IRON MOUNTAIN – Jackie Paupore has joined the staff at U.P. Dance Academy in Iron Mountain. She will work as the head cheer coach, assistant gymnastics and acro coach.

Paupore has been involved in cheerleading/gymnastics for more than 10 years, starting off her cheerleading career at Kingsford Middle School. She continued to cheer throughout high school, being on the KHS Varsity team for three years.

Her senior year she decided to take on a new challenge and left the KHS Varsity team and joined a prestigious All Star Cheerleading Team out of Wisconsin. While there she competed on a Senior Open Level 5 team, taking top places at almost every single competition including Cheersport Nationals in Atlanta, Ga., and NCA Nationals in Dallas, Texas, amongst many more honors.

Upon graduating from KHS she continued on her cheerleading career at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities on the All Girl Cheer Team where she cheered for the Division 1 Gopher football team, and the women’s basketball team. Her team competed in the UCA College Nationals in 2011 and did very well.

After transferring to Northern Michigan University in 2011, Paupore was an assistant in coaching the Marquette High School Cheer Team and also worked closely with other fine gymnastics/tumbling instructors and students.

She finished her bachelor of fine arts in graphic design from NMU and decided to return to her hometown after graduation where she is the new KHS JV Cheer Coach. Cheerleading, tumbling and performing has been a passion for Paupore for more than half of her life and she is excited to bring her knowledge, talent and upbeat personality to U.P. Dance Academy.

The U.P. Dance Academy is located at 1000 W. Breitung Ave in Kingsford