April 2010 Cheerleader of the Month: Brianna Reilly

Our April 2010 Cheerleader of the Month, Brianna Reilly, is a pint-sized powerhouse. We couldn’t be happier to have her gracing our cover and think you’ll be inspired by her story. After 12 years of cheer and a big win at UCA College Nationals in 2009, this Southern Connecticut State University cheerleader found herself dealing with a cheer crisis before the 2009-2010 season: Should she continue to cheer, or hang up her poms for good? After some serious soul-searching and a few weeks off from the sport she loves, she came to the conclusion that her cheer career couldn’t be over just yet.

Now, Brianna’s back with even more passion than before and ready to take the cheer world by storm. “The experience taught me to follow my heart and not let anyone else make that decision for me,” she says. “It changed the way I look at cheerleading, too, because now I know where I belong.”

Read on for some fun facts about this 20-year-old talent and check out the April 2010 issue for her full story!

AC: What’s your favorite part about cheerleading?

Brianna: Having an instant group of friends. At Southern, all of my friends at school are cheerleaders, and I love that. I like having that closeness with my teammates and coaches. I think it’s really important to a team’s success.

AC: What do your friends and family think about you cheering?

Brianna: My friends and family love it! My parents actually wanted me to cheer at Hofstra University with my sister, but I knew I wanted to do my own thing and be independent. Everyone loves that I went in my own direction.

AC: What do you like to do in your spare time?

Brianna: I like to relax with my friends and family. I love making food and eating a nice meal with my family. I love listening to music and just relaxing—especially when the weather’s nice!

AC: How do you feel about being a role model to our readers?

Brianna: I like to show young girls the right things to do in their lives. As a young girl, there was always one person I looked up to, and I like showing kids that they can look up to me now, too. I’ve taught at numerous cheer camps and I love working with the little girls because I know I’m having an impact in their lives.

AC: What’s the key to your cheer success so far?

Brianna: Definitely having a positive attitude. Even when I’m frustrated, I always try my hardest to smile and stay positive. I do this because if people see me trying to be positive, they might try it, too, and it will be a chain reaction.

In Her Own Words…

There’s nothing better than…a beautiful sunny day.

I’m inspired by…people who are extra-determined to fulfill their dreams.

I’m terrified…that someone will break my heart.

People would freak to know…that I sucked my thumb until I was 7!

I’m embarrassed to admit…my room is hardly ever clean.

If I weren’t a cheerleader, I’d probably be…a lacrosse player.

I adore the smell of…homemade cakes and cookies.

The smartest decision I ever made was…cheering. I can’t picture my life without it!

Everyone says I look like…a little mouse.

American Cheerleader March/April 2009

We’ve all had our fair share of horrifically embarrassing moments, and sometimes we wish we could just forget they ever happened. Lucky for us, these readers were more than happy to dish on their most cringe-worthy tryout memories!

“At my school you’re supposed to spirit/rally out to the middle of the floor at tryouts. I’m a pretty clumsy person and when I came out to perform, I tripped over my own foot and fell. I got up and smiled like nothing had happened, even though I was so embarrassed. I did end up making the team, though!” —Hannah

“The second time I tried out for varsity I was prepared, but super nervous. I was so scared that I was visibly shaking and kept a frozen smile plastered across my face the whole time. Halfway through my tryout the coach called me over and gave me a hug and encouraged me to calm down before performing again. I was so embarrassed that my coach had to give me a pep talk in the middle of my tryouts—but I ended up making the team and did much better at tryouts the following year!” —Domonique

“During tryouts one year, I accidentally punched the girl next to me in the nose. I apologized, but I felt so bad about it!” —Rebeca

“When I was in sixth grade, my friend and I were planning on trying out for our school squad together. We were in the gym showing the cheerleading coach the dance—she was pretty strict and expected us to show facials during tryouts. My friend went first and she ended up forgetting the dance! I couldn’t control myself and burst out laughing because it was so funny. Then, when it was my group’s turn to go, I was really nervous. So

nervous, in fact, that I turned bright red. We started to do the dance, but then I went completely blank, too. Everybody totally laughed at me!” —Savannah

