kalibean

I hope they go with a bigger team this year - maybe 38. Last year had so many injuries that Emma (?) seemed like a permanent member instead of an all-star. Seems like it's a good idea to have a fuller team and sit a couple out if need be, or cut in season. Then again, that's why they have the all stars. Lol. I guess I don't know how to feel, and it's not like I normally disagree with the cuts they make. From last year's squad, I probably would have kept Taylor's lower kicks since I felt those weren't as bad as Cat's lack of power, but Cat brought the different in her gymnastic ability. And I miss Courtney's cute face! Oh the carnage of late TC cuts last year.

I keep thinking about the weight issue, particularly when it comes to Amy, and I think it's all about the jiggle too. Hannah made show group her first year yet was cut during camp her second year. She was obviously a tremendous dancer and I know we all speculated there was something more to it, but she had jiggle in the wrong places on the big screen. Breelan too, when I thought her figure looked good otherwise despite the bad choice in solo costume. I know they've cut girls for not looking good in the uniform before, but I think Amy is thick but hard, versus still skinny and jiggly (Hannah.) Being too skinny in the uniform seems like it's a bigger deal than hips if they're still built. Colby and Emily from season 10 come to mind for too thin, and Rachael Buckmaster had fuller hips yet still slender (and cut for her noodle dancing.) I think figure had kept Melissa off for years too, so not surprised to hear she still struggles and is on WW.

I kind of love her...she's so ridiculous and over the top it just brings me joy. It won't even bug me if she ends up a hateful snatch, either. We need a good villain, Disney movie style. Maybe I'm just numb after too many years in the fashion industry plus having a few friends that live their life on social media as a reality show. I swear one girlfriend must have a photographer everywhere she goes...iPhones aren't that good!

I first learned the term from RuPaul's Drag Race...Latrice uses it grandly while fanning herself in season four. Great place to start your Google. "The shade. The shade of it all!" See also, "all T no shade." TV is so educational ;)

That's awwwwwwesome. Then again, my favorite Instagram account is Dr. Pimple Popper so my threshold for gross and weird is pretty damn high.

The white pants for a flight slayed me, tho I liked the overall look. Don't they realize dirt and germs are everywhere??? I tend to dress comfortably but nice for flights...maxi dresses, jersey knits, but I tend to be an over dresser in general. On DY for a sweet 16...I worked in the Yurman buying office when I was at Neiman's and wooo I've got some stories. They used to have quite a few pieces under $300 which isn't too wheels off for a major birthday, at least for a more affluent family. Especially when accompanied by a car ?? Totally agree on Austin and Houston being more diverse and having a different style sensibility. Houston can get kind of stodgy, lots of Yurman an St. John there. Dallas and the surrounding cities are more diverse than it gets credit for, I think, but it isn't as diverse amongst the middle and upper classes as Houston in particular. It's one of the reasons I'm always so annoyed with the lack of diversity on the DCC, because there are significant Hispanic and Asian populations here. I'm also influenced from what I see in the bubble, which is from being in a sorority, attending both TCU and SMU (very little diversity, tons of wealth) and from my work experience. I grew up in Virginia, which was a very different lifestyle. Anyhoot, my thoughts on Belk. I need to check out their store again, because when it first arrived I didn't think their assortment was any different than Macy's and had weaker private labels. Maybe they've stepped up their game.

I go back and forth with Belk. It's a major department store in the south, and I even did a little modeling for them waaaay back in the day (junior high, first bit of high school.) It's newer to the Dallas market, though, with their first store opening in McKinney (far north suburb) and then they took over the Saks spot at the Galleria when Saks left Dallas. I like their tie in with the DCC and think it makes sense from a promotional point of view. I also think their style sensibility makes sense for the south and is fairly true to what I see in junior league, church, sorority functions, etc Southern women do tend to have a more mature sense of style, even at a young age, and particularly so at more society functions. I started my career in the buying offices at Neiman Marcus and learned a lot about this in store allocations - David Yurman jewelry is a great example of youth and localization. It's a rite of passage to get a piece for your sweet 16 or high school graduation, but it's a more mature look and the average customer age goes way up in other parts of the country. Seeing a 16 year old wearing two pieces of Yurman and a high neck, knee length, bright print on a teenager or your Floridian grandma sounds about right to me. I had a grand time explaining all this to the Nordstrom buyers when I moved there for three years - we like our grandma fashion, okay? Light and bright!!

