KatebytheSea

I'm not a dancer, so I'm not going to see everything you see. Though I am a perfectionist, so I see the lines, etc. Guess we'll split the difference! I just don't see the majority as being as horrible as you, a dancer, might. And most of the pics have been from practice, right? (I might have missed some games ones except the Christina one.) I do think this is going to be a tough year for DCC, one where the majority of the squad is young and new (1st and 2nd years), and an odd mixed of DCC Vets, experienced NFL/NON-DCCs and Rookies. I think they're going to have to work very hard this year to gel and sync together. For the dancers out there, my sympathizes for your cringing and my comfort in saying many of us who aren't dancers aren't seeing to the depth you see! TWO BIG THUMBS UP!! lol

Gotta disagree a little bit, in that the show itself is a promotional tool of a kind. It's promoting and showcasing this organization as world class and how it gets there. But I agree that pictures showcasing the girls caught mid-whatever is promotional. There are different types of promotional materials, and putting pictures out on a DCC Twitter is another kind of promotional than print work being sent to organizations. Just nitpicking. lol The super critical part I see that we're doing here is the overanalyzing of most pictures into badness when they aren't. I don't think all the pictures that have been released are poor, though some certainly fit that bill - the Christina one we both mentioned being one of them. Guess it's how one looks at the pictures, and that's totally individual. :) The Christina one is also the photo that has me baffled. Why post that, when it's of their famous signature kickline? I can see the print being made to show Christina how horrible her jump split was, but did it get out by mistake? Cause I don't see the rest of the pictures being released as that bad.

I do agree that earlier years made more of an impression on me than later years. Don't know exactly why, cause the year Holly made it should have been dynamite. Ah, well. I agree that S8 had the weakest Rookies. But it did give us Jinelle! I thought S9 Rookies were a mixed batch - which I suppose all years are - of terrific (Melissa, Erica, Lacey, Mary), good (Loren, Courtney, Victoria, Caila) and poor (Breelan and Ashley). Though I will always be impressed that Ashley, with no dance training at all, was able to make the squad! I'm not sure why S10 and 11 didn't make more of an impression. ...Maybe I need to re-watch them more.....

Guess we look at some things differently. I think the girls are working hard after some serious set-backs; not just losing terrific dancers in retirement, but the upheaval in TC with Holly/Jenna and Erica. They are continuing forward, definitely seem to be putting their best foot forward (the girls), and I believe working hard to get in sync again. Even world class organizations have rebuilding years. This team was just finalized a month or so ago, so "months" together as a team is stretching it. Yes, they danced through TC together, but TC focuses on who will make the squad, not on the finalized "we're a team!" IMPO that "announcement" has a huge impact on how you view yourself: as either a TCC or a DCC. I do agree about some of the pictures being published on the DCC web-links. That one of Christina where she's not remotely in sync with anyone else on the jump split was cringe-worthy. And some others haven't shown the girls in the best possible light. But every year there are clumsy moments, wobbly moments, moments where the girls are out of line or not in sync with one another. This year we're just seeing some of those shots. Also, we here on this forum are super critical, much more so than the general public. We analyze and overanalyze a picture that represents a fraction of a second in the practice sessions. (I also find it funny that an oft repeated criticism of Kelli/Judy et al on this board is that they cover up/water down stuff that happens in TC etc. to show the organization in a positive light. Now they're getting criticized for pictures on the DCC feed that aren't as complimentary and DON'T show the organization in a positive light. Damned if you do/don't. lol) It may be taking longer this year for the girls to gel together, and many may ridicule me for saying it - but to me, DCC is still a world class team. :)

On the two cents track: I do think DCC is a world class organization with many world class dancers involved. There's been a lot of outside verification of their skills from world class choreographers and organizations, Candace Romo even said she's seen numerous NFL pom squads, and DCC has them all beat. The squad isn't going to be as in demand as they are if they're not good. That said, are they perfect? Of course not. Are all DCC dancers of the same caliber? No. Are there seasons where the squad needs more work to gel than other years? Definitely! DCC lost several of their strongest dancers this year; Melissa, Jennifer, Jessica, Megan, Amy T, Holly, Erica.... Regrouping doesn't happen on a dime. And having many seasoned NFL dancers this year can be a blessing as well as a curse, as these ladies need to work on getting DCC style into their muscle memory after years of dancing on the field. My two cents suggests giving this new, young squad a chance. :)

