raindancer

I love Kashara, but as good a friend as she is to others I'd always felt like she'd be the kind of person to say exactly what she thought - she's savage.

oh that's gorgeous!!!! And she really has such a beautiful smile. Totally agree....she will always be one of my favorites. Chicago has millions of people, and I can't imagine I'd ever run into her, but I'm always kind of halfway hoping I might pass her in the street or something someday. Out of all the potential "celebrity sightings" I could possibly have, she's honestly the one I would be the most thrilled about 😂

....I actually really liked what they did with her hair *hides*

I cannot hear that descriptor without hearing it in Kitty Carter's voice. It belongs to her and her alone.

I always thought it was a really neat way to both prepare the ladies for the upcoming season by giving them lots of time to become cohesive as a group through practice, but also to ensure they weren't making snap judgments about who would be best suited for the team. Some incredibly beautiful soloists might not be able to catch on to the nuances of dancing on a team, but that's not the kind of thing you can evaluate easily over a short period, even with references. A longer training camp could also potentially prepare girls for future auditions, even if they didn't make it the first go-round. Someone like Erin, who is an amazing DCC, might have struggled a bit had she made it the first season rather than the second. Training camp the first year gave her the opportunity to prepare herself for the rock star she became the second. I also always liked it because it seemed like it would give the girls an opportunity to bond and make friends, and having free access to intensive dance instruction through training camp could be such an amazing opportunity. I feel like distaste for the idea of sacrificial lambs for the sake of TV is incredibly valid, but I honestly don't think there is any need for that, and why I don't think that's something they deliberately do. There is (or can be edited to be) drama and tension without losing a finite and limited opportunity for the organization to help create potential future rock stars. I definitely think Kelli likes to take some unconventional chances for TCCs, but that's another point in favor of having a more extended camp rather than short-term auditions. She seems to have a "mentor-style" personality where she likes to give people a chance. Chelsea Chaney might be an example of this - even though she was noted as having a "clumsy, clunky" dance style, she had so much power and sparkle that all she really needed to do over time was to concentrate on polishing it. Karissa and Katherine Dunn are another couple I think of that had such charisma and beauty that they'd have been a catch with refinement in their technique and the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to keep up with the team.

she's such a sweet little pixie.....I never got the vibe she felt like she had to be in a relationship, just that she's a romantic, and a really lovely person. I feel like most people have an innate instinct to measure others in accordance with their own standards, and that can sometimes mean you can be pretty vulnerable to giving the wrong people credit they don't deserve.

Victoria had a Twitter handle back when she was 16 or so that was something like @DCCVictoria IIRC.

Not sure at all what the situation is or was (I had never heard of Jinelle living in a hotel, poor girl), but it could be that if she was staying on that way it was because signing on a year-long lease just wasn't as practical for her situation for some reason. My dad used to work in the oil field and long-term hotel rentals were quite common for those workers, and basically how and where he lived when he was out in the field. There are a lot of places in Texas and Oklahoma that have those kinds of deals (IIRC, something like $150-200/week), which would be significantly less expensive than an $1,800/month apartment. Also, I wouldn't read anything into not having roommates as evidence of not being close to others on the squad. Being a people-pleaser can take an enormous amount of emotional energy, and having your own space can be critical for keeping that balance.

I'm hoping they continue to focus more on the girls as individuals - I really got a kick out of their personality testing and leadership styles assessments. I like to get to "know" the girls over the course of the show, and anecdotes in isolation don't really do as much to speak to this. Also, all of this - understanding how Kelli and Judy make decisions is something I really enjoy, and I'd imagine it would be really helpful for the girls as well. YES!!!! It would also be a logical link to some of the vets we've gotten to know and love over past seasons. Their journeys are really cool to follow over the course of the show, and understanding how they evolve gives you that much more to cheer them on for.

I'm sure this may have already been seen and/or discussed, but WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK 😡 https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/33231841/dallas-cowboys-paid-24-million-settle-cheerleaders-voyeurism-allegations ....I don't have sharp enough pitchforks for what I'd like to do to that man, and every single person responsible for enabling him.

I LOVE Michelle Keys!! I may never be a DCC, but she helps keep me fit anyways. I'm a treadmill runner, and I watch some of her dance and music videos while I'm running - she helps keeps me motivated. She's always positive and fun, which I desperately need at 4 a.m. 😂

I remember this scene, but I honestly didn't think Kelli was referring to her chest - I thought it was that there wasn't enough curve in her stance for her figure. I don't know Christina's height offhand, but I seem to remember her being more on the end of the kickline, which would mean she is a bit shorter. If she is one of the shorter girls, it's possible that could be a large part of what Kelli (might have been) referring to. Sometimes there just physically isn't enough length between rib and hip bone to accentuate a curve (as I know to my sorrow), and one of the major things Kelli looks at is long legs and a curve. Also, over time she has commented specifically about not going overboard with breast size (wanting to "take those D's down to C's, making Taylor take out her padding at photo shoot, etc.). On top of that, Christina's body is and has always been totally smoking, so when I saw that clip, I suppose my mind went immediately to "oh, she just didn't have enough curve (figure) in that clip." I really, really, hope Christina didn't make her choice on the basis of anything but her own wishes.....but whatever her reasoning, I think you're absolutely correct about the pressure they are all under, and how heartbreaking it is that this is the case, as beautiful as they are.

