The New Orleans VooDoo have updated their website with team and GIANT individual uniform photos for this season’s edition of the VooDoo Dolls dance team. Click here to check it out!
Chrissy is a rookie on this year's team.
Lots of great galleries on SportsIllustrated.com these past few months. Check ’em out!
Indiana Pacers Pacemate Dancers
Cheerleader of the Week – LauRen from the Charlotte Bobcats
Cheerleader of the Week – Christine from the Saintsations
Columbus Blue Jackets Ice Crew
Cheerleader of the Week – Delaney from the Houston Texans
Arizona Cardinals Cheerleader Auditions
Cheerleader of the Week – Tessa from the Arizona Cardinals
Redskins Cheerleader Auditions
By SUSAN CORICA
New Britain Herald
May 29, 2014
NEW BRITAIN — Local resident Lasondra Greene was among the 28 women chosen for the New England Patriots Cheerleaders’ 2014 squad out of approximately 320 applicants.
The month-long selection process began in early April with open auditions. The final step of the audition process, a two-week boot camp which concluded May 3, included intensive training sessions involving rigorous fitness and physical training, choreography, public speaking exercises, and promotional appearance training drills.
Greene started cheerleading at age six for the Police Athletic League (PAL) New Britain Raiders. She graduated from New Britain High School where she was captain of her varsity cheerleading team in 2006.
The 2013 season was her first year as a Patriots cheerleader. She is one of the 17 returning cheerleaders this year, who were required to re-audition for the upcoming season, in addition to 11 newcomers joining them.
“Becoming a New England Patriots Cheerleader for my second year seems surreal,” she said. “My rookie year flew by so fast that I haven’t even had a chance to process that in fact that I am now considered a veteran New England Patriots Cheerleader.”
“I can’t help but smile from the inside out when I say that because I am beyond excited and honored that I have not only another year to cheer on the best team in the NFL, I also have another year to make a difference in the community, build lifelong friendships, and let the world know that New England Patriots cheerleaders do more than just cheer on the sidelines,” Greene continued.
The cheerleaders make hundreds of promotional appearances, she said. “Those are the moments that I hold close to my heart. Being able to put a smile on someone’s face or supporting an amazing cause or charitable foundation is why I am proud to be a part of the organization.”
“I hope that I can inspire someone old or young to follow their dreams,” she added. “It’s never too late to go after your dream.”
Greene is a graduate of Brio Academy of Cosmetology and in 2010 passed her Connecticut state board exam and became a licensed cosmetologist.
She has styled the hair of Miss Connecticut, Miss Connecticut’s Outstanding Teen, a TV reality star, and an Olympic gold medalist, and aspires to own her own business as a travelling hairstylist.
In her free time, she also enjoys taking boot camp, hip hop, ballet, Zumba, yoga, and spinning classes.
Nowadays Greene, 25, splits her time between Worcester, Mass., and New Britain, coming home regularly to tend her to favorite clients.
“I have a very loyal clientele that has been patient and understanding with my busy schedule so there was no way I could leave them in Connecticut without their number one hairdresser,” Greene said.
“I also feel like you should be able to customize your life according to what you have going on,” she added.
Seven members of this year’s Patriots Cheerleaders squad are from Connecticut, with others hailing from Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and of course Massachusetts, as well as transplants from New Jersey, Texas, Arizona and California.
The squad rehearses twice a week and performs at all Patriots home games. In addition to performing in front of nearly 70,000 fans, the cheerleaders travel to an exotic location in the spring for the swimsuit calendar shoot. This year’s trip will be to Cancun, Mexico, in June.
Patriots cheerleaders have also visited deployed military troops in more than 25 countries and have appeared on local and national television.They have also been featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, Maxim and Muscle and Fitness.
By Kristiana Scott
Walton Sun
May 28, 2014
Behind the blue and white uniforms, the Tennessee Titans cheerleaders are women with impressive resumes. Kiara Y., a two-year veteran with the Tennessee Titans, recently graduated with a master’s degree in public health and plans to begin med school next fall.
“Being a pro-cheerleader was a lifelong dream of mine,” Kiara said. “But it wasn’t my only dream. And I want girls to know that if they work hard enough and follow their dreams, anything is possible.”
Kiara and three of her teammates took time out of their busy schedule to share their stories with the Emerald Coast Middle School ’s cheerleading team May 21. The Titans cheerleaders are in town shooting their swimsuit calendar, but say they always make time for a little community outreach.
“Giving back to the community is my favorite part of this job,” said Tandra C., seven-year Titan’s cheerleader. “We get to be a role model for these girls. We get to show them we were just like them and if they work hard enough, they can do anything they want.”
