nfl cheer

Mhkeeba joyfully comes out of podcast retirement to interview Savannah Dunaway, a captain and three-year veteran on the Portland BlazerDancers team. Savannah shares her incredible journey of overcoming challenges with how body image is perceived in the pro dance industry.  She openly discusses how she dealt with criticism of her body type and pushed through rejection to accompilsh her dream of becoming an NBA dancer.

Mhkeeba interviews former Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders Quinton Peron and Mattie Lynch in an exciting bonus episode about their experiences competing on The Amazing Race reality TV show.  They share some of the toughest challenges they have faced so far on the show and how their strong friendship and background as NFL cheerleaders helped them support each other throughout the competition.

https://www.cbs.com/shows/amazing_race/
https://www.instagram.com/itsaquintonthing/
https://www.instagram.com/mattieelynchh/

In the Season 10 and Pro Cheerleading Podcast final episode, Mhkeeba shares her love letter to the pro cheer and dance industry of her reflections on how far things have progressed over the past four years as well as her hopes and plans for the future.  

This week Mhkeeba invites Matt Montenegro, former captain of the Golden State Warriors Blue Crew, Phi VoBa, former Seahawks Dancer and Khayla Shipman, former member of the Phoenix Suns Solar Squad, to share their experiences dancing for NFL and NBA dance teams.  They offer their perspectives on the shift in the pro cheer and dance industry toward more hip hop focused entertainment teams as well as how dancers and coaches can show respect and appreciation for hip hop culture in the way that they train and manage these teams.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uik3EC_YZ1E
https://www.instagram.com/phivoba/
https://www.instagram.com/mattywattycakes/
https://youtu.be/8VraCnbbQMM
https://youtu.be/8M1tKrcUYQ4
https://www.instagram.com/companyfam/
https://www.instagram.com/khaylaraelynn/

Mhkeeba interviews Geralyn Joy Marcelino about her experiences auditioning and cheering professionally in the NHL for the Las Vegas Golden Knights, the San Francisco 49ers Gold Rush, and the Arena Football League San Jose Sabercats.  Geralyn also shares how she used her pro cheerleading background and training to pursue modeling, acting and other opportunities as a professional dancer. 

https://www.instagram.com/geralynjoy2/
https://linktr.ee/Geralynjoy2

Mhkeeba interviews her "Carrie Bradshaw" of the pro cheer and dance community, Emily Leibert, who is a Writer for Jezebel and former Los Angeles Rams Cheerleader.  Emily covers the intersection of gender and sport with a focus on effeminate sports including dance, cheerleading, and gymnastics.  Her work has also been featured in Refinery 29, Teen Vogue, NBC News, Fast Company, allure, Men’s Health, and Bustle.  Emily shares her experiences as an NFL cheerleader and what inspired her to pursue a career merging her passions of dance, gender equality, and writing.
 
https://jezebel.com/author/emilyleibert
https://www.instagram.com/emilyleibert/
https://twitter.com/by_emilyleibert
https://l.instagram.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fjezebel.com%2Fchris-crawford-is-changing-nfl-cheerleading-whether-fo-1849119297&e=ATNA3Cm9ubO4buy8B2k36BSr30CSl7fSbnMGtLIIgkMeIwgAfZIVgXrMJz2sYm9B6f0Dckw1RlezRYofSHuUGQ&s=1
https://www.texasmonthly.com/podcasts/series/americas-girls/
https://www.teenvogue.com/story/lindsay-rosenberg-pro-cheerleaders
https://jezebel.com/lsu-tiger-girls-like-a-boy-dance-significance-womens-at-1848399159
https://jezebel.com/womens-sports-fans-media-brands-1848918847

In this week's episode, Mhkeeba finally gets to sit down with Quinton Peron, one of the first male NFL cheerleaders for the Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders, who recently retired from the squad after cheering four seasons that ended with the Super Bowl LVI championship.  Quinton shares his background as a dance teacher and choreographer, his journey making NFL history and changing the pro cheerleading and dance community to be more inclusive of male dancers, and his future plans coming out of retirement. 
https://www.instagram.com/itsaquintonthing/
https://www.youtube.com/user/qspisme

