Health Heroes: Cardinals Cheerleaders Fight Coronavirus On Front Lines

Editors note: some good news regarding two cheerleaders who are having a positive impact on the community as we undergo this unprecedented time in our country.  We thank Darren Urban and the Arizona Cardinals for bringing this to our attention.

Darren Urban
azcardinals.com

Cardinals cheerleader Darby, a local nurse, works at her parking lot station this week as she helps screen incoming patients for the coronavirus.

As she watches cars drive up each day, Darby doesn’t know if the person inside will have a mild cough or no illness symptoms at all. She doesn’t know if the potential patient just broke a foot or is showing the serious signs of COVID-19.

But as a nurse, this is what she wanted to do. In another part of her life, Darby is a Cardinals cheerleader (per team policy, azcardinals.com won’t use her last name). But nursing is her profession, and as part of her hospital’s disaster response team for the coronavirus, she has spent the last week in the parking lot screening those that drive up, never knowing for sure exactly to what she has been exposed.

Her hospital has all the personal protective equipment it needs for now. She feels lucky in that regard. But the unknown is reality. Treating someone with no outward symptoms doesn’t necessarily mean anything.

“Right now, I don’t feel in danger, but I don’t really know what’s to come,” said Darby, who has been a nurse for six years and is heading into her fourth year with Cardinals Cheer. “Will supplies change in one week? Two weeks? Three weeks?

“I try to stay in the moment. As a healthcare worker, I think it’s important that we keep our calm. Every day it’s changing.”

Shasta has been a nurse for almost five years. She works with newborn babies and their mothers, in that day or two they are in the hospital for a birth. She isn’t necessarily dealing with COVID patients – “I have a crazy amount of respect for the people that are going in there every single day to do that,” she said – but as a nurse, the coronavirus inevitably was going to touch her life.

Shasta’s mother was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer three years ago. Shasta bought a house two years ago and both her mom and dad moved in. When COVID-19 arrived, the fear set in, and she saw no option other than moving out.

“I couldn’t stand the thought of potentially coming into contact with (the coronavirus), not knowing if I was positive and exposing her to that,” Shasta said. “That would be more catastrophic than anything.”

Cardinals cheerleaders Darby (left) and Shasta in their work clothes as local nurses.

Shasta, going into her third season as a Cardinals cheerleader, first moved in with a friend, who is also a nurse. That friend – who had only had the mildest of symptoms and tested only when she had trouble smelling and tasting – was soon after diagnosed with COVID-19.

Shasta had to stay home from work. She moved to a hotel for a week to quarantine while she waited for her own COVID test results. Those results came back negative, and she moved in with her brother and was able to return to work. (Her friend is doing well.)

“It’s been a little crazy,” Shasta said.

Darby, who has twice gone to Haiti to help provide free medical care in desperate areas, has a boyfriend who is a firefighter. She said he too has the proper equipment now, but with him as a first responder, they have had conversations about their heightened exposure to the virus.

The fall, with the potential of football and cheerleading, can seem so far away. In these circumstances, it can feel meaningless.

“There are a lot more important things than cheerleading and the NFL,” Shasta said. “But this whole (sports) industry gives people hope. If we do what we need to do to get everyone healthy, I keep thinking this will be something people can look forward to. People won’t take (that life) for granted.”

As for nursing, no matter how dangerous the profession has become, neither has regrets.

“I really have never been so proud to be a nurse,” Shasta said. “That doesn’t mean it’s not scary, to think of what the future holds.”

Darby, in a family full of healthcare workers, long thought about being a caregiver at the bedside, doing hands-on patient care. Given the world around her, the idea of being in a different line of work, “you wonder those things.”

“But I am the type of the person where I want to be responding to this,” Darby said. “I want, with my whole heart and soul, to help people.”

Check out the Latest from the Pro Cheerleading Podcast: Best Audition Tips from Guests

In this week’s episode, Mhkeeba shares her favorite pieces of advice from past guests of the podcast on pro cheerleading auditions and what teams are looking for in a professional cheerleader.  The past guests include Michelle Burch – Performance Teams Manager for the Portland Trail Blazers, Derric Whitfield – Senior Director of Dance Teams for the Washington Wizards, Michelle Vaughn – NBA/NFL Choreographer, Patrisha Yabes – Former Golden State Warriors Dancer and Los Angeles Charger Girl, GeNienne Samuels – President & CEO of Sideline Prep, and Candess Carroll – Washington Redskins Cheerleader, NFL Pro Bowl Cheerleader & Captain. Each segment covers various topics from learning choreography quickly, what judges are looking for beyond dancing and how to handle the experience of being cut during auditions.

During Cheer Chat, Mhkeeba discusses the only male member of the Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders, Kyle Tanguay, who auditioned on American Idol and made it to the Hollywood round and the Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders recent UNIR dance showcase featuring pro, college and youth dancers and cheerleaders from South Florida.

Click here to listen to the podcast.

