When the Cincinnati Bengals take to the field at Paycor Stadium for their next home game, Gillian Wanosky won’t be watching from the sidelines in the traditional sense. She will be on them, commanding attention just yards from the gridiron action. As a rookie member of the Ben-Gals, the NFL’s official cheerleading squad for the Bengals, Wanosky is living a dual reality: by day, a sharp communications specialist at GE Aerospace; by night (and on weekends), a dynamic performer under the stadium lights.

“It’s an incredible feeling to be that close to the energy of the game, to feel the roar of the crowd vibrating through you,” Wanosky reflects. “You’re part of the engine that drives the spectacle of professional football.”

While stars like quarterback Joe Burrow and receiver Ja’Marr Chase execute plays on the field, Wanosky and her Ben-Gals teammates are executing choreographed routines designed to amplify fan excitement and support the team spirit. Even amidst a deafening crowd of 65,000 and a national television audience, her strategy is to remain intensely focused. “The moment you start to overthink the scale of it all is the moment nerves set in,” she explains. “I center myself by remembering that I’ve prepared for this. I trust my training and my team.”

Her journey to the Ben-Gals began with a series of intense auditions this past spring, a two-month process that tested her technical dance skills, physical stamina, and performance charisma. Her successful tryout culminated in her preseason debut on August 23rd against the Indianapolis Colts—a moment she describes as the culmination of a lifelong passion for dance.

Engineering a Demanding Routine

Balancing a demanding corporate career with the schedule of a professional cheerleader is no small feat. The Ben-Gals commit to multiple three-hour evening rehearsals each week, alongside game days and numerous community and charity appearances. Yet for Wanosky, who orchestrates the global corporate communications calendar for GE Aerospace—tracking media coverage and strategic messaging across continents—such a high-octane lifestyle is second nature.

“This level of busy is my normal,” says the West Virginia native with a laugh. “My dance training started when I was seven, and from then on, my life was a constant balance of studio time, academic work, and later, collegiate athletics. That early foundation in time management is invaluable; it’s how I operate.”

That foundation was solidified at West Virginia University, where Wanosky pursued—and mastered—a dual path. She graduated with honors, earning bachelor's degrees in both Journalism and Dance. Simultaneously, she was a key member of the WVU Dance Team, performing at games and contributing to two national championship titles at the National Dance Association’s Collegiate Dance Championship in 2021. “I never wanted to choose between my intellectual and artistic passions,” she states. “I was determined to cultivate both.”

After completing a master’s degree in Integrated Marketing Communications in 2023, she moved to New York City with her husband. While she advanced her marketing career in the energy sector and trained in the city's competitive dance studios, she felt a void. “New York offered incredible classes and talented artists, but I deeply missed the collective purpose and synergy of being on a team,” she recalls.

This realization prompted a strategic shift. She began taking professional-level classes focused on styles prevalent in the NFL, like hip-hop, refining her skills with a new goal in mind. A career opportunity acted as the final catalyst. In June 2024, she accepted a primarily remote role with GE Aerospace, a company where she had previously interned. The subsequent move to Cincinnati with her husband made the goal tangible. “The pieces aligned perfectly. I saw the move to Cincinnati as my chance to try out for the Ben-Gals,” she says.

A Supportive Huddle at Work and Beyond

Wanosky kept her audition process quiet initially, sharing the news with only a few close colleagues at GE Aerospace. But when she officially made the squad, her team in the Corporate Affairs department celebrated her achievement in memorable fashion—by kicking off a weekly virtual meeting with the blaring chords of Guns N’ Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle,” the Bengals’ unofficial anthem.

That support was tangible again during her first preseason game, where a group of her GE colleagues were in the stands cheering her on. “Having them there was incredibly special,” Wanosky shares. “They were some of my first friends in a new city. To feel that kind of genuine support from your workplace is truly empowering.”

Her unique position offers a broad view of the company’s operations. “I have a helicopter view of the entire communications landscape at GE Aerospace. It feels like an immersive educational experience—I call it ‘GE Aerospace University.’ Every day I’m learning about different facets of the business from incredibly knowledgeable mentors,” she notes.

As the Bengals navigate a challenging season in a tough conference, the optimism within the team and its fan base is palpable. Wanosky mirrors that enthusiasm. “There’s a real buzz about this team and its potential. We’re all excited to see how far we can go,” she says. No matter the outcome on the scoreboard, Gillian Wanosky has already mastered the art of performing under pressure, proving that with discipline and passion, you can indeed have it all.

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