By Jim Dallke
ChicagoInno.com
The demands of working at a startup are notorious. Long hours, multiple responsibilities, and building a truly innovative business can put a lot of pressure on a young company and its employees. But if you’re used to performing in front of 20,000 screaming fans, maybe the pressures of the tech world don’t seem quite as intimidating.
Amelia Carpenter is a marketing and communications associate at Narrative Science, a Chicago startup that turns massive amounts of data into written stories. She’s also one of the newest additions to the Luvabulls, the professional dance team of the Chicago Bulls. The dual roles have Carpenter growing a tech brand and doing internal communications during the day, and practicing and performing at the United Center at night. The two jobs require vastly different skill sets, but the gigs have more in common than you might think, Carpenter said.
“At Narrative Science, we have this product and we’re working day in and day out on this team and we all have the same goal,” she said. “And ultimately we have this audience that has these expectations of us. And it’s exactly the same as being on the Luvabulls. You’re working really hard as a team to put something together and deliver to an audience.”
After a full day at Narrative Science, Carpenter practices at least twice a week with the Luvabulls, plus games. During larger performances, like for Halloween and Christmas Day games, the team will practice four times a week. And there are the autograph signings and community outreach events that keep the dancers even busier. It’s a demanding schedule for the 25-year-old Detroit native, but doable with some creative time management, she said.
“I love working on a team,” Carpenter said. “I love working toward something awesome and putting in the work and the time to make it amazing. And the performance part of it, whether it’s delivering a product at Narrative Science or performing at a game, that’s the really rewarding part for me.”
Making the Luvabulls is intensely competitive; roughly 20 women make the team of over 200 that try out. Carpenter made the 2014-15 squad after unsuccessfully trying the previous two years. A dancer all the way through college at the University of Miami Ohio, she said making the Luvabulls was a dream come true.
“You don’t always get instant gratification as a dancer, so making the team was kind of indescribable,” she said. “It was amazing. I worked really hard for it.”
In college, Carpenter was in the entrepreneurship department at Miami and always had a desire to be a journalist and tells stories. So when Narrative Science CEO Stuart Frankel came to the school (where he graduated) to give a talk, Carpenter knew that was the company she wanted to work for.
“I knew about his success at DoubleClick and the sale to Google, and I was really interested in journalism, so when Narrative Science came up it was sort of a natural fit with journalism and tech. I pretty much just emailed him until he responded for an interview.”
Having a dual role in both the tech scene and the professional dance community comes with its challenges. And Carpenter acknowledged that both professions come with their fair share of stereotypes. But Carpenter is proof that techies can be extroverted performers, and dancers can be sort of nerdy. Both communities are very open minded, she said, which is something that attracted her to both professions.
“I think both communities are accepting of all personalities, especially in tech.” she said. “There’s so many good ideas and so much innovation, you have to be (open minded). And you have to be smart to be a dancer … to be that creative and to do the things that we do.”
The jobs have Carpenter thinking about how to merge the two, like using Bulls data at Narrative Science to perform predictive analytics before the season. She said both jobs compliment her personality, and she hopes to continue the roles in the future.
“I get to have my day job, and I’m really passionate about the people I work with there. And I get to go and be really creative and pursue my passion in dance at night.”
A Baltimore Ravens Cheerleader
By Paula Wolf
LancasterOnline
The six players from the Philadelphia Eagles will not be the only ones representing the franchise at this year’s Pro Bowl in Arizona.
Joining them will be Lancaster Catholic High School graduate Alicia Marie Parks, one of the team’s 39 cheerleaders.
“It was such a humbling experience” to be chosen, said Parks, 25, who’s in her third year on the squad.
The announcement was made during the Eagles’ home game versus Dallas last month.
“I was just floored” to hear the news, said Parks, who was able to share it with her family.
A press release from the Eagles called Parks “a talented performer and fan favorite.”
