Meet Emma Jones ~ NFL Cheerleader for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Former NBA Dancer for the OKC Thunder, and Former NHL Cheerleader for the Dallas Stars!
A dance team star through and through.
For this week’s edition of MTP we are exclusively featuring…
Emma Jones
NFL Cheerleader for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Former NBA Dancer for the OKC Thunder, and Former NHL Cheerleader for the Dallas Stars!
1. Walk us through your extensive dance journey and how it got you to where you are today. What has being on so many teams taught you about yourself and dance teams in general?
My dance journey started when I was 3, but I really got serious about dance when I joined my first competition team when I was 9 years old. I have been a part of a team since then, without taking a single year off.
In high school, I did studio dance, as well as the high school drill team where I had the privilege of serving as Jr. Lieutenant my junior year and Captain my senior year.
In college, I danced for the Texas Christian University (TCU) Showgirls and then I transferred to the University of North Texas (UNT) and danced as a North Texas Dancer.
While there, I was extremely honored to serve as Captain my junior and senior years. I was also a dance major at UNT, so I was either in practice or a rehearsal at all times!
After college, I immediately jumped into the NHL hockey season where I cheered for the Dallas Stars for four seasons, serving as a Captain during my time there.
I then went on to dance for the NBA with the Oklahoma City Thunder for one season.
I am now in my second season cheering for the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars and I am so honored to be where I am today.
Being a part of each team has truly taught me so much. It has taught me leadership skills, responsibility, reliability, honesty, trust, perseverance, and the list goes on. I am so beyond thankful for the experiences I have had and I truly don't take a single second for granted.
2. What does perseverance mean to you? Where do you think you learned that quality? How does it continue to help you make your dance dreams come true?
Perseverance to me means never giving up even when it's hard. I definitely learned this quality through dance because while having genuine passion is vital, having perseverance to keep trying when things get hard is also a key component in making your dreams come true. Without it, nothing would be possible.
On paper, it might look like my journey has come easy, but I have worked extremely hard and there have been difficult times along the way that I have had to persevere through. It’s never easy, but so rewarding!
3. What are some of your favorite memories from your dance career?
There are almost too many to count! One specific moment that sticks out to me is when I was named a Captain for the Dallas Stars my second season on the team. I was so shocked, but so honored and it felt like my hard work paid off.
Another one of my favorite memories is when I had the honor of traveling to London, UK with my ROAR of the Jaguars teammates and experiencing game day in a different country.
Other times that are my absolute favorites are just practicing with my teammates. I love the journey leading up to a game day performance. I love experiencing the hard work of starting a dance from scratch and then getting to the final, glamorous, shiny outcome on game day. Dance has given me my best friends, my second family, and my most favorite memories in the world.
4. If you could offer a piece of advice to those who are wanting to experience life as a professional dancer/cheerleader on different teams just like you, what would you tell them?
My piece of advice for anyone auditioning is DON'T GIVE UP!
If being a professional dancer is your dream and your love for dance is unstoppable, keep working at it every day.
Leading up to every audition, I make sure to take dance classes as often as I can and that is something I would definitely recommend. It will make you more comfortable and confident on audition day. Confidence is key!
Learn the style of the team you are trying out for - each team is so different. Practice makes progress and there is no such thing as perfection, but you are perfect in your own, unique way - don't ever forget it. Don’t compare yourself to others and focus on being YOUR best. I am rooting for each and every one of you!
HUGE thank you to Emma for sharing her journey and pro tips with the MTP fam! I am so grateful that she took time out of her busy schedule to give us an insight into her impressive dance team journey. Emma is such a light and role model in our dance team world and I hope you feel inspired after reading her story.