From Ural Great to Berlin Thunder
Anna Prokhorenko was one of the Ural Great cheerleaders from 1998 till 2003. Now she studies and works in Germany. Here is the interview Anna gave for our website.
— The 5 seasons I worked in the cheerleading group of Ural Great were all like one happy day. I have best memories about this time. It was a very interesting work, we had several bright moments: Ural Great winning Russian champions title, NEBL champion, our cheerleading group winning dance group contest in Ekaterinburg during Russian Cup Final Four. But life cannot be at a standstill, I left to Germany. Now I study at the Berlin Freie Universitaet and learn German and Italian languages. I have one more year to study. After my graduation I will try to find job in Germany but it is not so easy as it may seem. If I dont find job there, I will return to Russia.
Question: Was it a problem to receive job of a cheerleader in Germany having your Perm experience?
Answer: There is a basketball club Alba Berlin famous in Europe but I didnt try to go there. Me head was busy with other problems to solve when I just arrived to Germany. A year ago I saw an ad about casting to Berlin Thunder cheerleading group. This is an American football team that plays in the NFL-Europe. They take new girls to their cheerleading group every year. I did not hope for something but decided to try my fortune there.
The casting was hard, with many rounds. In the first round the participants studied a dance composition. Then they had to present it with music accompaniment. Out of the 200 candidates the cheerleaders coach Steffi Ader selected 100. In a week after we again did the same dance but before a big audience. Out of 100 candidates they chose 38 persons including me. My experience of cheerleading in Ural Great played not the last role.
Q: How does working with Berlin Thunder cheerleaders differ from Ural Great?
A: It is all different in Germany. To begin with, the season starts in April and lasts till early June, there are only five home games. 38 cheerleaders perform at the same time on the floor of the huge Olympia Stadium. Main accent is made not on the choreography but on the synchronism of performance. For the season we studied 20 compositions and they were never performed more than once.
Q: How long do you plan to be cheerleader?
A: As long as I study in the university I will dance. In the German club for instance the oldest cheerleader is 31 years old. The youngest girls are 18, this is the lowest age limit. Most of the cheerleaders are students who make money working like that. With this money you can afford your favourite perfume, good make-up and several visits to a beauty parlor.
Cheerleaders are popular in Germany. We had a Cheer chat action recently. People sent us sms and we answered them on the web. I received a lot of messages but they were mostly the same wondering how people can meet me.
Q: What parameters should a girl have to be a member of Berlin Thunder cheerleading group?
A: In our group we have very strict rules, discipline, weekly weighings. At the same time Steffi Ader is totally against unhealthy emaciation. Everybody has their own size, the weight does not matter, more important is that the girl has trim figure. If you look well-groomed, the coach says you may stay in this weight. Body piercing and tattoos are forbidden.
Q: Where do the girls go after they finish their cheerleading career in Germany?
A: They go their own ways. For somebody cheerleading is just a hobby. For the others it is a matter of their lives: they open their own studios and make their groups.
Q: Is cheerleading your hobby?
A: I think it is. In the Ural Great cheerleading group most important for me were practices, positive emotions, communication. We had a very friendly group in Perm, all girls were my best friends. Now I am in Perm for holidays and wish to see everybody.
