How I Became - a Dancing with the Stars Judge w/ Camilla Sacre-Dallerup.

Welcome to the ‘How I Became’ series where Billie talks to girls across New Zealand who are killing it in their chosen career and see how they got there!

Trying to decide what you ‘want to be when you grow up’ is hard enough as it is and your careers counsellor probably won’t have all the answers you need.

HIB aims to give you a bit of insight into different career paths and what it takes to get there.

Name: Camilla Sacre-Dallerup

Age: 48

Current job: DWTS NZ Head Judge, Author, Life Coach & Hypnotherapist. Previously professional dancer and NZ Professional Latin Champion.

Firstly, what drew you to dancing professionally?

I was a professional dancer for a big part of my life, a New Zealand Latin dance champion and a Strictly Come Dancing champion (UK’s version of DWTS), which is what led me to be the head judge on Dancing with the Stars New Zealand. My career has changed and I now have my own Life Coaching, Hypnosis, and meditation business in LA, where I also write self-help books.

And what drew me to both careers was connection with others, the mind-body connection, and a complete fascination with how we can train our minds and bodies to deliver even under pressure. What I do in my career today was sparked by me being a professional dancer wanting to be the best competitor I could be, and understanding the importance of having a winning mindset.

What subjects did you take in high school that you think helped?

I studied in Denmark, where I grew up. There weren’t any subjects in school that supported my dancing as such. However, being a junior and youth dance champion, I was fortunate to have the support of the sports federation in Denmark from a very early age. That meant I had access to sports psychologists, nutritionist, and other coaches that taught me skills beyond dancing about how to be a successful athlete. Some of these skills have stayed with me for life, and I still use some of those tools I learned back then in my Life coaching business today when working with other athletes and companies.

I did study business too which has really served me in life, I have been self-employed since 2000 and whether that was as a professional dancer or running my life coaching and hypnosis business now, what I learnt in business school has served me well. Especially the marketing and finance classes.

What did you study/where/how long did it take?

When I decided to change my career in 2009 from being a professional dancer to becoming a Life Coach I started by studying NLP (Neuro Linguistic programming) and Hypnosis in the UK then that led me to take many other courses in LA from MBSR Mindfulness to Ayurveda and meditation.

Everything I learnt as a professional dancer about the mind and all the tools we used to be successful was still the beginning of my fascination of the mind and especially the subconscious mind.

What’s the best thing about your job?

The best thing about my job is to help and support others to unlock their potential and watch them navigate through the challenges in life with more ease and confidence. I go on so many fascinating journeys with my clients. And as a DWTS judge it’s similar, to be able to share some advice and tips they can take back to the training room with them and then watch them go from strength to strength right in front of you, is awesome.

What’s the hardest part?

The hardest part both as a Life coach and as a DWTS judge is to have to be the one to point out what is not working out, to highlight the things that need attention. And of course as a judge to have to send someone home, that’s never fun.

What surprised you most about your job once you started working?

How similar we actually all are [as people]. We think we are all so different but truly we all want to be loved, understood, seen and heard.

I have learnt as a coach that no matter our background, money or education we fundamentally navigate similar challenges through life when it comes to grief, stress and anxiety.

I also learnt that it is hugely rewarding, way beyond what I could have ever imagined.

What does an average day look like for you?

I start early morning with clients on zoom or in my office, after my walk with the dogs, meditation and quick 15 min of exercise.

What advice would you give to those looking to follow a similar career path?

Be willing to put in the hours.

Be curious and willing to learn and keep learning.

Believe in yourself.

And follow your passion. If you are passionate about what you do it will shine through and make it easier in any moments of doubt to keep going.

Learn from the best you can find.

All of these are relevant whether you are wanting to be a professional dancer, a life coach, or an author.

What are the biggest challenges in your opinion to getting into dancing professionally?

You have to really want to do it, it’s hard work. Looks glamorous but truly for me personally the “it took twenty years to have an overnight success” was true.

I talk about some of these challenges and how to overcome them in my first book Dream, Believe, Succeed.

What kind of skills does your job require?

A lot of patience and willingness to listen to my clients. You are listening carefully the words and intention, like being a word detective, that’s the way you can help the client get to the core of the issue.

You must also be a able to put your own opinions aside and come from a neutral place of serving.

A lot of quiet time and stillness. Empathy and good people skills.

What part of your job gives you the most satisfaction?

To be part of my clients journeys and their families. You become their confidant and it’s so rewarding to watch them succeed and overcome their fears and struggles. To watch someone lacking in confidence or struggling with anxiety and feeling lost or stuck to then become relaxed, calm and confident in themselves living their dream is so magical. Or to see them get that dream job or find their dream partner and remember where we started the journey, to hear the happiness in their voice when they tell you. So special!

Just like the contestants on DWTS when they get that look in their eyes when they did something beyond what they started out thinking they could do, it’s so wonderful.

What has been an absolute highlight of your career?

There's been quite a few but representing New Zealand at the World Championships and becoming 8th in the world in dancing with my New Zealand dance partner. Also of course winning Strictly Come Dancing in 2008 was beyond amazing after 6 years on the show. And writing my books holding that first book in my hand, I will never forget how that felt. All just dreams of mine actually becoming a reality. To be back in NZ after all these years, definitely a highlight too, I felt so emotional when my feet hit the ground, on arrival for my first season of DWTS. I love NZ like home, I think of it as my spiritual home, I’m so grateful to be back.

What’s an unexpected element to your job that people don’t realise you have to do?

You have to be good at keeping secrets as everything your clients tell you is confidential.

Describe your job in three words

Rewarding. Interesting. Expansive.

Dancing with the Stars premieres Sunday, 24th April, with episodes every Sunday and Monday night. Only on Three.