This week Mhkeeba interviews Kelsey Nicholson, a former Kansas City Chiefs Cheerleader, about her career as a Thyroid & Metabolism Nutritionist and how pro cheerleaders and dancers can benefit from increased awareness of how nutrition impacts overall wellness. Kelsey shares helpful insight on topics such as weight loss resistance, increasing metabolism, intermittent fasting and so much more!
https://www.instagram.com/nutritionwithkels/
https://linktr.ee/kelseyscotco

In this week's episode Mhkeeba interviews Jackie Koegel, a prominent choreographer in the cheer and dance industry and the Owner & Founder of Dance Team Central that provides high school and college dance camps as well as a Creative Development Program and online business courses for choreographers.  Jackie shares her story of building her career as a dancer and choreographer and how her tenacity opened up opportunities throughout her journey.
https://www.instagram.com/jackiekoegel/
https://www.instagram.com/danceteamcentral/
https://lnk.bio/danceteamcentral/

This week Mhkeeba interviews Jasmine Lee, a former NBA Dancer for over five years with the Atlanta Hawks and Washington Wizards and the Owner of Nxt Lvl Prep.  Nxt Lvl Prep is an audition prep training program offering pro level dance classes in Atlanta, Charlotte, Denver and the DC/Maryland/Virginia area.  Jasmine shares her experiences dancing in the NBA during her teams' transitions from all-female dance teams to coed teams and what it is like to feel unappreciated while dancing on a pro team.  The ladies also discuss how Nxt Lvl Prep is helping dancers achieve their dreams of dancing for a professional team by teaching technique and the fundamentals necessary to succeed at pro auditions.

https://www.instagram.com/dancetojazz/
https://www.instagram.com/dtjchoreography/
https://www.instagram.com/nxtlvlprep/
https://www.instagram.com/nxtlvlprepdmv/
https://www.instagram.com/nxtlvlprepcolorado/
https://www.instagram.com/nxtlvlprepclt/

In this week's episode Mhkeeba interviews Tracey Hirsch, Director of the Austin Division of USA Cheerleaders and Brigitte Menard, a current USA Cheerleader about the mission, history and growth of the USA Cheerleaders organization.  USA Cheerleaders is a volunteer-based cheerleading organization comprised of former professional cheerleaders and dancers who perform dances, community service and appearances to support the military, first responders, and their families.  The ladies discuss the audition process, team commitment, and how the experience compares to the cheerleading and dance teams for the major sports leagues. 

https://usacheerleaders.org/
https://www.instagram.com/usacheerleaders_austin/
https://www.instagram.com/usacheerleaders_midwest/
https://www.instagram.com/usa_cheerleaders/
https://www.instagram.com/usacheerleadersdallas/
https://www.instagram.com/usacheerleadersfla/

This week Mhkeeba interviews Shaniah Randall, the NFL Cheerleader selected for the 2022 and 2021 NFL Pro Bowl to represent the Las Vegas Raiders, about her pro cheerleading journey and recent Pro Bowl experience in Las Vegas.  Shaniah is a seventh year veteran of the Las Vegas Raiderettes, three-time Captain, and recipient of the Wanetta Horton Award that is awarded to the Raiderette who is considered most inspirational.  She shares her highs and lows of auditioning for teams, the confidence that came from owning her truth, and truly exemplifies inner beauty through her love for her teammates. 
https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/raiders/bvvkttwr8mansqs7lcgw.pdf
https://www.raiders.com/raiderettes/roster/shaniah
https://www.instagram.com/niahhh/

In this week's episode Mhkeeba interviews Madison Forsythe, a high school senior and former competitive cheerleader, about her experiences with racism from coaches and teammates and her inspiration to spread awareness and change competitive cheerleading to be a more positive experience for the younger generations of African American and other minority cheerleaders.  