it's just so hard.....I know there are (some) savages here on the boards but we are all marshmallows compared to some of the things the girls see and read about themselves online, and even if they're not looking it's not something they can escape. It's hard enough to just to feel okay sometimes even without being in an industry that evaluates you in large part on the way you look, and it's a zero-sum game. No matter what you do, it'll never feel like enough. Add enough capital through either money or promotional endorsements and an overall culture that seems to demand it without a (necessarily) correlative understanding of its potential implications long-term and it's a personal disaster waiting to happen. There is no question these ladies are stunning as they are, and it is and should absolutely be their independent choice about what they want or don't want to be done, but it makes my heart ache to think about what may lie behind some of those decisions and the implications of those decisions going forward. I know there are things I am or would be considering for myself, and it's honestly terrifying to me given some of the things I know and have heard about from a purely medical standpoint that some of these decisions may be made without that kind of knowledge or support on a casual basis, or as a result of the insane pressures they are under, and what it could mean for these ladies going forward for the rest of their lives. Whatever they choose or don't choose to get done, I hope they can feel happy and confident in it.

yes!! I just loved Lauren.....she is the subject of one of my favorite ever DCC pics:

oh I would be too, but then, I don't have a DCC body - those girls were flawless. I just hope there would have been grace for those that wouldn't have been comfortable with it (as there was with Lauren). She wasn't discussing Vivian specifically in that scene, it was just my assumption that it was the issue given how much of a power dancer she was noted for being. I love dance, but I don't know much about it, and that scene made Judy's comment make sense to me if Vivian was just putting too much power behind her movement. I think it probably also stuck in my mind because that was the season MRS had said something about her having the sultry sexy thing down, but she was interested to see if she could get the cheerleader thing down.

I never honestly saw anything wrong with the swimsuit shows....my only worry was about the girls not being protected enough. (I do think Kelli would go full-on mama bear though if someone tried to harass them). I get what they were saying about the choreo though....there is a scene (S8 or 9 maybe?) where MRS and Jennifer Alexis were taking the girls through the sequence, MRS was talking about making movements more with rib isolation, since too much booty movement in shorts that short can take it to the wrong place.

I love that they have an 8-year girl! As happy as I always am for the new girls who make the squad, it always makes me sad when the girls I've been rooting for move on, even though it's totally understandable when they do (injuries, time constraints, going out on top, etc.). There are so many girls I'd have loved to see stay longer, I wish this was the type of job where that would be more feasible.

I straight up happy cried for her. Yes, I definitely need to get a life.....but I was so happy for her, and I loved how everyone was so excited about her success.

I think her color would be so gorgeous with something like a Gisele or Gigi Hadid-style honey blonde with lots of brighter blonde balayage threaded throughout…..but any kind of change like that would probably be really hard to consider. Blonde like she’s rocking seems like it would be such an enormous emotional commitment. I definitely feel the same way about having long hair - I wouldn’t know myself with shorter hair.

they are both totally flipping cute, and I love their gorgeous smiles!! it's honestly my favorite thing, seeing the girls having fun together, and enjoying their friendships.

Jalyn has the most beautiful eyes. That is all.

no idea what, if anything is behind it - could def be a glitch cause it's always seemed as though they've been on great terms, but I'm fascinated and figured someone here might know why if there's another reason behind it Edit: apparently may just be because Kashara has her profile on private now, so probably just nbd 😊

so I'm not sure if anyone may have already seen or posted something about this, but I saw this post about Kashara and Kelli having unfollowed one another on Instagram.....does anyone know anything about this, or is it just kind of nbd?

I hadn't remembered reading that Jenna was a mean girl (I hope she wasn't), but I do remember reading that some of the girls she was close to might have been. She was a standout dancer and really seemed to cherish being a DCC. Even though there was a lack of maturity in some of her actions and reactions in her final year particularly, she took things seriously when she finally understood what she needed to do to make things right. It's hard to remember sometimes how young these girls really are, and I think that's particularly true with Jenna since she stayed so long, but she was only just 18 when she started, and she is still very very young (at least to me - I feel ancient of days compared to these girls). It always makes me unreasonably happy when I see that the girls have made lasting friendships over the years, and I'm really glad she has so many. Character matters a lot to me when I watch. I'm always going to root for the nice girls (insofar as I can make that kind of judgment with the clear limitations I have in not knowing a single one of them 😂). It's one of the reasons I was rooting so hard for Emily. She always seemed to be one of the first to run over to comfort the girls who were cut before her, and I am always seeing pics of her with the girls. I liked her sense of humor, and she's really beautiful (particularly when she takes a lighter hand with her makeup). I understand why she didn't make it if her dance was as much of an issue as it sounds, but I was hoping for her sake she could turn it around, and had she been able to do so, I think she'd have made an outstanding DCC. I felt differently about Vivian though. She was one of my favorites the first season she was on, and she had such a great attitude about Kitty's comments on her solo that first year - she listened, adapted, and rocked it. Completely stunning, lots of power - I was so sad for her when she didn't make it, and I was so excited to see her try out again the following year - and then she just lost me. Her attitude was absolutely off, enough so that it was really clear almost from the jump. (I've this mentioned before, but I lived for MRS' low key shade for her self-absorption in the otherwise cheesy "girl talk" section). Kelli saw it too, and straight up told her not to let her opportunity slip through her fingers. I think had Vivian made the kind of effort she was perfectly capable of (regarding her attitude), she would have walked on the team, and it would have made all the difference in the world to her. I can understand some of her slip-ups (maturity, having had a lot of "fans" validating her feelings about not making it the first year, messy breakup, and last but not least, probably feeling loopy from lack of food as she tried to get her weight down). However, that doesn't excuse having a poor attitude in the end, and especially not in trying to throw her other TCCs under the bus. I think it would have been different had she made it the first year, but I can understand why she didn't in the second, and I don't blame Kelli and Judy in the least for having to make that cut.

I'd love to see Ashlee at point eventually....she looks like the perfect glam girl next door, and it seems like she keeps her head under pressure and has the kinds of leadership qualities that would be ideal for point.