Destined to Dance: El Paso woman joins Dallas Cowboys Rhythm and Blue team

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) —Born and raised in El Paso, Kaitlyn Bradham always dreamed of dancing professionally, but she wasn’t sure how she would accomplish that.

The 25-year-old told ABC-7 she started dancing at a young age and joined several dance studios throughout the years. At Eastwood High School, Bradham was mostly involved in choir and musical theater.

After graduating, she enrolled at UTEP, where she pursued a degree in kinesiology. She was part of the UTEP Dance team for five years and was a captain for four years. During her stint, the Borderland team even won a national title.

One day during practice, a member of the Dallas Cowboys Rhythm and Blue team, or DCRB, visited UTEP. DCRB is a high-energy dance team that energizes the crowd on gameday and performs around AT&T Stadium. It was a day that would change her dancing journey, as Bradham overheard a conversation involving her coach.

“She was saying, like, ‘So-and-so would be a good fit for DCRB.’ And I just kind of went like, ‘Cool, like, what are we talking about?’ Because I was just standing like right there. And I heard right? And Miguel turned to me, and he was like, ‘You, like, you would be great at this.’ And I was kind of like, starstruck. I was like, like, ‘Me. You’re telling me,’ like, ‘Yeah,” she explained.

That moment would spark a new dream.

After graduating in 2023, Bradham was fully dedicated to dance. Her days were split between the dance studio, the gym and working. She worked on perfecting her craft and advancing her skills.

This summer, she decided to audition for the DCRB team, submitting an audition video of her dancing hip-hop.

Shortly after, Bradham received an email invitation to the semi-finals in Dallas. Round after round, she competed against dozens of other dancers. She was amazed that she kept moving forward in the selection process.

"It kind of—I think to me it's funny now because at the time I was so stressed out and anxious, and yet at the same time, I had this bit of confidence in me, like knowing that I was still advancing. I was just like, ‘Okay, like, ‘I got this.’ But in the moment, I was still freaking out because I was like, ‘Wow. Like, I'm still here. Like, how is this even happening?’” During her final practice, gift bags were placed at every chair of each remaining dancer.

"I look in the bag, and it's a little card that says, ‘Congratulations, you've made the 2025-26 season of DCRB.’ And at first it didn't; it did not register at all. It, it took me so long to process where I was just staring at the card. And my other teammates were already screaming, crying like everyone was just like so ecstatic. And I was just like, I was so staring at my card because I just couldn't believe what I was reading.”

Every moment since then has been a milestone, like when she received her brand new DCRB uniform.

"I was like, ‘Oh my God, I'm holding it.’ Well, so I went to the bathroom, tried it on, and then I remember me and all the other rookie girls were just staring at ourselves in the bathroom mirror, like, is this real? Is this real? Like, right now? Like, we couldn't believe it."

Shortly after joining the team, she packed her bags and moved to Dallas.

As part of her DCRB, her duties include attending and performing at every home game and making appearances across the Dallas area during football season.

Bradham credits her success to the support of her family, especially her parents.

She said she has felt overwhelming support since joining the Dallas Cowboys Rhythm and Blue team.

“It was definitely a big moment for me, for sure, because it had been a dream that I had been wanting for, for so many years. Everyone who's known me or, like, worked with me has known that this is something that I've wanted for a really long time. So just the fact that I finally got here was so just rewarding. I guess knowing that all my work had paid off.”

Bradham said many people in Dallas ask where she’s from. She’s proud to be representing El Paso on a large stage.

“It’s a really great thing to hear that I made an impact on, like, so many people, just by doing what I love and chasing my dream.”

Bradham said it feels surreal to be living the dream in Dallas.

“It was intimidating, and it is a little scary. But if it's a dream that you have, it's definitely something worth fighting for and worth going after.”

Bradham said in the future she would like to become a dance coach. She said for now, she wants to continue performing with the Dallas Cowboys Rhythm and Blue dance team.