Pro Cheerleading Podcast: The Truth Behind the Poms

Join me for Cheer Chat to discuss ideas of how we can structure the NBA Dance Team Playoffs to showcase the best performances of the various NBA dance teams throughout the past season.

Join me for Cheer Chat to discuss the latest leadership changes in NFL cheerleading teams, audition tips, showing facials and the request to host another NBA Dance Team Playoffs on the podcast.

Mhkeeba interviews Celine Edmondson, Assistant Coach and Choreographer of the Brooklynettes Dancers, about her experiences coaching, teaching, choreographing for performances with musical artists and her appearance on the Netflix Dance 100 reality show competition. Celine also shares how she is balancing her booming career as a new mother and what she strives to instill in her dancers to develop their full potential. https://www.instagram.com/celineboom_/ https://www.netflix.com/title/81127121 https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4wqxcLtzux/ https://linktr.ee/celineboom

Mhkeeba interviews Kayla Cruz, a captain and five-year veteran of the Brooklynettes Dancers, about her experiences growing as a leader on the team and how the organization has shaped her career as a Professional Dancer, Model and Actress. Kayla shares what it really takes to thrive in the challenging auditions process for the Brooklynettes as well as her approach to being a supportive captain for her teammates. https://www.instagram.com/kaylacruz_/ https://www.instagram.com/brooklynettes/ https://www.instagram.com/p/C3JPRy1Lpop/

Mhkeeba interviews Ally Miller, a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and former NFL Cheerleader for the Washington Command Force. Ally helps dancers fuel like athletes to feel confident in their bodies, achieve optimal health, and perform at the highest levels–without dieting or restriction. She understands the nuances and pressures of pro dance auditions, as well as the physical demands of being on a pro team. https://www.instagram.com/eatingwith.al/

Cheer Chat: Recap of my trip to NYC to attend the New York Knicks game to see the Knicks City Dancers perform and also the Brooklyn Nets game to see the Brooklynettes and Nets Team Hype perform for Noche Latina theme night.

Listen in to Cheer Chat covering all these hot topics:

Mhkeeba introduces each of the 2024 NFL Pro Bowl Cheerleaders from the NFC and AFC. She also shares her experiences going to the and observations from her trip to Orlando, FL to see them perform at the Skills Challenge and Pro Bowl Games. https://www.instagram.com/procheerleadingpodcast/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDzRL6fx-BsttpvEfDhD7Q

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. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

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/ ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

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. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

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/ ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

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 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

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 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

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 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

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 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

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/ ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

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/ ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

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/ ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

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/ ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★