larellG

I think they tried to add more diverse styles...so a mix of glams as well as the tom boy, athletic type. Even a couple of granolas but those usually never worked out. For example, there were two sisters on the team early on that were long time veterans I think. Their names escape me. Their builds and look were totally butch if left natural. Their builds were stocky and square, their faces were very manly with sharp features - one more than the other. Both got called out for physique and had to work with Jay. The net is they both had to work very very hard to glam it up enough to come off as DCC, lose weight, be completely restyled.They were great dancers so w/a lot of re-styling In the end they persevered but they were highly processed and absolutely nothing natural about them. Also, given it's in Texas - cowboy country - there are a lot of cowgirls that grow up with a lot of masculine influences and are a step away from Drag when they glam up. I have noticed that there are always 2 or 3 of these types on the team. They do usually wind up being J&K Favs - e.g. Brook, the sisters I am referring to. I'll come back with their names but they were also a blink away from Drag.

The show needs to be longer - at least an hour - and stop horsing around selecting people they know they will never keep because of their looks and skills - attractive enough face, minimum skill set (no kicks, no TCC entry ever), and then of course weight. If they truly selected 40ish high bar candidates, then competed for 10 cuts, that would be good drama. Instead, unfortunately there are usually too many to choose from each time. Even when we grow to like them or want an underdog to win, there are at least 10 every time that are noticeably behind the others in either skill, weight, or facial attractiveness. I think they need to raise the bar on who they let in right from the start and stop dragging the audience along for weeks, hoping and praying that someone like Taylor after 4 years will be able to get her kicks up to snuff on time...C'mon? They should have never let her back in after the first time if her kicks weren't there in the early rounds. Don't get me wrong, I loved Taylor and many others that lacked the flex...but if this team demands they must have it, then demand it before they ever get let in to TCC. Get rid of all Jay Exercises or breakout sessions. I don't want to see that. Now if he opened a training studio like kitties dance studio, and some of the girls with challenges take sessions, that would be ok. Then we have a variety of off-campus pros the girls can go to for support. Skip the sad family saga's and dramas...lets assume an audience as diverse as that - as all of us - has plenty of sadness and challenges to overcome. Replace it with what some of the other commentators have mentioned - how did they get to DCC (develop the interest, skill, find the support/$$ to come to Dallas and stay through TCC). More here and now human interest stories about the girls. How will they support themselves and each other while there; what are their longer term plans, success story features from Vets who have used DCC as a platform for greatness, etc. I would love to see more Miss Kitty Break out workshops...longer sets at the studio; Turnaround stories of the hardest workers - and how did they pay for the classes? A day in the life of these candidates and then reality of the team would be fantastic. So once they make it, then what. how is that year managed. I think about my days as a cheerleader in HS and that was really tough. We started training in early July with daily practice for 2 hours a day, five days a week. We went to a regional cheerleading camp at UC Davis for one week per summer where we had to learn 20 routines fast, and compete with many other HS's for regional ratings. Then there were pre-game scrimmages in Aug we had to be ready for in CA with 110 degree heat. Getting ready for the game in uniform was a big deal - not just having everything laid out and clean but emblems had to be re stiched every time; gear ready to go in case it rained; Then the theater of Hair and Make-up. Then when school started, we had daily field practice starting at 5:30AM, we then had athletic PE weight training for 1 hour during the school day; more practice immediately after school. We were all as thin as a rail because we were working out constantly and barely had time to eat. After practice, got home about 7-8PM, studied until midnight or until I fell asleep, and then got up and did it all over again through the Football season. Off season, there were workshops, appearances, added support to local events, etc. One expectation we had that DCC does not have and should have...we had to learn the football playbook so that we knew what was happening on the field real time and could adapt what we were doing to Game Play. We had to know right down to the hand signals the coach had by play and we would let the hand signals be the Q for what to do next - offense, defense, etc. We were beauties in our day but serious athletes and very very smart - all college bound. It was damn hard work all around. Sooo, it would be great to see a real day in the life of these ladies in the pro leagues.

I think it has to do with the controversy over pay that still has not been resolved. Although many argue that the girls Volunteer, you could make the same case for a many new/young musicians that often sign contracts and make their producers millions for years to come while they wind up in debt because they did not understand both what they were getting into or the value that their work would generate long after the recording. Many artists sue and get compensation years after the original recording or writing. Now with the ability to "record performance on demand" anywhere, it presents some interesting copy right and licensing scenarios that did not exist a couple decades ago and these women have rights that they should learn about and capitalize on. For example, those girls that agree to be shot/taped/replayed the most (however they do it) should get licensing rights like all other reality shows and every time the show is replayed, they should get a cut. Think of those kids from "the hills" for example. Some of those kids made 100K an episode. I think that the Vivian/Chelsey drama was possibly testing the waters into having something scripted though it was done very badly. Either way, I know the franchise has been trying to fight this but I think someone needs to step in on their behalf and professionalize the entertainment function and put the argument to bed. At a minimum, they should be paid minimum wage for TCC (non vet), vets should get paid a bit more and then when they make the team, there should be a tiered fee based on level of skill that could easily be established and graded. Then, they would get bonus pay for show group, all starts, any other appearance that they do. Then they would get licensing rights for life for anything that gets filmed and resold.

Agree, a Dance studio drama spin off. Kitty's Hell in Boots; Brainstorm Names Below.

ahh, thank you! got her totally mixed up.

Yea, Kitty and her Dance Studio platform would make a fantastic reality show - tracking how many of her students make it into TC, The Team, Duration on the Team, etc. Brainstorm the Title here - Hell in Boots, Dancing in Hell,...add below ;). What is that? She can't be serious? If so, she should be blacklisted for lack of Taste - AGAIN!

The little girl on the right in this pic looks like she has anorexia. Look at her arms and ribs. I speak of what I know having 2 friends w/life long battles.

R U sure? I thought when she came on the scene, looking like a teeny mouse, they did a whole intro section filming her at Dance class in Japan where her husband was stationed. They made her out to be such a young patriot and went on for a while about how hard it was to relocate and so on. Initially, I think J&K did not think she would make it at all but then she blew them away with her abilities vs height, talking like a Disney character, and so on. Did I get this story line mixed up? Thanks for correcting if so.

There are also women that just bloom very late - I was one of these - where I was probably the size of curly until I was 20, then with the same exercise routine and diet (minimal as I was not a foody when I was young) I began to get real curves and then for the first time in my life when hormones kicked in full throttle, I had to watch what I ate. I was a very physically active kid and young adult but at some point, we grow into women and that as we all know takes work :).

I thought Jenna was married to a guy in the Military?

Yea, Kitty is a tough old bird that looks like she could bust a move any minute to make a point as apposed to J&K that sit on their tails, clucking, flapping, and pecking non-stop.

Yes, it's like "don't die with the music still left in you..." a famous quote by someone :)...so whatever talent you have to give, give it while you can. Leave your mark, go for it with all you've got while you can, life is short, and so on. Hope that helps. Oh, and in line with the bucket list. So not only your talent but those dreams/goals on your list that you want to strive for. That is interesting and sad if that is the case - Graves Disease is another name for it I think. I initially thought she just might be very religious (e.g. "my mom took me on a mission to Africa [I think]" and that she was on the sauce "full of life every minute" sauce. Nothin wrong with that...but I think you may be on to something there.