I think I would want the training camp experience even if I was a long shot, correct leg length or no. If it's indeed a paying gig, you have three months of an intense dance job that gives great experience even if you don't make the team, plus some extra exposure from CMT. I can see advantages from this little bit. That said, I think the boot try on isn't a bad idea. The show wouldn't be as interesting without cuts, though, and we do get to know some of the girls well in the storyline even if they're cut for drumstick thighs and lackluster dancing. I love the dance, but it's a tv show in the end.

Well rats...I was just at The Rustic Saturday afternoon. Looks like I just missed them! Probably better that way - my friends already think I'm ridiculous for how much I know about this show. I'm glad they darkened Emily's hair because I think it's prettier on her, but wow there's a shortage of blondes. Seems like the oddest Dallas problem ever. Im also surprised at how petite the team seems to be overall. Sheesh. Poor Lindsay (?) definitely stands out, but this angle seems to affirm the short legs for her height. Might be bad for cameos.

I work by The Star and it doesn't look ready at all, at least the way I drive past it. Any ideas on when it'll be the main location? I can only imagine Valley Ranch will be used for at least another month or two. And I still think it's bizarre that it's so far from the stadium, but whatevs. I can only imagine how annoyed a cheerleader who lives relatively close to the stadium will be to go so far north and all the way to Arlington. Four hours of car and bus time on game days at least! LOL. Driving past the new building, I was reminded of that horrible accident a few years back when the practice facility collapsed with the insane winds we get here in Dallas. This structure definitely looks more sturdy.

I live in Plano now, but I've lived in Uptown, Richardson, Addison and Fort Worth. I can't imagine the fresh hell of driving from Frisco to the stadium for MNF! No thanks. Ladies with regular 8-5 jobs would need to take PTO fo sho. I have successfully taken a $50 Uber to the stadium from Frisco when it was off hours (concert, not football) but I would allow myself at least an hour if I had to be there for a show and two hours if I was making sure I was on time DCC style for practice. Going north during rush hour in Dallas is horrific, and unless you're on 75 or getting swallowed by potholes on 35, you're paying a ton of money for the pleasure. There's a lot I don't get about how we do our stadiums and sport facilities here in Dallas, but Jerry Jones didn't ask me. I lived in Seattle for three years and went to several football and baseball games a year. Football because I love it, baseball because I like being outside with beer. Public transit made going a breeze in Seattle, but none of the DFW public transit goes to the Arlington stadiums. It's ridiculous. I get tha Arlington is central to DFW, but the growth is all in Frisco/Plano population wise, which is a north suburb of Dallas. I would love to go to more sporting events here but with transit time it's tough.

Oh gosh, I just took a stroll through Tasha Cruz's Instagram. It's amazing. Holy sheesh, never change girl. It's like she's an uber amped mash up of a DWTS pro and a Mormon mommy blogger mixed with a dash of Real Housewives. Speaking of which, I still chuckle at the judge last year asking Madeleine about her faith and how it conflicts with the skimpy costume. He's clearly never watched DWTS or any major dance competition. Mormons are very prevalent in the dance world and like Madeleine says, they just have to wear it with grace. Miss Tasha might have missed the modest and humble part of the scripture, but I think she'll be entertaining :)

It could be the angle of the photo, but it looks like the tall blonde could have short legs for her height. Next to the other gals, they don't look significantly longer. That might not always hurt her, but she'll be on the 50 and it doesn't look like there are a lot of other super tall gals for balance. They're always so picky about the girls on the centers and ends. Tho Kelly is a sucker for a tall blonde! Hopefully she's got a big old smile.

I would much rather watch Caila get Hannah'd midway through training camp than have to deal with Auto Amy's whining and inevitable cut. Kicks - terrible. Legs - won't grow. I think she's very pretty and quite photogenic, but the bitch face and crying about putting off her life and marriage just get a big old eyeball from me. I get that some girls have to work harder, whether it's extending their natural talent beyond its norm, economic situation or living situation not conducive to extensive technically training, etc., but she just rubbed me the wrong way. That said, I'm a big proponent of having a more diverse quad, one that fully represents DFW and the Cowboys fan base, so I'm happy to see a few more women of color this year. Or maybe spray tans got out of control. Did the gal from Japan make the cut? I didn't see her but that picture isn't great.

It's still pretty light outside...sunset isn't until 8:24 tonight. So if anyone needs a dinner break, you've got time. We are so getting a group for a watch party at the stadium next year!

Gorgeous pic of Kat with the ribbon - I'm kind of sad for her that she has the run, because that's a pic I would treasure as an old lady ;) I don't mind that she's playing to her strengths, and I'm willing to bet she incorporated some power moves or things she's learned this past year. At least I hope she has! I always seem to wish the best for everyone. Well, except Auto Amy. She gets my eye roll with her whining. Maybe she's just been edited poorly, but bleh. I wish I had known about watching them live at the stadium - I totally would have gone! Anyone else in DFW? We should have a watch party and for sure go next year. All of my friends know I watch the show but most think I'm nuts ;) It's so my guilty pleasure.

