nba dancers

Mhkeeba interviews Alicia Harrington and Nicolette Peloquin, former New England Patriots Cheerleaders and Owners of The Prep Talk, a personal development and branding company for aspiring professional cheerleaders.  The ladies discuss their background as cheerleaders and ambassadors for the Patriots organization and the importance of presenting a well rounded dance resume and investing in interview preparation.  Nicolette and Alicia share their inspiration for launching The Prep Talk and their favorite memories of their late beloved New England Patriots Cheerleading Director and Hall of Fame honoree, Tracy Sormanti.

https://thepreptalk.com/
https://www.instagram.com/thepreptalk_/

In this week's episode, Mhkeeba connects with Samantha Popham, NBA dancer and creator of The Sideline Secrets - an exciting new platform covering the pro cheerleading and dance industry by dancers and for dancers on topics such as beauty, style, health and fitness, lifestyle and insider secrets.  She shares her journey to becoming a professional dancer and what inspired her to curate content to capture all of the knowledge, experiences and insights to help aspiring pro dancers and cheerleaders also achieve their dream.

http://www.thesidelinesecrets.com
https://www.instagram.com/sampop1013/
https://www.instagram.com/thesidelinesecrets/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY3SxYJj6MS7GN2EmnoigOw/featured

This week Mhkeeba interviews Andy Vaca, Professor of Dance at California State University, Long Beach and Pro Action Dance Instructor who shares the history of how some professional cheerleading and dance teams formed on the West coast.  Andy also discusses his experiences performing and choreographing for pro teams during his career and his perspective on the progress that has been made over time for male dancers.  

In this week's episode, Mhkeeba spends some one on one time with her audience to share the truth behind the poms of some of the ups and downs of running the podcast over the past three years as well as her goals and inspiration for the future.  

In the Season 9 opener, Mhkeeba interviews Taja Riley, one of the most talented principal lead dance artists and choreographers in the entertainment industry.  Taja spreads awareness of the issues facing dance artists and advocates for better working conditions while on production sets and tours, injury prevention and health resources, attribution for content, and improved advocacy and representation by the unions. 

In the Season 8 finale, Mhkeeba interviews Adrienne Lawrence, award winning author of Staying In The Game: The Playbook for Beating Workplace Sexual Harassment, about her experience overcoming sexual harassment, misogynoir and gender discrimination at her former employer ESPN.  Adrienne shares some advice from her book and offers her perspective for pro cheerleaders to navigate sexual harassment in the workplace.
https://www.instagram.com/adriennelawrence/
https://www.adriennejlawrence.com/

In this week's episode, Mhkeeba invites former and aspiring professional cheerleaders to share their experiences with diversity and inclusion while auditioning and cheering in the NBA and NFL.  Kaitlin, a professional dancer, Bianca Calingo, former NFL cheerleader and NBA dancer, and Erika Quan, former Seahawks Dancer, also discuss their perspectives on what changes are needed to improve the representation of dancers from the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in professional cheerleading.  

This week Mhkeeba interviews Sierra Martinez, former Oakland Raiderette and Miami Dolphins Cheerleader, about her experience relocating and cheering for two NFL teams and launching her business, Mohita Mami Swimwear.  Sierra also shares her positive mindset of pursuing goals and adding value to her life all while remaining open to opportunities that may not come as expected.   
https://www.instagram.com/mohitamami/
https://www.instagram.com/citamohita/
https://www.mohitamami.com/

In this episode Mhkeeba interviews Jada Davis, Owner of Poms Up! Health & Fitness and former Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cheerleader and The Roar Cheerleaders for the Jacksonville Jaguars.  Jada shares her inspirational journey becoming an NFL Pro Bowl Cheerleader and the amazing Poms Up! community she started  after retirement focused on helping former pro team cheerleaders and dancers look and feel like themselves again.
https://www.instagram.com/jadanicoled/
https://www.instagram.com/pomsuphealthandfitness/
https://pomsupthepodcast.buzzsprout.com/
http://www.sutrapro.com/pomsup
https://www.facebook.com/groups/pomsuppomqueens

This week Mhkeeba interviews Nicole Dreher, a former NFL Cheerleader for the Cincinnati Ben Gals and current NHL Cheerleader about her journey auditioning for different NFL teams and her incredible experience as a Ben Gals Captain and performing at professional hockey games.  Nicole also shares her latest venture as Owner and Choreographer of Dance With Dreher teaching pro style Sassy Sidelines and Master Classes. 

https://www.instagram.com/dancewithdreher/
www.dancewithdreher.com

In this episode Mhkeeba interviews former San Francisco 49ers Gold Rush cheerleaders, Erin and Jordan, who are now hosts of Breaking Formation: A Pomcast aiming to redefine the word "cheerleader" one episode at a time.  The ladies discuss their time cheering in the NFL together and what inspired them to launch their platform to build connections in the pro cheer and dance community and break free from the negative stereotypes of professional cheerleaders. 

http://breakingformation.com/
https://www.instagram.com/breakingformationpodcast/
https://www.instagram.com/jordaneileent/
https://www.instagram.com/erin.margs/

