blairwaldorf

I hope that when Meredith auditions again next year at least one of the judges has the balls to say she never should have made the team in the first place and insist that she be cut.

I don't understand how Meredith made this team. She can't do the DCC style, can't retain choreography, is dumb as a rock, blew her interview, and not a single group leader would put her on their team. Yet she was gifted a spot that she absolutely did not deserve. Is she a member of the Jones family or something?? If I were someone like Madeline S or Julia who had great potential but was cut, the fact that they put Meredith on the team would be enough to prevent me from coming back next year, just on principle. I can't see Meredith even lasting through a full season. She is way out of her league.

Lily, Kat, and Meredith would be easy cuts for me. I also think they could cut Kristin and Christina. I like Madeline S. She sometimes blends, but she rarely screws up badly enough to stand out, and she’s the most facially beautiful and well spoken rookie, IMO. Victoria looked good in the dance segments this episode, but I find her huge buck teeth distracting. She needs to get braces (which is probably frowned upon in DCC) or veneers. The spa segment and dog park segment were pointless and ridiculous. I would rather see dancing than staged small talk and non-dance related outings. Meredith reminds me of a brunette Amber Frey. I don’t think she’s pretty enough to justify overlooking her dance and memory issues. She’s completely overwhelmed by everything about this: the choreography, the pace, the expectations... If they do waste a spot on her, I’d be surprised if she even makes it through a full season.

I think Alexandra is someone that they took into training camp as filler, fully intending to cut her. I don't think Kelli ever had any intention of putting her on the team.

I do think legacies should be given extra consideration when it comes to making the team, and I'm even ok with taking a team of 37 or 38 instead of 36 if they have a legacy or two who are right on the cusp, especially if the mom is or has been heavily involved with DCC since retiring. For example, I think Dayton (Shelly's daughter) should have made the team last year. I think Victoria has been given a lot of special treatment, favoritism, and grace that wasn't extended to other legacies (Dayton last year, Madeline S.) who were just as good or better, and I don't think her name would have even been in the conversation for show group if she weren't Tina's daughter. For me, she's either blending and I don't notice her at all, or she's standing out in a bad way because she's sloppy or in someone else's space. She's not the worst in the room but she's also not one of the best. I don't know what Travis, Kelli, and others are seeing that makes them insist Victoria is an amazing dancer and the best in the room, but the dancing we see on the show certainly doesn't reflect that for me.

People who stood out in this episode: Jalyn: I've never cared for Jalyn, so I didn't mind her getting cut from show group. I wouldn't have put her on it in the first place last year. I wonder if there's a reason other than just getting outdanced in auditions. She was one of Kelli's clear favorites last year, so it's strange to me that they not only cut her but then called her to the carpet afterwards. Meredith: She needs to go. She stands out, in a bad way, in every single routine they've shown so far. Even when they're not focusing on her and she's in the background. She may be a beautifully trained ballet dancer, but she can't do the DCC style of dance. If she hasn't gotten it by now, she's not going to. I also don't see the amazing facial beauty that others do. Meredith and Jalyn both have what I consider to be more of a trashy look (or as Kelli calls it, "sexy.") I prefer the natural beauties over the ones with obviously unnatural hair colors and raccoon eyes, but that's just personal taste. Victoria: I wouldn't have put Victoria on show group, but I'm not surprised that Kelli did. She has improved since last year, but I don't think she's one of the best ones there and I don't think she's outdancing the veterans. Madeline S: I really like her. She struggles occasionally, but I think she has a lot of potential and as a legacy would be a great asset to the team. She's beautiful, smart, well-spoken, and a good dancer. Maybe not one of the best right now, but also IMO not one of the worst.

From what we've seen, Meredith can't do the DCC style of dance. I would have cut her this week. It appears that she struggles to keep up with the choreography, and when she does remember it, she looks awkward doing it.

Was Gabby the only veteran cut this year?

I have not missed Kitty at all and I could honestly do without her in future episodes as well. A few thoughts on this episode: None of the rookie candidates really stood out to me in a good way. I didn't care for Victoria's solo and I'm surprised Kelli was so blown away by it. Do the DCC even do lyrical outside of show group? I didn't think it was the best routine for showcasing that Victoria can do DCC style dancing. I'm glad they didn't take Malena back. She hadn't improved and unfortunately with her inability to retain choreography, she isn't ever going to be a fit for this team. I cannot for the life of me figure out how Christina continues to keep her spot (or how she made it in the first place). There must be something really special about Christina that just doesn't come across on TV. I don't see how else she could bomb in her interview, get outdanced by the rookie candidates as a veteran for the second year in a row, and still keep her spot. I like Kristin but I think she looks a lot heavier than she was last year. I wonder if this will be an issue. Hip Hop Maddie sure does think she's a big deal. She's good but IMO nowhere near as good as she thinks she is.

Kat looks like Beyoncé. I would not have taken Malena into finals. She may be pretty and nice and knowledgeable about football, but she can’t retain choreography and that’s not something you can fix. I actually felt like the group of girls taken into finals was pretty weak overall. No one stood out as being exceptional all around. Maybe it’s just due to editing, but based on what we saw, I don’t see these girls giving the veterans any serious competition for their spots.