Barbara Zaun, who directs the Birds cheerleaders, said in the release that Parks “is well-respected by her teammates and will be an outstanding representative … at the Pro Bowl. She is very deserving of this wonderful honor.”
A 2007 alumna of Lancaster Catholic, Parks described cheerleading for the Eagles as “a part-time job but a full-time commitment.”
She is a 2011 magna cum laude graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a bachelor’s degree in education and also received a master’s in history from Villanova University.
Parks works in Philadelphia at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania as lead educator for “HEAD for the future,” a program that promotes document-based learning in the K-12 classroom.
She said she’ll arrive in Arizona days before the Jan. 25 Pro Bowl, and faces a packed itinerary.
“We’re going to be busy as soon as we get there,” Parks said.
She was also sent the Pro Bowl choreography in advance, and “we have to learn 10 dances” ahead of time, she said.
Once they get there, the cheerleaders — one from each NFL team — will rehearse every day; do morning shows with Arizona media; and hold a cheerleading camp for special-needs children, Parks said.
“We do that with the Eagles,” she said of the camp, and it’s something Parks really enjoys.
At the Pro Bowl, which airs at 8 p.m. on ESPN, the cheerleaders will perform at halftime and throughout the game.
A presence in the community
“I’ve always been a huge Eagles fan,” said Parks, who moved to Philadelphia from North Carolina after receiving her undergraduate degree.
Her parents, Bob and Janet Parks, live in Palmyra, and she has extended family from Philadelphia.
She said her mom and dad, who will be joining her at the Pro Bowl, are big supporters. “They’ll always been there for everything I’ve done.”
Parks said she decided to try out for the Eagles’ cheerleading squad because she wanted to get back to dancing.
While at Lancaster Catholic, she performed in musicals and had other dance experience.
The Birds cheerleaders “are mostly a dance team,” she said.
So Parks went to the yearly auditions, where she was among 500 or so women.
Only eight new cheerleaders were chosen — and she was one of them.
“I was overjoyed,” Park said, and a little bit shocked, too.
Now a squad veteran, she said she’s established a bond with her fellow cheerleaders. “I love getting to hang out with them every week.”
So what’s involved in being an Eagles cheerleader? A lot more than performing during home games, it turns out.
Park said the women “do a ton of events to promote NFL PLAY 60,” a campaign to encourage kids to get the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity a day.
They also push breast cancer awareness, a cause close to her heart because it’s affected members of her family, she said.
The cheerleaders show up at schools, businesses and charities, and participate in salute-to-veterans events, Parks said.
“We are everywhere,” she said — even planting trees.
She said she likes to encourage girls especially to follow their dreams.
“It’s a lot of fun to make public appearances,” Parks said, particularly with children.
[Alicia at PhiladelphiaEagles.com]
The New Orleans VooDoo packed the legendary Hard Rock Café on Saturday afternoon for the 2015 New Orleans VooDoo Doll Finals. Hundreds of patrons were in attendance to see the VooDoo finalists compete for a spot as a 2015 VooDoo Doll.
The franchise is very pleased to announce that 20 young ladies have been selected to represent the franchise for the 2015 season as VooDoo Dolls.
“I’m so thrilled for the amount of talent and beauty we have on the team,” said VooDoo Doll Director Bridget Cordes. “These ladies worked so hard for a spot, and I couldn’t be more proud of each and every one of them.”
“Throughout these last two weeks the finalists really showed some amazing talent and personality,” said VooDoo Doll Director Brittany (B-Dub) Warden. “It was extremely difficult picking just 20 girls, but I am so proud of our 2015 VooDoo Dolls.”
The New Orleans VooDoo welcomes back 12 VooDoo Doll veterans, having danced for the team last year or in year’s prior.
