Meet Samantha Popham! 6-year professional dancer in Denver, Colorado!

Ever heard of The Sideline Secrets? Get to know the creative/talented genius behind it all!

For this week’s edition of MTP we are exclusively featuring…

Samantha Popham

6-year professional dancer in Denver, Colorado. 

Dancing throughout college, I made my first professional dance team my senior year of college. I spent 3 seasons as an NLL dancer with the Colorado Mammoth Wild Bunch and then most recently 3 seasons as a Denver Nuggets Dancer. Both teams were an absolute dream come true!

I am currently teaching game day style dance classes in Denver, writing for my professional dance website, and taking as many dance classes as possible!

1. Tell us about your background and why you always felt led to pursue a career in dance. 

I didn't start dancing until I was about 17. We did not have any type of dance program at my high school so I spent my first three years as a varsity cheerleader. At the end of my junior year I came across my hometown NBA dance team and NFL cheerleading team on YouTube and immediately knew that this is what I wanted to pursue (star-eyed like many other young dancers out there!). 

When I was old enough to audition for professional dance teams, my lack of formal dance training meant I had to work ten times harder than the other dancers I auditioned with. I was never the dancer that made it on their first try but perseverance, hard work, and staying true to yourself will get you far in this space. 

Overall, as soon as I saw the dancers and cheerleaders of my hometown teams perform on YouTube I was hooked! Such a small moment has truly molded my life and given me dreams to chase that make me the best version of myself in so many different ways. 

So dancers out there who may not have grown up dancing or are starting later than most, do not let that stop you if this is what you want to do. Just be ready to put in the required extra work!

2. What aspect of being on a professional dance team did you enjoy the most? Was it the audition process, the practices, or the games/performances?

I love everything about being on a professional dance team. From doing what you are most passionate about while wearing iconic uniforms you have looked up to for years, to being out in the community representing a team that you love.

I will say that my absolute favorite aspect of being on a professional dance team is the platform it provides.  As soon as you make a team, you become a part of a legacy that is truly bigger than yourself. You have the opportunity to impact so many people around you and set an example for those who look up to you. Being on a professional dance team allows you the opportunity to make such an impact and it molds you into the best version of yourself.

3. What was your original thought / purpose behind creating The Sideline Secrets and how has it evolved over time? 

I had the idea to start thesidelinesecrets.com during the pandemic. The dance studio that I teach at reached out to me and asked if I could answer some quick tips for aspiring professional dancers. After I sent those questions back I thought, "Wow I wish I knew this back when I was first auditioning for teams!"

From there, I decided to create a website sharing tips, interviews, articles, and more on all things professional dance and cheerleading. 

I also wanted to provide a source of information on our space outside of the stereotypical articles that you see on the internet with a biased perspective on our profession. I wanted positive articles and insights to be the first thing that pulls up when you google professional dance or professional cheerleading. People do not realize that NBA dancers and NFL cheerleaders are just as much athletes as the players themselves, just different professions. We grew up perfecting our craft to become the best, practice countless hours before game days, have or are working towards great professions, and encompass characteristics that allow us to confidently work in the community on behalf of our organizations.

I love our space and thesidelinesecrets.com allows me the opportunity to give back in so many ways. 

4. With all that you know now, if you could go back and give young Samantha a piece of advice before her pro dance career started, what would you tell her? 

I would say to enjoy the journey. 

I was always so grateful to be where I was but always thinking about my next dance goal or being too hard on myself during practices/games. Looking back I wish I could tell myself to just enjoy the here and now that much more, because one day you will do everything that you wanted to and want to relive it all again!

- Enjoy the times you didn't make your dream team because you will be there one day and it will be so much better than if you made it on the first try.

- Enjoy the countless hours in the dance studio because the hard work you put in then will allow you to hear your number called for the first time. 

- Enjoy practice and games for what they are versus thinking of everything you can be better at or worrying about fitting in. 

- Enjoy EVERY MOMENT, good and bad for what it is worth. :)

It is about enjoying the moments as you have them now, both joyous and tough.

I would also say do not just keep showing up to auditions year after year thinking maybe this time I will make it. 

You have to put the work in and really analyze yourself with the team that you want to be on. Get into dance classes, record yourself, find someone who will give you honest feedback, and make sure that everything is in line to become an asset for their team, not just another dancer showing up. 

Thanks to More Than Poms for allowing me to share a little bit of my personal dance journey and the creation of The Sideline Secrets (thesidelinesecrets.com)! 

HUGE thank you to Samantha for taking time out of her busy schedule to share with the MTP fam! I hope this interview encourages you to check out The Sideline Secrets, enjoy the now, and feel inspired to take advantage of everything the dance world has to offer.

I am so glad Samantha chose to create a positive space to further inspire and influence our community with inside information and tips. We needed someone like Samantha for a long time and I can’t wait to see the impact she continues to make going forward.