Check Out The Latest Pro Cheerleading Podcast – Gossip Folks: Interview with Michelle Vaughn

Brittany and Mhkeeba interview Michelle Vaughn, one of the hottest choreographers for several NBA dance teams and NFL cheerleading squads!  The ladies learn all about her background as a professional dancer in Los Angeles performing with exciting artists like Nicki Minaj and Flo Rida, and her perspective on changes in the pro dance industry from influence of social media.  Michelle also shares how she balances her career as a master teacher at pro dance training programs and dance conventions all over the U.S. and internationally at the pro, college and high school level!

During this week’s Cheer Chat, Mhkeeba and Brittany discuss the trend of branded video content on the various social media sites of pro cheerleading teams and wonder if this concern with re-branding the team image is getting a little bit overplayed.  The ladies also discuss economic justice and pay equity for female athletes in sports as it pertains to professional dancers and cheerleaders.  The ladies have fun getting to know Michelle with the Drop It Like It’s Hot segment!

To listen to the latest episode of the Pro Cheerleading Podcast, please click here.

Check out the Latest Pro Cheerleading Podcast

Change Clothes: Interview with Laurel Cancilla, Owner of The Stretch and Sparkle Store

Meet the amazing woman behind all of the glitzy and glamorous uniforms for the Seattle Sea Gals and Seahawks Dancers, Laurel Cancilla! Brittany and Mhkeeba interview Laurel to learn about her long tenure designing and creating the most beautiful handmade uniforms and audition attire. The ladies also get her perspective on some of the newer fashion trends in pro cheerleading uniforms. Laurel shares a shocking Locker Talk story that the ladies would have never guessed in a million years!

During Cheer Chat, Mhkeeba and Brittany discuss the announcement of Jennifer Lopez and Shakira performing in the Super Bowl halftime show in Miami and the Arizona Sidewinders earning Best Dance Team Award by the Indoor Football League. In not so good news, the ladies discuss the decision by the professional club basketball team in Germany, Alba Berlin, to eliminate their pro cheerleading team, the Alba Dancers, with the explanation that the all female squad “is no longer appropriate to our time.” Mhkeeba and Brittany share their thoughts on how the trends they have been seeing in the U.S. to eliminate all female pro cheerleading and dance teams is making its way across the globe.

To listen to this episode of the Pro Cheerleading Podcast, click here.

USA Today Photos from Week 3

It used to be that NFL.com and other media site would post galleries of cheerleader images from throughout the season, but it seems like this is a thing of the past.  Somehow professional cheerleading is no longer in vogue or politically correct and that’s a shame.

Well at least USA Today still posts an ongoing gallery of NFL Cheerleader images and that is a good thing because most of their images are shot by AP photographers and they are the best.  So click here to view the USA Today website.

Here are some of the best images from Week 3 of the NFL regular season.

Pro Cheerleading Podcast – She’s Got Legs: Interview with Jacie Scott, Former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader & Radio City Rockettes Dancer

Mhkeeba and Brittany interview the amazingly talented and multi-faceted Jacie Scott, former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader and Radio City Rockettes Dancer, writer, and founder of her very own foundation, Declare Hope! Listen in as Jacie shares her extensive dance background that took her from the Dallas Cowboys sidelines to the world famous stage of the New York Radio City Music Hall.

Jacie inspires the ladies with her positive perspective and fearless decisions to pursue all of her passions instead of feeling forced to choose just one. During this week’s Cheer Chat, Brittany and Mhkeeba give an update on the status of the newly formed coed NBA dance teams. Jacie gives the ladies a funny Locker Talk story of a show group solo performance gone wrong.

Click here to listen to the latest episode of the Pro Cheerleading Podcast.

 

Check Out the Latest Episode of the Pro Cheerleading Podcast – Bounce Back: Interview with Derric Whitfield

In this week’s episode, Brittany and Mhkeeba interview the infamous Derric Whitfield, Sr. Director of Dance Teams for the Washington Wizards!  Both ladies learned and performed his killer routines that he taught at the two biggest dance conventions in pro cheerleading and have been huge fans ever since.  Listen in to hear all about his background as a college and pro dancer, pro cheerleading industry choreographer, and highly respected leader of all of the entertainment teams for the Washington Wizards.  Derric ends the interview with Drop It Like It’s Hot so everyone can get the chance to get to know him better! 

During Cheer Chat, Mhkeeba and Brittany discuss an article from The Dallas Morning News by Sharon Grigsby attacking the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders as outdated and overly sexualized along with the ultimate clap back article from Paige Skinner in the Dallas Observer pointing out its absurdity.

Click here to listen to this episode of the Pro Cheerleading Podcast.

