Meet Natalie Kirkland: Pro Dancer, Digital Marketer, and Former NFL Cheerleader

We had the good fortune of connecting with Natalie Kirkland and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Natalie, do you have any habits that you feel contribute to your effectiveness?
Habits – so hard to make, but people rarely succeed without them.

I’m a big advocate of curating the habit of training hard. You have to be willing to do what others won’t; go that extra mile. Be it one more rep at the gym, sending one more work email, or sacrificing sleep to make sure your “product” is perfect, pushing yourself is a muscle that ought to be flexed. If you attack every goal with that champion mindset, you’re sure to succeed, or at least be happy with the results knowing you couldn’t do more.

Along the same theme as training hard, forming the habit of letting discipline take over when motivation ends has been monumental for me in my professional career(s). Motivation fades, but discipline is constant (in theory, anyway). Aim to form the habit of building discipline, for it is much more important than motivation.

A success hack: optimizing your life to the goal you want to achieve. When I want to be great at something or learn something, I set up my day and schedule so I am constantly reminded of said thing. I change my phone background to an inspiring image, I do a social media (and email) audit to have feeds that support and encourage my engulfment, I pick my friends’ and networks’ brains for any secrets or tips they may have, etc. I have found that using all possible tools in my toolbox to get exposure only leads to greater strides towards my mission. I almost consider this a bio hack because you’re reminding not only your contentious, but sub contentious as well.

The last habit that I believe drives success: doubling down on your weaknesses. It’s a lot easier to focus on what we’re already good at and lean on those things, but the reality is there’s no growth in that. I try to remind myself of this philosophy when I’m faced with an obstacle and “easy street” is calling. Remember, if it was easy, we’d all be doing it. Choose the path of resistance and growth over and over again. If (when) you persevere, the confidence will bleed into motivation, which you can use to jump start your discipline. Full 360 picture here!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a professional dancer, former NFL cheerleader, and these days, and influencer. I’m Natalie – nice to make your acquaintanceship.

Originally from San Jose, I trained intensively in practically every dance style growing up; jazz, ballet, hip hop, contemporary, hula, and more (even salsa and rhythmic gymnastics). While the dance studio life built great foundation, I found myself wanting more as I approached my teen years. My dance network had always been wide, but emerging myself into hip hop crews and contemporary companies opened up experiences, opportunities, and relationships that otherwise wouldn’t have existed. I am lucky to say that some of my earliest pro dance jobs include the likes of Nike, Zendaya, and Too $hort (shout out the Bay Area one tiiime). Fast forward a few years, and I decide I want to once again swivel into a new dance lane of professional cheerleading.

Starting out as an Arena Football Cheerleader, I spent three awesome years representing my hometown as a San Jose SaberKitten for the San Jose SaberCats. Unfortunately, but fortunately in hindsight, the football team disbanded and I was forced to either stop cheerleading or audition for another team in the Bay Area: que San Francisco 49ers. I auditioned to be a part of the 49ers cheer team, Gold Rush, in 2016 and spent three NFL seasons dancing and repping the best team in football (clearly not biased). Getting to perform for an audience of 70,000 screaming fans while wearing the iconic red and gold cheer uniform was an extraordinary experience that elevated my life on and off the field, in and out of the dance studio. The relationships created, the memories now sketched into my brain, and the overall development as a dancer and person will forever be an unparalleled experience in my life.

As all great things typically come to an end, I decided to hang up my poms as an NFL cheerleader and take the plunge of moving to Los Angeles – a vision that has always been lingering in my mind and soul, as it does with most dancers. Luckily for me, I stepped into the entertainment industry with connections most people don’t have. Thanks to my sister, a well known and working choreographer in the dance biz, I have been able to receive high-quality training, opportunities, jobs, and experiences. I’ve been in Los Angeles for just under two years now, and the story continues to unfold. Lingering at an intersection of the pro cheer, hip hop, and heels dance styles, I believe I am forging a path in a new direction – one with larger than life movement, stylized but clean steeze, and industry caliber.

Don’t mind me as I flex with some credits:

Professional Industry Dancer – Daddy Yankee, New Kids on the Block, Zendaya, Ava Max and Too $hort
Former NFL and AFL Dancer – San Francisco 49ers Gold Rush and San Jose SaberKittens
Choreography – San Francisco 49ers Gold Rush, Clippers Spirit Dance Team, Nike, Stanford University, UC Berkeley, Santa Clara University, San Jose SaberKittens, USA Performance Camps, SimmaWear Pro Training Program, Healthified Pro Dance Bootcamp

Branded Partnerships:

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
LA is the hub of entertainment, happenings, and great stand alone taco huts (very different than a taco truck).

Night 1: we’d definitely have to check out a cool spot for grub and drinks. Lately, I’ve been into this hookah spot that serves Mediterranean food in Sherman Oaks – it’s the ultimate mix of lounge and restaurant. I’d probably take the long way to the restaurant and drive on Highway 101 so my guest can see the giant minion climbing on top of Universal Studios (something special driving by that guy; to me, it symbolizes “you’ve arrived at your destination”).

I’d want to show off all the cute neighborhoods around town. We’d probably visit downtown Glendale (visit some close friends who live there while we’re at it), and maybe even hit Brand Park for a nice hike. The view is awesome, and you get a broad view of Los Angeles from the valley to downtown.

Naturally, what would be visiting the city without grabbing brunch? This would be the easiest decision of them all – we’ll see you at The Butcher, The Baker, The Cappuccino Maker in WeHo. We’ll most likely finish that conquest with a visit to E.P. & L.P. for a rooftop view and cocktail.

One last adventure, that I myself haven’t done but have tried twice now with no luck (don’t be like me and get there with enough time before sundown), is to rent swan boats and ride around Lake Balboa. So simple, and seems so quaint. This also sounds like a lovely date night for those type of love birds – yes, pun intended.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
So many folks! I wouldn’t be able to live the life I do without my anchors of encouragement and support – mom, dad, and my sister. We’re a strong family unit, and I’ve always been able to count on them on the days where I find myself defeated.

My coaches, teammates, guest choreographers, and folks across the organizations I’ve been a part of deserve a big shout out- it’s hard to nail down just a few individuals because it was truly a kinetic learning experience. I am so grateful for everyone’s openness to teach and push me to my full potential in and out of the dance studio, on and off the field. From the moment I made my first pro team eight years ago, the people I’ve met have been my moving target in terms of success standards.

Website: https://natalieannkirkland.com/

Instagram: @NatalieAnnKirkland

Image Credits
Akashic Photos https://www.akashicphotography.com/ @akashic_photos JBalProductions https://jblkn1234.wixsite.com/jbalproductions @jbalproductions

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