Chandalae Lanouette

Last updated

Chandalae Lanouette
Education Ronald W. Reagan High School
OccupationEntertainment Manager for the Carolina Panthers
Years active2014 – present
Career
Former groups Carolina Topcats

Chandalae Lanouette is an American dancer, choreographer, and entertainment manager. She served as the entertainment manager for the Carolina Panthers, coaching the Carolina Topcats cheerleading squad until 2025. She was previously a Topcat from 2014 to 2018 and was selected to dance in the 2018 NFL Pro Bowl.

Contents

Early life and education

Lanouette is from Pfafftown, North Carolina, and attended Ronald W. Reagan High School. [1]

Career

Lanouette danced in the NFL as a member of the Carolina Topcats from the 2014 season to the 2018 Carolina Panthers season. [2] As part of the team, she travelled to Ramstein Air Base in Germany to perform and boost morale for service members of the U.S. military. [3] In 2018, she was selected to represent the Topcats at the 2018 NFL Pro Bowl. [1]

After retiring from dancing in the NFL, Lanouette was hired as the director of the Carolina Topcats and entertainment manager of the Carolina Panthers. [4] [5] She has focused on diversity in dancers and in community outreach. [2] In 2021, she hired the first three male cheerleaders on the Topcats, Tre' Booker, Melvin Sutton, and Chris Crawford, two of whom were also the first openly gay cheerleaders on the team. [6] Lanouette also hired Justine Lindsay in 2022 as the first openly transgender cheerleader in the NFL. [7] Lanouette led members of the squad in volunteering for the Mecklenburg Humane Society, Black Lives Matter, Transcend Charlotte, and the American Cancer Society. [2] In 2024, she partnered with historically black colleges and universities to develop a talent pipeline into NFL cheerleading. [8] [9]

References

  1. 1 2 Allman, Megan (January 28, 2018). "Pfafftown Native Cheers on Panthers at NFL Pro Bowl". WFMY . Greensboro, North Carolina . Retrieved October 4, 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 "2023 TopCats Announcement". Carolina Panthers . Charlotte, North Carolina. 2023. Retrieved October 4, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Big men on the base: NFL players spend time on Ramstein". Ramstein Air Base . United States Air Force. March 7, 2017. Retrieved October 4, 2025.
  4. ↑ Smith-Walker, Channelle (February 7, 2024). "My View: National Women and Girls Sports Day". Carolina Panthers . Charlotte, North Carolina . Retrieved October 4, 2025.
  5. ↑ "TOPCATS SPECIAL: Making the family". Queen City News . Charlotte, North Carolina. July 9, 2022. Retrieved October 4, 2025.
  6. ↑ Reimer, Alex (November 30, 2021). "These 2 out gay cheerleaders are making history with the Panthers". Out Sports . Retrieved October 4, 2025.
  7. ↑ Buzinski, Jim (August 15, 2025). "NFL's first trans cheerleader will not be back with the Carolina Panthers this season". Out Sports . Retrieved October 4, 2025.
  8. ↑ Stutts, Jordan (October 25, 2024). "TopCats cheerleading team partners with HBCUs to develop talent pipeline". Q City Metro. Charlotte, North Carolina . Retrieved October 4, 2025.
  9. ↑ "Justine Lindsay, believed to be NFL's 1st openly trans cheerleader, ready to 'break down that door' with Carolina Panthers' TopCats". ESPN . June 7, 2022. Retrieved October 4, 2025.

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