Meet Jasmine Thomas Reed - Former Pro Bowl Cheerleader, 4X NFL Cheerleader, 3X NBA Dancer, and Current Kindergarten Teacher!
See for yourself what putting 110% into your passion with a growth mindset looks like... Jasmine has truly put the work in to reach her goals and she has thrived while doing it!
For this week’s edition of More Than Poms, we are featuring…
Jasmine Thomas Reed
Former Pro Bowl Cheerleader, 4X NFL Cheerleader, 3X NBA Dancer, and current Kindergarten teacher!
1. Tell us about the life of Jasmine! What's your background and how has that led you to where you are today?
I could write a book about my life and how I was able to get where I am today, but I’ll give the shortened version! I am a studio trained dancer since the age of 2 years old!
I trained 4-5 times a week at my local dance studio and competed in dance competitions with my studio. In high school I was a member of my drill team, WBHS STARS, in Beaumont Texas and was a lieutenant my senior year. After graduation, I danced collegiately for the McNeese State University Cowgirl Kickers Dance Team for 4 years and was a captain.
With one final semester left in college I made my first professional team with the NBA and became a rookie member of the Houston Rockets Power Dancers (RPD). I graduated with my undergraduate in December of 2016 and performed at a sold out Rockets game the next day. 3 seasons later I became the captain of RPD, traveled overseas to China to dance and represent the organization.
In 2019, I transitioned from the NBA to the NFL when I became a HTC (Houston Texans Cheerleader). I cheered for 4 incredible seasons and was a 2 time captain. My final season on the team I was honored and named the 2023 Pro Bowl Cheerleader and traveled to Las Vegas for a week. During my time I represented my team as well as the entire organization. I attended various community appearances while in Las Vegas that added to this incredible experience. Being named the PBC was by far the greatest award I’ve ever received knowing that my teammates chose me to represent them. I will never take this honor lightly or for granted.
2. What first initially sparked your interest in becoming a professional dancer? What kind of training helped you take the leap to auditioning for a team that you would recommend to other dancers vying for the same goal?
I’ve always known I wanted to be a professional dancer but just didn’t know where. Since I was still a college student when I made my first team, I chose a team that was a little more local and it turned out to be a great match for me! My studio training and high school drill team definitely created the foundation for me as far as dance. Since my coach at the time was a former NFL Cheerleader, my collegiate dance team training helped me understand the feel of how performing and cheering at an NFL game would potentially feel like! I definitely recommend taking dance training at a local studio as well as pro style classes to help prepare for auditions!
3. Tell us about your experience as an NBA dancer! What were your favorite parts about the opportunity? What kind of growth did you experience and do you still apply the things you learned from it today?
My experience as an NBA dancer was incredible. I thrived on performing so close to our fans and connecting with our season ticket members. Another cool thing I will always remember is performing to Yo Gotti’s “rake it up” while he was sitting court side watching us perform!
Another favorite memory is traveling overseas to China to perform and represent the team. Just being in a foreign country halfway across the world was such a unique and amazing experience. This opportunity was honestly heaven-sent because I made the team so young at 21 years old. I learned so much about myself and grew as a woman. I also grew as a performer in hip hop and strengthened my skills in musicality. Overall, I became a more well rounded dancer and a stronger person.
4. Tell us about your experience as an NFL cheerleader! Was this something you always dreamt of trying for? What are your favorite memories from this opportunity and how did you come back year after year motivated to become a top leader of the team?
My experience as an NFL Cheerleader was remarkable. I cherish each and every memory. It exceeded my expectations and will always be a huge part of who I am today! I am so blessed to have been able to share the field with so many amazing women, and I met some of my very best friends on my NFL team. I’ve always dreamt of becoming an NFL Cheerleader and forever grateful God allowed me to be one when His time was right. I have too many favorite memories to narrow down, but to name a few would be Pro Bowl 2023.
I absolutely adored everything about the experience, especially my PBC class and everything I learned throughout the experience. Another favorite memory is my rookie year team camp. This was just the best way to bond as a new team and I really treasured that. I was able to perform with numerous artists but my absolute favorite was meeting and performing with T-Pain at 2019 playoffs. The energy was just indescribable. Lastly, I thoroughly enjoyed performing at Formula 1 in Austin, TX. During my tenure as an HTC, I also loved being able to pursue my masters degree in educational leadership. I was able to walk across the stage to receive my diploma at NRG Stadium, the same stadium I performed at on Sundays! This was such a unique and memorable experience. Coming back each year, I knew I wasn’t done giving my all to the organization so that was motivation enough! It wasn’t until the start of my last season until I truly knew it would be my last, so I cherished every moment!
5. What are you currently excited for in this new chapter of life for you? Do you have a special mantra or special way of goal setting for what is to come?
In this new chapter of life, I am most excited about being a wife, building my career in education, continuing to be a dance mentor to youth, and all who aspire to make it pro, and of course, starting a family. I recently got married to my better half in March!
It was the best day of our lives and the most beautiful blessing to have in this new season of my life. My husband and I have set goals for ourselves and our future family and I’m so excited for what’s to come. He supports me fully and I trust him wholeheartedly. My husband and I are truly the dream team and I can’t wait for what’s next in store! Dance looks different for me now but I love the direction it’s taking me in now! I’ve found my new path and I will continue to follow God’s plan for me!
HUGE thank you to Jasmine for taking the time out of her busy schedule to share with the MTP fam! What an incredible journey she has had thus far. Her career is truly a testament to putting 110% into your passion and doing it with a growth mindset. She has been able to partake in so many incredible experiences and achieved numerous goals. Through each experience, she has taken valuable lessons with her to help guide her into the next chapter of life in order to succeed. Jasmine will be hosting her 2nd annual Dance Camp for youth in the summer, so be on the lookout for information regarding that soon!