MICHELLE POLING, MS, RD, LDN – Michelle Poling is a registered dietitian with additional experience in corporate communications and a life-long passion for dance. Michelle has over 10yrs of dance training… which started in a studio at age four, studying various styles of dance including jazz, hip-hop, tap, lyrical, ballet, pom, and gymnastics. She went on to perform with her nationally ranked high school and college dance teams, holding a captain position on both.

After completing a masters program in health care policy and management in NY, Michelle began her career as a clinical dietitian in Louisiana, before moving again to Baltimore, MD where she would spend the next four years providing nutrition counseling to clients overcoming eating disorders. Baltimore also introduced Michelle to the world of professional cheerleading when she was invited to join the Baltimore Blast Cheerleaders and Baltimore Mariner Cheerleaders for their 2009 and 2010 National Championship seasons. From there, she went on to spend four amazing years performing for the NBA with the Washington Wizard Girls. In addition to performing on the court herself, Michelle held multiple coaching positions, as a head coach for Bridgewater College Dance Team (2006), and the WizKids and Mystics Mayhem Youth Dance Teams (2013), providing in-game entertainment during the NBA and WNBA seasons.

Throughout her professional cheerleading career, Michelle was elected to travel abroad on multiple opportunities, performing at the International Soccer League All-Star games in Bermuda, with NBA3X in Thailand, and in Brazil during the 2013-2014 NBA pre-season games. Locally, she accompanied select members of the Baltimore Ravens Cheerleaders, Washington Redskins Cheerleaders, and Texans Cheerleaders as they traveled to various DMV military bases, performing and leading youth clinics on the 2011 Nations Capital Tour. Michelle is now excited to bring her expertise in nutrition, passion for dance, and dynamic enthusiasm for sharing what she’s learned along the way to the clients of Sideline Prep.

Michelle’s Pro Tip
If at first you don’t succeed, get up and start dancing again. Learn from your experiences and use those experiences to make you a better person, performer, and dancer. Be willing to join a dance company or audition for a semi pro team to gain the experience you need to become a pro. Take it from me… my years as a dancer for the MISL gave me the confidence and drive to walk into NBA auditions with my head held high!!