I guess I simply don't understand the moaning about how MTT is ignoring Erica, not addressing the Holly/DCC separation, etc. DCC:MTT is showing TC AS IT HAPPENED. The show isn't going to jump ahead and address these situations out of order just to satisfy a small group of us fans who chat about the show online. If TC started at the beginning of June and Holly didn't leave till around mid July ... we've got a ways to go to find out what happened. Let's keep our hair on! Lol And because CMT clumsily showed KaShara being named GL rather than Erica doesn't mean the show is trying to "erase" her like she'd never been there. The (moronic) editing probably had more to do with real life pre-season games where Erica isn't on the field. The show itself is airing stuff that happened back in June. And let's be honest - the show has never really aired much if anything about the Vets. This year is barely showing us a glimpse ... marginally. I know I'm really curious about what happened with Holly, Jenna and about Erica stepping away. But we're going to have to wait awhile more. Sorry, just my common sense, non-conspiracy self talking!

Yup, stay safe! Re: Brennan - I just think she kind of looks old, though I hate to say that. Seems like she doesn't gel with the other DCCs. But her facials do seem like she's anxious all the time. :( Re: Celinda - Maybe Kelli and Judy don't even notice Celinda enough to give her corrections...? Which would be double-ouch.

Since CMT's MTT is showing TC in chronological order, we'll find out about Erica when we get to the week she left or resigned. Since Erica was at the HOF, that may take another couple weeks. Erica was popular, and Holly was one of the most fan-followed DCCs, so MTT and CMT know they can't simply ignore their absences nor Jenna not being at the HOF event. MTT will air in full or in part their leaving/resignations, whichever the case may be. CMT and the DCC are keeping a tight rein on spoilers this year, so much of what is out there is speculation.

The DCCs are supposed to keep the weight they were accepted into TC. If anyone remembers back to S10 when KaShara was in TC, she was heavier at the beginning than at the end and in the ensuing years. She lost weight during that first TC and kept it off. She has the body type that at certain angles she looks boxy, and at others she looks slimmer. I do think she looks a slight bit heavier than her rookie season. But she still looks slimmer than when she entered TC, so I think she looks fine.

I see where you're coming from. My comparison, however, wasn't about body style, but style and likability. Maddie 1.0 was a trained studio dancer which gave her good grounding in technique. She wowed at tryouts, was engaging and cute, but couldn't do DCC style. Maddie 2.0 did well in tryouts (else she wouldn't have gotten to TC with such a technically skilled bunch of TCCs), was engaging in her smile and mannerisms, but couldn't master the power and panache of DCC style. I hope she comes back and makes the squad next year! She seems like a sweetie.

Having the modified Ombre look with dark roots and lighter going down seems to be the style nowadays, though I always thought it looked more like grow-out than a style. Guess I won't be doing it!

Don't think that contradicts my opinion, so we could be roundabout agreeing...? :) Not saying the two situations are exact. But Maddie 1.0 was a mess when she entered TC the first time, and the next year she kicked it. If Maddie 2.0 goes home and works on DCC style and confidence, she can do the same! She's cute, engaging, and has good style.

I also think Kalyssa is going to be a DCC star. She needs to rein in some of her own head twirls and interpretations during DCC routines, but I think she'll be the "wow" this squad needs. I kind of forgot Melissa was even in the episode..... I would like to see more of Jay, though not as much as the early seasons. I liked the Power Squad and hope they still do that. Re: measuring body fat, etc - I think they try different things, see what works. I don't imagine it's cheap to do those body fat tests for 44-45 girls, so maybe they're using their CMT money in better ways now.

I finally got in here to post before the thread got to be 8 pages long! Yay! Thoughts: 1. First, I tend to view the episodes this season as choppy. But I guess taking 20+ hours of film footage and put it into a 41-ish minute episode takes a lot of cutting. They're trying to give us a fuller look at the TC process this year, and I'm glad we're seeing more of what happens. 2. I liked the media training segment and am sure there was much more coaching going on than we observed. DCC isn't going to set up this whole shebang just to "see" the girls and that's it. This was probably a whole day event with corrections and critiques (some of which we saw), then the girls did the whole thing again. There was probably the lecture on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook as well, though they didn't show that this year. 3. I liked seeing the different choreographers. Mainly we've gotten to see one plus Kitty. I didn't like that they brought in the ballet/contemporary teacher to showcase something other than hip-hop for the classically trained girls, then the instructor did a hip-hop-ish type of contemporary style! I would have loved to have seen a true ballet/contemporary style. 4. KaShara was leading G4 in this episode, so we know that Erica's injury manifested itself sometime during Week 3. 5. I really like Brianna. She's been trained in a different style her whole life, has never done Rock or Hip-Hop style, yet she's game and just keeps working at it. Every time they show her for a moment, she's getting the style and the routine. I think she's a terrific dancer and worth the time they're putting into her training. While I don't think she'll be able to get the DCC style this year, I definitely think she'll make the squad if she comes back next year! 6. I loved Rachel admitting she ate better before coming into TC, but that she's been eating more because she's so hungry! lol Thank you, Rachel, for just putting it out there! 7. I think Madeline is going to be a Maddie 2.0 and will come back stronger next year. I loved when one of the girls asked her what she's going to do tomorrow, and she said, "Eat pancakes." Good for you, girl! Relax awhile, then get back on that horse!

