PDC Series: Where Are They Now – Jasmine Goode

Jasmine Goode - Golden State Warriors Dancer

(Photo credit: Golden State Warriors)

Note: “Where Are They Now?” is our new feature highlighting some of your favorite former NFL and NBA dancers and their latest moves.

By Jacie Scott 

Imagine being in Oracle Arena the night the hot Golden State Warriors beat the Orlando Magic to establish a NBA record for most consecutive regular-season home victories. Or maybe the night they topped the Memphis Grizzlies for their 73rd victory of the 2015-16 season, setting another NBA record for single season wins.

Imagine the game day experience. Fan or not, there was no denying the thrill of the contests that went down in that arena. The courtside celebrity sightings. The NBA Finals. The energy of the crowd. Just imagine.

While you’re imagining, let’s talk about the fact that Jasmine Goode lived it last year, with the best views in the house, on the Golden State Warriors dance team.

“Dancing my rookie year with the championship team was unreal. It’s such a rush being at the games, dancing in front of celebrities, and having the opportunity to do what you love to do on such a huge platform,” she said. “Dancing on the same court that Steph Curry plays on and Draymond Green, all those amazing players. It’s something I’m going to tell my kids one day. “

The journey to get to this pinnacle began when she was six-years-old, doing the ballet, tap, and jazz basics. In the beginning, dancing was more for therapy than enjoyment. Jasmine was born with a clubbed foot. Her doctor suggested dance classes to help strengthen her foot so that she’d walk correctly.

“It was something my mom put me in to help, but I fell in love with it,” the 29-year-old said. “When I’m dancing and performing I feel comfortable and feel like myself. No one is judging me, it’s fun, and I love it.”

That love followed her through high school, into college and onto her first NFL cheerleading team. Jasmine spent two years with the New York Jets Flight Crew Cheerleaders. Some of her favorite memories include a calendar shoot experience in Aruba and cheering on a team that went on to the AFC Championship game in 2010.

Following her time with the Jets, Jasmine auditioned for Disney Cruise Line and was invited to travel the Mediterranean and Caribbean seas as Princess Tiana.

“Disney was great. I mean, I got to be the first African-American princess, which is awesome,” she said. “It wasn’t cheerleading, but I got to get back to my dance roots and perform on a stage as part of a wonderful show.”

But, she couldn’t stay away from cheerleading for too long. She made the move to Dallas to audition for the world-renowned Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, and, after a grueling, summer-long audition, she made the 2012-2013 team. Jasmine said that the experiences that she had as one of America’s Sweethearts has truly shaped the woman that she is now. But, following her third season with DCC, she saw her dance career come to a surprising halt. Jasmine was cut at the final auditions for her fourth season. It was heartbreaking, indeed, but she wasn’t ready to call it the end.

“Being cut from Cowboys, people thought that my dance career was over, and that I was never going to dance again,” she said. “But for me it was like, you know what, that’s just one door closing. That’s a chapter of my life that I’ve learned so much from, and I’m going to use that in the next chapter.”

And it happened to be with the Golden State Warriors, a team that was floating in their championship high. For Jasmine, auditioning for their dance team challenge her as a dancer because the process and the style are completely different from NFL dancing. Then, there’s the 10 home games with the NFL versus the three games per week with the NBA aspect. Lots of cardio, extensive dance classes and studying the Warriors style went in to her preparation.

She went through a three-day audition, followed by a boot camp, then a six-week training camp before being able to call herself a Golden State Warrior Dancer.

“I cried. I was in shock. It’s pretty cool to be able to say that I danced for the best NFL team and the best NBA team,” she said.

The 2016-2017 Warriors Dance Team auditions were held on August 13, and Jasmine was invited back to training camp as a veteran dancer. We’ll be looking forward to the final team announcement in the coming weeks.