This week Mhkeeba interviews Haley Marie McClain Hill, a cheerleader for the San Francisco 49ers Gold Rush, a proud member of the United States Air Force, and Founder of Torch Warriorwear and Seek and Set Free.  The ladies discuss Haley's background in dance and competitive cheerleading and how it prepared her to become an NFL cheerleader and how she balanced serving in the U.S. Air Force while cheering in college and professionally in the NFL.  Haley also shares her latest entrepreneurial endeavors with Torch Warriorwear, a clothing line for women in the military, law enforcement, first responders and sports, and Seek and Set Free, an event planning business focused on women's wellness retreats. 

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CXKd4ZFpIgw/
https://www.instagram.com/torch_warriorwear/
https://torchwarriorwear.com/
https://www.instagram.com/iam_haleymarie/
https://linktr.ee/Seekandsetfree
https://www.instagram.com/seekandsetfree/

Season 10 kicks off with an interview featuring Sabrina Ellison and Amira Mourad, the Co-Founders of The Cultivate Code pro dance mentorship program.  Sabrina and Amira are current NBA dance team coaches who saw a gap in the industry to mentor and coach all aspiring pro dancers to make their dreams a reality with a growth mindset and self-love as the foundation. The ladies discuss their Learn Clean Set Clean & Confident program that is designed to dive deeper into developing as a dancer, performer, and teammate and building the skills necessary to succeed once you make your dream team.

https://www.cultivatecode.co/
https://www.instagram.com/thecultivatecode/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/thecultivatecode/
https://www.instagram.com/sabrina_ellison/
https://www.instagram.com/amiramourad_/

In the Season 9 finale, Mhkeeba shares the winners of the inaugural Pro Cheerleading Podcast Awards for various categories including best uniform, social media trends, concept video, and team showmanship.  She also honors the teams that invest the most in their dancers and that best challenge cheerleading stereotypes, recognizes up and coming choreographers and pro cheer programs, and selects the most inspirational director and her best game day experiences from the Pro Cheerleading Podcast Tour. 
https://www.instagram.com/p/CVWbX1ANOFx/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CXu80SBs95p/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CXRoRJtjgpj/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CVqWBnaL4lh/
https://www.instagram.com/theraycook/
https://www.instagram.com/kaydiannamackenzie/
https://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/cheerleaders/roster/

In this episode Mhkeeba interviews Jennifer DePaola, CEO and Founder of Doctors for Dancers, about her inspiration to create a nationwide network connecting dancers with targeted dance specialists and to provide dance medicine education and resources to the dance community.  Jennifer also shares the advocacy and collaborative initiatives to help dancers at the high school, collegiate and professional levels receive access to health resources that are specialized for dancers. 

https://doctorsfordancers.com/
https://www.instagram.com/doctorsfordancers/
https://youtu.be/maDgd6hO4z8
https://youtu.be/VGZxhJBdPC0
https://youtu.be/Wb4aCJdwyRM

This week Mhkeeba shares all of her favorite moments and observations from attending NFL and NBA games for the Pro Cheerleading Podcast tour over the past few months that would create the perfect game day experience for pro cheerleaders and dancers.  She covers everything that would give them the ultimate spotlight from fan engagement activities, pre-game routines, intro videos and player tunnels, uniforms, leading cheers to game performances.   

In this episode, Mhkeeba reflects on why there are so few pro cheerleading teams that outwardly celebrate the history and legacy of their programs, the role of pro cheerleader alumni organizations, and what legacy pro cheerleaders leave behind when they are no longer on the sidelines.  She also shares her thoughts on the legacy she hopes the podcast will have built within the pro cheerleading community over time.

https://www.nationalfootballcheerleadersalumni.com/
https://ultimatecheerleaders.com/
https://dallascowboyscheerleaders.com/history/
https://www.vikings.com/cheerleaders/alumni/
https://www.instagram.com/missingfromthesidelines/
http://www.pompedia.com

This week's episode features an interview with Dr. Chelsea Pierotti, Sports Psychologist and Host of the Passion for Dance Podcast created specifically for dancers and dance educators.  Dr. Pierotti shares how she uses her background as a professional dancer and coach along with her expertise in sports psychology to teach tools that help dancers, coaches and dance educators develop confidence, resilience, growth mindset, passion, and perseverance. 

https://www.chelseapierotti.com/
https://www.instagram.com/dr.chelsea.pierotti/