A passion for dancing and a desire to celebrate her 40th birthday in a monumental way were two things that led Kriste Lewis to the New Orleans Saints’ practice facility for a life-changing experience.
Standing before a panel of judges, Lewis combated her nerves by remembering her husband’s motto — “focus and fun” — as she tried out for the New Orleans Saintsations in April.
After six months of dance, fitness training and the love and support of her family and friends, Lewis said she prepared herself to mark a life experience off her bucket list.
“For me, trying out for the Saintsations was something I always wanted to do,” she said. “It was on my bucket list. I grew up on the coast and was a Saints fan all my life. … I went into (the tryout) with the idea that the audition would be a celebration.”
Saintsations Director Lesslee Fitzmorris said Lewis’ attitude and training paid off.
“When she needed to blend with the others, she did, and when she needed to stand out, she did,” Fitzmorris said. “For example, the first audition was a dance audition. None of the judges knew her age and judged her strictly on her presentation and dance ability. The second phase of the audition process was the professional interview. It was during this phase that Kriste stood out. In the final selection process, it was a unanimous decision to put her on the team.”
Serving her church and community as a dance fitness instructor, the mother of two said she never expected to be reacquainted with a part of herself she’d lost when she began training to try out for the NFL cheerleading team.
“I had honestly forgotten how much I loved to dance,” she said. “When you’re an instructor and you’re in that situation, you’re really dancing for who is in your class. You’re leading them in exercise. It’s not just for you. … I told my husband, ‘Please remind me after this audition to not stop dancing.’ ”
Lewis doesn’t just dance now because she loves it — it helps maintain her health.
Lewis, whose family has a history of kidney issues, was diagnosed with kidney disease 14 years ago. After watching her mother’s body reject a transplanted kidney twice, Lewis said she made the decision to live a healthy lifestyle as well as make the most of each day.
“Today is the day, not tomorrow,” she said. “Wear your best shoes. Don’t save that bottle of wine. Why are you hoarding that from yourself? … I know there is no cure for (my kidney disease,) and I know that I will be on dialysis and in need of a transplant, but I could be killed in a car wreck tomorrow. … I think too many times we wait too late to start on our bucket lists. Start it while you feel good and can enjoy it.”
Fitzmorris said after surviving bacterial meningitis, she understands Lewis’ “time is precious” outlook, and said she believes Lewis’ story will inspire a wide range of people.
“I know that she will inspire others to overcome adversity, never give up and send the message to go for your dreams and anything is possible,” she said. “This message should serve as a reminder to everyone that you only live once, so start checking off your life’s bucket list.”
As one of the 36 talented women who make up this year’s Saintsations team, Lewis said she’s had a fantastic time getting to know each of her teammates.
Lewis is joined by fellow Pine Belt residents Summer Rials, Sara Friday, Sara Bass and Lee Armstrong.
“It’s a family,” Lewis said. “It’s like I have 35 little sisters. They are such sweet girls. … All of the girls are so intelligent and they are so kind and well-rounded.
Fitzmorris said with Lewis’ background and life experience, she wasn’t sure how this year’s team would relate to one another.
“At our first meeting, it was immediately apparent that everyone on the team had respect for each other and appreciated the different perspectives and the team’s diversity,” she said. “The younger ones look up to the older ones for life advice on school, careers and relationships and the older ones look up to the younger ones for advice and tips on the latest trends and to not take things too seriously.”
Having spent time as an English teacher, dance instructor and stay-at-home mother, Lewis said she hopes her personal story shows the world that a woman can be anything she aspires to be at any age.
“It goes back to a definition of what a 40-year-old woman could be or should be, and they forget that you can be beautiful and smart,” she said. “Just because you don’t work doesn’t mean you can’t be a doctor or lawyer. I think my generation especially is redefining (that image.)”
Lewis’ mission to redefine what a woman is and can be falls in line with the Saintsation’s mission to reach out to the community and young girls.
“Our program encompasses more than just dance and cheer,” she said. “My emphasis is team building and teaching young women how to represent in a positive manner. We do a lot of community work and work with children. We understand that we serve as role models for young girls.”
As the Saintsations begin their community involvement, and as football season approaches, Lewis said she is getting more and more excited to cheer for her favorite team.
Lewis said she fully intends to soak up all the wonderful experiences this year has to offer, and is looking forward to trying out again in the years to come.
