By
Erin Coulehan
Photography courtesy of
The Dallas Cowboys
Picture this: It’s a warm summer night in El Paso, the kind where the desert breeze slips through downtown and the city hums with a low, electric buzz. Inside the Abraham Chavez Theatre, the lights start to dim. A murmur sweeps across the crowd. Then the music hits – sharp, pulsing – and the curtain lifts.
Just like that, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are in the building.
Sequins flash, legs fly, and a wave of synchronized power kicks fills the stage.
The moment is cinematic but it’s not a halftime show, and it’s not something you’ll catch on a screen. This is live, up-close, and for the first time ever, the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders are taking their high-octane performances on the road – and right into the heart of El Paso at the end of May.
“I still can’t believe I get to be part of this,” says Charly Barby, a rookie member of the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, her voice equal parts excitement and awe. “We’re bringing everything we love about game-day – the energy, the precision, the heart – but this time, it’s in a theater. We’re face-to-face with the audience. It’s real, and it’s personal.”
Barby, who grew up watching the cheerleaders from afar, never imagined she’d one day wear the iconic blue-and-white star-spangled uniform. Now, she’s not just wearing it, she’s performing under its legacy.
That legacy stretches back more than 50 years, to when the Cowboys became the first NFL team to introduce a professional, trained dance squad.
The Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders weren’t just a sideline novelty – they were revolutionaries. They took the field with style, athleticism, and polish, and over time, they became a symbol of American pop culture. From USO tours to reality TV, museum exhibits to Super Bowl stages, their presence has become iconic.
That iconic status comes with pressure, yes, but also purpose.
“Being a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader means carrying this history on our shoulders,” Barby says. “But it’s also about showing what’s possible for ourselves, and for every little girl watching.”
The show itself is 100 minutes of energy, elegance, and athleticism, full of the familiar routines fans have seen lighting up AT&T Stadium in Arlington, but with something extra – something tailored for the stage.
There are genre-crossing dances created exclusively for the tour, moments of storytelling between routines, and one of the most anticipated segments: a live audition for aspiring Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.
For hopefuls, the stakes couldn’t be higher: the audience will vote, and the winner will skip straight to the final round of auditions at The Star, the Cowboys’ state-of-the-art headquarters in Frisco.
“It’s such a powerful thing to witness,” Barby says. “These women are pouring their hearts out on stage, and the crowd gets to be part of that journey. It’s emotional. It’s exciting. And, it’s never been done before.”
In between the dancing and high stakes, the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders will pull back the curtain.
Director Kelli Finglass and Head Choreographer Judy Trammell – two legends in their own right – are set to host a live Q&A that invites fans into the world behind the rhinestones. The hours of training, the physical demands, the emotional highs and lows of being part of something so uniquely demanding.
But perhaps the most powerful part of the night won’t be what happens onstage; it’ll be what the Cheerleaders represent when the music stops.
“We don’t just dance,” Barby says. “We visit schools. We support military families. We show up in hospitals and at charity events. We try to make a difference. Representing the star means a lot more than cheering on the sidelines.”
In that way, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders’ arrival in El Paso feels like more than a performance, it feels almost like a homecoming.
“El Paso’s energy is real,” Barby says. “People here care. They show up for each other. That’s the kind of audience you never forget.”
Of course, the night will end with “Thunderstruck,” the high-impact routine that’s become a signature of Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders’ performances. It’s everything fans expect: sharp, explosive, magnetic.
But in person, it hits differently. It’s not just a finale. It’s a statement.
