By Zeke Whetstone

For the third year in a row, Atlantic dance studio, Dance Atlantic, headed Kansas City to perform a cheerleading routine during halftime at the Chiefs game Sunday, Oct. 25.

To prepare for the performance, dance instructor Ricci Spriggs has learned and taught three different routines, along with other classes she has to teach on a daily basis. Spriggs described the cheerleading: “The Chiefs cheerleaders send in a video of the routine and song. We learn it and teach it as best as we can, then four cheerleaders come into the studio and fix up the routine and give us a chant.”

Spriggs also spoke about how big of an opportunity this was for Dance Atlantic, as they are chosen by the Chiefs to perform. She said that performing during the middle of a NFL game, a multi-billion dollar industry, for the third year in a row is a big deal to her and her dancers.

Sixty-two girls went to Kansas City to perform. Twenty of those girls ranged from ages eight to eleven, and 42 girls were twelve and up. But they can’t go for free. They have to pay for lessons to learn the routine, and purchase their uniforms for the game. Dancers ride to Kansas City with their parents or friends, and stay in a hotel the night before the game. Two of those girls are Atlantic sophomores Shelby Pelzer and Hayley Gibson.

Video of Arrowhead Performance

Pelzer has been going to Kansas City for three years now, and loves the experience. “It’s fun because we get to work with all of the cheerleaders and we get to learn new routines and skills and it’s difficult because each year they make the routine harder.” A highlight memory for Pelzer is being in the tunnel before the performance and seeing the players run past them to the locker room. “It’s cool because we are so close to the players and sometimes they will stop and we get to talk to them before they go into the locker room.”

For Gibson, this is also her third year going to the Chiefs game. Gibson left the Friday before the game and stayed in a hotel that night. On Saturday morning she woke up and prepared for dress rehearsal and practice. “We learn our formations on Saturday, and it’s a long a hard practice, but at the end it’s cool to see everything come together.”

 

Sunday is the day that all of the practicing pays off. Gibson said the most nerve-racking thing about dancing was dancing while the camera people are on the field recording her. Gibson loves the opportunity, and said, “It’s a lot of fun to be able to work on such a large scale program like this. It’s a really big privilege. You get to meet professional players and cheerleaders and it’s just so much fun.”

Surprisingly, when asked about the large crowd in front of them, both girls said that didn’t bother them really at all. Pelzer and Gibson said that once you get onto the field, your nerves diminish and you really only can see the dancers you are with.

Spriggs said the weather was great. “My girls got to lead the group on the 50-yard line. The crowd was great and it just all went without a hitch.”

Dance Atlantic and Ricci Spriggs continues to offer a local dance program that allows a small town dance studio to perform at a NFL game, in the loudest stadium in the world.