“I can’t even fathom what it’s going to be like to walk out on that field in the Superdome with all those Saints fans,” she said. “I hope I don’t pass out. … If I died tomorrow, I’m good. I’m a happy girl. It’s been a blast.”
At a glance
Kriste Lewis
2014-15 Saintsations
Age: 40
City: Hattiesburg
Family: Husband, Tim Lewis, sons, Jake, 14, and Rob, 11
Education: University of West Alabama
Profession: NFL cheerleader/dance exercise instructor
By Je’Lesia M. Jones
July 11, 2014
In sports, and indeed life itself, we all try to adhere to the old adage, “if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again.” Certainly this philosophy held true for Lauren Schneider. Her persistence paid off when, after numerous attempts, she became a New England Patriots Cheerleader.
“I wanted to be part of a professional dance team,” Schneider said. “I auditioned many times before, over the course of eight years. I went through seven auditions in eight years. In 2006 I made it to the finals and in 2014 made the team.”
“Always a finalist never a teammate,” she added with a chuckle.
Schneider, a fitness and health teacher at Wellesley Middle School, equipped with her skill and determination auditioned again this year in April. “It was a month-long process,” she said. “Hundreds of girls came out.”
The selection procedure is not an easy one. There are many rounds of competition, as a group and as an individual. Once the finalists are chosen the hopefuls attend Boot Camp.
“Boot Camp is a very intense training, very intense,” Schneider said. Training includes exercise and dance. Following a pause she continued. “After Boot Camp we were notified via the New England Patriots website of our selection,” she said.
Further cuts are made until 28 young women are chosen as New England Patriots Cheerleaders. “Eighteen are dance team members,” said Schneider, who is one of the lucky 18 herself now, “and the others promote the team and make appearances throughout New England. We all promote the Patriots.”
She added, “We all go to the games and the 18 who are dancers dance at the games while the others mingle with fans.” She also explained that no one travels with the team for games out of state. “We travel for appearances, but do not travel for games.”
“Each year it’s my goal to select a squad of women who embody the Patriots’ vision of teamwork and excellence,” said Tracy Sormanti, director of the New England Patriots Cheerleaders. “I look for ladies who are talented, spirited, community minded, health conscious, and as lovely on the inside as they are on the outside. Lauren, along with her 27 teammates, fit that criteria. I am certain she, and the rest of the Patriots Cheerleaders, will represent the Patriots organization with grace and enthusiasm, both on the sidelines and throughout the community. We’re looking forward to an amazing 2014 season,” she said.
A fitness and health enthusiast, Schneider, who holds a master’s in education from Boston University, has been a teacher for nine years. To participate as a Patriots Cheerleader she does not have to leave her teaching position. “It (the cheerleader position) is a part-time job,” she said.
The same tenacity and commitment Schneider showed in the auditions carries through in her educational role as a teacher. At the middle school she is also the director of the Junior Moving Company, the after-school dance program that gives students the opportunity to participate in a formal dance troupe, regardless of training or experience. She has directed the company for eight years. “I did not start the program,” Schneider commented. “I changed the program and made it my own.”
The Junior Moving Company, whose counterpart is the Moving Company at Wellesley High School, is made up of 50 dancers. “I do not turn anyone away, rather try and accommodate many young dancers. Membership is on a sign-up basis,” Schneider explained. “We have two performances a year, one around the holidays and a second, Footnotes, in conjunction with the high school.”
Schneider said she tries to create “an all-inclusive company, a place where students of all levels, from beginners to advanced, can enjoy the experience of a performance group.”
On the day before the July 4th holiday, Schneider was preparing to run in the Harvard Pilgrim 5K race as a member of the New England Patriots Cheerleaders. “This is one of the many appearances that help us promote the Patriots and get involved in community efforts,” she said. “It’s been so rewarding to work on personal fitness and do more community service through the Patriots. I hope to continue to serve as a positive role model for my students.”
Click here to check out the head shots for this year’s squad!
AtlantaFalcons.com has great photos from the team’s calendar and uniform shoots. Check out those new unis! Gallery 1 and Gallery 2.
OLYMPIC VALLEY, Calif. (KRNV & MyNews4.com) — The San Francisco 49ers Gold Rush cheerleaders are getting ready to cheer on the Niners for the upcoming football season. And this week they’re shooting their annual Gold Rush calendar. News 4 got an exclusive behind the scenes look at what it takes to make the one of a kind calendar.