Thanks. I figured it must be something that takes some serious rehab time. While we probably won't ever know exactly, I hope she recovers fully.

I agree somewhat, unless MTT thought it would be confusing to name Erica a GL, then fans not see her leading her group on the field. But if they were just going to skim over her being a GL and just show KaShara, then the show flubbed even showing Erica's name called, cause they should have spliced in KaShara's instead. But they don't have to deal with Erica's departure until later in TC on the week it happened. Many keep posting about Erica's injury as if they actually know what it is and how bad. If someone does truly know, please speak up. But citing others' injuries as "worse" when no one actually knows what Erica's injury is, is overreaching. Shoulder and back injuries can be extremely difficult to heal and difficult for people to see. I recently met a woman with a shoulder injury, and I wouldn't have known if she hadn't mentioned that she was going into surgery. The surgery was after months of therapy, which resulted in her being able to lift her arm slightly above her waist. What started out as an injury that required a few weeks of physical therapy may have evolved into something much more serious, something that required Erica pulling out of DCC to deal with because there was no hope of her being able to dance on the squad this year. Like Courtney leaving at the beginning of S8, the show may not fully reveal what happened because of privacy for Erica. I think MTT will deal with Erica's departure from TC, though to what degree I have no idea. JMO, but though we're fans of the squad and the show, we're not entitled to every detail of these girls' lives.

I thought MTT showed KaShara as G4 leader instead of Erica because pre-season was underway and its obvious Erica isn't leading a group. Since MTT won't be dealing with her departure yet (she did go to the HOF with DCC), why confuse casual viewers with Erica being named a GL, then not seeing her on the field? Only a handful of MTT viewers chat online. That said, there had to be an announcement of 2nd leaders too, so why not just edit KaShara's name in for GL? Saying "Erica" but showing KaShara was incredibly sloppy editing, and the tech should get written up. I hope Christina isn't a one-and-done DCC, but her kicks have been rather atrocious. She worked long and hard to be a DCC, so I hope there's improvement. Such a shame if there isn't. I think the show has been fine this year, though I also wish they'd feature more dancing, less talking. I think I feel somewhat disconnected from these Rookies because I've watched past seasons so much, those girls are like old friends, once removed. Lol. But I'll keep watching!

Late to the party again! re: the episode - I'm sad we didn't get to see the Barbie's handed out! HATE that! The episode seemed a bit of a blur to me, and I wish they'd settled on a segment and really let us see it. There was the first meeting, then the first practice, then the alumni, then the alumni in TC, then the alumni meeting, and BACK to a night in TC to first girls in Kelli's office ... it all just ran together without us getting meat in any segment. That said, I liked the idea of the alumni segment and wished the CMT editing department had done a better job than showing the random alumni making a face. The comments mainly came across as off the wall or stupid. I hated Cassie's "I wasn't the smiley girl, and that's okay cause later I got to lay down the law" spiel. These girls AREN'T Judy Trammel's daughter. They're expected to smile, be bubbly and great entertainers. Remember Ann Lux, who almost didn't make it to her 2nd year because she wasn't bubbly enough? Think of all the Vets who've been cut for not "selling it," including Raylee this year. It's misleading to tell these girls it's all right to not smile much, hinting at later "power." Shesh! Who thought it was good to put THAT in the episode? I thought Tina was supportive of the TCCs and appreciative of their abilities. I do think it's going to be on the technicalities that these girls survive TC. I think Erin may be the first cut, as her body doesn't seem to want to move in DCC style. And despite many disparaging comments, I like Brianna. She's absolutely gorgeous, and apparently is a terrific technical dancer. I think Kelli and Judy wanted to see more of her, gage her abilities doing DCC style. From what I can see, she may need to be a next-year girl, cause she doesn't understand DCC style, but I like her a lot. Anyway, on to next week!

