From Colts.com
Hey Colts Nation! My name is Kaiti, and I am so excited to be your Cheerleader of the week!
I feel extremely blessed to be a Sweetheart of the Horseshoe for a third season. I absolutely love being on this team and I feel so fortunate to have had so many incredible opportunities through this experience. Some of my favorite memories include traveling to Puerto Vallarta and Cancun for our calendar shoots, road tripping to Boston with teammates for the AFC Championship game, cheering in the 2nd largest playoff comeback against Kansas City, being awarded “2015 Most Improved,” and skydiving to benefit Canopies for Kids.
Aside from being a cheerleader, I have a full time career as a Medical Device Sales Representative. Time management is definitely always a challenge, but I still try to make as much time as possible for friends and family. I enjoy trying new restaurants, boating, going to country concerts, and cuddling up to watch a Red Box with my boyfriend and puppy.
I would like to thank my amazing family, friends and boyfriend for their continued love and support. I would not be where I am today without them. A big thank you to you, Colts Nation, for being the absolute best fans in the NFL! You are the heartbeat of this team and your passion and energy is what makes my job as a cheerleader so much fun. I also have to give a special thanks to the Colts organization as well as my incredible teammates and coach for making this experience so special and memorable. I am so honored to be on this team!
I cannot wait to see what the rest of this season has in store. Go Colts!
You graduated from Purdue University with Honors. What was your secret with balancing work and school?
Self discipline and time management! School has always been very important to me, but I also like to stay very involved. While at Purdue, I was on the Golduster Dance Team, Director of Events for my sorority, Alpha Phi, and worked part time as a waitress at McGraw’s Steakhouse. Prioritizing and staying organized were essential in order to be successful.
You previously competed in the Miss Indiana USA Pageant. Have pageants always interested you?
The Miss Indiana USA Pageant was actually my very first pageant ever! However, I did have multiple friends that had participated in pageants and encouraged me to try. I always like trying new things and challenging myself so I decided I would go for it. Needless to say, I was extremely surprised and honored to be a semi-finalist.What was going through your mind when you found out that you were this year’s cover girl for the 2015-2016 Indianapolis Colts Cheerleaders Swimsuit Calendar?
AM I DREAMING?! Someone pinch me! I was so surprised! There are so many beautiful women on this team, so it was extremely humbling to see my face on the cover. Every time I see the calendar it still seems surreal.You recently got a new job, tell us about your new profession!
Yes! I recently got a position as a Sales Representative for a Medical Device company and I absolutely love it! I get to work with Doctors that do peripheral vascular procedures. I look a little different during the day in my scrubs!
Finish the sentence: I can’t leave home without…
…feeling guilty because my puppy always cries.
A Boston Sparks Dancer
The Mavs Dancers Calendar is a 28-page, Americana-themed swimsuit calendar featuring the newest dance team for the 2015-16 season. The 11X11 calendar highlights a different dancer each month, and was shot over two days at the Branded T Ranch.
The Sun has some great big photos of the DCC from the game on Thanksgiving.
By David Perlmutt
Charlotte Observer
Forgive Carl Leonall if he can’t take his eyes off the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders on Thanksgiving Day at AT&T Stadium in Texas.
Leonall has been a Carolina Panthers fan since Day 1, though he’ll be a little discrete about it when the Panthers play the Cowboys at 4:30 p.m. It’s his youngest of three daughters, 22-year-old Amy, who he’ll be pulling for mostly.
She’s a rookie member of the renowned cheerleading squad.
Born and raised in Charlotte, Amy grew up a Panthers fan. “But once she made the squad and drank the Kool-Aid, she’s become a devoted Cowboys fan,” Carl said, waiting to board a plane Tuesday with daughter Sarah, 24. Oldest daughter Heather, 25, was driving to Dallas. His wife Charlene was already there.
“She’s like Alice in Wonderland; it’s a fantasy land for her – so exciting. She loves the organization and her job.”
Amy, a graduate of Covenant Day School in Matthews, was never a cheerleader in school. Her parents first took her to Miller Street Dancing Academy when she was 18 months old. She danced there until she left for Oklahoma City University in Oklahoma, where in May she graduated with a fine arts degree in dance performance.
