College Dance Team Central News Links

Click on the links to enjoy the stories and as always, check the CDTC Twitter account for updates and to follow College Dance Team Central.

- South Dakota Dance Team adapts to D-I pressures: The Volante

- Three cheers for the Seattle University Spirit Squad (pictured): SU Spectator

- Wisconsin Spirit Squad member in Athlon Sideline Spirit Contest: UWBadgers.com

- Former Sacred Heart Dancer a member of the New York Jets Flight Crew: North Jersey.com

From The Hornets Nest To The Royal Court

Feature on former Sacramento State Hornet Girlz Dancer Laura Sieglitz

By Nick Hunte
The State Hornet

Laura Sieglitz, senior math major, began dancing when she was 3 years old. By the time she was a teenager, she knew what she wanted to be: a Sacramento Kings dancer.

Sieglitz began auditioning for the Kings when she turned 18 and finally earned a spot on the team after her fourth try last year.

"I knew even before I turned 18 that I wanted to become a Kings dancer," Sieglitz said. "If I had the chance, I would do it all over again anytime in my life."

The former Hornet Girlz Dance Team member has an extensive background in dance. In high school she attended the Natomas Charter Performing and Fine Arts Academy and majored in dance. While there, she performed in many shows, such as "Guys and Dolls" and 42nd Street."

After high school, she continued to study dance at American River College before transferring to Sacramento State in 2006, where she joined the Hornet Girlz Dance Team. Sieglitz left the team in 2008 due to a knee injury.

Sieglitz's mother, Valinda Frost, said she remembers when her daughter began dancing in preschool. She said it has been a joy to watch her daughter grow and progress as a dancer.

"I still have a videotape of her dancing to the Nutcracker Suite when she was 3 years old and she had her pink tutu stuffed in her diaper," Frost said as she laughed. "I was every bit as proud of her then as I am now."

Sieglitz first described her experience as a Kings dancer in one word: amazing. When asked to elaborate her experiences, Sieglitz just gushed.

"Everyone is so supportive. Performing on the court has been amazing, the fans are excited, fun to talk to and fun to perform in front of. I love it," Sieglitz said.

Sieglitz said that her schedule as a full-time student and a Kings dancer is demanding. She wakes up around 6:30 a.m. every day and spends four to seven hours studying in between classes.

After her school day, she heads to Arco Arena for a 5:30 p.m. practice that sometimes lasts until 11:30 p.m.

Sieglitz said that being a Kings dancer and a full-time student is a balancing act. She said that keeping her priorities straight and having a supportive family are the keys to her success.

"I have a lot going on in my life, but having a supportive family at home helps keep me going," Sieglitz said. "I always try to stay constantly busy and constantly getting things done, which ensures that I'm able to do it all."

Frost believes that Sieglitz is very motivated, sets goals for herself and works hard at achieving them.

"She never gives up," Frost said. "She might fail at times, but she will never give up until she succeeds. She is an exceptional young woman. She's definitely the one in a million."

Preschool teacher Jenica Thompson, a close friend of Sieglitz, said she is very driven and motivated as a person and feels that she can accomplish almost any goal in life.

"She pretty much tackles anything she wants to do and she has proven that with the Kings," Thompson said. "That is a pretty high goal to set for yourself and she accomplished it. I look forward to seeing the things that she wants to do in her life."

Following her graduation in December, Sieglitz plans to pursue her teacher credential through Project Pipeline to become a high school teacher. She hopes to earn a full-time teaching position by next fall.

Sieglitz said although she plans to start her teaching career next fall, she would like to continue on as a Kings dancer for at least one more season.

She said she has never felt awkward when her fellow students and professors find out she is a Kings dancer.

"Whenever students or professors find out that I'm a dancer for the Sacramento Kings, they have all been very supportive," Sieglitz said. "They all ask me questions, they want to know what it's like being a dancer. It's been a very positive experience and it's a way for me to get to know my fans more."

Frost said she enjoys watching her daughter perform at Kings games and is proud of her accomplishments as a student and a dancer.

