There are so many avenues in which to take after being a trained dancer. You can go to New York and audition for a new contemporary company. You can move to Los Angeles and be a back up dancer for some of the world’s biggest stars. You can become a teacher. You can transition into choreography. You can even be a dancer and root on professional athlete’s.
I feel that unfortunately, some professional teams aren’t taken seriously. They are seen more as cheerleaders or meat for the fans to look at, etc. But I know first hand, that these girls on these teams work just as hard as any other professional dancer. I was recently followed by Carisa McMilan and quickly made contact with her because she is a retired Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders is one of America’s biggest and most respected professional dance teams so I jumped at the chance to interview her and shed some light on the professional team environment and what it takes to make their roster!
Without further ado, here is my interview with Carisa!
DanceTchrProbs: Hi, Carisa! Thank you so much for taking some time out of your schedule to interview with me! I know my readers and I appreciate it! Give us a little bit of background on your training as a student.
Carisa McMilan: I started taking ballet, tap, and jazz classes at the age of three. My childhood dream was to become a principal dancer for the New York City Ballet. I received my first pair of pointe shoes at the early age of nine. When I was 10, my family moved to Kentucky. I continued my training in all three styles, with a strong focus in ballet at the Louisville Ballet School. There, I was cast in the Nutcracker and Alice in Wonderland for the Louisville Ballet Company. After one year, my family relocated to Apex, North Carolina. During my first year there, I was cast as Clara in the Carolina Ballet Company’s first Nutcracker. This was a dream come true! I continued to perform in the Nutcracker with them for the next two years. During my middle school years, I also received a scholarship to attend the Pacific Northwest Ballet’s summer intensive program in Seattle.
Once I started high school, I fell in love with dance team. I enjoyed the sporting event atmosphere and the unique jazz style, as well the camaraderie that came along with it. I stopped tapping, lessened my focus on ballet, and became the captain and choreographer of the team my senior year. From there, I went on to Appalachian State University to get my BFA in Dance. I joined the dance team my sophomore year and was the head captain and choreographer for both my junior and senior year. During one of my summers of college, I interned at Broadway Dance Center in New York City.
DTP: I love all of the ballet training you received as a student! It is so important regardless of what we want to do as dancers. Were you a competitive dancer as well? Where did you receive your training? What was one of the most valuable lessons you learned as a pre-professional student?
CM: I trained at traditional dance studios growing up, so I did not compete. I did the bulk of my dance training at Carolina Dance Center in Raleigh, North Carolina.
One of the most valuable lessons I learned as a pre professional student is that it’s okay to walk away if you feel burned out. What I didn’t share in my previous response is that I actually quit dance after my spring recital 8th grade year. It was a difficult decision to make. I felt so guilty because I didn’t want to let anyone down, but I wasn’t passionate about dance anymore. I dreaded going to class, and struggled to push myself when I was at the studio.
Although it was hard for my parents and teachers to accept, I’m glad that in the end they supported my decision. I didn’t attend any classes the whole summer. I enjoyed my time off at first, but then found myself frequently dancing in my room late at night. That’s when I realized that I did truly love dance. I enrolled back into classes starting the Fall of my freshman year.
During this time off, I finally had time to reflect on what dance meant to me. I realized that just because I didn’t want to be a ballerina anymore, didn’t mean that I wasn’t supposed to dance at all. There were other avenues, I just needed to figure out which path was right for me.
I hold this lesson close to my heart not only because it gave me reassurance that I was meant to dance, but it helps me tremendously with my students. They feel comfortable talking to me when they are experiencing the same struggles. They don’t have to feel guilty about letting me down because I’ve been through it and know that it’s not personal.
I’ve talked to several teachers about this who have never doubted their dedication to the art. For some of them, it’s hard to understand that just because a student’s passion waivers, doesn’t mean they don’t love it. Personally, I would rather a student take some time off to think things through than come to class and be miserable. As many already know, there is no off-season in dance. Sometimes you have to make one. Making a student feel guilty is doing a disservice to both the student and the teacher. If their heart is truly in it, they’ll come back and have a deeper appreciation.
DTP: Those are some very valid points. Sometimes we don’t know how much we love something until it is taken from us. So, what made you want you audition for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders?
CM: When it came time to graduate from App State, I wasn’t ready to end my dance team experience. I realized that this was where my passion truly lied, and being a head dance team coach at a university was my ultimate goal. At the young age of twenty-one though, I wasn’t ready to give up my performing career just yet. This led me to my decision to tryout for the ultimate dance team, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.
DTP: I love that your training led you to a love for dance team. It is such a difference from the tradional conservatory life you were exposed to primarily. So give us a little bit of insight about the DCC audition process.
CM: The preliminary and semi-final round for the DCC fell right in between my last week of classes and exam week. I flew out of Charlotte to Dallas the Friday before the first round. The preliminary round is very intimidating and overwhelming. Somewhere between 200-300 girls show up, and you have about a minute and a half to impress them. You go on to the floor in groups of six with 8-10 judges in front of you. You introduce your name, age, where you are from, and one interesting fact about yourself. They turn on a song for about 45 seconds to a minute and you have to freestyle. This is your only chance to catch their eye.
