HOOP: How many years have you been dancing for the Indiana Pacemates?
Meredith: I've been a member for four years.
HOOP: Had you danced for any professional or college teams before that?
Meredith: Yes. Actually in high school I danced for the WNBA and the Indiana Fever’s co-ed hip-hop dance team.
HOOP: And you're an education major?
Meredith: Yes. Elementary [At Indiana University in Indianapolis]. I would love to have the little kids, anywhere from kindergarten to second grade.
HOOP: Did you grow up in a really small town in Indiana?
Meredith: Greentown, [IN] probably has like only 2,000 people, one stoplight, and it’s surrounded by cornfields and lots of farms.
HOOP: So when you made the team a lot of the town was excited?
Meredith: Oh, yeah. When I made the team I received a lot of congratulations and was the talk of the town. Every time I go back and visit people still tell me they saw me at the game.
HOOP: I’ve read that you sometimes believe you’re too tall; how tall are you?
Meredith: I’m 5-9 and I feel like I get taller everyday. [laughs] I think for the four years that I’ve been on the team, I’ve been the tallest.
HOOP: Are there any advantages or disadvantages for being the tallest girl on a dance team?
Meredith: None whatsoever. It doesn’t affect anything performance-wise or costume-wise, because all our uniforms are made to fit us, and when you’re on the court in an NBA arena everyone can see you, so I just look at it like everyone can see me better. [laughs]
HOOP: Do you have any special routines or superstitions on a game night?
Meredith: We get a game sheet and it includes our uniform list that we have to bring for the night, when we’re going to be on the court, and which timeouts we’re dancing. I’m very organized so I’ll go through that game sheet and double-check it. This may sound crazy but I also usually get Subway before a game. I get the same sandwich every time.
HOOP: Which sandwich do you get each game?
Meredith: [laughs] Just turkey, cheese and lettuce on wheat. It’s very plain and simple but it gives me the fuel I need to perform for the next three hours.
HOOP: When you finish college, do you still plan on being involved in dance or are you going to focus on the teaching aspect of your career?
Meredith: I will do both. I think that the Pacers organization has given me opportunities to experience and perfect my love for kids. I’m involved in the NBA’s Read to Achieve program and I think I can do both and it will make me a better teacher if I do both… I tell everyone I’m not gonna quit the Pacemates until we make the NBA Finals. It may be a while. [laughs]
HOOP: Do you think All-Stars should be chosen by the fans or left to the coaches and fans?
Meredith: I definitely think the fans should have a voice. Fans make the [game]. They are the second ambassadors of the NBA. Danny Granger was fortunate enough to do so last year and it was a huge celebration for Indiana. Regardless of who gets chosen, the number one thing a fan can do is to support who is on the court. I’m proud of the fans we have here in Indiana.
Dance Life
