Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Kelcey Wetterberg has given fans a glimpse into the team’s Thanksgiving performance.
The NFL has become a staple of Thanksgiving in America, with the Cowboys attending the holiday every year since 1966.
And as the players prepare to postpone their Thanksgiving dinner to head to the field, so do the franchise’s cheerleaders.
This year is no exception: Country music star Lainey Wilson will lead the halftime entertainment at AT&T Stadium alongside the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders – who gained even more fame and popularity this year following the success of Netflix’s America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.
Wetterberg, one of the show’s breakout stars, has revealed what it’s really like to perform during the holidays.
The crew begins working out their routine depending on when the Cowboys tell them which artist will be performing, which changes every year.
The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders perform every Thanksgiving during the team’s halftime show
Kelcey Wetterberg has given fans an inside scoop on the team’s plans during the holidays
“It’s always a wild performance, because even up to the day before it can change a lot,” said the former sports director Peopleexplaining that “they might change their music a little bit, which will completely change our choreography.”
She revealed that their performance had to change “a ton” in 2022 when the Jonas Brothers headlined the show.
“The day before, when they came in and started seeing everything – I mean, these artists have such specific visions and obviously we want to complete them – so when they come in and want to change things up a little bit, we just have to pivot and make sure it matches exactly what they imagine,” she explained.
She added that while it’s “stressful,” the Thanksgiving experience is “always so much fun.”
The DCC must get to The Star, the Cowboys’ headquarters, in Frisco by 10 a.m. and spend the day there before the game, which will likely end around 8 p.m. Wetterberg revealed that she normally doesn’t get home until 9 or 9:30 p.m.
The team therefore postponed their Thanksgiving celebrations with family for a day, with some waiting until after the game and others until Black Friday.
But the cheerleaders get to indulge in a feast, consuming a Thanksgiving spread before the game.
Last year, the cheerleaders performed alongside Dolly Parton, who donned her own uniform
“We’re having a huge feast at the stadium that’s actually really delicious,” Wetterberg shared, revealing that it included all the trimmings – “pie, turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes.”
“We eat a ton before we dance, because you dance for four hours straight,” Wetterberg added. “So that turkey and mashed potatoes, I mean, you burn them right away.”
“We’re going to walk around and talk about what we’re grateful for and just sit in the moment and just be really grateful for where we are and who we’re surrounded by and just try to make the day special even though we’re not with family.
“It’s really cool to sit there with your friends and take a step back from the hustle and bustle and realize how lucky we really are.”