In 2010, she won the Miss Dance of North Carolina contest, and placed sixth in tap dancing in the national contest. She was the top female tap dancer.
Her ultimate goal is to dance in musicals on Broadway in New York, her father said.
For now, she’s a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader and instructs at two dance studios, teaching children and high school dancers and coaching routines to dance teams.
“Until she reaches her goal, the Cowboys Cheerleaders have provided the opportunity for her to try something new,” Leonall said. “It’s her first job out of college.”
The past two summers, she danced for the Mary Kay cosmetics convention at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas. Driving by AT&T Stadium this summer “she had the initial thought to try out for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders,” her father said.
“A gal in her class at school was trying out and encouraged her to do it.”
More than 500 women auditioned. The group was winnowed down to 48 at a boot camp, before Amy was included on the 32-member squad. She’s one of 14 rookies. Before the Cowboys’ first pre-season game, her family moved her to Dallas, and took a tour of the stadium that included the cheerleaders’ locker-room.
There, the Leonalls found a six-foot-tall photo of Amy over her locker. “It brought tears to my eyes,” Carl Leonall said.
Before he left for Dallas, his friends asked who he’d cheer for. He told them he loves the 10-0 team and a 11-0 team would look even better.
“But mostly I’ll be cheering for my daughter and the family will be together for Thanksgiving,” he said. “We’re real proud of her and she’s having the time of her life.”
Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article46486890.html#storylink=cpy
A Dallas Stars Ice Girl
Congrats to Minnesota Vikings Cheerleader Giana who in her first attempt at Miss Minnesota USA finished as the 4th runner-up last night.
By Deirdre Kelly
The Globe and Mail
Onto the brightly lit basketball court the 22 members of the Raptors Dance Pak shimmy into formation, shaking their miniskirts for 20,000 screaming fans crammed inside Toronto’s Air Canada Centre.
It’s early November, just three weeks into the season, and the home team is trying to bounce back from a two-game losing streak. After three quarters, the New York Knicks are proving an even match for the Raptors and the dancers are moving fast to hype up the crowd.
An NBA basketball game is the funhouse of the modern sporting world: For every stoppage in play, there’s a prize giveaway or a call for the crowd to get LOUD. The DJ fills nearly every silence with booming rock and hip hop. The Dance Pak is the pulsating human embodiment of that choreographed chaos.
The dancers’ two-minute bursts of dancing are the equivalent of an 800-metre run, done with a smile that belies the fitness, talent and dedication required to earn a coveted spot on the squad. (Photos by Mark Blinch for The Globe and Mail)The dancers’ two-minute bursts of dancing are the equivalent of an 800-metre run, done with a smile that belies the fitness, talent and dedication required to earn a coveted spot on the squad. “We are a key element of the in-game entertainment and so all our performances need to be full of energy,” choreographer Amberley Waddell explains.
A Waterloo, Ont., native, Ms. Waddell started with the Dance Pak at 19. She learned first-hand that for dance to succeed on a 94-by-50-foot basketball court, it needs to be big, bold and bootilicious. No pom-poms, though, just bump-and-grind hip hop and big-kicks jazz dance.
New York choreographer Texie Waterman is credited with having created sports-stadium dance when he was recruited to generate explosive on-field routines for the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders in the 1970s. Ms. Waddell has taken that style and modernized it: The introduction of lunges and squats and the heightened emphasis on muscularity are moves she learned while performing with Beyoncé and Gladys Knight in Los Angeles, and Bette Midler in Las Vegas. Her 40 routines also focus on the little details, such as hand claps over the head, finger snaps and flicks of the wrist and hair.
Since auditions in July, the dancers have been meeting three times a week to prepare for 41 game performances.
Each routine is drilled into the pack in a downtown Toronto gym lined with mirrors that grow steamy during the three-hour practices. The dancers have been meeting there thrice weekly since passing the audition in July. Throughout the season (which runs from late October to mid-April – and that doesn’t include a playoff run), they will clock between 45 and 50 three-hour rehearsals to prepare for at least 41 game performances plus community appearances – this year, there is even a game in London. The sessions start with a 30-minute warm-up that includes planks, push-ups and ab-crunching sit-ups by the hundreds. The rest is given over to cardio training and figuring out how to dance in the round, a challenge to dancers used to facing front and trained to watch themselves in a mirror.
