We’re back with another themed week on the site: Fitness Week. This semester, Her Campus FSU has created themed weeks dedicated to exclusive content we believe all of our readers should have access to. Keep up on the site for the next few days as we cover everything from the best yoga places in Tallahassee to easy, at-home workouts to help you prep for that summer bod to a one-on-one with FSU’s very own Bikini Body Guides (#BBG girls) rep. Don’t miss out!
Name: Kierstin Casey
Year: Junior
Major: Media Communication Studies
Minor: Business
Hometown: Riverview, FL
Activities: FSU Golden Girls (Community Service Representative), Chi Omega, Garnet and Gold Key, Phi Eta Sigma, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, FSU Honors Program
Relationship Status: In a relationship
Photo By: Annie Grafe
Kierstin and I sat down in the lounge of the Communication and Information school at Doak Campbell Stadium and talked about all the training and time management it takes to be a Golden Girl! Her kind spirit, bubbly personality and smile throughout the entire interview as she spoke about her passion for dance reminded me that we should all go after our passions. Check out this amazing interview with the lovely Kierstin Casey who reminds us all how great it is to be part of Florida State!
Her Campus (HC): Okay so let’s jump straight to it. Tell me how you first fell in love with dancing?
Kierstin Casey (KC): I started dancing when I was three. I did ballet, tap combo class and I would just always dance around the house. My mom danced in her high school team and decided to put me in classes. I started competing when I was five.
HC: Did you like competing?
KC: I loved competing. It made dancing more into a sport than an art.
HC: Do you get mad when people say that dancing is not a sport?
KC: Yes. It gets me fired up! Since it’s not a “game,” people don’t consider it a sport but we still require a lot of training and you have to be athletic.
HC: So speaking of training, how often do you train?
KC: With Golden Girls, once a week we have an hour of heavy weight lifting doing the same lifts that the soccer team or basketball team or any other sports team would do. We max out and try to see our full potential and see how much we can lift. We also run different track events like 400 circuits, 100 meters, sprint circuits and keep changing it up for cardio. Every couple of weeks we test our half mile to see if we improved. Once a week we do body weight, lunches, burpees, abs and we do all this at night after practice. So we are already tired after practice and then have to continue working out.
HC: What about on weekends?
KC: We have to run two and half miles and send a screenshot of how quick we ran it to our trainer using an app called Run Keeper.
HC: What’s your favorite place to run?
KC: I like Cascades Park because it’s pretty big and it stays interesting. It’s so pretty.
HC: With so much physical training, what about actual practice?
KC: In the fall, we practice three times a week and in the spring it’s twice a week. It’s heavier in the fall because of football season and preparing for our National Competition in January and we run both routines. Over Christmas break we stay in and practice at least once a week, sometimes twice a week, and can only go home for four days around Christmas.
HC: How long is each practice?
KC: About three hours long from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
HC: When do you work out?
KC: In the morning and after practice!
HC: How early are the workouts?
KC: Team workout is in the mornings at 6:30 a.m. on the track, but we get to watch the sunrise.
HC: And lifting?
KC: It varies with class schedules so depending on each Golden Girl’s schedules.
HC: Knowing that there would be a consequence of not having as much of a break, does this make you like it any less?
KC: If you love what you do, then it’s what you truly want to be doing. If you miss your family, you’d still rather be dancing for your school then sitting at home doing nothing.
HC: Would you say you guys are a family as a dance team?
KC: There are 21 of us and we spend a lot time together in and out of practice and go out to eat a lot. We are very closeknit.
HC: Do you ever do stuff with the cheerleaders?
KC: We are in the same facilities as the cheer team and hangout with them. They are a larger program of about 50, but we aren’t as close with them because there are so many of them.
HC: Did you perform for Pow Wow or other events?
KC: Yeah! We performed at Dance Marathon and we do a showcase before we leave to Nationals. We also showcase the night before auditions in the spring.
