Lakelyn and Jessi dance into “Million Dollar Arm”

Lakelyn (lower left) and Jessi (lower right) are in "Million Dollar Arm"

Not only are Lakelyn and Jessi known for dancing for Nashville’s NHL’s Predators and NFL’s Titans, respectively, and taking time away from their teams to be part of the national tour of Dance Y’all in 2013, but they now can be seen in Disney’s Million Dollar Arm. What a few months for Jessi, who was also in a scene in Anchorman 2.

You can see Jessi and Lakelyn in the preview below about halfway through:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfqo7IW7diE&sns=em[/youtube]

Last Saturday, the Nashville Predators Dancers and Ice Girls supported their team and dog adoption awareness

It was a Saturday afternoon NHL sellout in Nashville when the Predators hosted the Blackhawks on April 6th. The Preds fans were there, but also a lot a red-clad Blackhawks fans made the spring break trip south to see their hot hockey club.

But no matter if the fans were dressed in Predators or Blackhawks jerseys, they all wanted to have their photos taken with the Predators Dancers and Ice Girls, who showed their hospitality, no matter what team colors the fans were wearing. The Dancers and Ice Girls were part of game entertainment and promotions, in addition to promoting their swimsuit calendar.

And the Dancers and Ice Girls also enthusiastically helped bring awareness to the Predators annual Dog Adoption Day on the main plaza. About two dozen plus dogs from New Leash on Life, Metro Animal Care and Control, and Nashville Humane Association were available for adoption on the plaza.

SI.com: NHL Ice Crews

This week, Sports Illustrated has photos from just about every team that has Ice Girls: the Ducks, Bruins, Flames, Storm, Blackhawks, Bluejackets, Stars, Oilers, Kings, Panthers, Predators, Islanders, Flyers, Penguins, and Lightning. Click here to go there now.

Go Figure, Skater Molly Jumps from the NHL to the NFL’s Titans Cheerleaders

Molly performs during the October 23rd Titans game

When Nashville pro sports fans noticed the dancer/cheerleader rosters for this season’s fall sports, there was a bit of sad news, followed by some GREAT news! First the sad, this season’s NHL Nashville Predator Ice Girls did not include Molly, who had been skating for the Preds since 1999 (reaction=’Awwwww’). But fans’ heads spun at the speed of a death spiral when seeing Molly was now a rookie member of the NFL’s Tennessee Titans Cheerleaders. What?! Molly, who has had an international career as a figure skater, traded in her blades for some boots? Molly shared with UltimateCheerleaders how this big switch happened, adding a new phase to a career that has taken her all over the world, including being a professional skater paired with a celebrity in the UK TV competition show, Skating on Ice, and being a character in a Wii game.

So much has happened to Molly, it is hard to know where to start. Reality shows, singing, picking catfish off of the ice for the Preds. So we better start at the beginning, during a time before Molly can even remember. Growing up in New Hampshire, Molly started playing on a hockey team with her brothers when she was three, so does she even remember NOT skating? “I really don’t remember not being able to skate,” replies Molly. “I feel as though I have been blessed gliding through life with graceful ease!”

Even Molly’s first hockey games showed her inclination to enjoy the spotlight and entertain the fans at rinkside. “I started out playing hockey at the tender age of three,” explains Molly. “My two older brothers played and the third kid was free, so my parents signed me up! We have an old VHS home video of all the kids on my team at one end of the ice, and little Molly in front of all the parents through the plexy glass posing and looking for attention. Thankfully, my parents recognized this and switched me over to figure skating around six/seven years old, where I then took Basic Skills classes, then on to private lessons and competing.”

It seems like world class figure skaters are so young, they must begin REALLY, REALLY young! Molly, what is the oldest someone can start lessons with a chance to be a world class skater like you? “You can start skating at any age, but chances are you’ll go further if you start young, because you will need time and experience to help you pass all the requirements needed for elite skating,” replies Molly.