“My best friend and I lost track of time and showed up 30 minutes late to tryouts and weren’t wearing the required outfits. Then I was so distracted that I freaked out while I was doing my round-off backhandspringtuck—and fell right on my face!” —Dierra

“One year we were doing our ‘mock tryouts’ (kind of like a dress rehearsal the day before actual tryouts), and I really needed to go to the bathroom. It was almost my turn, so I didn’t have time to run to the restroom. I ran to do a cartwheel and landed on my butt on the floor. Needless to say, I was a ‘wee’ bit embarrassed.” —Libby

Real Name: Jonathan L. Perez

Best Known For: Performing on “So You Think You Can Dance” and for roles in B-Girl and Step Up 3D; Being a B-Boy who adapts well to other styles, with an edge for performance.

Home Town: Miami, FL

AC: What was it like being on season six of  “So You Think You Can Dance?”

Legacy: It was a fantasy turned reality and a privilege to have the notoriety and be able to share with millions of people what I love to do—perform.

Photo cred:Mathieu Young/FOX

AC: It’s incredible that you’ve never had any formal dance training, yet you’ve become a serious force to be reckoned with in the dance world. Do you have any advice for cheerleaders who may not have the experience, but have natural talent?

Legacy: Make sure to set a clear goal for yourself and then go for it. If you can’t describe it, you won’t reach it. Make it clear to yourself what you want to do.

AC: How would you describe your dance style?

Legacy: Street form—my dance style’s ever-changing. The more you learn, the better you become. Don’t ever stop learning.

AC: You have an impressive acting résumé already. How did you get into the entertainment world in the first place? Did all your movie projects come to you after being on “SYTYCD?”

Legacy: I never stopped breaking because I loved it, and fortunately, the demand for it in entertainment

became huge. I studied all aspects of the industry and began to fit myself in accordingly. Some projects came before and others are now starting to trickle in!

AC: You’re in the movie, B-Girl, which is on DVD now. Can you tell us about your role in the movie?

Legacy: My character’s name is Rico, and he’s part of the main crew. Rico is a rich kid with nice cars, clothes and jewelry, and his hair is always done. He does not like anyone to touch his hair.

AC: Your fans can also see you in the upcoming flick, Step Up 3D. What was it like working on such a cool franchise? What can you tell us about the movie?

Legacy: I can tell you that it’s the first dance movie in 3D and you must watch it. Not because I’m in it, but because it’s that good! Working on Step Up 3D was such a wonderful experience. A lot of the people I grew up with are in the movie as well, and we had a blast shooting in New York—which is where I was born!

AC: Besides being a great dancer, you’re also a pretty successful choreographer. Who’s been your favorite artist to work with so far?

Legacy: I really enjoyed working on the set of Shontelle’s “T-shirt” music video. Another of my favorites was working with Wink Martindale on a game show commercial for the Game Show Network (GSN).

AC: We heard that you’re also set to perform at the Oscars this year! That’s incredible! Can you give us any hints as to what sort of moves we can expect to see? Are there any celebs you hope to run into on the red carpet?

Legacy: I’ll be doing a lot of my signature moves, and some other people will be joining me onstage. I’d like to run into Angelina Jolie. She’s an inspiration!

AC: What do you like to do in your spare time?

Legacy: I’m writing a book about poetry, dance, philosophy and my take on happiness. I love to teach—beginner, intermediate, advanced, non-dancers, artists, etc.

AC: What’s the best advice you ever got?

Legacy: You can do anything you put your mind to.

AC: Are there any fun facts you can share about yourself that your fans may not already know?

Legacy: I’ve always wanted to teach a cheer squad breaking moves so that they could use them in their routines!

