27 years old • Fort Collins
Colorado Eagles Chick, owner and founder of VYB Dance Classes, dance coach at Poudre High School, sales rep at The O&P EDGE and Amplitude magazines
What’s your occupation? Explain your career, accomplishments and professional highlights.
My full-time role is inside sales and sales support with The O&P EDGE and Amplitude magazines, where I support the sales director with her day-to-day needs and sell the classified section. I have also been a dance coach at Poudre High School for four years, and this year, I completed my rookie year as a professional dancer with the Colorado Eagles Chicks. I just started my own company, VYB Dance Classes, to hold adult dance classes at local studios in Fort Collins.
Tell us about yourself, your history and how you came to be where you are now.
I was raised in Wellington, and I have lived in Colorado my whole life besides going away to college. I attended Poudre High School in Fort Collins and went to Northern Arizona University for my first few years of college before graduating from the University of Northern Colorado with my bachelor’s degree in communication. After school, I got a job with The Source Marketing Group and began my dance coach position at Poudre High School. I then found my current job at The O&P EDGE and Amplitude.
Tell us something unique about you.
Along with being a professional dancer, coach and teacher, I do local dance studios’ competition choreography, specifically for hip hop. Hip hop is a passion of mine; it’s my favorite style, and I love sharing it with everyone. Dance is a great way to express yourself, and getting to do that with people who share the same love for dance is wonderful.
What do you consider your biggest accomplishment or challenge you’ve overcome, either professionally or personally?
I auditioned for Eagles Chicks about three years ago, and during finalists training camp the week before they picked the team, I tore my ACL while practicing. I then underwent surgery and rehab. It wasn’t until almost two years after my surgery that I felt I had all of my dancing capabilities back. I auditioned this year and made the team.
Where do you see yourself in five years? In 10 years?
In five years, I see myself helping other dancers with the same dreams achieve their goals. In 10 years, I see myself either partnered or with my own space for the adult dance classes I have started. I’d like to offer dance classes for all levels and have multiple teachers with the company.
What piece(s) of advice would you give to your younger self?
Everyone has their own path. You cannot compare yourself to others or it is going to hinder your progress. Next, stop with the negative self-talk. Your mind plays a huge part in what you accomplish, and you need to be in control of it. A positive mindset is much more important than you think.
What kind of commitment is it to be a professional dancer?
During the season, I had to stay extremely organized in order to effectively juggle all my different jobs while still carving out time for my family. I noticed that I needed to have some point in the week, even if it was just an hour or two, where I was by myself and did nothing to decompress. The biggest sacrifice I probably made was missing events and time with my family during weeks where we had multiple games and practices. While in season, getting enough sleep, fueling my body with the right nutrients and exercising were all essential for me to perform at my best.
How did you get through the period when you couldn’t dance?
I was honestly very depressed for a bit. I went from being at probably at one of the healthiest points in my life beforehand to gaining a lot of weight. Resetting the goal of trying to make a pro dance team after I finished rehab was when things turned around, and I was able to grab a hold of my mindset. Luckily, I had an amazing support system in my partner, Terin, who always keeps a positive attitude. During that time, I also poured a lot of my attention into the Poudre High School dance team, which ended up paying off because we went to nationals and placed third in our division. It took a couple of years for me to get back to my normal physical state and be able to do everything I previously could for dance.