Thanks for the update, Winenotwhine! I think auditioning that first time sets a good foundation and she'll get further next year. Best wishes to you both. Personally, as member of the big bust crew, I was so pleased to see Amy Simone in a dance top with support. I hope she continues this trend for solos. I have to admit I'm not a fan tho, based on what we saw on the show and what's come up on social media. I truly think the DCC needs more diversity, so it's a shame her eagerness hasn't translated into better skill. And longer legs. Lol. Watching season ten auditions now and Courtney is just the cutest. Good for her for finishing school, and I hope we'll see her back after she graduated. She's popped up on Instagram encouraging some other gals trying out and she's a sweetie.

I'm always curious how much Baylor and/or the city of Waco pay Chip and JoAnna, because they've done more the city than anyone ever has. Waco has its good spots, but sheesh. Couple reasons I think quite a bit of DCC come from Baylor, SMU and TCU: they're all small, private universities with an affluent student base. If you can afford that school, you can also likely afford the extras like extensive dance classes, costumes, etc. I graduated from two of the three, one with a fashion undergrad, and being DCC performance ready is an every day standard of appearance. Sigh. Secondly, SMU and TCU are both in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. Valley Ranch is in Irving, which is slightly closer to Dallas but still between the two. It's a lot easier for a college student attending either university to make it there. I'm curious if they'll be moving to Frisco with the rest of the office, tho, bc that northbound commute is killer. I anticipate lots more footage about how 635/121/Tollway traffic was terrible, and we always get at least one a season. There are plenty of other DFW area schools for a DCC student to attend too. The other "brand name" Texas universities are UT Austin, A&M, and Texas Tech. UT and A&M in particular are very competitive, especially with automatic acceptance for the top 10% of students. In a tough school district, students below the line have to slug it out for acceptance. Samantha Finglass might be an academic rock star, but if she's in a school like TAG where everyone is a rock star but she didn't make the 10%, it's very possible she could have been accepted at an Ivy League and not a Texas school. Weird, but it happens. Anyhoot - I don't see her as a DCC, but no telling what she'll look like at 22. Plenty of gals get through college and try out, and I think that life experience is super valuable. The baby face DCC squick me out anyway ;) Sorry for the formatting and lack of page breaks!! I've tried to edit but the page isn't loading correctly on my phone, Chrome or IE. Yikes.

Aww, I love the Sea Gals uniforms, especially the tops. I could be biased as a Hawks fan tho :) I used to worked with a couple of former Sea Gals and they both had extensive dance training, one in ballet. When you work in retail buying offices, you meet a lot of former cheerleaders I suppose! Tons of college dance teams in particular, but I've got four NFL teams covered too. Lol.

College Station is over three hours from Dallas, on a good day. So A&M would mean waiting on DCC. TCU or SMU would be good choices if she wanted to do both at the same time, or and University of North Texas. Those are the three more traditional universities in DFW. UTD, UTA and several other small schools are in the area as well, but I don't see her choosing those based on the big names she's been touring. DCC will be waiting when she's 22 and graduated if that's the path she wants to take. I'm an alum of both TCU and SMU and they are fantastic schools, but not quite Ivy League ;)

RE the Jerry Jones as GM/Owner - I think the Cowboys are the only team to have one person as both. Something that's unique to the team is a fact any candidate should know. And I think he's pretty gross, but Jerry Jones is a big deal in Dallas and it's not too much to ask for girls to know his position with the team. Especially when his daughter is president of the cheerleaders! I'll never understand these gals that try out without having watched every season and having memorized Thunderstruck. Wouldn't you want every advantage? Am I overthinking this?

I think I actually picked the Jenna one - she's cute and it's a good action shot. Some of them are sweaty with stingy hair, which was disappointing. Real life, but still. Get the pics for the calendar first quarter. I was surprised there weren't many of Erica...tons of jinelle, holly and Kat. Jinelle is just a doll, too. Love her.

I'm also a former TWOPer - found you guys trying to be nosy about Courtney Cook and Hannah. I feel kind of guilty about it, too, because cheese and rice it's not like it's my business :) Oh well. I love the show, it's my favorite guilty pleasure, and it's ten times worse because I live in Dallas. I graduated with a fashion degree from TCU in the early 2000's and therefore don't run in these circles anymore, but the camaraderie and sorority feel sure does take me back!