When viewers of the Netflix documentary “America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders” final noticed Victoria Kalina, she had determined to hold up her blue-and-white uniform and transfer on from the well-known NFL dance staff.
Her four-year tenure with the DCC punctuated a lifetime spent across the cheerleaders—Victoria’s mom, Tina Kalina, was a cheerleader herself within the Nineteen Eighties, and Victoria spent her youth as a junior DCC earlier than auditioning for the squad at age 18 and making it the primary time the next 12 months at 19.
Now, she’s stepping away, not simply from the 50-yard line however from her house in Texas—having lately relocated to NYC in pursuit of the subsequent chapter of her dance profession. Dance Spirit caught up with Kalina to speak about life after Netflix, the ability of vulnerability, and her recommendation for younger dancers.
How are you? How’s the transfer to NYC been?
Good! I’m simply now beginning to really feel comfy sufficient in making my manner round. I do know my neighborhood fairly strong. I’m not messing up as a lot on the subway anymore. At first, I actually felt like I appeared like a Looney Tune out right here with my telephone—similar to, “Hey, the place’s my blue arrow pointing?”
It’ll come! You’ve lived within the metropolis for a couple of month. What made you wish to transfer to NYC?
My two large dance targets have been all the time the DCC after which the Radio Metropolis Rockettes. With DCC, I knew I wished to do it after I was younger to offer me some skilled expertise and permit me to stay at house and avoid wasting cash. The tenure of a Rockette can be longer than a DCC. I wished to try this after I had matured out of my youthful years.
In Dallas and with DCC we have been all secluded. When you have been DCC, that’s all you probably did. However right here in New York there’s so many alternatives, and after one gig is up there’s extra to return. So, who is aware of? I’m open to something.
What’s your day-to-day like now?
I practice principally with a former Rockette named Rhonda Malkin. She has taken me beneath her wing and allowed me to show my professional fashion a number of occasions every week.
So I’m educating courses and privates. I’m additionally coaching and taking personal classes myself within the precision fashion that the Rockettes requires. I’m taking as many courses and workshops as I can. The studio is my second home. If I’m not at Ripley-Grier [Studios], I’m at Steps on Broadway, or I’m at Broadway Dance Heart.
I like Danelle Morgan’s precision jazz class that she teaches at Steps. I’m simply absorbing the whole lot I can from her after I’m there.
What was your dance background like rising up?
My mother acquired me into dance, as a result of clearly she was a cheerleader. I’ve two older brothers, and I do know in her coronary heart of hearts she was like, “A woman, please, and let her love dance!” I began at age 2 and stayed with my studio all through my complete life. I began competing at age 6. I studied ballet, jazz, faucet—the whole lot—and did group dances and solos at competitions and conventions. I additionally hit a prima ballerina wannabe period for some time.
I by no means did drill staff, however I used to be a part of the Junior Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and took all of the courses and summer time intensives. It wasn’t till the tip of my sophomore 12 months of highschool that I actually took a flip and thought, OK, it’s time to start out prepping for DCC.
As a child, I might all the time say “I wish to be a DCC after I develop up.” However I didn’t see it from a mature perspective, quite than the starry eyes from center faculty, till I used to be older.
In highschool, I made a decision it might be finest to do DCC proper out of highschool. I used to be pondering: I’m recent, I’m used to coaching all day, I’m on my full pace. So why would I wish to cease that?
On “America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders,” you have been actually susceptible about your struggles with despair and unfavorable physique picture. What made you wish to be so sincere?
At first I didn’t! My mother and I’ve this “magnificence to a fault.” We love to return off like the whole lot’s picture-perfect. I’m gonna be the picture-perfect Victoria. Truthfully, that will get so exhausting.
I used to be similar to, you realize what, I’m going to be sincere as a result of that is what I battle with and it’s not all rainbows and butterflies. That’s not life. That’s not any job. That’s not any alternative. There’s going to be some struggles, and I believe it’s essential for individuals to know that.
What has the response been from viewers?
I’ve been flooded with optimistic messages. I’m nonetheless going by way of all of them. It’s so superb how one little motion of opening up can contact so many individuals.
When the filming course of was completed and it was time for the editors to take cost, I had a lot anxiousness, pondering perhaps I shouldn’t have completed that. I used to be pondering, Individuals are going to assume I’m weak. They’re going to learn me fully mistaken. But it surely’s been the other.
You additionally shared a few of your experiences of not all the time feeling like you slot in along with your teammates. What recommendation would you give to a younger dancer who’s going by way of the identical factor?
I might say to lean in your help system and people who actually are there to completely again you up. I do know personally, when these laborious occasions occurred with me, I might simply wish to keep to myself. However I talked to my mother and leaned on my good friend who’s like my older sister. Though generally I didn’t have these connections with the staff, I nonetheless had connections in my life.
Discover these individuals, lean on them, cherish them. Additionally simply bear in mind you’re there in your ardour for dance. When you’re at a dance studio and also you’re not mixing with the group and your group an excessive amount of, however you’re keen on dance, you’re keen on performing, and you’re keen on doing what you do, do not forget that.
Is there something you would like you may inform your youthful self?
It’s all meant to be the way it’s meant to be. I actually imagine that. Even in my first audition for the DCC, I acquired minimize after which I got here again. I do know in powerful occasions it’s laborious to see, however should you dig by way of and maintain going, you’ll ultimately see that.