During their visit, the ECMS cheerleading team performed a routine for the Titans cheerleaders, and then learned some moves from the professionals.
“My favorite part was learning the dance,” said Ella Losee, 7th grader at ECMS. “It was awesome, kinda hard but really cool.”
The Titans cheerleaders also had the opportunity to tell the girls a little about themselves and how they, too, can “have it all.”
“If you follow your dreams and go for it, anything is possible,” Tandra said. “Just never give up — never lose that passion or dedication to go after what you want.”
And although they admitted that being a Titans cheerleader is “challenging” at times and requires “very good time-management,” they wouldn’t change a thing.
“It’s a dream come true,” Kiara said. “Being a pro-cheerleader and having the opportunity to reach out to younger girls like this… it’s an amazing experience.”
A few weeks ago, the Kilgore Herald began reported about Ally Honeycutt in a “local girl pursues big dreams” article. Ally, an alum of the Kilgore Rangerettes (a prestigious drill team in Texas) made it to finals, but wasn’t chosen for training camp this year. She plans to audition again next year. Click here to watch her dance video from this year’s DCC fan vote.
Honeycutt chases dreams in Dallas
By CHELSEA KATZ
Kilgore News Herald
May 2014When one dream is put on hold, another dream begins for Kilgore native Ally Honeycutt.
After advancing to become one of the final 55 Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader hopefuls, Honeycutt will have to wait until next year to try out again for the squad.
While she is not giving up on her lifelong dream of becoming Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, Honeycutt said she will be working toward her other goal of eventually returning home to open her own hair salon.
After she found out she had not being invited to DCC training camp, Honeycutt said she called the Toni & Guy Hairdressing Academy in Dallas and confirmed that she would like to attend.
With classes beginning July 8, Honeycutt will move to Dallas and continue to advance toward both of her dreams. While attending the academy, she said she will continue to dance and stay in shape to prepare for next year’s DCC tryouts.
“That’s my dream as well, but I’m a dancer, so I don’t want to just give up,” she said about looking to next year’s DCC tryouts.
The final round of the 2014 tryouts brought the veteran cheerleaders to compete against the hopefuls for the 2014-2015 team. In groups of five to present a DCC dance, Honeycutt said some had one veteran, but she had two.
“It made me dance really hard because I knew I had to look as good as them, or at least try to look as good as them,” she said.
Her mother, Lisa, said she held her own against the returning dancers.
“She was just like one of them,” Lisa Honeycutt said.
When it came to her solo, Honeycutt said it was the best she had ever performed it.
“I left it totally out on the floor that day,” she said about May 17’s finals.
An interview was included in the process, and Honeycutt said she believes that is what could have cost her. Throughout the year, as she prepares for the 2015 tryouts, Honeycutt said she will be working to gain the experience she lacked this year in the interview.
The extra time will also allow her to improve her knowledge about the Dallas Cowboys current team and history.
“I have all the time in the world,” she said about being able to learn the information without cramming.
Although she believes the interview was a factor into the end result, she said she will never get feedback from DCC Director Kelli Finglass, any judges or anyone else connected with the process.
“I just know that’s the hardest part is walking away, and you don’t know what you could have done more,” she said. She added that she did everything she could, so 2014 simply was not her year to become a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader.
For the first time, family and friends were allowed to watch part of the process on AT&T Stadium’s massive screen spanning nearly the entire length of the football field.
Lisa Honeycutt was there to watch as Finglass and the other judges looked at each of the woman’s “HD face,” Ally Honeycutt explained.
“She was so good,” Lisa Honeycutt said. “I was so proud of her.”
“That was really fun to know that she was there supporting me,” Ally Honeycutt said.
When the tryout’s final list was called, though, it was behind closed doors as the dancers, family members and friends waited many grueling hours for the announcement. As the time kept getting pushed back, Lisa Honeycutt said it was originally set to be announced at 6 p.m., but it was after 9 p.m. before she received a text from Ally.
Although Lisa Honeycutt anticipated the last day of tryouts to be an all-day process, she said, “It was the most nerve-wracking thing I’ve ever experienced.”
The community and the nation can follow Ally Honeycutt’s through the process when “Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team 9” premieres on CMT – Country Music Television – in August.
“It’ll be cool to see my journey on TV,” she said. She understands, though, the need for drama in the show and said she hopes she does not fall victim to the producer’s dicing and splicing to be perceived as something she’s not.