HC: In terms of football season, how early do you have to be at the stadium?
KC: We have to be there like four hours before. We mingle with Seminole Boosters, with people tailgating, take pictures with kids and then we go on field for pre-game an hour before kickoff.
HC: What about basketball season?
KC: We’re there about two hours before, warm up and run routines on court.
HC: Are you friends with the football players or do you ever hangout with them?
KC: We’re so busy so they’re just friendly acquaintances when we pass them in the gym, but they’re all very nice.
Courtesy: Kierstin Casey
HC: So how do you deal with time management?
KC: Prioritizing. I do what needs to be done immediately – sometimes it’s putting academics first and others it’s both on the same line with dance. It’s about being diligent and disciplined. You can’t always just sit down and watch Friends, you have to be productive.
HC: So on weekends when you’re not dancing nor training, what do you do?
KC: I like to go to areas outside of Tallahassee like Alligator Point and St. George Island. We are always inside with the dance studios so I like getting time in the sun. I like being with my friends when I am too busy in the week.
HC: Do you guys have to maintain a diet?
KC: We have nutritionists that work with athletics that can meet with us at any point. We have meetings once a month that teach us how to be healthy and tell us how much protein we should be consuming. They also tell us if we are burning the right amount of calories and eating enough so we are sustaining the right amount of energy.
HC: Did you make it on the team as a freshman?
KC: I tried out for the team freshman year and didn’t make it then trained all year and became a rookie as a sophomore.
HC: They make you try out every year?
KC: Yeah. To keep talent fresh, they want the most talented dancers.
HC: Have people not made it to the second round?
KC: Yeah, some don’t make it back. You have to work hard. Your spot isn’t a privilege, you have to work for it.
HC: Is there a standard go-to routine for the games?
KC: We have 20-30 sideline routines that our captain calls out. We have to know them from the back of our hand. For basketball, we perform routines that are 20-30 dances and we get to choreograph them. The coach approves our song and the members all create a routine. So individually, you choreograph a separate one and we have 20 dances to choose from.
HC: Is that your favorite part of being on the dance team?
KC: Yeah. With basketball we can do more technical elements and showcase our technique then we can in the stadium.
HC: Do you see yourself dancing for the rest of your life?
KC: Yeah! In some way I don’t think I’ll stop dancing. I don’t know how to not dance. It’s my outlet, my stress reliever and improves my well-being and happiness.
Courtesy: Kierstin Casey
HC: So what do you want to do after college?
KC: Not entirely sure. I would want to dance professionally for a short time, but my other passion is female empowerment and working in some sort of social marketing campaign that would promote self confidence in young women in reaching their potential.
HC: And how do you plan to do that?
KC: Not sure, but social media would be a wonderful platform to reach audiences. Social media can be degrading to women in so many ways that we need to have positive influences on social media to lift people up.
HC: I didn’t ask sooner, but is there a con to being a Golden Girl?
KC: There are times where I have to miss out on other opportunities. I can’t do everything else like a non-student athlete can do. You are restricted for when you can hang out with friends or doing other things. But at the end of the day, I’d rather be dancing.
HC: Aside from all the other physical activities you do, is there anything else you do to work out?
KC: I love yoga!
HC: When can we catch you guys in your next performance?
KC: We will be performing in Washington D.C. for the Men’s Basketball ACC Tournament and you can catch us on TV! Our big event will be the Spring Showcase which will showcase all original choreography on April 22 at Tully gym at 6 p.m.
HC: What advice do you have for anyone who wants to pursue their passions?
KC: Don’t give up. It’s cliché, but at the end of the day if you are passionate about something it will happen. It’s about when the time is right. Passion pays off!
Courtesy: Kierstin Casey
Continue to support our dance team, the Golden Girls and check them out on TV during the Men’s Basketball ACC Tournament. As for Kierstin, the interview ended with her telling me she had to go run two miles. If you do catch her running around campus, feel free to ask her how she does it all!