"She dances like nobody dances," Frost said. "I get to see her perform and shine in front of all those people and I know that there's a brain that goes along with it. I couldn't be prouder."

Sieglitz said one of her favorite moments performing as a Kings dancer are the tunnel chants that the dance team does every time before they run onto the court.

"Before I go out to the floor, I start getting nervous like, 'Oh my gosh, will I forget the first move?'" Sieglitz said. "We do this chant and then we come together as a team, which gives me confidence, and we go out there and kick some butt."

Sieglitz said beyond performing for thousands of fans at games, one of her favorite parts about being a dancer is reaching out to the community.

She said the most touching moment for her as a member of the team was when the dancers participated in a run to benefit a girl battling leukemia.

"That alone was the biggest thing for me as a Sacramento Kings dancer. That touches me the most because we were able to not only be there for the fans and the Sacramento Kings basketball players, but to be there for the people who we can really make a difference with," Sieglitz said.

Nick Hunte can be reached at nhunte@statehornet.com

Former Montana Dancer With NFL's Cardinals

Passion for dance carries Conrad woman to career worth cheering for
BY Patrick Douglas
Great Falls Tribune

It's a bit like something out of a Hollywood script. A young farm girl from a tiny Montana town tries out and ends up being chosen for an NFL cheerleading squad.

But that's reality for Callie Yeager and her family after the Conrad native made the Arizona Cardinals' cheer team last summer.

"I thought it was neat that she would at least give it a shot 'cause she's always been real brave that way in going and trying out for something," said Callie's mother, Bobbi Yeager. "I thought 'It'd be great if it happens,' but I was always thinking 'Wow, I don't know.' "

Callie's passion for dancing began when she was 3 years old and first took classes for fun. She attended college at the University of Montana where she was a member of the Sugar Bears dance team and then went on to Las Vegas where she danced in the Tournament of Kings show.

In between, she decided to try out for the pinnacle of NFL cheerleading squads — the Dallas Cowboys.

"There's over 300 girls and they're all beautiful, they're all talented and they're all pencil skinny," Callie said of the initial tryouts. "It is intimidating but you've just gotta hold your own and be confident."

While Callie didn't make the final cut for the Cowboys in the spring of 2007, she took what she learned from the experience and used it to land the job with the Arizona Cardinals this past summer.

The tryouts required that the women showcase their talents in front of a panel of judges.

"They usually do it in groups of five and usually the first round is introducing ourselves," Callie explained. "They put the music on, and we just freestyle dance which is just moving on your own. No choreography. Then they do their first cuts.

"In the second round, they teach you a choreography portion, like something they performed at their games last year. That's a fast process. We had to learn and perform within an hour."

The second round of cuts comes the next day, followed by an interview process.

"We have to dress in business attire and that's the scary part," she said. "Then we do our final dance. They post the results on the Internet a week later and ... you're just sitting by the computer waiting for it to pop up."

Then the good news came.

"I couldn't even believe it," Callie said with a laugh. "I had to refresh the page to make sure it was me. Then I started crying. (It was) a roller coaster of emotions. Then I call everyone I know and they're screaming. It's so exciting, but then you realize that you have to move. It's nuts."

Growing Up In Conrad

Callie's mother Bobbi was a high school teacher and her dad Gary is a barley farmer. Callie was a four-year varsity cheerleader for Conrad before heading to Missoula. Even though her parents supported her love of dance, they took a sensible approach to Callie's future.

"I kind of wanted her to be a nurse or something more practical," Bobbi said. "She was always dance, dance, dance and I was always thinking 'Go for something practical.' Her older sister's a banker, her older brother is a paralegal and those are both pretty staid and true occupations and here comes Callie dancing her way through everything."

Now that Callie has made the Cardinal cheerleading squad, her path has taken a different turn. Her parents, avid Grizzly fans, didn't have a favorite NFL team but of course that's changed, and they plan to attend a Cardinals' game in December.

"She always did really well with (the Sugar Bears) and I thought 'Wow, if anybody could do this, she could.' I'd see the girls on the NFL teams and she looked just as good to me as they did," Bobbi said.