After making some cuts, the following day is semi-finals. They teach you a 45-second routine and a short version of their famous kick line. They teach both routines fairly quick, and then you audition in groups of six again. What I wasn’t aware of was they make you take a written test after everyone’s performed! This written test covered everything under the sun and it was timed! It asked questions on nutrition, Cowboys and DCC history, Texas history and politics, current events, EVERYTHING! I thought this was going to be given at Finals, so I was not prepared. They announced who made it to the third round, and I flew back to North Carolina to finish my senior exams.
During the two weeks in between Semi-Finals and Finals, I finished my exams, graduated, studied for the DCC panel interview, practiced the tryout routine and kick line, and choreographed my solo. At Finals, you interview in a groups of four. Just like the written test, you never knew what they were going to ask you. The following day, you get a number first thing in the morning. That number determined the order of solos, as well as the groups you would be placed in to perform the tryout routine and kick line. This was a very LONG day! You don’t realize how truly exhausted you are until they leave to deliberate. It was the longest wait of my life.
After deliberation, they announced each number that made it into training camp! I had two weeks to move out of my college apartment, drive my car down, and find a place to live to start this new chapter. Training camp was every week, Monday through Friday, until mid-August. Every day was overwhelming and stressful. You could get cut at any point and the routines continued to pile up. By the time we went into the season, we were responsible for knowing around forty-five dances!
DTP: I knew it would be a lengthy process but wow, that is a lot! It has to be such a great feeling knowing you made the team after the entire process! Once you made the team, how long were you a member of the DCC? Do you have any favorite moments from your experiences on the team?
CM: I was a DCC for two years. I had so many fun experiences, it’s hard to narrow it down! Two of my favorite memories though would be them finally announcing that we had made the squad my first year, and the USO tour my second year. There is nothing better than working as hard as you can for something and fulfilling your goals. The USO tour was amazing because we got to interact with so many soldiers in South Korea, and see a different part of the world. I also really enjoyed getting to perform at the opening of the Cowboys training camp in Oxnard, California, as well as going to Canada for the Edmonton Rush events.
DTP: That is awesome that you were able to see the some of the world with the organization! Through all of those amazing experiences, what did you learn from being a Cowboys Cheerleader?
CM: What I learned from being a member of the DCC is to always keep an open mind, and to put yourself out there. To be honest, even though I had trained extensively as a dancer my whole life, their unique style was hard for me to grasp. I felt really vulnerable and defeated at times, but I’m proud of myself for not letting it get the best of me and always trying to be better. I’m also glad that I found the courage to try out. Failure is my biggest fear and always has been. There are times I look back on my experience, and realize how many amazing opportunities I would’ve missed out on if I hadn’t tried out. Since then, when that fear and doubt creeps back in my head, I tell myself that if I don’t try, I will never know what cool experience could’ve come out of it. Every experience is a lesson to be learned.
DTP: That is such an important lesson to be taught and is so valuable in every aspect of life. NOw that you have moved on from the DCC, what are you up to?
CM: After retiring last Spring, I got really involved with the dance studio I teach at in Dallas. I became the competitive Ensemble Director, and choreographed a large amount of solos for the following competition season. I’ve been able to travel back to North Carolina to teach several master classes around the Raleigh area, as well as to help out and choreograph basketball routines for the North Carolina State University Dance Team. I even had the opportunity to choreograph a NDA Nationals routine for a local Raleigh High School. The plan was to move down to Dallas for the DCC and return to NC after I retired. I’m so glad I stayed in Dallas for another year and experienced so many choreography and teaching opportunities, but I’m ready to return to North Carolina to be closer to family. I will be moving back to the Raleigh area in the Summer of 2015. It will definitely be a bittersweet move as I have fallen in love with the city of Dallas and my sweet students
DTP: Studio teaching is so rewarding, but sometimes it is just time to go home. I understand completely! If you could sum your entire DCC experience into oe word, what would that be?
CM: It would have to be surreal. I never thought I would have the courage to pursue something so big, let alone achieve it. The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders organization is so iconic and an honor to be apart of. It was very stressful, exhausting, and difficult at times, but that’s what made the once in a lifetime opportunities mean so much more! I’m forever thankful for the woman the organization has shaped me into becoming. Being a part of it gave me the push I needed to become the choreographer and teacher that I needed to be to pursue my dreams in the next chapter. Sometimes, it feels like I dreamed the whole experience, but I’m so grateful that it was real life. 🙂
DTP: Love that. We never know what our life experiences are gearing us up for. Do you have any words of advice to those who may want to try out for professional sports dance teams?
CM: The greatest advice I have to offer is don’t give yourself any excuses for failure. Do everything in your power to reach your goal so that you can look back with no regrets. Whether it’s making yourself stretch or going to dance classes every day, you will feel more confident going into this process if you know you did everything you could to make your goal achievable.
DTP: So incredibly true. Okay, last but certainly not least, give us five random facts about yourself!
CM: 1. I’m still scared of the dark and have not overcome my fear of the boogieman (no matter how hot it is, I MUST have my feet under the covers so he can’t grab me while I’m sleeping).
2. During my Broadway Dance Center internship in NYC, I had the opportunity to be in a photo shoot, and appeared in Dance Spirit Magazine.
3. I’m addicted to sriracha popcorn.
4. I have a hard time getting rid of things because I find sentimental value in EVERYTHING!
5. Up until DCC, I calmed my nerves before performances with naps. When I was younger, I would literally sleep in the backseat of my parents’ car the whole way to the shows.
Thank you again for spending some times with me and my readers! I really appreciate it! For more information on the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, check out their DCC and follow them on Twitter!
DanceTchrProbs 