The talent needed to be a part of the Dance Pak isn’t lost on Kenny Pearl, a former dancer with the famed Alvin Ailey and Martha Graham dance companies who was artistic director of Toronto Dance Theatre in the 1980s. Now a senior dance faculty member at Ryerson University, Mr. Pearl has had several Dance Pak members in his classes. “Their bodies can take a beating with the short, high-voltage bursts of energy required of them,” he observes. That they can recover so quickly is another reason Mr. Pearl admires their work.
“I see the Dance Pak as a group of smart, talented, beautiful and powerful women,” says Tamara, a 23-year-old rookie, of why she desperately wanted to join. (Dance Pak members do not disclose their surnames so as to keep overzealous fans at bay.) She is a former competitive dancer who runs her own photography studio. “It is very empowering.”
Even off the court the dancers are tossing giveaways or clapping from the sidelines.
It is also highly remunerative, an attractive prospect for dancers who often make much less in their industry. The Dance Pak are employees of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, the company that manages the Raptors and the Toronto Maple Leafs, and are prohibited from disclosing their salaries. But “it’s one of the best and most rewarding dance contracts in the city,” says Kalina, an office worker by day who teaches at a dance studio on nights when not performing.
This season, there were 250 applicants and fewer than two dozen made the final cut. Even dancers from last season must reaudition.
“There’s so much talent present,” says Monique, a first-year member who trained as a ballerina. “You have this one opportunity to put it all on the floor for the judges to see or else that’s it, you’re cut.”
For this 24-year-old, the payoff is maintaining a strong connection to dance while engaged in other pursuits such as, say, pre-med studies at the University of Toronto, where Monique is doing a master’s degree in neuroscience.
Game days – usually a 7:30 p.m. start time – mean a 3:30 on-court rehearsal to work out line formations, which are especially important for crowds watching performances from the upper tiers of the ACC. Next, the dancers proceed to the dressing room to do hair and makeup. Then, it’s showtime.
There are 22 members in the group, who all auditioned from a field of 250 applicants. Even returning dancers must reaudition each season.
The dancers are on even when they are off the court: running into the stands, tossing giveaways, clapping from the sidelines when the ball is in play. Which is what they are doing right now. The Knicks are leading the Raptors by only a few points as the game enters its final minutes. Tensions in the arena run high. The dancers watch nervously on the edges.
They have divided themselves into two squads of 11 dancers in adjacent corridors leading to team dressing rooms. They clap rhythmically, and enthusiastically, urging the crowd to stand and clap along.
If the Raptors can overcome the deficit, the dancers will rush back onto the court to do a victory dance. But in the final seconds, the Knicks hit a succession of free throws and hang on to defeat the Raptors 111-109.
The crowd shuffles home disappointed. The team will regroup. The Dance Pak will strut their stuff at other games.
A Minnesota Vikings Cheerleader
From Colts.com
Hello, Colts Nation! My name is Leslie Ann and not only am I ready for a fun-filled Thanksgiving, but I am ecstatic to be your Cheerleader of the Week!
This is my first year as an Indianapolis Colts Cheerleader and all I have to say is “pinch me, I’m still dreaming”! This experience is not only a dream of mine, but it’s a blessing in disguise as well. I am constantly surrounded by ambitious, inspiring and talented women who are so encouraging week after week and day after day. I have always been a part of a team and let me just say, this is one of the best teams I have been a part of not only because of my amazing teammates but because of the loving and dedicated Colts fans and community. Indianapolis is such an amazing city that is constantly growing and I am so blessed to be a part of it.
Growing up I played numerous sports and even continued to do so in college at the wonderful Indiana State University, GO SYCAMORES! After college, I did not want to stop dancing so I took the next step, tried out for Colts Cheerleading and here I am, halfway through my Rookie season and loving every single second of it. Shortly after making the 2015-2016 squad, I graduated Indiana State, packed my bags (and two cats) and moved to Broad Ripple with 3 of my other amazing cheer sisters. I am also a trainer at our wonderful sponsor Core Pilates and Fitness and I absolutely love what I do; whipping people into shape and encouraging good health. Fitness is a huge part of my life that not only keeps me motivated and working hard but it makes my dance career that much easier on my body which I will be thankful for in years to come.
