago on March 28, 2009. Shortly following that success, she went on to place as a Top Ten Finalist at the Miss Illinois Scholarship Pageant 2009, a Miss America Pageant preliminary.
The magna cum laude graduate of Howard University is “extremely excited” to put forth her mentorship program for young ladies entitled CROWNS, while joining efforts with Triple Threat Mentoring, a program that assists urban youth in Aurora, IL.
Josey is a former editorial intern for Jet Magazine, having written cover stories and having conducted interviews with celebrities and business professionals. She has also held internships with the legal advocacy organization the Advancement Project as well as the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
In 2005, her one-act play GRACE was selected by the Pegasus Players theater company over 600 entries across the city and was produced at the Chicago Cultural Center at the annual Young Playwrights Festival. She now serves as a judge for the annual competition. A dancer since the age of 3, Josey also cheerleads with the Chicago Mustang Dancers and serves as the team’s co-captain. Josey is also a volunteer for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.
Josey is a former Miss John H. Johnson School of Communications (2006-07) at Howard University and (MAAC) District Miss Black and Gold for Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. She graduated from Whitney M. Young Magnet High School in 2004.
A quick trip to Jacksonville last weekend to catch The ROAR (yes it’s always capitalized) of Jacksonville.
Two-year veteran Kelley is a nursing student.
This is the end of the routine that The ROAR perform each time the Jaguars make a 1st down.
Let’s meet The ROAR Captains:
Amanda graduated with a degree specializing in business management from the University of North Florida. Off the field, her entrepreneurial dream of becoming her own boss has come to life through her thriving business. She was named Veteran of the Year for the 2008-2009 season. During the game on Saturday, the three year veteran was honored on the scoreboard and in the game program as The ROAR Member of the game.”
Laurie is a graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in health administration. Laurie was Miss River City USA 2009 and is the founder of PROJECT GIRL TALK- a teen advocacy program. After graduation she will be pursuing a career as a United States Navy Officer. This is Laurie’s 5th season with The ROAR.
Kristen is a graduate of Bethune-Cookman University with a B.A. in sociology. She is a graduate student pursing a MA in counseling and works as a counselor. This is her 5th season with The ROAR.
Kayla S. is a full time wife, mother and business owner. She is involved in several charitable organizations in the community helping children with special needs. She was named the Rookie of the Year for the 2008-2009 season. This is her second season with The ROAR.
By Jason Brisbois
WickedLocal.com
The screaming fans. The noise and excitement of Foxboro Stadium. Cheering on the hometown New England Patriots, a winning franchise. Travel around the globe.
Sounds like a pretty sweet deal, right?
According to Julie Warner, it certainly is. Warner – a Gloucester resident who grew up in the city and attended Gloucester High School – is in her third season as a New England Patriots cheerleader. She is a team captain this year, and is one of the most experienced members of the squad.
Despite all of the benefits, however, it’s in no way an easy job. While most fans are just now gearing up for the upcoming football season in August, Warner and the other cheerleaders began the 2009 football season in late February, just a few short weeks after the completion of the Super Bowl. The job requires months upon months of tryouts, practices, games, charity events and publicity events. And this doesn’t even factor in each member of the squad also juggling a full-time job at the same time to pay the bills.
“I have a full-time job as well as that, and I teach dance one day a week in Woburn,” explains Warner, who also works as a field sales representative. “So I have three jobs. This is definitely something that is a full-time commitment, but a part-time job.
“We obviously have a couple of practices a week,” she continues. “And we do promotions and appearances. Then there are the games we do. We also work with junior cheerleaders, where we have a clinic and all the kids come to that. It’s different every week.”
As a team captain this season, Warner’s responsibilities have expanded to being a leader for the 28 other members of the squad she works with throughout the year. The cheerleaders will get together during their own off time to make sure they are all on the same page, and Warner has a big part in this.
“Sometimes we get together by ourselves because there are a lot of things we need to know,” says the Gloucester resident. “Whether its cheers or dances, I’m one of the captains, so I try to make sure everyone gets together and knows what they’re doing.”
