Saturday, January 21, 2012

So much CHEER!

Hey Squad!


First of all, we got new poms. Black ones. Because we're rebels

Second of all, we're having a really busy month of cheer! [which we are so excited about] Last week we did a team building workshop for a group from the Museum of Science and Industry which was so much fun!

Here they are:



We had them make up their own cheer names, made up science cheers for them and with them--did some routines, made a spirit tunnel, did the pom pass, and even made up a special routine to a fun song about science. It was a blast and they were such a great group of enthusiastic and willing people. Special thanks to squadmate Heather Barnes for setting this up with us!

THEN on Friday we got SNOWED OUT so couldn't make it to Glenview for our Girls' Night Out event, but no worries! We'll be there next Friday

And of course this Sunday we have CHEEROBIX EXPRESS!

Indigo Studio
213 W. Institute Pl #704
1:00-2:00PM
$15

Can't wait to shake our NEW POMS with you!

xoxo
The Jenarator
Posted by The Jenarator at 6:45 AM

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Your Spirited Leaders

Cheerobix is a magical dance fitness class with poms! You'll be drenched in sweat while you dance, prance and drop it low. This is your squad. Come cheer dance with us!


Matthew Hollis [Mattrick Swayze]

Matthew Hollis has been committed to fitness for over 6 years as a certified personal trainer and iron-pumping addict. He trains individuals, teaches various group classes and boot camps, and will whip your hot tail into gear. His no nonsense approach keeps his clients focused and working hard throughout every workout. Your results are his top priority, but lucky for you, he is also very charming and fun to have around. You can find Matthew teaching and training and Cheetah Gyms, Columbia College, Indigo Studio and corporate classes at Google!

Jena Ertel [the Jenarator]

Jena began her on-again off-again experience with poms in middle school and has had cheer in her heart ever since. A degree in Dance from Columbia as well as a Dance Education certification from UWM led her to over 10 years [so far] of teaching dance and movement of all sorts to people of all ages. Jena currently teaches group fitness and yoga classes and loves the booming sound of unison pom swishes. She is a certified yoga instructor and is constantly building her knowledge of anatomy and kinesiology so she can be the best educator to her students. If she is not practicing her body rolls and high kicks, you'll probably find the Jenarator smothering her little doggie and baby Emmitt with kisses or obsessing over flora or fauna of some sort.


HOW DID ALL OF THIS START??

Well, Mattrick and the Jenarator have been great pals for just about ever, meeting as dance students in college. They have performed together and separately for over a decade and have been cheering together for about 6 years.

In 2007, Matthew created a performance group/concept called the "Power of Cheer" based on his need to be his own best cheerleader. So began an honest, funny, raw series of performances done with two other men, and sometimes just he alone.

As the popularity of the Power of Cheer grew, so did the squad. A core group of 5 males and 4 females began to form and not only did Matthew create, produce and execute a hugely successful full-length evening performance piece, but this core squad also began performing full-scale pom routines and original cheers for the halftime shows for the Windy City Rollers, as well as pranced and kicked on a moving float for 3 consecutive Gay Pride Parades.

It seemed evident that the practice that went into rehearsing for these shows was so physically demanding, that it would make for a really fun, cardio-tastic form of group fitness. With that in mind, in summer 2010, Matthew was asked by the City of Chicago to lead a series of ‘Cheerobics’ classes in Millennium Park, which was wildly popular.

One night, Jena and Matthew were dancing around in an empty beergarden and he showed her some of the moves from these ‘Cheerobics’ classes and Jena got so excited she said, “We HAVE to do this. People would LOVE this! “

And now here we are. Present day. Jena joins forces with Matthew to co-create a Cheerobix curriculum and pedagogy to take to all the inner cheerleaders out there. Because it's fun to dance, its fun to prance, and darn it--its fun to play with pom pons!