Today we’d like to introduce you to Victoria Camacho.
Hi Victoria, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Hi, my name is Victoria but people call me Vicky. I always had a passion for performing arts so I started dancing for my high school dance team called “The Lady Twisters” at Booker T. Washington Senior High School. It’s funny because when I joined the team I would always get sat down from the football games because I wasn’t the best dancer.
I would always mess up the routines and get yelled at for not being on point. To better myself, I would stay after rehearsals and beg the captain to help me with the routines and go home to practice them. Eventually, The hard work paid off and I got to become captain my senior year of high school. There would be evaluations at the end of each school year and I was superior-rated for 3 years in a row.
Once I graduated high school, I went to Florida International University to study communications with a minor in dance. I joined a dance team my freshman year by the name “Karizma Dancers” and that’s where my professional dance career started. I had the opportunity to train with Aliya Janell when she came to Miami for a master class & I booked my very first music video in 2017.
I auditioned for professional dance teams such as the Miami Heat Dancers & Miami Dolphin Cheerleaders. A little fun fact; I’ve been auditioning for the Miami Heat Dancers since I was 18 years old and always got cut at the beginning of the auditions. I never let rejection discourage me from achieving my wildest dreams. I’ve been told “NO” so many times in this industry but that “no” pushes me even harder to train more to perfect my craft.
Fast forward to this past summer of 2021, I went back to audition for Miami Heat Dancers and finally made it through all the rounds and got selected to be a boot camp finalist. I made that my goal and I was so excited that I finally got to be selected as a finalist for the first time in 4 years of auditioning. Unfortunately, during Bootcamp week I sprained my lower back due to overworking my body the two weeks leading up to the auditions.
I was training every day of the week taking dance classes/private lessons with Miami’s top dance instructors such as Casey Rosenberg and Karina Mejia also known as “Rina” who are also Miami Heat Alumni. I believe I sprained my back due to not giving my body a chance to rest. I put myself under a lot of pressure physically and I didn’t take into consideration giving my body a break to re-charge for audition week.
I ended up taking a month off from dancing and restricted myself from physical activities. Fast forward to November of 2021, I went to my first dance audition since my minor injury and got booked for the Millennium Tour in Miami to dance with Pretty Ricky. After that, I booked the largest Latin music festival concert in the world “Vibra Urbana” and got to dance with Valentina Mami who is an upcoming artist.
I also got to perform live with La Goony Chonga at the LiveXLive music festival. These opportunities allowed me to grow so much as a professional dancer. I never allowed my circumstances to make me question if I was good enough to be on the big stage one day. All I did was take the constructive criticism and worked my but off.
I continued to train with the instructors mentioned above and even got the chance to train with the Miami Heat dancer’s personal trainer “LuLu” to condition my body. Now, I’m continuing to take different dance classes and going to auditions to help prepare for more bookings in the future.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. I wish it was lol but that wasn’t the case. I struggled a lot with second-guessing myself and sometimes I still struggle with that. I know that as a performer you have to be confident 100 percent no matter what but, sometimes overthinking can sabotage my auditions or class videos.
I learned to overcome those negative thoughts by being able to connect with my inner self. Trusting myself and allowing myself to be okay with messing up in class so that I won’t mess up in auditions. Taking dance classes is what helps me build that confidence and be able to own the room. Train, train, train!
As well as going home and practicing those movements that I’m not as comfortable with and being able to look at myself in the mirror and see what makes me feel good and powerful. Also looked extremely young. I’m 22 years old but I look like I’m still in high school.
So trying to find a look that makes me feel like a woman was something I struggled with. So I dyed my hair red and stayed with it for 5 years. I also started taking heels class to touch my feminine side which was the best thing I have ever done. Dancing in a heel definitely makes me feel like a superwoman. Strong, confident, and fierce.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a professional dancer and eyelash technician. I started my eyelash business towards the end of my senior year in college. The name of my eyelash extension business is called “@_Lashed by Vicky C”. So not only am I a professional dancer but I also do lash extensions to enhance the beauty of women who desire to add a little sparkle to their eyes.
I graduated from Florida International University a year early from my expected graduation date in communications with a minor in dance. I love talking to people and being able to network. I worked as a college freshman mentor summer of 2018-2019 guiding incoming freshmen in their first semester of college.
I’m most proud of booking the 2020 Super Bowl with Shakira because I actually sent in my audition video virtually the week it was due and it was so many people who auditioned and the fact they picked me over a hundred or thousands of online submissions shocked me.
I believe what sets me apart from others is my personality and ambition. I have such an outgoing personality I can turn a negative situation into a positive one. Just by my bubbly energy. My ambition speaks for itself because I’m always in a dance class or just posting content on my own to get recognized and booked.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Honestly, I see myself becoming a dance teacher in the next 5 years. I never thought I would want to teach but having so much passion for this art it’s only right I get to share my knowledge and personal experiences with future students.
Being able to mold the new generation and showing them the ins and outs of this industry would be an amazing feeling. I soon want to be able to own a dance studio located in Miami because that’s where it all started for me. The same way I was poured into by my instructors I want to do the same with my students.
There would be no better feeling than opening a business to the public and allowing creatives to come in and feel free to be who they are.
Pricing:
- Classic eyelash extensions $100
- Hybrid eyelash extensions $115
- Light volume lash extensions $115
- Volume full set lash extensions $125
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/_vickyyc?r=nametag
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/victoria.camacho.125
- Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCUufMgvxpydeSIqwh3UIm-g
Image Credits
@trickproductions and @theboomchronicles