I would love to thank my huge, supportive family for always believing in me and encouraging me to follow my dreams as well as the amazing Sullivan County for always showing hometown love! I would also love to thank all of my past sports coaches for pushing me, especially Indiana State’s very own Tammy Schaffer. Thank you Tammy for believing in this dream of mine and being there not only as a coach but a wonderful friend, mentor and for always having my back when I needed help. Last but certainly not least, I would love to thank the Colts Organization, Colts fans, sponsors and my Colts Cheer Sisters as well as Coach Kelly; I have felt so much love and support from all of you in this season and I want you to know how deeply appreciated you all are!
You were the last cheerleader to shoot for the Colts Cheerleaders Swimsuit Calendar! What was going through your mind at this time?
First off, I was in paradise in the amazing Cancun, Mexico so it was a comfortable environment to relax in, especially since hot weather is my favorite. Secondly, I was very nervous because it was my first time out of the country and first time doing a swimsuit shoot! Although I could not dive right in to all of the wonderful desserts our resort had to offer, my cheer sisters gave me great advice as well as Matt Bowen and the entire staff; they all made me feel very in my element and made the shoot a fun experience! I was anxious at first but was happy to hear those words, “It’s a Wrap”!
You’re obsessed with older houses. What about them do you love most?
Yes! I grew up and was raised in an old farm house that was built in the late 1800’s. It’s one of those houses that first had horse hair as insulation and if the pool, washer, dryer and AC was all running then it would blow a fuse and we would have to run down to the local hardware store to buy more for the power to turn back on. My mom has a huge influence on my love for older houses; we would always take bike rides and trips even to old historical houses and I fell in love with the architecture, old stair cases, the history/stories of who lived there and even the smell of older houses. History was my favorite subject growing up and I can definitely tell you I will reside in a colonial house that has an intriguing history behind it.
As a rookie, what has been the highlight of your professional NFL cheerleading career thus far?
I would have to say every single second I am with my teammates or wearing my uniform. When you work really hard for something that has been a goal of yours for a long time, you learn to be thankful for every part of it when you accomplish that goal. Every practice my teammates are so encouraging and positive, the outreaches and appearances make me feel like a super hero when I see a fan’s face light up over an autograph or picture; on game day, from the tunnel, to the whole crowd singing the National Anthem, and from performing in front of thousands, to praying after the game with my team, win or lose. I am trying to bottle up as much as possible so I can remember the memories not only this year but in many years to come.
How do you plan on spending your Thanksgiving holiday this week? Black Friday Shopping? Cooking with your family?I plan on spending as much time as possible with my family, friends, dogs and cats back home. Every year since I can remember, my family goes to Bloomington to spend Thanksgiving with my grandparents as well as my aunts, uncles, and cousins. I have a huge family so I plan on it being loud, crazy and tons of food! As for Black Friday Shopping, I have never been and I am not sure I ever want to endure the crazy crowds. I typically don’t like to shop anyways, so this girl will be curled up on the couch with some hot cocoa doing some online shopping if need be. And of course I cook with my family! I’d like to think my family has the best cooks around because I never leave hungry or unsatisfied, plus there are always left overs! My mom and myself will be making our traditional pumpkin roll which is probably my favorite holiday dessert.
My oddest Thanksgiving family tradition is…
Besides eating until I can no longer breathe, I have two odd Thanksgiving family traditions. As I already said, my family all meets at my grandparents’ house in Bloomington where their backyard starts out with their huge deck on stilts wandering into the woods. Every year myself, my brothers, cousins and now my niece and nephew look outside at dusk and try and spot the “reindeer”. We love Christmas so we try and spot Santa’s reindeer a little early. My grandparents always leave out salt blocks and shucked corn so it never fails. Even a couple of squirrels and raccoon hop in on the insanity. The second tradition is all of the grandkids and great grandkids fighting over who gets to pull a part the wish bone! Of course, out of the lucky two who are chosen, the one who pulls the bigger piece of the wishbone gets to make a wish and basically wins bragging rights for the rest of the year!