While Honeycutt prepares for her move to Dallas, she said she is thankful for the support she has received from the Kilgore community – both friends and strangers.
“I can honestly say that it was the best experience,” she said.
Now, Honeycutt will look toward developing her skills as a hairdresser while continuing to follow her Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader dream.
“I’m really glad I had another dream like that,” she said. “I still have so much to look forward to.”
“Recent ‘Rette rises through ranks of Cowboy Cheerleader hopefuls “
New Patriots cheerleader perfected pep at D-Y
By Jason Kolnos
Cape Cod Online
May 28, 2014
WEST YARMOUTH — Three cheers for Jacqueline Jamiel!
The Cape native has landed a coveted spot on the New England Patriots cheerleading squad for the upcoming season. Jamiel, a Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School graduate, was one of 28 women chosen out of about 320 applicants for the spirited gig.
Jamiel was a cheerleader for her beloved Dolphins football team throughout high school and will soon have an audience of nearly 70,000 fans when she takes her talents to Gillette Stadium.
“It’s been a whirlwind. I still can’t even believe it,” said Jamiel, 22, during an interview at her family’s home this week. “I’m just so proud to call myself part of the Patriots organization.”
Being a Patriots cheerleader, however, is a little different than offering rah-rahs at high school games. They’ve got to have moves, since the professional routines usually incorporate several varieties of dancing.
“We’re one of the only NFL cheerleading teams to actually do call-out cheers,” Jamiel said. “It’s mostly a lot of dancing, a lot of fun, upbeat jazz dancing, which I’m so used to. So it’s been awesome to work with poms and to keep working it.”
Jamiel has studied dance at Mercyhurst University in Pennsylvania and is studying interior design at Suffolk University while living in Boston. She dreamed of becoming a professional dancer.
“I have always done ballet growing up, always been a part of “The Nutcracker,” pointe shoes, the whole thing,” Jamiel said.
“But I think that I’m a better jazz dancer. And even hip-hop, too. I like to really perform and get out there, and I think the Patriots are perfect for my style.”
Her former varsity cheerleading coach at D-Y, Dawn Capra, said Jamiel excels at both dance and drumming up fan support.
“She was so motivated to get the crowd going. A lot of our spirit and enthusiasm was because of her,” said Capra, who owns Cape Cod Cheer Academy in Hyannis.
“And the fact that she’s beautiful doesn’t hurt her at all,” added Capra.
The roughly monthlong audition process in April was demanding, and Jamiel said candidates were required to learn sometimes complicated dance moves quickly and demonstrate that they could master the routines.
She balanced daily training with being a full-time undergraduate student and waitressing part time.
“It was a lot to make sure I was in the gym, always practicing the choreography,” Jamiel said.
“So it was a full-time commitment before I even found out I was a Patriots cheerleader.”
Ellen Botello of West Barnstable, who was a Patriots cheerleader for four years in the 1990s, said the positives of the experience will outweigh any initial soreness or fatigue that Jamiel will have as she learns new dances under tight deadlines.
“It’s a big deal, for sure, and an amazing opportunity to not just perform in front of thousands of people, but also to get out into the community, volunteer and meet lots of people,” she said.
Jamiel can’t count on being buddies with her favorite player, Tom Brady, however.
Botello, a former longtime cheering coach at Barnstable High School, said fraternizing between the players and the cheerleaders is a no-no for the most part.
Tracy Sormanti, director of the Patriots cheerleaders, said she was looking for the most talented, energetic, community-minded and health-conscious women for the team. There are no age limits to be a Patriots cheerleader.
“It’s my goal to select a squad of women who embody the Patriots’ spirit of teamwork and excellence,” Sormanti wrote in an email to the Times.
Sormanti added that Patriots cheerleaders make hundreds of promotional appearances each year at community and corporate events.
One of those extra events Jamiel that is looking forward to most is a Patriots cheerleader calendar shoot in Mexico scheduled for early June.
Gimme a C-A-N-C-U-N, indeed.
By Mike Chaiken
The Plainfield Observer
May 25, 2014
On the sidelines of the New England Patriots’ home games at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. this coming season, Bristol residents may see a familiar entertain the crowd. And her journey toward this accomplishment is an example of overcoming physical adversity. Karen Link, the former Miss Teen Bristol in 2007 (and then Miss Connecticut’s Outstanding Teen 2007), is the one of the newest members of the Patriots’ cheerleaders.
“I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. Not only do I get to do what I love each day but I get to do perform at Gillette stadium, in support of my favorite sports team, in front of 70,000 fans,” said Link via email. “Talk about the dream job.”
