A photo shows two cheerleaders inside a dance studio.
Darlene Clancy, pictured with her friend, once cheered for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Now, she’s the head instructor at DivaDance.
“Once a cheerleader, always a cheerleader,” Clancy told The Citizen.
Now a wife and mother, Clancy hasn’t slowed down since her NFL days. She’s bringing her passion for dance to St. Johns County, helping others find joy in movement.
Born in New York City to Puerto Rican parents, Clancy moved to Jacksonville in 2000. She worked in promotions and public relations at ActionNewsJax, but despite her love for her job, she couldn’t shake her passion for dance.
From the Office to the NFL
In 2004, her coworkers encouraged her to audition for The ROAR, the Jacksonville Jaguars’ cheerleading team.
At 32, she worried about competing against dancers more than a decade younger. But with determination and hard work, she earned her spot and stepped into the fast-paced world of professional sports entertainment.
“When I first made the team, I didn’t know anything about football,” Clancy admitted with a laugh. “I didn’t know the rules at all, so I just followed the crowd. If they cheered, I cheered too.”
Life as a Jaguars Cheerleader
Clancy quickly realized that cheerleading wasn’t just about performing on game day.
“In one season, we had over 500 appearances,” she said, recalling 2005 when Jacksonville hosted the Super Bowl. “We were constantly out in the community, sometimes going to three or four events in a single day.”
Balancing two careers, she would rush from her TV job to cheerleading events, often changing from business clothes to her uniform in a hurry.
“It was a part-time job with full-time hours,” she said. “But I loved it.”
NFL rules were strict—cheerleaders were not allowed to date players. After three seasons, Clancy left the team to marry her boyfriend, Matt. She also stepped away from her TV job to focus on family.
Bringing Dance Back to Her Life
After settling in St. Johns County with her husband and two kids, Clancy knew she wasn’t ready to give up dancing.
She searched for the right studio and found DivaDance, a national dance company with two locations in Jacksonville. The studio offers dance classes, parties, and programs for adults of all skill levels.
Now, as the Head of Instructor Development for DivaDance Jacksonville, Clancy is passionate about helping others build confidence and have fun through dance.
“DivaDance is all about confidence and community,” she said. “We welcome everyone. There’s a class almost every day of the week.”
Whether performing in a packed stadium or dancing with friends, Clancy believes movement has the power to change lives—and she’s proof that the passion for dance never fades.