"When she was majoring in dance, I thought she could go all the way with it. I think that's about as far as you could go in cheerleading."

Down the road

Callie has aspirations to one day own her own dance studio, a dream that seems much more likely considering what she's accomplished so far.

Knowing that young girls look up to her the way young boys admire professional football players is something Callie doesn't take lightly.

"It's very special. I love it because I want to eventually open my own dance studio and teach young children. I looked up to even just the high school cheerleaders when I was little, and I wanted to be them and I know how it feels," Callie said. "It's just special to make their day and make them smile and make them dream and be able to think that they can do it, too."

Making the transition from small-town farm girl to big city cheerleader has been surreal, but rewarding, she said.

"I really miss home. I'm always still gonna be the small-town farm girl. There's 6 million people in Phoenix and there's 3,000 in Conrad with one stoplight. It's hard to even wrap your head around it," she said. "When you leave, you really appreciate what you had."

"Moving here, I knew no one and now I have 32 great friends," she continued.

"(Callie) was always just one of those easygoing kids," Bobbi said. "She always loved anything to do with dance and was good at it. I guess I should've known. I kept thinking 'She'll get tired of it,' or 'She'll outgrow it,' but she never did."

Redhawk Becomes Sea Gal

By Katie Farden
SU Spectator
Media Credit: Courtesy Sea Gals

With four wins and 12 losses last season, the Seattle Seahawks ended 2008 leaving most of their fans with dim hopes for next year. Seattle U students and alumni still have cause to head down to Qwest Field, however, even if it is only for the half-time show.

Senior criminal justice and forensic psychology major Pia Gillan recently earned a spot on the Sea Gals, a professional dance team that performs at Seahawks football games.

When Gillan first found out she made the team, she was in disbelief.

"You have to wait for an hour to find out, and that's the worst part," she said. "When they first called my number I was in shock, I had to double check to make sure it was me."

Gillan has been a member of Seattle U's dance squad, SU Dance Team, for the past two years.

Her dance coach, Kate Kelly, wasn't surprised with Gillian's success at the Sea Gals tryout.

"She is one of the best performers I have ever coached," Kelly said. "She just has that air about her."

Performing in front of a large audience is one aspect of her new job Gillan says she is most excited to take on.

"I'm really excited just to be in the stadium interacting with the crowd," said Gillan who was born and raised in Guam and danced competitively in high school for Skip Entertainment Studio.

Before dancing on the SU Dance Team, Gillan spent her freshman and sophomore year playing rugby for Seattle U.

"Rugby was a lot of fun, especially because we played it a lot in Guam," she said. "But I really missed dancing. It's not that I didn't like rugby, but I do wish I had tried out for the dance team earlier."

The most unforgettable moment of her two years on Seattle U's dance squad, she said, was her initial audition.

"I had never really auditioned before, and I was nervous choreographing my own dance," she said of her 2007 tryout. "But I got through it."

Gillan auditioned for the Sea Gals in late April at Qwest Field. The try outs, which held three rounds of cuts and personal interviews, proved to be far more overwhelming than the Seattle U dance team auditions.

"At the SU audition, there are about eight girls there, and everyone knows your name," she said. "At the Sea Gals audition, there were over 200. You're just a number."

Emporia State Dancer Living Her Dream

Living Her Dream
By Ashley Walker
The Emporia Gazette

Barista. Dance instructor. President of her sorority. Full-time undergraduate student. And now ... NFL cheerleader. ESU senior Katie Beyer is busy.

But then again, she knew what she was in for last March when she tried out to be a Kansas City Chiefs cheerleader: the chance to do what she loves.

“Dance has always been my passion,” she said. From the time she was 2 1/2 years old, Beyer has been dancing. “It’s always been my thing.”

As a child, her parents would drive her up from her hometown of LeRoy to take dance lessons at Kari’s Dance Academy in Emporia. She continued to excel at the academy and eventually competed on the Starfire Dance Team.

So when it was time to look for a college to attend after graduating from Southern Coffey County High School in 2004, Emporia State seemed like the natural choice.

