Karla Camacho sprints backstage at the American Airlines Center to make last-minute adjustments to the D-Town crew routine before they take to the court to perform at the Dallas Mavericks’ halftime show. Camacho, a former Brookhaven student, works on the final preparations for their routine in her bright royal blue uniform next to her teammates. As fans await, a medley of hip hop songs blare from the arena speakers as Camacho and her teammates execute their routine.

THE BOOGIE BEGINNINGS

Camacho dances with such passion and precision it is hard to believe she has only been dancing for half a decade. “I was never technically trained or grew up in a studio or anything,” Camacho said.  

Growing up she engulfed herself in the fine arts taking part in everything from choir to theater to dance. Camacho said these outlets helped her express herself and she has an appreciation for educators in the fine arts. 

Camacho credits her first dance teachers Stephanie Laranjeira and Kathleen Carter as important parts of her journey. “They really believed in me and saw something in me my junior and senior year,” Camacho said. She credits their leadership and instruction in helping her garner discipline and new skills.  

Laranjeira said Camacho is a hard worker who will go above and beyond regardless of the challenges in her life. “She was very, very involved, committed and ready to go,” Laranjeira said. “She is an example of the type of student you want to have.”

Carter said Camacho was a very well-rounded student. “She auditioned for our varsity group and I remember her being such a positive and hard-working student,” Carter said. “She was a strong energy in the room so everyone paid attention to her. She was a natural star.”

Carter said she encouraged Camacho to keep dancing as she felt she was just starting to reach her full potential her senior year. 

PROFESSIONAL DANCING QUEEN

After graduating high school, she continued perfecting her craft and began taking dance classes from all styles any time she could. During her first semester, she enrolled in Dance Appreciation at Brookhaven, eventually landing a spot on their traveling dance team. 

Since her time at Brookhaven, she has danced for recording artists and professional dance teams. In 2020 she joined the Mesquite Outlaws Dance Team. The Mesquite Outlaws are part of the Major Arena Soccer League. During her time on the team, she was awarded the 2020-2021 Directors Award and named Rookie of the Year. 

In Summer 2021 she began auditioning for the Dallas Mavericks D-Town Crew, a co-ed dance team. After a rigorous auditioning process, she earned a spot on the team. 

Camacho said she was honored and blessed to officially become a member of the team and said she thanks the judges during the auditioning process for believing in her. 

Aside from showing off her dance skills for the Mavericks, Camacho got a chance to carry out her other passion, singing the national anthem at a Mavericks home game on Nov. 6. 

For Camacho singing the national anthem was bigger than singing a song but a way to honor others. “I’m a proud daughter of Colombian and Mexican immigrants,” she said. “To have the opportunity to sing the National Anthem and honor the men and women who serve our country and make the American dream possible was a dream come true.”

NEXT STEPS

Looking ahead, Camacho said she is excited to continue dancing with the Mavericks D-Town Crew, and looks forward to building relationships with her teammates. “Everyone is amazing,” she said. “Everyone’s energy and everyone’s heart is there and that’s why we look so good out there because we really believe in each other and support each other.” 

Camacho said she is ready to continue to give her all to make her dreams as a performer come true. “I give 110% on and off the court,” she said. “There’s always a new way to level up and I am constantly asking myself, ‘what can I do better or how can she keep growing?’”