AC: You were sort of the underdog in “SYTYCD.” What advice can you give to teens who are in a similar situation with following their dreams?

Legacy: Don’t let what people say allow you to—for even a split second—think that you’re an underdog. You can make things happen by having the desire, so fulfill that desire!

Even though it’s not about winning or losing, but rather how you play the game, there’s still something to be said about how you win and lose. Having good sportsmanship is one of the most important parts of being an athlete. When you lose, do you do it with dignity, or are you a sore loser? Take our quiz to make sure you’re being a good sport (and be honest)!

If your squad doesn’t place well at a competition, and someone walks over and tells you what a good job you did anyway, you…

a) Give her a big hug and gush over the compliment.

b) Smile and thank her.

c) Smile blankly and walk away.

d) Reply, “Well, it wasn’t good enough, was it?”

You were really hoping to make captain this year, but your BFF is chosen instead. You…

a) Make it a point to congratulate her in front of the whole squad and reassure everyone that you couldn’t be happier.

b) Are disappointed, but give her a big hug and offer your help if she ever needs it.

c) Say congratulations to her face but sulk behind her back.

d) Throw a fit and start listing all the reasons why you’d make a better captain.

Your school’s football team loses the big game by a measly field goal. As the players leave the field, you…

a) Start cheering for the winning team.

b) Keep smiling and chanting to let your team know you’re proud of them.

c) Clap a little before grabbing your stuff to leave.

d) Boo the other team into the locker room.

For the first time ever, you’re not in the front row for the halftime routine. You…

a) Tell your coach it’s a great way to give other girls a chance.

b) Don’t make it an issue. You’re happy to cheer in any formation.

c) Grin and bear it, but slack off a little.

d) Start picking on the girl who got your spot.

Your squad’s main goal at camp is to snag the coveted Spirit Stick. When it’s awarded to another team, you…

a) Start performing a cheer by yourself in their honor after congratulating each and every member of the squad.

b) Clap and shout encouraging words because they deserve it.

c) Give a single “Woo!” as you stand with your arms crossed.

d) Construct your own Spirit Stick and carry it around with you until the end of camp.

After tryouts, the coaches start announcing who made varsity, and your name isn’t called. You…

a) Stand up and let everyone know you’re happy for them and that you’ll be back!

b) Decide to give 110 percent on JV.

c) Accept a position on JV and start ignoring your friends who made varsity.

d) Badmouth the coaches for the rest of the year.

At the awards ceremony at Nationals, your squad receives second place. You…

a) Leave your squad to request pictures with the winning team.

b) Couldn’t be happier to be second in the nation!

c) Smile for your group photo then ask your mom to go get the car.

d) Stomp off the stage the second you know you didn’t win.

If you answered mostly As, you lose like an Overkill Cutie.

OK, we get it. You’re happy for whoever wins and not at all upset that it’s not you. It’s wonderful that you treat people with whom you’re competing with such respect, but when it gets to be too much, it can come off as insincere and even offensive. You should congratulate someone because they’ve earned it and accept a compliment because you appreciate it, not because you need everyone to know that you’re OK with losing. Just remember to mean what you say. Otherwise, you might as well not say anything.

If you answered mostly Bs, you lose like a Gracious Girl.

Oh, you—the perfect picture of sportsmanlike conduct. You’re a breath of fresh air in a world that’s seen its share of cattiness between athletes. You embody the true goal of cheer: to fill people with spirit and encourage and inspire them to aim high. You’ve set a standard of behavior for yourself as a cheerleader and uphold it even when someone achieves something you were vying for. Athletes like you enforce one of the major rules in sports: If you’re going to lose, lose with class. Keep it up, buttercup.

If you answered mostly Cs, you lose like a Minimal Mama.