As a health promotion major, she continued to pursue her passion for dance by being on the ESU Stingers team and teaching dance lessons at Kari’s. But it wasn’t until the spring of her junior year that she decided to take another step in her dancing career — to audition for the Kansas City Chiefs Cheerleader squad.

With the support and encouragement from family and friends, Beyer traveled up to Kansas City to audition against 200 other hopefuls for a spot on the squad. After a month of intense competition and scrutiny of her dancing abilities, fitness level, presentation skills, even her talent at designing a cheer uniform, Beyer was picked to be one of 36 Chief’s cheerleaders.

“It was intense,” she said, comparing auditions to the popular CMT series, “Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Making the Team.” “The auditions are to find girls who would best fit the team for the year.”

The squad has been a good fit for Beyer. “It has been really busy,” she said. “But worth it. I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t enjoy dancing and hanging out with the girls. I get to do what I love to do.”

But doing what she loves to do demands a lot of work, too. She is required to attend three, three hour practices a week in Kansas City, which means lots of mileage on the road each week. It’s that time, on the road, though, she uses to connect with friends and family — on her cell phone.

On top of the ten home games the girls are required to cheer at, they also do special appearances, perform a holiday show and instruct the junior chiefs cheer clinic. And then there are her responsibilities in Emporia. Beyer works approximately 15 hours a week at the Java Cat, teaches dance four hours a week at Kari’s Dance Academy, is taking 13 hours at ESU and is the president of her sorority, Chi Omega.

She has to be organized to get it all done. “I do have a detailed planner,” she said. “And if it’s not in there it doesn’t get done.”

One of the most memorable parts of her first season as Chief’s Cheerleader was her first game. “I was overwhelmed at first,” she said, speaking of the number of fans who filled the stadium.

And on signing autographs for the first time, she said, “I probably didn’t say as many “thank you’s” as I should have.”

The rookie cheerleader is not sure what her career plans are when she graduates next May, but one thing she does plan on doing is auditioning again next spring for another year with the Chiefs. Beyer has two more home games of the season, Dec. 14 and 21.

Former UConn Dancer Joins Patriots Cheerleaders

Life in the NFL: Ledyard native Leah Krieger describes life as an NFL cheerleader

By Russ Morey
The Thames River Times

Growing up, 22-year-old Leah Krieger of Ledyard had many interests but a singular passion: dancing. Throughout her childhood and into her teen years, Krieger trained at the local studio, Alison’s School of Dance, where she learned various styles and the value of hard work. Looking back to those times, Krieger said she would have never believed it if someone were to tell her she’d end up as a cheerleader for the New England Patriots.

“Growing up I never thought I’d be a Patriots cheerleader,” Krieger said. “I never even contemplated cheering at all. I’m actually a trained dancer. I’ve been a dancer my whole life, and when I graduated high school I was really upset because that meant leaving behind my dance studio. So the first thing I set out to do once going to UConn was to try out for the UConn dance team. Luckily I made it as a freshman and I made the team each year after that.”

Krieger explained how following her passion at the University of Connecticut led to her first real taste of performing in front of large crowds, something that was quite different than what she was used to. Instead of performing on a stage in front of hundreds of people, she was performing on a basketball court in front of thousands, and at times, millions when the UConn men’s and women’s basketball games were aired nationally.

Majoring in business management systems, Krieger said her college years seemed to fly by, and before she knew it she was nearing graduation and confronted once again with those same bittersweet feelings over the end of her performing career. While she had already received a job offer to work as an IT auditor with a company based outside of Hartford, Krieger felt that she just couldn’t stop dancing yet. She had known two girls, one from her former dance studio and one from the UConn dance team who had tried out and made the Patriots cheerleading squad.

“I said to myself, ‘You know what? I’m not ready to give it up just yet. I still really love dancing.’” Krieger explained. “So I thought, ‘What the heck?’ and I went and tried out for the Patriots.”