The gig also gives Link the opportunity to use one of her lifelong talents.
“I’ve been a dancer consistently since the age of 2 and dancing professionally post-college has always been a dream of mine,” said Link.
However, Link’s journey might have been unthinkable years ago after she broke her back in a car accident.
“(M)y senior year of high school… my world was turned upside down after being a passenger in a head-on collision. I broke my spine in the accident and immediately was rushed into a spinal-fusion surgery, which inserted rods and screws along my spine to hold the vertebras together,” said Link.
“The recovery process was a long one, I had to learn how to walk again and do things like climb stairs and sit down and stand up. I was devastated to hear that I would never be able to dance at the level I had before,” said Link. However, here Link is getting ready to dance up a storm for the Pats.
“I don’t take ‘no’ for an answer… and fought through the long rehab process to ease my way back into being active and eventually found my way back to the dance floor,” said Link. “Looking back at that unexpected obstacle in my life I realize how very blessed I am,” she said.
Link said joining the cheerleaders marks off an item on her bucket list.
“Being a member of the New England Patriots Cheerleading squad has been a dream of mine for a while now,” said Link, who graduated from Holy Cross High School. “I remember doing research on the team my sophomore year of college, five years ago, which is when I really started thinking about what I needed to work on to gain a position on this squad and if it would be feasible to be a member while I was in still in college.”
The 23-year-old Terryville native explained, “I decided to delay trying out until my senior year of college and made it through to finals, but unfortunately that’s where the dream stopped.”
“After I graduated from Endicott College,” said Link, “I moved to New York City for a job in fashion and beauty public relations.”But, Link said, “I simply couldn’t stay away from Boston though and decided to move back last year, with the goal of being a member of the Patriots cheerleaders on the forefront of my mind.” (She currently works in the corporate communications department at a speech recognition company, Nuance Communications, at its headquarters in Burlington, Mass., communicating with the press and analysts about Nuance’s technologies and innovations.)
“Since last June,” said Link, “I’ve been taking dance classes in Boston, working out and focusing on healthy eating in anticipation of tryouts which began with the workshop this past February.”
Link said she wanted to be part of the Pats’ organization and the cheer squad because “aside from being a Patriots fan from a young age, The Kraft Organization is truly world class and something that is an absolute honor to be a part of. They place a large emphasis on qualities like working hard, helping others, and respect.”
Additionally, Link explained, “Something that doesn’t get as much attention as it should is the amount of community service that members of The Kraft Organization (including the Patriots players and the cheerleaders) participate in, it is truly unparalleled.”
Asked to speak about the process of becoming a Pats’ cheerleader, Link said the process began in February with an optional workshop. “This gives cheerleader hopefuls the chance to understand what it takes to be on the team, both in terms of dance ability and what the schedule the job requires,” said Link. Then, the preliminary auditions were held in Gillette Stadium at the beginning of April. Link said this pulled in 200 potential candidates.
“The day began at 10 a.m. and ended around 6 p.m.,” said Link of the auditions. “We learned a variety of dance combinations and three rounds of cuts were made.”
Link then was selected as one of 40 new candidates who would advance to the April 19 finals.
“In between,” said Link, “we had a one-on-one interview with the coach, Tracy Sormanti, and we learned additional choreography to be performed at finals.”
“At finals,” said Link, “the 40 new girls auditioned alongside the returning veteran cheerleaders and at the end of the day just under 40 girls total moved on to boot camp.”
Link said, “Boot camp lasted two weeks and involved learning a number of dance routines, cheers, and sideline dances, while also participating in media training, running the stadium ramps and workouts with the official Patriots Cheerleading trainer (and inventor of the workout regimen called BMAX), Andy Berler. ”Sometimes the reality of auditions differs from expectations. But Link said she had a pretty good idea of what was coming, especially after the workshop in February. Between February and April, Link said, “The biggest areas I focused on for the audition process were improving my dancing, flexibility, and physical fitness through taking dance classes weekly and dedicating lots of time at the gym.”
With 200 women at the beginning of the auditions, Link said of the other competitors, “The ladies I met during the audition process all possess amazing qualities. The judges and coaches emphasized along the way that they look for candidates who are well-rounded and possess the values important to The Kraft Organization. This was so apparent in the women I met, not only were they trained dancers but they were smart, goal-oriented, motivated, and friendly. I met some really awesome ladies along the way and will stay in touch with many new friends.”
“The girls on the squad, both rookies and vets, are so extremely motivated,” said Link of her fellow teammates. “These girls are smart go-getters who each have hearts of gold. They form a sisterhood throughout the year and I can’t wait to get to know each of them better, both on and off the field.”
