After dancing her whole life, former Loyola dancer Abigail LeCompte has twirled her way from the stage to a football arena after she was selected as a New Orleans Saintsation. The Saintsations are the dance and cheerleading squad for the New Orleans Saints, New Orleans’ professional football team. LeCompte explained what it means for her to be a Saintsation.

“I get to be a role model to young boys and girls. I get to represent my city in the best way possible while doing what I love and to cheer on my favorite team in the NFL.”

As a Saintsation, LeCompte will be performing at each home game for the Saints. The dance team also performs outside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome before games where they get to interact with the fans in person. Furthermore, the Saintsations have many outreach appearances to help out the community, said LeCompte.

The whole tryout process had three rounds. Round one was performing a short dance, then the first cuts were made. Round two was the same dance, but with extra steps added. If you made it to round three you were a finalist. In the third round the search was narrowed down to the final cuts. The people who made it through the final cuts than took an NFL test, interviewed with Saints staff and had a photoshoot in the Saintsations uniform.

“Throughout the tryout process it was so nerve-racking, but I was lucky I had the chance to go through the process and meet so many new people,” LeCompte said.

LeCompte spent a year on Loyola’s dance squad, and now she will be trading Maroon and Gold pom poms for Black and Gold pom poms.

“I wouldn’t trade this opportunity for anything. Once a Saintsation, always a Saintsation!” said LeCompte.