The 2015 VooDoo Doll Dance Team is listed below:
Brittany (B-Dub)
Victoria
Jennifer
Taylor
Kenitra
Minnie
Ariel
Tayloranne
Kayla
Angela
Brittany
Lindsey
Kaileigh
Tai
Marci
Regina
Christian
Niki
Meagan
Lon Rai
Carley of the Philadelphia Soulmates
A West Chester Knicks Dancer
From Vikings.com
This year the MVC had the opportunity to travel to Cancun Mexico with Miller Lite and the Vikings! This is the 5th year the Touchdown in the Tropics has taken place, and it was a blast! Who doesn’t want to go to Cancun to help cheer on the Purple and Gold in the middle of winter?
Mollie (5th year), Rhea (5th year) and Lauryn (3rd year) traveled with me (Kristin, 3rd Year) to hype up the fans, and congratulate some Miller Lite representatives on a wonderful year in helping to raise money for the Vikings Children’s fund! EJ Henderson took the trip as well, who is currently helping communities in MN implement the NFL Play 60 programs. Needless to say, we had quite the fun group along for the celebration!
We began our weekend with a 4:30am call time in the chilly Twin Cities and were soon at the beautiful resort in Cancun, Mexico. The weather was as good as you can imagine, with the ocean was so blue, it was hard to believe! We took pictures with fans, and had a “Welcome to Touchdown in the Tropics” dinner, complete with cactus salad! (Yes we tried it!) Everyone enjoyed the music and all inclusive dinner, well into the night! It was a great to be outside and away from the cold MN weather!
We took advantage of our free time, and relaxed by the beach just about every minute we weren’t in costume! On Sunday, us MVC started the day with a mini beach workout, followed by laying in the sun until it was game time! Fans found their favorite beachfront couch spot, and enjoyed the Packer loss to Buffalo before the Vikings took on the Lions. Mike “Muss” Mussman emceed the game, and Miller Lite gave away great prizes at halftime – signed jerseys and footballs from MN Vikings players. (I secretly wished I could have won!) Imagine the sand in your toes, playing bean-bags, an all-inclusive buffet and a giant TV screen on the beach…You definitely can’t get that experience in Minnesota!
It was a fun getaway for all the fans, and us MVC. We were blessed for the opportunity to cheer on the Vikes in a new location, and to just RELAX! 🙂
Until next time, SKOL!
Kristin, 3rd year MVC
Formed in the summer of 2014 The Orange County Lawgirls and Lawmen are a non-profit organization as well as a member of the NPSFL (National Public Safety Football League).
The Orange County Lawgirls
During the season, football games are held against similar teams in the league to raise funds for ther respective charities. A few charities the Lawgirls are heavily active in are the Officer Bob Henry Memorial Scholarship, Special Olympics of Southern California, and Project 999. Off season, the Lawgirls and Lawmen host charity events and fundraisers for the organization and charities.
[Orange County Lawgirls on Facebook]
The Tampa Bay Storm is pleased to announce the members of the 2015 Cheerleader Squad.
“We are looking forward to getting to work and preparing for the upcoming season,” said Tampa Bay Storm Director of Cheerleaders Kindra Strocher-Ebanks. “We had an excellent group of ladies tryout for the team which made it tough for us to narrow down to the final 15. However, we are confident that we selected a group that will make the fans, and the Tampa Bay community, proud.”
Storm Cheerleaders perform at all home games and dedicate two evenings a week to practice. However, while they may be cheerleaders, they also act as ambassadors in the community. The cheerleaders visit hospitals, food banks, community centers and the armed forces, in addition to participating in many other programs and charities that help benefit the Tampa Bay community.
The 15-member squad is comprised of eight returning veterans and seven rookies.
Here are the 2015 Storm Cheerleaders:
2015 STORM CHEERLEADER ROSTER
VETERANS
Philippa, Captain
Jalyssa, Captain
Megan
Erika
Annie
Lexxie
Salina
Shaniqua
ROOKIES
Sara
Alexis
La’Dreauna
Kayla
Allison
Cristina
Tyanne
A Dallas Stars Ice Girl
