DCC ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT – JESSICA MONTOYA KALIL

Prior to Jessica’s time with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, she lived a VERY full dance dream. She considers herself to be a gypsy, and actively chased every dream she had when it came to dance. Originally from Albuquerque, NM, Jessica accepted a full-ride scholarship to Pace University in New York City, where she ended up getting a BA in Musical Theater and Dance. If that isn’t impressive enough, she continued her education after college, going to graduate school at Pace University where she studied Media Communications and Art. She briefly worked at a law firm while getting her master’s degree, but always felt the urge to continue performing. While living in New York City, she attended numerous Broadway auditions and took any dance opportunity that came her way. She eventually auditioned for the New York Jets, where she cheered for one year with fellow DCC Alumni, Jasmine Goode and Danielle Barhold.

After wrapping up her time on the New York Flight Crew, Jessica took her agent’s advice and auditioned for a Norwegian Cruise line as an aerial dancer- similar to the acrobatic stunts you see in Cirque du Soleil! To prepare for the job, she went to Canada to train with the team that trains the aerialists of Cirque du Soleil. During her time dancing on the cruise line, she began watching ‘Making the Team’ during the very minimal downtime she had. After watching her previous teammates, Jasmine and Danielle, complete their rookie season, she decided that DCC would be the next chapter in her remarkably full book of life.

Once her contract on the Norwegian Cruise finished, Jessica made the move to Texas to audition for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. She met her now husband within a few months of her moving to Texas for training camp. After two wonderful seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, Jessica felt it was a good time to retire and start her life with her husband. Fun fact – she is a HUGE fan of Selina. Selina got engaged on the riverwalk in San Antonio, which is exactly how Jessica’s husband proposed to her. They are happily living life in Dallas with their beautiful daughter, Rio.

Of all the truly impressive jobs and accomplishments Jessica claims, one of the most note-worthy would be what she has done with her life AFTER DCC. In 2017, Jessica entered herself in the NYX Fine Artistry of Cosmetic Elite (i.e. FACE) competition, where she had to submit multiple theatrical make-up videos and beat out thousands of contestants. In the final round of the competition, Jessica and 5 other contestants were flown out to Los Angeles for two weeks, where they were able to work with Hollywood producers on their final submissions. The director she worked with had just finished directing Beyonce’s “Lemonade” music videos. After a two week stay, 12 hours of production, and 3 makeup changes, Jessica beat out the ENTIRE competition, winning the FACE Award and was crowned the NYX “Beauty Vlogger of the Year”.

I thoroughly enjoyed my conversation with Jessica. I found out on our call that she came very close to moving to Southern California and would have auditioned for the Charger Girls during the time I was on the team! Such a small world! It seems that she has lived every chapter of her life to the fullest and continues to find so much joy and fulfillment in her role as a loving mother and wife, and career as a professional makeup artist.  Jessica’s story is beyond inspiring and I can only hope that my time after DCC is HALF as cool as hers!

Interviewed by DCC Bridget