If you cheered the way you lose, instead of yelling “GO! FIGHT! WIN!” you’d be more like, “Go…fight…win—I guess.” What do you think it means to someone when your mouth says “Congratulations,” but your face says, “It should have been me”? You’re one of those athletes who puts up just enough of an act with a smile, a few words or a bit of half-hearted applause to fool people into thinking you’re a good sport. Nix the negativity pronto and start taking pride in what you stand for as a cheerleader. It doesn’t stop when your two-and-a-half minute routine ends or once tryouts are over. You’re always a cheerleader, even when you lose, so start acting like it.

If you answered mostly Ds, you lose like a Bitter Babe.

Girl, you need to stop with the temper tantrums. Based on your answers, it’s obvious that you’re so focused on the end result that you’re not enjoying all the fun to be had while getting to that point. Calm down and remember why you’re a cheerleader. Hopefully it’s because you love to cheer. If you love it, you need to keep that in mind whenever you don’t get what you want. And think about your squad and coach. If you care about them or at least respect them, consider how it makes them look and feel when you exhibit such poor sportsmanship. Perhaps if you keep certain people in mind other than yourself, you won’t react so badly in the future.

*Comment below and let us know what kind of loser you are! We just know you’re all Gracious Girls, right? How do you practice good sportsmanship? Let us know!

Want to be in the beauty know? Then it’s a good thing you’re here! Cristina Bartolucci, founder and creative director of DuWop Cosmetics, took some time out of her busy (and very glamorous, obviously) schedule to share her beauty know-how with AC. No doubt you’ve already seen her tips for gorgeous staying power at prom in our April issue, so check out our exclusive interview below for even more expert advice on your big night! (And don’t forget to enter our DuWop contest at the bottom.)

AC: What’s your number one makeup rule?

Cristina: Blend. Blend and blend and blend and [ital: blend]. You can literally make anything look good if you blend it in well enough. That’s foundation, concealer, lipstick, eyeliner, shadow… It’s the key to making everything look seamless and believable. What you want to see is beauty—enhancing the features rather than painting them up.

[But] when you’re young, you can really get away with a lot of makeup. It’s not that you put too much on—it’s the blending issue. [If you] put makeup on and someone tells you that [it’s too much], it’s because you didn’t blend it. Makeup is for the young. It’s a time to play, a time to experiment. The only thing you shouldn’t blend is a liquid eyeliner cat eye.

AC: Which features should our readers play up for a glamorous prom look?

Cristina: It depends on the person. If you’ve got one stand-out feature that really pops—a lot of times it’s eyes, sometimes it’s lips, sometimes it’s the shape of the face, like beautiful cheekbones—you’ll want to influence your makeup with that feature.

AC: How do you get dramatic eyes?

Cristina: You’d save them for last; you’re putting your cherry on the sundae. Look at your eyes and do everything possible to enhance them. Lots and lots and lots of mascara—especially now, it’s fashionable to wear a lot of mascara. You either need to get a lash comb or get all the mascara off the wand and comb them and comb them. They have to have zero clumps. They have to be seamless. It can easily go from looking incredibly striking to skeazy.

And think about your eye color. If you’re working with blue eyes, you’ll want to stick with neutral palettes, or a little [amber-infused] brown. For green eyes, the burgundy family is really beautiful to make eyes pop. If you have brown eyes, use any sort of purple. Deep violet purples are really pretty. [Use the same colors for] brown or green eyes if you have hazel eyes. Most people want to bring out green in hazel, so try burgundy.

AC: What about a red lip?

Cristina: The worst thing you can do is roll up red lipstick and put it on with the tube. With red, you have to be careful. Take your finger or a brush, and use the red lipstick as a stain. You’re going to put it on the brush and press it into the lips. You want to work that stuff in. Then it’s going to look organic instead of a big layer of red over the lip. [The latter] becomes very ’50s, not contemporary.

