New York Knicks Cheerleader Michelle Leonardo Shares Swimsuit Photo On Honeymoon

New York Knicks Cheerleader Michelle Leonardo got married over the summer and had the most incredible honeymoon in Europe. Leonardo shared pictures of the trip, including snaps of herself posing in a bright pink SKIMS bikini on a boat with husband Alexander Tan. “Sicily, you were a dream. Next stop, St. Tropez. #honeymooners,” she captioned the post. “Barbie & Ken- the pre release,” teased a friend in the comments. Leonardo has one of the busiest schedules for an NBA dancer—here’s how she stays fit, happy, and fabulous.

1. Intense Training

Leonardo says the training regimen for the Knicks City Dancers is not for the faint of heart. “Throughout the last 5 years I was often asked the question ‘how do you do it all?’ While holding down a full time career in media, I somehow fit in multiple 6-10 pm rehearsals and 2-11 pm game days each week, promos and appearances, and everything in between,” she says. “I usually answered this question by laughing and saying ‘I don’t sleep’. While that was half true, the whole truth is I did it all because it was my purpose. The sweat, sore muscles, exhaustion, I loved it, because I loved this team and the purpose it gave me. This team turned a 25 year old girl into a woman who knows exactly who she is, who can confidently go in any direction and who can always hold her own.”

2. Yoga Sessions

Shutterstock

Leonardo makes time for yoga, even when her schedule is crazy. “Time management is really important, and taking care of yourself is really important,” she says. “We have really long, hard practices. I’m usually doing physical activity at least four to eight hours a couple days a week, so eating right and getting enough sleep is crucial. With work, I’m the type that likes to bullet-point everything. So I have my to-do list, and I’m just constantly checking things off.”

3. Busy Schedule

Leonardo’s days are filled with team practice as well as her non-cheer responsibilities. “Every day is different and I love it,” she says. “My day is typically dictated by what my night looks like. I’m usually in the office around 9am – 5:30pm then rush uptown to be at rehearsal from 6pm – 10pm. If I have a game, we’re on the court anywhere from 1pm – 3pm for rehearsal/sound check. So I’m on the go from 9am – 10pm.”

4. Pageant Queen

Leonardo’s background in pageant competitions made her a shoo-in for cheerleading. “I’m actually a former pageant girl, so beauty and makeup and hair is sort of embedded in my DNA,” she says. “My go-to lipstick is MAC in Angel, and I love MAC blushes, too. I’m really big on the blush color Harmony right now.”

5. Unique Dancers

Leonardo loves how unique the Knicks City Dancers are compared to other NBA cheer teams. “I always knew who the Knicks City Dancers were, but who they were back when I first learned about them compared to when I rediscovered them was very different,” she says. “The team rebranded; we’re very Broadway, and we have beautiful costumes, so we’re not a typical NBA team. When I saw the costumes and the production and the lighting, it was just something I knew I wanted to be involved with. I decided to audition about six months out, and I prepared every day. I knew if I was gonna do it, I had to give it my all.”