On season two of Netflix’s America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, viewers were introduced to Dayton Bramhall, a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (DCC) hopeful with a unique backstory.
Dayton, 27, has DCC roots that run deep. Her mother, Shelly Bramhall, not only was a cheerleader herself for five years in the early 1990s but also became an associate choreographer for the team following her tenure. She’s worked there ever since as a choreographer and event planner, meaning her daughter grew up in the organisation.
Cameras followed Dayton as she attempted for the third time to make the team in 2024, sharing her story of chasing the goal for herself despite her mother’s legacy. They also captured the heart-wrenching scene in which director Kelli Fineglass, who has known Dayton since she was a baby, informed her that she would not be moving on to become a DCC. Dayton vowed to come back and audition again in 2025. But as she shares with Glamour, her attempt this year also ended in disappointment.
Below, Dayton Bramhall shares her story of growing up as a DCC legacy, watching her journey unfold in front of the world, why she’s moving on, and what she wants to do next.
Dayton Bramhall
Dance has always been a part of my life. I started dancing at the age of three because my mom was teaching, and she needed someone to watch me. So my only option was to go to the dance studio with her, and I picked up on it and loved taking class. When I was six or seven, I was old enough to be a junior DCC, so I got to perform at halftime shows. My first halftime show ever was Destiny’s Child, so I always say I got to perform with Beyoncé. But I think my love of dance has come from all walks of life, not necessarily just the Cowboys.
Wanting to be a DCC had always been a no for me, especially when I got into my teenage years. I did not want anything to do with DCC; I wanted to go a completely different route. But when I turned 18, I was living in Dallas and going to school. I decided I still wanted to dance, and DCC was an opportunity. I knew it was something that would be challenging, but not so far out of reach. So I decided to do it. I don’t necessarily like to say it was a dream of mine, because I don’t think it ever was, but it is something that’s always interested me. I just didn’t know if I really believed in myself enough to go for it.
When I decided that I wanted to audition for the first time in 2017, I think everyone was shocked. I will say my heart was not in it 100%. I was doing it just for an experiment. I was not ready. I had no idea what I was doing. The first year of working for it and not getting it made me realise that I really did want to pursue it and try. I saw how challenging it was for me, and I wanted to prove everyone wrong who thought I couldn’t do it. That year I didn’t make it to training camp, and that pushed me to come back and aim for that goal, which I eventually did that next year in 2018. But then I got cut from training camp.
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