I wouldn’t recommend a red liner—it can look kind of clownish. I would use the brush and lipstick, and make a very clean shape with the mouth. It’s better [to use] neutral liners, like DuWop’s Reverse Lip Liner, which is a clear matte pencil. It goes on the skin outside your lips (circle three times around). It stops lipstick and gloss from bleeding out, like a fence around your lips. It’s a very useful product.

* Cristina even got a note from Buckingham palace raving about the Reverse Lip Liner! So you know it’s good enough for royalty.

AC: How do you make sure foundation stays put the entire night?

Cristina: Bring a bit of powder with you. Loose powder is the best, but it’s unrealistic [on the go]. I’d use a nice translucent powder; Almay has a great pressed powder that’s sheer and lovely, and you can put it in your purse. For every one time you powder, you’re going to blot three times. If you’re sweating, it’s going to mix with the powder and leave your face muddy. When you start to sweat, you need to blot. You can use a Kleenex or blotting papers, but squares of toilet paper are even better than blotters.

AC: What’s the best way to choose the perfect foundation shade?

Cristina: You’re not going to use foundation as a mask. You work it in all over, so it becomes part of the skin. The color of your skin is everything. [Foundation] is the only thing I’d spend money on. You’ll do damage if it’s crap. As far as colors go, you need to invest in two. Have someone help you.

Get a liquid foundation in two shades, since you’re usually in-between. Buy both, because as you’re in the sun or out of the sun, you’ll go a little darker or lighter. You’ll learn how to mix them easily. Remember that your neck is always going to be lighter than your face because your face shades your neck. Take that foundation and blend it all underneath your chin and onto your neck. Make sure the color is consistent between your face and neck.

AC: How important are primers?

Cristina: A good foundation includes ingredients to keep your face in good shape. Foundation is designed to go on the skin. A primer is just another layer. If your foundation is good enough, you shouldn’t need it. Try applying a light powder before your foundation so it goes on smoother.

Eye shadow primers—those work. They keep the powder from creasing and absorb excess oil. You can also get them with a slight tint of color. Primers, for me, are more about texture.

AC: Do you think it’s better to coordinate your makeup with your dress or mix it up?

Cristina: It really depends on how edgy you want to be. With the whole ’80s thing and primary colors, if you go matchy-matchy, then it’s fun. But that’s more for the very fashion savvy. Just have a beautiful palette that works well with your eyes and features. The outfit is separate completely. Even for dramatic looks, work with your features.

If you have black on, and you’re going out, I think a stained up lip looks really gorgeous. Those [looks] are just sort of intuitive. But if you have white on, red doesn’t look good. Think about what complements your outfit.

AC: How can you prepare skin for better makeup application?

Cristina: If you’ve got blemishes, it’s a good idea to dab on a touch of some sort of salicylic acid-based acne product before you put on your foundation. You’ll have less of a chance of it getting worse as time passes while you’re wearing makeup.

I also recommend a very light, gel-based moisturizer that’s refreshing. The time you should be piling the cream on is at night. If you’re going to be wearing makeup at all, keep your moisturizer very light, and if you can possibly avoid moisturizer, do it.

AC: Any warnings when it comes to a beautiful prom look?

Cristina: I feel like girls get too into their hair. It’s not that your hair shouldn’t be lovely, but it should be really beautifully finished—big sexy curls pulled back a little. Hair should be sexy and move around and be kind of casual and touchable, and a little bit simple. For me, it’s the makeup that makes your look go crazy. If your hair is too structured, it stops it from being sexy.

When you’re going to do your makeup, just go for it. Pop your eyes as much as possible. I would do a peachy, pinky sheer lip, tiny bit of contour (be careful with it) and experiment with false lashes. I recommend single lashes and starting on the outer third of your eye (not the edge). Blend them into your lash line and then use mascara to blend the lashes with the false lashes to make it seamless.

*Need some help perfecting your prom look? Then comment below to score some gorgeous goodies! Let us know which of Cristina’s makeup tips will help you most come prom time, and you could be one of three DuWop prize pack winners!