Why AEW's Taya Valkyrie Says Wrestling & Ballet More 'Hand In Hand' Than People Realize

Taya Valkyrie has been both a professional wrestler and a ballerina, and the former Impact Knockouts Champion is tired of the wimpy, waifish reputation that ballet has amongst those in the wrestling world.

"Wrestling and ballet are so much more hand-in-hand than people realize," Taya told "AEW Unrestricted," in a conversation with fellow former ballerina Aubrey Edwards, "when we're little kids, we're taught so much discipline and to work very hard and you have to earn those spots. If you want the part, you've got to earn that spot, not only do you have to fit the costume but you have to earn the spot. So from a very young age, I was put in ballet ... I was taught to work very hard for what I want and that's just followed me throughout my life." Valkyrie says everything from the mental aspects to the physical aspects run parallel to each other, and feels that the world of ballet prepared her for wrestling in ways other sports and artforms simply couldn't.

"When people say 'Wrestling's not ballet,' I find that really insulting," Valkyrie said. "There's so many more levels to it than people realize." A longtime staple of the indies, Impact Wrestling, and AAA, Valkyrie joined AEW earlier this year. Initially feuding with former TBS Champion Jade Cargill in the spring, Valkyrie went to great lengths to keep her debut secret, as she flew to the "Dynamite" taping on the same flight as many of the AEW staff and fans.