Krieger said that knowing a couple of girls who had made the team previously made it seem a little more of an attainable goal, yet as she began researching what it entailed, she began to take this new challenge very seriously. Training months before the audition to look her best, Krieger showed up to auditions with approximately 300 other girls to compete for 24 spots.

The audition process started with an optional workshop (which is strongly recommended) that gave Krieger a better understanding of how things run and allowed the judges to become a little familiar with their potential recruits. Krieger explained that during the first round of auditions, the judges look at things like how fast the girls can pick up the choreography, athleticism, appearance, smile, and enthusiasm. After the first round of tryouts, the group of hopefuls went down from 300 to 55. At this time the 13 veterans who were still interested in being on the team and were still eligible (a Patriots cheerleader can only be on the team for a maximum of three years) joined the group, as even the veterans are required to try out every season.

In the second round of auditions, the 68 girls left were required to learn even more choreography, and, as Krieger explained, the judges weren’t necessarily looking for a perfect performance, but rather the most well-rounded dancers who were able to make a quick recovery after a mistake.

This group of 68 was then narrowed down to 35 girls, who underwent two weeks of boot camp, practicing with the team. They also met for one-on-one interviews with the head coach. After the two weeks, the final 24 girls were announced as the 2008 New England Patriots cheerleaders. Krieger said the feeling of hearing her name announced was almost indescribable.

“It was sheer excitement and joy and an overwhelming feeling of what’s to come,” Krieger explained. “I knew that all the hard work had paid off and there was still more ahead, and it was exactly what I had wanted. I had actually achieved the goal I had been working toward for months, and in a sense years, because it also validated all of my dance training.”

While ecstatic to begin preparing for the NFL season, Krieger soon came to realize just how hectic of a life she was about to lead for the next 12 months.

“Being a Patriots cheerleader is not a full-time job,” Krieger explained. “It’s a part-time job with a very, very extensive time commitment. Some people joke and say that it’s a part-time job but a full-time commitment, and it really is. We have mandatory practices two to three times per week, 12 months a year, and we do charitable and paid promotions, which we’re required to do by contract. All of us girls volunteer for them because we enjoy them. They’re a lot of fun, but they often mean traveling all over to the other side of Connecticut or to Massachusetts or Rhode Island, or to Maine. And, of course, game days. There really is a lot that goes into it.”

Krieger explained that the two or three practices during the week tend to last three hours or so while the Saturday practice lasts for six hours. On game days, practice is five hours before the game and then the game itself lasts for around three hours, yet the cheerleaders often stay after the game for autograph signings and other appearances. In addition, Krieger works full-time (50 hours a week) as an IT auditor, which requires her to travel to client locations all over the area.

Krieger describes her new life as a balancing act, joking that she is constantly on the road and basically lives out of a suitcase which has been a hard transition for her as she is not a light packer. But every Sunday when she steps out on the field, Krieger remembers why she continues to work so hard.

“Oh my gosh, it’s unbelievable,” Krieger said. “Performing for 70,000 roaring fans really does just take your breath away, and then you have to quickly catch your breath because you have to keep moving, you have to keep performing. It’s a very, very special experience. And now that I’ve gotten past the first few games where my mind was racing and I had butterflies in my stomach I’ve really been able to take it all in and enjoy it...and of course I’m hoping we make it to the Super Bowl; my fingers are crossed.”

And while her days don’t consist of a lot of lounging time, and some days she barely finds enough time to sleep, Krieger said she is thoroughly enjoying her first season as a New England Patriot and would definitely do it all over again. To those girls who may come from a small town, but have big aspirations, Krieger offers a message.

“Nothing worth achieving ever comes easily,” Krieger said. “It’s so much more satisfying when you’ve worked hard for something rather than when it’s just given to you. There were girls at auditions that I helped that I stayed after auditions with and I helped them really nail the choreography and take it to the next level. It was those girls who were even more thrilled when they made it because they worked that much harder to get there...With dancing, even if you don’t make it past the first cut, just keep your head up because one audition can always lead to another and every audition is going to make you a better dancer. There is just no downside to it in my mind, and if you stick with it, look where you can end up!”