In December of 2019, Kyra Dooley was named the Energetiks x Dance Informa Model Search winner. It’s a competition that attracts hundreds of entrants every year, all hoping for the chance to land a coveted cover photo spot, a photoshoot with Energetiks and the chance to be the Victorian Dance Festival Ambassador, among other prizes.
Finding out she had won was an amazing moment for Dooley, who hails from the Gold Coast.
“Well, my mom saw that I had won before me,” she laughs. “I was just at home and she called me. She was like, ‘You won!’ And I was like, ‘What did I win?’ When she said, ‘You’ve won the model search!’ and it was just, ‘Oh my God!’ And then I went and checked my phone, and I was super excited because we have been following Dance Informa for a while. I have obviously worn Energetiks before, so I thought it was amazing!”
Dooley started dancing at the age of five, at Dance Force on the Gold Coast. “I’ve trained to dance my whole life,” she says. “I trained until I was 18, still at Dance Force, and I also did full-time, learning every style, which was amazing. I wouldn’t have it any other way. But now, I mainly focus on the commercial side of things.”
It’s a tactic that’s clearly paying off for Dooley. Aside from a large Instagram following, she’s already making waves in her career. “Getting signed by Jeep Management is what I’ve always wanted,” she says. “Last year, I was in Guy Sebastian’s music video, ‘Choir’, which was a highlight. He was so lovely on set, and he even had his kids come on. It was really great, and the song, ‘Choir’, has been such a big hit. And, I was asked to perform in one of the Dream Dance Company shows, which was amazing.”
A combination of Dooley’s talent and her striking look made her the perfect choice for this year’s model search. The Energetiks photoshoot, with resident photographer Elly Ford, was a great experience for her. “It was really cool to do an outdoor shoot because usually, all my shoots are inside,” she explains. “So I loved going outside, and the cacti were especially cool. The whole experience was amazing.”
Dancing barefoot among the cacti isn’t an everyday occurrence for most of us, but Dooley took it in her stride. “My feet did hurt at the end,” she laughs, “but no, it was fine. I’ve been in situations like that before where I’ve had to dance outside, so I got pretty used to it.” And, of course, being on the cover of the latest edition of Dance Informa makes it all worthwhile. “I’m super excited to see what shot is going to be the cover photo, because we took so many!” Dooley says. “It’s crazy to see myself on the cover of a magazine!”
And, with VDF this October, we were keen to know how Dooley is feeling about being the 2020 Ambassador. “I’m very excited because I’ve actually never been!” she exclaims. “I have a lot of friends who have been to VDF in the past and who are going to be going again, because they just love it, so I’m super excited to come and especially to meet the new choreographers. I have worked with some of the choreographers going, but there’s a whole new bunch whom I haven’t taken class from before, so I’m super excited for that different experience with new dancers. I love being in a new environment. It pushes me to train and work hard.”
It’s that dedicated, work-hard mentality that will see Dooley going places in her career. She has plans for the future, including delving more into the modeling side of things, especially after her experience with Energetiks. “I’ll still be dancing, but in the future, I’d love to do more modeling and commercials,” she explains. “I just got booked this year on a movie, which I’m excited about. And to back-up dance would be the ultimate goal, to be behind an artist.”
We can’t wait to see what Dooley does next.
Come meet Kyra Dooley and see the new Energetiks ROAR and Nightfall Collections at VDF this October 4 & 5 . Plus, keep an eye out for Dooley’s striking photos in upcoming Energetiks campaigns at www.energetiks.com.au.
By Deborah Searle and Emily Newton-Smith of Dance Informa.
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