Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Armani Latimer Dances Without Wig to Raise Awareness for Hair Loss Condition
Going bald at this year's game just ‘felt right,’ says the star cheerleader who suffers from alopecia
Every year, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders participate in My Cause My Boots, an event dedicated to raising awareness for meaningful causes. This year, Armani Latimer, a fifth-year Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, made a powerful statement by dancing bald to spotlight alopecia awareness, a condition she has experienced for most of her life. To watch the viral video posted by the team and read more about Latimer, keep scrolling!
Armani Latimer inspires by dancing bald for alopecia awareness
Latimer decided to debut her naturally bald head during Monday night’s football game. The look was documented on both her and her team’s Instagram page, with the caption, “Confidence takes center stage for alopecia awareness.”
In the video, she can be seen getting ready, dancing on the field and being embraced by both her teammates and her coaches. While Latimer might have seemed nervous at first, by the end, she was all smiles.
“People on social media have asked if I would ever be open to cheering without my wig, and at first, I was unsure,” Latimer said. “But at the beginning of this season, something felt right about it, so I spoke to our director Kelli Finglass, about the potential of going wig-free for our annual My Cause My Boots game, and she loved it.”
In years past, Latimer has chosen alopecia awareness for her My Cause My Boots cause and has posted pictures without her wig, but this was the first time she danced without it.
“Gosh, Armani, this is so amazing it has me in tears,” Latimer’s former teammate Kelcey Wetterberg commented. “To watch you grow over the past few years has been so inspiring to watch. I’m so proud of you for taking this step to show people the true depth of your beauty.”
The dancer’s current teammates also took the time to comment on Latimer’s confidence, with rookie Charley Barby writing, “I will cry every time I watch this.”
“Armani, you are truly my idol in every single way. You embody everything a leader should be, have truly become my best friend, and my rock! I’m so excited that the world gets to see how inspiring and amazing you are!”
Also, in the emotional video, there was a voice-over telling Latimer that they were “We’re so proud that you’re doing this and you’re representing a lot of little girls out there.”
“They’re going to be looking at you in awe, at your strength, knowing that they are going to feel so beautiful after this because of what you’re doing today. So we’re just so proud of you.”
You can watch every second of Latimer’s video below.
Armani Latimer’s journey: alopecia and her role with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
Latimer is currently in the middle of her fifth season with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and currently serves as one of their four group leaders.
She joined the team in 2020 and was even showcased on the widely successful reality show Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team, and on it, there was a very emotional moment between her and director Kelli McGonagill Finglass, in which they talked about how Latimer’s former teacher told her she would never have a career in dance, to which Finglass said that’s not what they saw at all.
She has since become part of the highly sought-after Show Group and has even worked with Post Malone, all thanks to DCC.
“I auditioned because this organization gives women a platform and a microphone to advocate for personal issues and teaches by example what it means to have a brand, build it, and nurture it,” says Latimer. “The women who have worn the uniform before me have influenced little girls around the world and I’m so excited and grateful to have the opportunity to do the same!”
Despite all this success though, Latimer does accredit being a part of the team as the reason for her permanent hair loss and alopecia, saying, “Shortly after college, I auditioned to be a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader and attempted to wear my hair naturally, but the demands of being a training camp candidate and trying to make the team caused my hair to fall out at a faster rate.”
“As it became harder to cover up, I went back to sew-ins. And once my hair fell out completely, I started wearing wigs.”
This all came after some hair loss issues while she was growing up, but even still, Latimer never went without support and a positive mindset.
“My team and my family helped me maintain a positive mindset. I wouldn’t be anywhere without my support system, and I always want to provide support for those who don’t have any,” she says. “On those days when you can’t be 100 percent, you need people who lift you up and help you be your best. I don’t believe we’re supposed to do life alone, and without my people, I wouldn’t have been able to break boundaries and be the woman I am today.”
“At the end of the day, I always want to feel the same way about myself whether I have the wig and makeup on or off. Finding that balance has allowed me to feel more comfortable.”
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