The Gold Rush shoots their calendars all over the United States and this year, pictures are being taken in one of the most beautiful places in our region, Lake Tahoe. “No other place besides Tahoe really shows the diverse nature of California, there is creeks, rivers, snow, pools, resorts, just about everything,” said 49ers Gold Rush cheerleaders operations manager Christi Dean.
The 49ers Gold Rush are taking over Tahoe all week. Group and individual pictures have been shot all over the region since Sunday and managers say they’ve been planning the calendar shoot since April. “Every day we have about three shoots, different locations, the girls come in and get their hair and makeup done, we style them for the day, and then we are just moving in and out,” said Dean.
More than 400 women auditioned to be part of Gold Rush this year, but only 40 made it including rookie Charlese. “We’ve been putting in a lot of time for practice, so it hasn’t felt real yet, but I’m really looking forward to that first game,” said Charlese.
Fifth year veteran Melissa says she really enjoys showing her rookie teammates what a calendar shoot is all about and says this experience is one of a kind. “I am so excited to be here, this is one of the best destinations I’ve done so far,” said Melissa. “It has been amazing, this scenery, Squaw Valley, Lake Tahoe is just incredible.”
Managers say they will go through thousands of pictures before choosing the winning ones and their photographers say it definitely takes a while to get that perfect shot. “It takes pretty long, a lot of people don’t realize how many takes it takes, that’s funny,” said director of photography Austin Heppler. “But probably about 30 test shots before we actually start working with the perfect shot.”
The Gold Rush will finish shooting in Tahoe Thursday and their official 2014-2015 calendar is expected to go on sale by the start of the regular season in September.
Auditions are over and the team has been selected. Click here to check out photos on the Celtics website, and click here for photos from Boston.com!
The 2014 Raiderette auditions took place this past weekend in the East Side Club at O.co Coliseum. Candidates traveled from all over to compete for a spot on this season’s squad of Football’s Fabulous Females.
After preliminary cuts on Saturday, the finalists were interviewed on Sunday by a panel of judges to gauge their personality, poise, and speaking skills. Later they performed a short dance routine to Thunderstruck by AC/DC.
This year’s hopefuls included mothers, students, Emergency Medical Technicians, marketing consultants, and scientists. The candidates each had a unique perspective and reason for trying out for the Raiderettes, but all shared common characteristics: a passion for dancing and a love for the Raiders.
Jessica, a new Raiderette from Santa Rosa, described her devotion to dance. Born with a hearing impairment, at four years old she was unable to hear words but could feel the vibration of the music when she performed. She exclaimed, “I could hear the beat, I could go up and touch the speaker, I could feel it through my palms and it made me so happy.”
Other contenders included the daughter of a Raiderette wishing to continue the family legacy, hopefuls from as far away as Washington and Utah, and a Raiderette who cheered in the 1980s with the desire to return.
The finalists ranged from those who had never auditioned before to returning applicants and veterans. Even the veterans said they were a bit uneasy about tryouts. Michelle, who is now entering her third season, described the audition as “a bunch of nerves and butterflies.” Wendy, who was on the squad last year as well, said she was still nervous because, “I know what I have to lose and I know how much fun this is.”
When asked why they wanted to be a Raiderette, many participants cited the passionate fans as a major reason for their dream. Rookie candidate Laura expressed, “Every sports team has fans but none like the Raiders. Just talking to them, looking at them, you can tell in their soul that they love their team.” Most finalists said that they felt appreciative and happy that they made it as far as they did, and were grateful for the experience. Amy of Santa Clara, felt honored to be a finalist. She spoke fondly of her passion for dance, “If you can do something that you love, the world will be a better place.”
Forty cheerleaders were chosen – 28 veterans and 12 rookies make up this year’s team.
With a great turnout of many talented candidates, competition was tough. The diverse array of personalities and backgrounds of those chosen will help make the 2014 Raiderette squad unforgettable.
The third and final open call for the Boston Celtics dance team took place on last weekend in Waltham, MA. Click here for photos from the competition!
Seahawks.com has been updated with a new team photo and individual shots of the Sea Gals in their various costumes. Click here to see more of this year’s squad!
Prelims one day, finals the next. The Raiderettes are getting a late start this season, so they’ve got to keep this moving. The team will be announced tomorrow. In the meantime, check out this gallery on Raiders.com. (click here to watch Autumn, a veteran Raiderette werq that choreography.)