A former GHS cheerleader and an avid dancer (she attended Miss Tina’s dance school locally as part of her initial training), Warner currently one of the most tenured and experienced members of the team. After graduating from Gloucester High, Warner went to Salem State College and concentrated on dance, joining the school’s reparatory dance theater. After graduating from college, the Gloucester native decided she wanted to take the next logical step.
“When I was done with college, I wanted to pursue dancing and cheering along those lines,” says Warner. “I ended up auditioning for the Patriots, trying to make that a goal I was trying to achieve. So, I felt personally, when you’re at the top, where you’ve done dance and so much stuff, this is the greatest thing that can come out of it. I did it more or less after college because I knew I’d have to drive to Foxboro for practices, and I wanted to be more established so I could give it more of a commitment.”
And what a commitment it is, even from the start. For example, even cheerleaders who made the squad last season have to go through tryouts once again a year later. It’s a process that can be harrowing, even for a three-year veteran.
“You have auditions and 300-400 people show up,” explains Warner. “You go through a couple of rounds of dances and different things like that. You get to show some freestyle dancing, and then do things they show you. If you move on to the finals, that narrows it down to 50-60 girls, including girls returning and trying to make the team again.”
After the finals, the field is narrowed down to 35, and that group is further paired down to the final number (29 this season, 24 last season) after a two-week boot camp. And this all occurs well before the football teams begin training camps.
But the effort is worth it to those who do make the team. As Warner described, there’s always something different on the schedule each week. She has traveled to Aruba and the Dominican Republic to take part in the team’s annual swimsuit calendar. She was with the team when the Patriots battled against the Giants in the Super Bowl a couple of years ago. And in July of 2008, she was able to travel to China with the team.
“It’s really cool, because obviously I’ve never been anywhere like that,” says Warner. “Because I was doing this with the Patriots, I got my first passport. We traveled to China and we worked with Chinese cheerleaders and mascots.”
It’s opportunities such as these that Warner will cherish more than ever; this will also be her last season with the team. There is a limit of three years of cheering with the Patriots, and after this season, Warner will retire. And while the term “retirement” brings to mind images of life moving at a slower pace, that’s a notion that she won’t embrace entirely. To begin with, she is looking forward to getting married in May. She will continue to work her full-time job in sales. She also may start teaching more with more time available to her.
“Honestly, I think as much as I love it and would end up doing it every year that I could, it’s also something that gives you closure,” says Warner. “Once you get to retire, you’ll always be a part of that. That’s also one thing that’s really good about it. There’s only 29 spots available, and for that many girls to audition every single year, it’s something that allows other girls a chance to step on the sidelines.”
Warner may also set aside some personal time for the first time in recent memory for herself over the coming year.
“Since I was young, I was such a busybody, and I liked to do things and dance,” she says. “I never got to sit still and enjoy a summer. I’ve always had five jobs that led to a full-time job. Next year, I want to kind of relax and take a step back and see what I’ve done, and then move on with the adult things in life.”
There are, however, things Warner will miss about being a cheerleader for the New England Patriots.
“I love that every year, I’ve made a whole bunch of new friends,” she says. “I like that I get to be on the field with the Patriots, cheering them on in front of 70,000 fans. The music is going, the fans get going, and that’s the most exciting part of it because everyone is so excited. The excitement and feeling you get at the beginning of a game, that’s one thing I will actually miss.”
Thanks to Ron who sent us a few photos from a recent Redskins Cheerleaders appearance at Eastern Motors.
Kristen and Chastity
Redskins Cheerleaders Alumni
The Redskinsmobile
[Washington Redskins Cheerleaders]
[Washington Redskins Cheerleaders Alumni Association]
Top Row, L to R: Christy, Virgilia, Jenna S., Lacey, Danielle, Ashton, Kendra, Nicole, Tara, Nina, Jenna H.
Bottom Row, L to R: Kari, Heather, Kelly, Erin, Victoria, Krizia, Ashley, Rachael, Alexandra
More photos here.
