 "Photo: Dallas Mavericks")
Kim Tong wasn't supposed to open the envelope until she got home.
But she did anyway. Moments later, she and her mom erupted into screams and cheers.
Tong had just beaten out about 350 hopefuls to take one of four new slots on the Dallas Mavericks Dancers team.
"I was screaming and jumping up and down. There was a media person there and they were like, 'This lady has illegally opened her envelope,'" said Tong, interdisciplinary studies senior.
As phone calls from family and friends began pouring in, Tong's mother answered the phone with a euphoric, "Mavs mom speaking."
As a Mavs Dancer, Tong will perform for thousands in the entertainment portions of some Dallas Mavericks basketball games. Her first performance will be at the "Fan Jam" Oct. 9 in the American Airlines Center. The large audiences the Mavs garner don't unnerve Tong, who began dancing at the age of 6.
"I performed once for a Desperado game. I'm not too worried about getting in front of the crowd," she said.
Tong, a former UTD Power Dancer and Orientation Team Member, received the news July 30 after performing in the final tryout round at the Wyndham Anatole. Tong's selection marked a successful bid for the team on her second consecutive attempt. To prepare, she enrolled in a Mavs Dancer tryout class, performing freestyle and learning hip-hop routines.
Her Power Dancers background didn't hurt, either.
"It helped me a lot because we use a lot of the same choreography that the Mavs use. Our style is very similar, obviously not as showy since they have a huge audience that they have to cater to," she said.
Tong, an aspiring physical therapist, balances school, two jobs and about three Mavs practices a week. Despite the tiring rehearsals, Tong said she loves her new position.
However, Mavs practices conflicted with her Power Dancers schedule. Tong resigned as Power Dancers co-captain, a title she earned for the first time this year.
"It was sad," Tong said. "That was my whole college career. For three years, I'd been a Power Dancer."
Power Dancers coach Pam Chivaluksna-Hamby said she had mixed feelings about Tong's departure to the Mavs.
"I was sad and sorry to see her go, but I was always very supportive. She didn't think she had a chance, but I told her to give herself more credit," she said. "I enjoyed her a whole lot. It's always cool to see one of your own go pro."
For the most part, Tong said the new position has left her unchanged.
"There's a little bit of fame involved now, I don't feel too much difference," Tong said. "(Dancing) is more just like a hobby for me, but if it opens up doors, I wouldn't say no."
Tong, who attends UTD with her twin sister Eva, said UTD's smaller environment helped her focus on her goals.
"I love the fact that UTD isn't huge, like the University of Texas, or that big of a party school, because I probably would've been really distracted at another school," Tong said. "You get to know your teachers really well."
Tong said her family and friends were supportive of her tryout attempts. On the day of her final audition, Tong said she felt assured.
"I knew that I had the dance down," Tong said. "So many beautiful and talented women tried out, and I felt I did the best I did going in both times."
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