Brooke Helm has always loved entertaining.
She was the young girl who started taking dance lessons when she was just 2 years old. She joined the Hendricks Civic Theatre and loved the creative outlet.
She was a cheerleader, played volleyball and ran track in middle school. Through it all she danced at the The Dancer’s Place in Avon, and by the time she was starting high school, she had been on a stage more than most.
It was in high school, however, when dance began to rise to the top of the list of activities Helm wanted to pursue the most.
“I remember participating in a dance routine,” she said. “It was a sassy, jazzy number with some of the older girls and people were coming up to me afterward saying I was meant to be a dancer. I think it was then that I realized I was an entertainer. I loved every minute of it: the atmosphere, getting dressed up, the works.”
As a freshman Helm joined the junior varsity Avon High School dance team, and by the time she was a sophomore, she was dancing varsity. The Avon graduate danced through her senior year and knew she wanted to continue her passion in college.
She put in hours of hard work, and like most things in life, there were ups and downs – successes and failures.
She auditioned for the IU RedStepper dance team during her freshman year in college but didn’t make the cut. It never stopped Helm from practicing, improving and shooting for her dreams.
“I didn’t make it that first year but tried out again as a sophomore, and it was the best three years of my life,” Helm said.
Not only were the remainder of Helm’s college days filled with practices, games and competitions, but the IU RedSteppers even brought home a national championship last year in the Spirit Rally division – a great way to end her time with the college dance team.
She graduated from IU with a public health degree and is a nursing assistant at Hendricks Regional Health. As one of her favorite experiences came to an end at the college level, Helm knew she wasn’t ready to close the chapter on dancing just yet.
Outside of her day job, Helm is one of the Indiana Pacer’s newest Pacemates. Pacer fans and sports enthusiasts might be interested to know just how strenuous and difficult the dancing process can be.
“It’s more cutthroat that people would assume,” Helm said. “The audition process is weeks long. It starts months before you hear who made the team, and there are many who try out multiple years in a row.”
Knowing the challenge, Helm was determined to do what it took, even if it took several years.
“I’ve seen a lot of girls try out for a few years, and I just figured I’d keep going and we’d see what happened,” she said. “I went to a clinic that had coaches from the Colts cheer program and the Pacemates, and they chose two people to get a golden ticket; it was a free pass to all of the upcoming clinics, and me and another girl got the golden ticket. I think that was the first time I thought, ‘I could really do this.’”
Several of Helm’s RedStepper teammates chose to audition for the Colts Cheerleaders. She said NFL and NBA dancers tend to have different and distinctive styles. NFL dancing often means high energy on the sidelines, and using palms. NBA dancing has more of a hip-hop feel and increased audience engagement.
Helm said she wanted to lean toward the Pacemate style and performance.
“I knew I wanted to try out for a pro team,” she said. “I liked the NBA style, and I think I’m the only RedStepper that tried out for an NBA team this year and the first to ever be on an NBA team.”
She’s accustomed to dancing nearly every day, practicing multiple times per week, and putting in hours of hard work to learn routines and staying physically fit.
As a Pacemate, Helm said she does something to prepare herself for at least two hours every day.
“Whether you’re stretching, working out or learning a routine, you have to be prepared physically, but mentally as well,” Helm said.
There may not be competitions as a Pacemate, but there are 41 home games. They rarely repeat a dance you’ve already seen, and they attend numerous public appearances throughout the year.
It’s a different feeling than her days as a RedStepper, but Helm can already sense the camaraderie and friendships being made this season.
“It’s a transition to go from a team of 34 with RedSteppers to 18 with Pacemates,” she said. “There’s a different age range. We have some women with a husband and a house, and another is still a student, so it provides a different dynamic. In my mind we’re all the same age, so there’s a great sisterhood bond there.”
In the coming years, Helm hopes to go back to school for a registered nurse license, and she’s currently teaching at TDP Dance Company in Avon.
She can see herself in the young dancers attending classes.
“I remember being that little girl once, who had no idea she would be where I am today,” she said. “They don’t realize how far they can go, and to have a teacher that can share experience, tips and tricks, and encourage them is, hopefully, passing it on.”
She plans to dance for several more years, provided she continues making the team. Pacemates audition each year, and Helm said the audition starts and continues the day you step out on the floor.
Coaches are watching how hard each dancer works, how they interact with each other and how they inspire the community.
It’s something Helm does naturally.
Even now, whether serving in her capacity at the hospital or cheering for the Indiana Pacers basketball team, it’s all about bringing a smile to someone’s face.
“I’m a big people person,” she said. “I think seeing their smile or a reaction to something I’m doing is one of my passions in life. I was meant to be doing this. I think it’s one of my callings to take care of others, and entertaining is a part of that in some ways.”
