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 group.
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 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 dwelling 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 facility 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 snug sufficient in making my method round. I do know my neighborhood fairly stable. I’m not messing up as a lot on the subway anymore. At first, I actually felt like I seemed like a Looney Tune out right here with my telephone—identical 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 massive dance targets have been at all times the DCC after which the Radio Metropolis Rockettes. With DCC, I knew I needed to do it once I was younger to provide me some skilled expertise and permit me to reside at dwelling and avoid wasting cash. The tenure of a Rockette can be longer than a DCC. I needed to do this after I had matured out of my youthful years.
In Dallas and with DCC we have been all secluded. In case 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 prepare principally with a former Rockette named Rhonda Malkin. She has taken me below her wing and allowed me to show my professional fashion a couple of occasions per week.
So I’m educating courses and privates. I’m additionally coaching and taking non-public 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 every little thing I can from her once I’m there.
What was your dance background like rising up?
My mother received 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 entire life. I began competing at age 6. I studied ballet, jazz, faucet—every little thing—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 group, however I used to be a part of the Junior Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and took all of the courses and summer season 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 at all times say “I wish to be a DCC once I develop up.” However I didn’t see it from a mature perspective, slightly than the starry eyes from center faculty, till I used to be older.
In highschool, I made a decision it could be finest to do DCC proper out of highschool. I used to be considering: 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 weak about your struggles with despair and detrimental 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 every little thing’s picture-perfect. I’m gonna be the picture-perfect Victoria. Actually, that will get so exhausting.
I used to be identical to, what, I’m going to be sincere as a result of that is what I wrestle 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 vital for folks to know that.
What has the response been from viewers?
I’ve been flooded with optimistic messages. I’m nonetheless going by means of all of them. It’s so wonderful 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, considering possibly I shouldn’t have finished that. I used to be considering, Persons are going to assume I’m weak. They’re going to learn me utterly mistaken. But it surely’s been the alternative.
You additionally shared a few of your experiences of not at all times feeling like you slot in together with your teammates. What recommendation would you give to a younger dancer who’s going by means of the identical factor?
I might say to lean in your help system and those that actually are there to totally again you up. I do know personally, when these exhausting occasions occurred with me, I might simply wish to keep to myself. However I talked to my mother and leaned on my buddy who’s like my older sister. Though typically I didn’t have these connections with the group, I nonetheless had connections in my life.
Discover these folks, lean on them, cherish them. Additionally simply bear in mind you’re there in your ardour for dance. In case you’re at a dance studio and also you’re not mixing with the group and your group an excessive amount of, however you like dance, you like performing, and you like doing what you do, do not forget that.
Is there something you want you may inform your youthful self?
It’s all meant to be the way it’s meant to be. I actually consider that. Even in my first audition for the DCC, I received lower after which I got here again. I do know in powerful occasions it’s exhausting to see, however in case you dig by means of and preserve going, you’ll finally see that.