Mhkeeba interviews Donivous Odom, Curator of Pro Dance Boyz, about his experience becoming a male cheerleader in the NFL and the inspiration behind creating a platform dedicated to showcasing and connecting the amazing male performers of the professional entertainment industry.  They also discuss some of the dynamics of creating coed cheer and dance teams and how these changes are impacting the pro cheerleading industry. 

https://www.instagram.com/prodanceboyz/

In this week's episode, Mhkeeba interviews former New York Jets Flight Crew Cheerleaders, Samantha Scarpa and Ashley Gonzalez, who launched 3 Cheers Dance & Fitness focused on teaching and building confidence through movement in cheer, dance, gymnastics and fitness for youth of all ages.  The ladies discuss the impact of the current pro cheerleading industry on the younger generation and the importance of preparing the youth in dance and cheer as well as teaching them to use their voices to stand up for what they believe in.

https://3cheersdancefitness.com/
https://www.instagram.com/3cheersdance_fitness/
https://www.instagram.com/ashesmarieg/
https://www.instagram.com/samanthascarpa/

This week Mhkeeba interviews Jenn Padilla, a former NBA dancer and Host of the Life Unfiltered Podcast about her inspiration to share conversations through an unfiltered version of what life really looks like off our social media feeds and to normalize life's struggles particularly with mental health.  In Part 1, Cheer Chat includes a robust discussion of diversity and inclusion in professional cheerleading in light of the Denver Broncos squad announcement.  Part 2 launches into the interview with Jenn where she shares her journey as a professional dancer and how she overcame some very difficult struggles through therapy and her willingness to explore and redefine what mental health means in her life.

https://www.instagram.com/sweatwithjenn/
https://www.instagram.com/life_unfilteredpod/

This week Mhkeeba interviews Jenn Padilla, a former NBA dancer and Host of the Life Unfiltered Podcast about her inspiration to share conversations through an unfiltered version of what life really looks like off our social media feeds and to normalize life's struggles particularly with mental health.  In Part 1, Cheer Chat includes a robust discussion of diversity and inclusion in professional cheerleading in light of the Denver Broncos squad announcement.  Part 2 launches into the interview with Jenn where she shares her journey as a professional dancer and how she overcame some very difficult struggles through therapy and her willingness to explore and redefine what mental health means in her life.

https://www.instagram.com/sweatwithjenn/
https://www.instagram.com/life_unfilteredpod/

In the Season 8 launch, Mhkeeba shares feedback from listeners about episode ideas for the new season and reviews of the most popular and impactful audition prep programs that have helped dancers reach their goals of becoming a professional cheerleader.  Mhkeeba also interviews Brandon Belmiro, a former NBA dancer and Coach of the DMV Lady Warriors about his experience auditioning for the new Washington Football Team co-ed entertainment team. 

https://linktr.ee/nxtlvlprep
https://www.trainwithtiph.com/

In the Season 7 finale episode, Mhkeeba is joined by a panel of outstanding women including Sara Blackwell, Yu Gu, and Amanda Ross to learn what a union is and how it works, the benefits and legal protections of having a union, some context and history of what happened when NFL cheerleaders tried to unionize in the past, and what are the next steps for NFL cheerleaders to come together to form a union and help shape the future of pro cheerleading.  

Sara is a very well respected employment law attorney who has represented professional cheerleaders in their claims of religious and gender discrimination and illegal employment practices. Amanda is an alumni of the Baltimore Ravens Cheerleaders who cheered for five seasons and was selected as the team's NFL Pro Bowl representative. She is also a Certified Union Organizer.  Yu is the director of the highly acclaimed documentary "A Woman's Work: The NFL's Cheerleader Problem" that follows two former NFL cheerleaders who file class-action lawsuits against their teams and the league alleging wage theft and illegal employment practices.  The film is now available to pre-order on iTunes to watch on January 26th. 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/a-womans-work-the-nfls-cheerleader-problem/id1545067929

To learn more about forming a union for NFL cheerleaders, please visit the website and sign up to attend the information sessions on January 14th at 5:30 pm (PST) / 8:30 pm (EST) and January 16th at 11am (PST) / 2 pm (EST).
https://www.nflcheerleaderunion.com/

https://www.awomansworkdoc.com/
http://instagram.com/awomansworkdoc
https://www.facebook.com/awomansworkdoc/
https://twitter.com/AWomansWorkDoc
https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/mavericks/2020/03/03/mavericks-dance-team-could-return-to-home-games-as-soon-as-this-week/

This week Mhkeeba interviews Kurt A. David, an Emmy Award winning Executive Producer of the 'From Glory Days' TV Show, where he interviews Hall of Fame and World Champion former professional athletes about their successful transition into life after pro sports. Kurt is also an International Speaker on Sudden Change and shares his five keys for successfully navigating sudden change that pro cheerleaders can use in the transition from dancing professionally. 

https://www.kurtdavid.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMaAeKFSXRI&feature=youtu.be
https://www.instagram.com/glorydaystv/

This week Mhkeeba interviews Marcus Sophus II, a former member of the Dallas Cowboys Rhythm & Blue Dancers and currently a professional dancer based in Los Angeles.  A man of many talents, Marcus shares his experiences following his passion for dance and the challenges he overcame along the way. 
https://www.instagram.com/marcusanthonyii/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOZP_jJ9NfbawFGOgNZdRtQ