Kriti Mehrotra
As a Greg Whiteley-created original exploring how dance is often more than just a hobby to the ones performing, Netflix’s ‘America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders’ breaks boundaries. That’s because it shines a light upon athletic, creative, powerful, and therapeutic aspects behind it all, especially in season 2, by following the titular squad throughout their 2024 NFL season. Amongst those to be a part of this extravaganza is Charly Barby, a fan-favorite from season 1 whose presence marked her comeback journey since she hadn’t made the team the previous year.
Charly Barby Has Been Dancing Since She Was a Toddler
Born and brought up in wondrous Livermore in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, Charly Barby was just 2 years old when she began dancing and fell utterly in love with the art form. According to her unwaveringly supportive mother, Heather Barby, the little girl was twirling or shaking before she was even properly walking, which is why she enrolled her into a local ballet class. Little did she know it would soon culminate in her daughter enjoying not only being the center of attention but also learning different techniques that eventually turned into different genres.
Therefore, by the time Charly graduated from high school, she knew she wanted to chase down the coveted titles of a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader as well as a professional dancer. She wasn’t ready for this jump at the time, though, so she enrolled at Arizona State University to be on their renowned Dance Team while pursuing a Bachelor’s in Communications with a minor in Media Analysis. She even participated in various competitions before undergoing Shannon Mather’s Bridge Into the Industry program, too, which gave her the confidence to try out for DCC in 2023.
Charly Barby’s Efforts Were Not in Vain
It was just prior to Charly’s summa cum laude graduation in the summer of 2023 that she decided to finally give her childhood dream of become a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader a try, so she submitted her audition tape. She had no idea the judges would be wowed by her bubbly personality as well as magnetic performance, resulting in her getting to the Final Auditions — a live solo in front of experts. She actually nailed this to make it to training camp, too, but alas, mere days before the 2023 season squad was to be announced, she was cut because she simply wasn’t up to par.
Charly was truly heartbroken, but she knew she could do a lot better, so she took a chance on herself and relocated to Dallas, Texas, for good so as to really, fully commit to her training. For the ensuing year, she spent most of her time in a dance studio either honing her own skills or as an instructor to make ends meet, all the while maintaining the friendships she had formed with fellow DCC rookies and veterans. Unfortunately, she experienced a pulmonary embolism right before the 2024 tryouts, yet she still auditioned upon getting an all clear from doctors, and this time, she made it to the team.
Charly Barby Continues to Chase Her Dreams
Since being on the DCC squad does not immediately mean an invite or a fast-track entry the ensuing year, Charly is once again trying out to be a part of the organization for the 2025 season. After a lot more practice, patience, and perseverance, she just gave her graceful Final Audition on June 16, 2025. She aced it to such an extent that a snippet of her solo was even featured on the brand’s official Instagram page. As if that’s not enough, it’s imperative to note that she did this almost immediately following a DCC national Tour, which concluded merely nine days before her performance, on June 7.
We should also mention that it appears as if, even though Charly is incredibly busy these days, she hasn’t let go of her roots or her studio time as she continues to practice ballet whenever possible. There are no real free hours or days off for her because she reportedly wants to make a name for herself as a professional dancer even after her stint as a DCC girl comes to an end, so she is determined to keep honing her skills. We honestly can’t wait to see where this journey takes her next since she has already managed to perform on talk shows and for the likes of singer Kacey Musgraves under the DCC banner.
Charly Barby is Gradually Evolving Into a Public Figure Too
Ever since Charly made her international debut as a reality star on season 1 of Netflix’s ‘America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders,’ she has accumulated a significant fan following. This, in turn, has led her to evolve into a public figure as well as a rising influencer thanks to the demands of those who have become genuinely interested in her life and who she is as a person. Thus, it comes as no surprise that over the past year, especially after she officially became a DCC girl, she has managed to land some really lucrative partnerships with global brands like Vasline, L’Oréal, Discover Cotton, Diamonds Direct, Treseme, and more.
Nevertheless, whenever Charly is not dancing or focusing on growing her social media presence, it’s evident that she is just a typical 23-year-old who really loves her family and loves to travel. Her parents are her biggest support system, so she splits her time between Texas and California to ensure she can spend some quality time with them, away from all the cameras, crowds, and fields. We specify the latter three because her parents never shy away from showing how proud they are of their little girl by often being there for her on NFL game days as she does her job by cheering on the Dallas Cowboys. Coming to her wanderlust, she has been quenching it with trips to different parts of Hawaii, Arizona, New York, Mexico, and the Caribbean. We should mention she even has a sisterhood in her DCC teammates, with the support of whom she now also raises awareness about pulmonary embolism.
Read More: Kelly Villares: Where is the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Now?