Often skaters need to leave their hometowns to train away from their family, but in Molly’s case, her first time “away from home” actually made her less homesick. “At twelve years old, my father’s job transferred to the Hampton Roads, Virginia area,” describes Molly. “It was very sad and hard for me to leave friends and family in New Hampshire and head down south. My skating took a bit of a setback as well due lack of competitive skating in the area. My first summer after moving to Virginia (thirteen years old), I traveled back to my home rink in Acton, Massachusetts, to train with my coaches and skating friends, while living with my grandparents in Hollis, New Hampshire. It’s hard to say I was homesick being so busy training on the ice, as well as being with my friends and family for whom I was more homesick for while in Virginia, and knowing it was just for the summer.”

For a young person, committing to skating requires a lot of tough choices at a very young age, and these decisions eventually brought Molly to Nashville. After Molly’s training in Massachusetts, “Throughout the year competing, I had made new friends a little closer to home, so the following summer I trained at the University of Delaware (fourteen years old),” describes Molly. “Deciding which path my skating would need to take was very difficult at that age. My freshman year in Virginia was fun cheerleading on my school’s JV squad and playing indoor soccer, although my skating was suffering. I knew for my dream, I had to do something extreme! The following year I heard about an opportunity to audition for pair skating in Nashville. I went to a tryout during spring break with a boy named Bert Cording. The tryout went fabulous so, I decided to head to Nashville at fifteen. We had a great summer of training and we came along way in such a short time. Our future looked bright! As fall came around, I started tenth grade in Nashville. Soon after, having no family around, I was homesick. My mother moved (to Nashville) knowing that when I graduated from high school, she would go back to Virginia. During that time we housed other skaters who were living away from home.”

Though initially homesick in Nashville, Molly experienced the hospitiality that would someday make Molly embrace Nashville are her own hometown. “Nashvillians are AMAZING…I love calling it home,” comments Molly. “It’s a Mini L.A. or Nash’Vegas as I like to call it! I don’t know what it is about this place, but people are so warm and inviting. They will take their shirt off their backs for anyone. I think it’s the South in general. Being a Yankee and all, I really see the difference when I’m home in New England. The first summer I trained here, I was welcomed with open arms by my coaches, Olympian Bill Fauver, his wife Laura Sanders, and their daughter Christine, as well as all the skaters of the Nashville Figure Skating Club. They all took me under their wings.”

Continue reading “Go Figure, Skater Molly Jumps from the NHL to the NFL’s Titans Cheerleaders”

2011-12 Nashville Predators Dancers

2011-12 Nashville Predators Dancers
2011-12 Nashville Predators Dancers

Auditions began for the Nashville Predators Dancers on July 10th and ended on the 24th before a live audience at The Hard Rock Cafe, the first time the finals were open to the public.  In the end 20 dancers were selected for the team including former Tennessee Titans Cheerleaders and some ladies who do work for CMT and are in up-and-coming music videos.

Check out the new squad and see photos and video from the whole audition process here.

Season’s Greetings From the Ice Girls of the Nashville Predators

Ice Girls Molly, Maranda, Emma, and Katy
Ice Girls Molly, Maranda, Emma, and Katy

We thank Molly of the Nashville Predators’ Ice Girls for sending us this lovely holiday photo on behalf of herself, Maranda, Emma, and Katy.

Molly has been on the squad since the 1999-2000 season!  Molly is a professional figure skating and hockey instructor, and recently was on a “Dancing with the Stars” type of show in the UK called “Dancing on Ice.”  Plus, she is a Wii character for the UK Dancing on Ice Game.

Maranda is an eight year squad veteran and co-starred in a hunting show with Ted Nugent.

Emma is a rookie, and speaks six languages, with plans for more!

Katy is in her third year on the squad, and is a student, originally from Buffalo, New York, another city with both NHL and NFL teams.

Have a GREAT 2011 Ice Girls!  All of your accomplishments are making me feel like I better add some more resolutions to my plans.

NHL Ice Girls Gallery

NBC Sports has lots of photos of NHL Ice Girls on the ice this season. The gallery includes ice crews from the Blackhawks, Ducks, Flyers, Hurricanes, Islanders, Kings, Lightning, Oilers, Penguins, Predators, Stars, and Thrashers. (Mostly the Islanders Ice Girls and Thrashers Blue Crew.) Click here to check it out.

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