I think most anyone would agree that Kelli and Charlotte are dedicated to making DCC the best organization with women involved who are held to the highest standards. If Jenna was "flaunting" a relationship with Dak, I have no doubt whatsoever that she'd have been off the squad. As we've seen with Holly (and many others), anyone is expendable. Between the Cowboys Organization and the DCCs there must be a certain amount of trust. Kelli outlines the rules of the organization and the girls sign a contract stating they understand the rules and agree to follow them. That some girls will bend the rules is a given. Kelli and Judy don't have time to monitor these girls 24/7, and if a DCC is discreet, she can probably get away with quite a bit. However, considering how prolific social media is, Kelli and Judy are going to hear about a lot of moderate and blatant indiscretions at some point. There's no end of people out there who will tattle and send Kelli and the organization pictures/video of DCCs in a bad light. From what's been said here, Paige was very discreet with her guy, even dating him for several months before Kelli et al found out and she was dismissed from the squad. I say it again - seems people keep thinking Kelli, Judy and Charlotte are stupid and don't know that girls party and below 21-year-olds drink. They know, and they see the results in weight gain and fluctuating skill level. Some of the rule breakage result in warnings and disciplines, others in termination. We'll see the Jenna/Holly situation on screen at some point. And if people want to throw Jenna under the bus to preserve Holly in a better light, it's your right. We'll probably never know the whole truth. But that Jenna stuck around and took her punishment before the entire squad, which had to be humiliating, and Holly walked makes me respect Jenna more at this point. And Holly's passive-aggressive Tweets do nothing but showcase her as very young and needing to grow up. Anyway, I'm looking forward to those episodes!

Was Jenna a GL last year? I don't remember, but we know she wasn't Point, so that item doesn't count in that Dak scenario. (And I would point out that Jenna didn't seem to have issues till Holly was on the squad, for whatever that's worth. Just a POI.) If the Dak thing was a once-off and that was her only flub in 5 years, I would still give Jenna the benefit of the doubt in the Holly/Jenna debacle rather than assuming she threw Holly under the bus. Just sayin'.

In looking at the pair: Holly and Jenna, it would seem to me that Holly would be the leader in that pairing. From what I've seen, Jenna was pretty much the epitome of the DCC girl until the last year or so. And from what several have posted here, from her Rookie year Holly has been a rebel on the squad, being sanctioned for different behaviors. So in the last year or so, especially since Jenna's Rookie mates retired, Jenna's been posting more glam photos, more look-at-me photos and hanging out with look-at-me Holly. Who was the influence on whom? If Jenna and Holly were out drinking, Jenna is legal to do so; Holly is the one underage. When the football players were there, do we really think rebel Holly was the one urging Jenna to leave, or was previously DCC poster girl the one urging Rookie Rebel Holly to leave...? Was anyone urging the other to leave? Holly is a leader, a strong personality, and I think Holly does what she wants. I don't know the answer. I'm just speculating on what we've known of Jenna for 5 years and what we've known of Holly for 2. I wouldn't be so quick to jump on Jenna as the one who threw Holly under the bus. JMO!

Has anyone else seen the YouTube channel PDC (Pro dancecheer)? They did interviews with Erica, Lacey, Maggie, KaShara and others about auditioning for DCC this year. They also have one for Raylee auditioning for the Mavs. She doesn't mention DCC in her segment. I hadn't heard of it before, and thought maybe someone else here might not have heard or watched the videos!

I think it's overall impression (looks and dance) that allows some girls to get away with "twerking" and for others it's crass. KaShara had that huge smile on her face and just looks down-home sweet. Cerstan was really upbeat, and it looked like her solo had some comedic moves, from the way the judges were smiling and the laughter. (I REALLY want to see her entire solo!) Kalyssa has an ultra sexy look. Sometimes, when that's combined with an ultra sexy solo, its all just too much. May not be fair, but it is what it is. I like Kalyssa and agree that her 2nd outfit was much better than her first.

Katelyn was the other finalist I'd hoped would have made TC. And what's wrong with cat-like? I think Kalyssa is rather cat-like too. I hope Katelyn gives it another go next year.

The dark haired Alexandra didn't make it, the blonde Alexandra did. I really liked the dark haired one. Kelli said she had a lot of potential, but petered out on the field.