Check Out the Latest Episode of the Pro Cheerleading Podcast – Game Time: The Game Day Experience

Game Time: The Game Day Experience

Join Mhkeeba and Brittany as they experiment recording Cheer Chat using Instagram Live to give listeners an inside look at how they record the Pro Cheerleading Podcast!  During Cheer Chat the ladies discuss some new uniforms that debuted during Week 1 of the NFL regular season for a few teams that are changing the look of the traditional glamorous NFL uniforms.  They also discuss some developments in a lawsuit brought by a former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders against the team that resulted in a significant raise for the cheerleaders and a few inspirational stories that celebrate women on and off the playing field.  In this week’s episode, Brittany and Mhkeeba walk you through the entire game day experience while reminiscing on some of their most memorable moments on the sidelines. They wrap up the episode with Locker Talk about a little post-game mischief from lingering in the locker room too long after the game!

Click here to listen to this podcast episode.

Time Magazine: NBA Teams Are Slowly Eliminating All-Female Dance Squads. Dancers Say That’s Sexist.

From Time Magazine

NBA Teams Are Slowly Eliminating All-Female Dance Squads. Dancers Say That’s Sexist.

By Paige Skinner

July 29, 2019

On May 15, an executive with the Sacramento Kings told 48 female contract employees on a conference call that the team would be “evolving” their dance squad, and the women’s contracts would end June 30.

The 48 women made up the official Kings Dancers, the elderly dance team The Classics, and the dance team for the G-League affiliate, the Stockton Kings. The Breakers, a break-dancing team made up of seven male dancers, were not on the call, nor were the co-ed entertainment teams: The Dunking Ushers, Drumline, 91Sticks, and the Sacramento Kings Street Team.

According to two women who were on the call, the executive told them that the Kings were moving in a “more inclusive” direction and would eliminate the three all-female teams, replacing the Kings Dancer and The Classics with a co-ed hip-hop team called the 916 Crew, and replacing the Stockton Kings dancers with a co-ed multi-discipline street team called 209 Hype. The women were encouraged to try out, but were not guaranteed a spot on the new teams—the same process required of them each season. One member of The Classics joked during the call, “I think I can hip, but I don’t think I can hop.”

Kellie Jackson and Mariah Palmiter, both Kings Dancers since 2016, were on the 30-minute call. Palmiter asked if the April hiring of the new Kings head coach, Luke Walton, had anything to do with eliminating the all-female dance teams. Just a few weeks earlier, former Spectrum SportsNet reporter Kelli Tennant had filed a civil lawsuit against Walton accusing him of sexually assaulting her in a hotel room in 2014. Walton has categorically denied the allegations.

Palmiter found the timing suspicious, wondering if the organization was worried about showcasing young female dancers while dealing with the accusations against Walton. But she says when she asked this question, she was told, “We’d like to keep this a productive call.”

A Kings spokesperson told TIME: “[The decision to evolve the dance teams] was discussed internally for months and was finalized before the end of season.”

In the past 14 months, eight of the 30 NBA teams have replaced their all-female dance teams with co-ed groups. It’s a trend that some dancers say reflects a fraught societal response to the #MeToo movement: If there’s any chance you could be accused of sexism, just distance yourself from women. Others wonder if franchises are eliminating all-female squads because of prior pushes for better pay and working conditions. NBA teams insist they are merely diversifying their entertainment squads, but dancers, many of whom have trained and aspired to be on these teams for years, say the decision to replace all-female teams is itself sexist, reducing the number of good career opportunities for women.

NBA dancers have been part of the league for more than 30 years, and while their positions are typically part-time, many dancers say they spend more than 20 hours per week learning, practicing, and performing the dances at games. They also represent the team publicly, volunteering in the community and appearing at events to dance or sign autographs.

Palmiter says the decision feels like “a slap in the face.”

“We were always fighting our own organization to get the credit, attention, and respect that we deserved,” she says, “and in hindsight they were already pushing us out of the door.”

Read the rest of the article at Time.com.

Listen to the Latest Pro Cheerleading Podcast – Mean Gurl: How To Deal With Mean Girls On The Squad

Mean Gurl: How To Deal With Mean Girls On The Squad

Brittany and Mhkeeba take on the difficult, but very real, topic of mean girls on pro cheerleading teams. The ladies know all too well that it’s not always peaches and cream in terms of squad dynamics. They explore what defines mean girl behavior and how it shows up in the pro cheerleading world based on their own experiences and those of their listeners who wrote in questions and topics for the episode. The ladies discuss why mean girls even exist in the first place and conclude with some sound advice for dancers, squad leaders and even directors on how to deal with mean girls on the squad. This week’s Cheer Chat includes the latest update on NBA auditions and discuss a cool appearance by the Jacksonville Jaguars Roar cheerleaders performing with Sonny Kiss, a pro wrestler from All Elite Wrestling. Survey results have been steadily pouring in so Mhkeeba and Brittany share some of the highlights from the feedback from their listeners. During Locker Talk, the ladies bravely share their own mean girl confessions and give advice on how everyone can strive to do better to eliminate mean girl behavior in their lives.

Click here to listen to the lastest episode of the Pro Cheerleading Podcast.