The selected cheerleaders were announced via the Pats’ website on May 3. But Link didn’t know right away she made the final cut.
“My mom actually called me with the news that the list had gone live; she said ‘I see a list, and you’re on it.’”
“Honestly,” said Link, “I’ve been on cloud 9 ever since and I don’t think I’ll come down anytime soon. It took a lot of work and dedication over the past couple of years but every ounce of it was worth it and I am so honored to have been chosen to be a member of The Kraft Organization and cheer for the Pats.”
And Link said she is fortunate to have the support of family and friends.
“I actually didn’t tell anyone I was trying out again with the exception of my immediate family and my roommates,” said Link. “I let the cat out of the bag to a few more folks after I made it past finals and was in boot camp and then made an announcement on Facebook after they announced the final team.”
“The outpouring of congratulations and support after the team was announced has been really heartwarming. I’m so happy to have made my family, friends, and community proud.”
Link’s day job has been in public relations. And she feels this will be an asset for the cheerleaders. “(It) has taught me how to communicate with people from all different walks of life. Just as I aim to represent my company in the best light each day, I’ll aim to represent The Kraft Organization to the best of my abilities as well. Working in public relations has reinforced that no matter if your meeting Patriots fans, volunteering for a charity, or cheering at a game, you can’t go wrong with having a smile on your face and being kind to each person you meet.”
As for what’s in store next for the Patriots’ newest cheerleader, Link said, “It’s been a whirlwind with practices and appearances having already started. We practice three times a week and have promotional appearances in between. Coming up fast is our calendar shoot in Cancun for a week in the beginning of June and we’ll be working hard in preparation for preseason which begins in August. I can’t wait to see what this year has in store.”
“Go Pats!”
The Bengals have announced a team of 30 Ben-Gals to take the field during the 2014-15 NFL season. Click here to see who made the team! (You can also Click here to see all of this year’s finalists.)
Rookie Ben-Gal Sarah L.
Firehouse heats up with visit by NFL cheerleaders
Trista Pruett
Daily News
May 22, 2014
OKALOOSA ISLAND – Four members of the Tennessee Titans cheerleaders visited the Okaloosa Island Fire District Thursday afternoon to take photos and help raise money for the Emerald Coast Professional Firefighters Council.
The cheerleaders took time out from shooting their 2014-15 calendar at The Pearl Hotel in Rosemary Beach for the event.
Event coordinators said that Titans cheerleaders wanted to do a few community activities while shooting the calendar, like thanking the Fire Department for their service.
See more photos from the cheerleaders’ visit. >>
They posed for pictures, tried on fire gear and met community members.
The money raised went to support various charities, including burn victims.
The event raised a few hundred dollars for the ECPFC.
Titans representatives said the cheerleaders give back to the community whenever they can, especially during the off-season.
The firefighters and cheerleaders also posed for a few photos promoting #MoveOver, a movement encouraging motorists to move over for emergency vehicles on roadways.
By: Laken Litman
USA Today Sports
May 22, 2014
ARLINGTON, Texas — There’s a certain aura about the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders.
On a sunny Saturday morning in May, more than 500 women from all over the world—New York, Miami, Australia, Japan—came to try out. There were recent college graduates, triathletes, Laker Girls, former Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers cheerleaders, and dental hygienists. One girl said she races off-road monster trucks for fun. Another had recently returned from serving eight years in the military.
They gathered near a makeshift dance floor overlooking the west end zone of AT&T Stadium in hopes of becoming what they believed to be the pinnacle of performance—a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader.
The tryout process is grueling. Those 500 women on Day One will ultimately become 36-39 by the time football season begins in the fall. A pretty face and a dance background doesn’t necessarily make one qualified. These women must be smart, charming, entertaining, and most importantly, know the organization inside and out. They even have to take a test about the history of the organization, the NFL, and current events.
The squad is an important component of the Dallas Cowboys brand, and the women hand-picked to wear the iconic star spangled uniform represent the franchise. They’re also the personalities America sees when they watch “Making the Team,” a reality show on CMT that follows the squad around during tryouts.
And Jerry Jones’ daughter Charlotte Anderson is the president.
Since the late 70s, the Cowboys have been “America’s Team” and the cheerleaders have been “America’s Sweethearts.” Even though the football team only has only one playoff win since 1996, the cheerleaders help continue to make the franchise world famous.
“Everyone knows that uniform,” said Jackie Shaw, a cheerleader hopeful from Waco, Texas. “They’re an American tradition.