Taylor is Christina 2.0. I would have cut her in a heartbeat over Lily. If I were Lily, I would not come back. Cutting her on the last night when she’s never been in the office before suggests that there’s a reason other than dance that they don’t want her on the team. What they did to her was a slap in the face and I wouldn’t waste my time again. Malena’s cut was unfortunate but long overdue. They should have released her before she quit her job. She can’t retain choreography and that’s not something you can teach.

How do the stickers work? Is there a limit to how many stickers each person can give? Are they week-by-week, or accumulated throughout training camp? It seems like that would be a pretty easy way to make cuts. Victoria, having only one sticker, would be the first logical cut. Other girls who only have one or two would be next. IMO, Victoria, Kristen, and Malena all should have gone home this week. They're all consistently struggling, have been struggling (VK with weight, the others with dance) from day one, and don't seem to be improving. If five cuts absolutely still have to be made, and those three are so clearly the weakest links with only 2 weeks left to go, it seems inevitable that they'll all go home. Why drag it out? I thought it was interesting that Kelli mentioned that in previous years they've been able to be more flexible with how many girls they took. I wonder if she was told this year that they could not take more than 36 for any reason.

I actually think it might be possible that Victoria truly did not realize how inappropriate her behavior was. If this is her first "job," maybe she didn't realize that treating the boss like Mommy's BFF in the workplace is not acceptable, even if that's what you do outside of the workplace. It's Kelli's job as director to shut that down as soon as it happens, but she not only allowed it, she positively reinforced it by rewarding Victoria with extra time, mentors, and warnings well past the point when anyone else would have been cut. I am shocked that Kelli's supervisor (Charlotte?) hasn't stepped in and gone over Kelli's head, since Kelli clearly isn't capable of doing her job when it comes to Victoria. Maybe she wasn't aware of what was going on. Either way, it's not a good look for Kelli.

I wasn't a huge fan of Taylor T, so she would have been an easy cut for me after the media day disaster. I am really surprised that even after Kelli realized Victoria had blown Jinelle off, she STILL kept her for another week. Is there something outstanding about Victoria that we just aren't seeing in the edit? Why are they giving her chance after chance? I don't want to hear "because she's a legacy," because Dayton was a legacy and Kelli couldn't have cared less about giving her the "respect" of more time. I am also curious as to how Amber made show group. IMO, she's not DCC beautiful, her dancing doesn't grab my attention, and she blew the mock interviews with Brenda. She wouldn't even be in my top 36 for the team, much less in consideration for show group, but I guess they're seeing something that isn't coming across in the edit.

I think Victoria is pretty. IMO she looks better with more natural, toned down makeup. I feel like the heavy makeup ages her. I wonder if Shelly or Judy could move into Kelli's position. I actually think Shelly would be good. She's a DCC alum and she is already employed by DCC, so it would just be moving into a different role. I liked her in the brief segments we saw where she was helping Dayton. She looks like she would be a very hands on director who could strike a good balance of constructive criticism and approachability.

I was shocked by how Kelli treated Madeline and Kristin in their office visits. I found it unnecessarily rude. I don't care how they edited it; the facial expressions, tone of voice, and way she was interrupting them were unprofessional and unnecessary. Miranda's terror over Kitty changing the way Kelli and Judy feel about her says a lot. Kitty needs to go. Is she even an actual employee of the DCC? Either way, she's toxic, and she's way too old to be bullying and sabotaging the girls she doesn't care for. And yet again, Kelli gives a girl who has consistently been struggling and from what we have seen is NOT improving (Kristin) a second (more like 4th or 5th) chance, yet she couldn't seem to release Dayton fast enough. The cuts this season are not adding up. I've enjoyed Kelli on past seasons, but this one is bringing out a new side of her and it's not a good look.

The issue I have with the Dayton cut is that I don't think they did give her a fair chance to earn it. They cut her just as she was really starting to improve. And I do think when a legacy is cut, their mother is owed at the very least the courtesy of a heads up. And preferably, if she wants it, an explanation as to why... and it needs to be a better explanation than just, "She wasn't top 36 that particular week and it was a cut night, so we decided to cut her even though there were other girls who were weaker."

I guess we will have to agree to disagree on that. If the mom left the squad in bad standing, no, her daughter shouldn't get special consideration. But if the mom has been actively involved and raised the daughter within the DCC, and the mom is actually employed by the DCC, then yes, I think it's appropriate to give that candidate extra consideration. They sure as heck did for Cassie Trammell. Should they give her someone else's spot if she truly didn't earn one? No. If they have to take 36 and she's not top 36, don't take her. But we've seen on the show that rookie class numbers are not set in stone, and I don't think there's anything wrong with taking a squad of 37 instead of 36 when they've got 36 great girls and a legacy right on the cusp.

Because when you are a legacy, the organization is a big part of your life. If you cut a legacy (especially one like Dayton), you aren't just cutting her from some little dance team. You're rejecting and shutting her out of something that is a major part of her family's life. Shelly did more than "once make the team." It appears that it's been a big part of her (and Dayton's) life for the past 20 years. Legacies and their families have invested a lot in DCC (time, money, loyalty, representation, emotion) that non legacies frankly haven't. So, yes, I think DCC should invest more in them. A legacy who loves and is committed to the DCC, and has been involved with DCC for her entire life, is such a powerful asset. I would much rather have someone like Dayton, who has grown up with the organization and has family ties to it, than someone who is a great dancer but has no respect for the uniform or the tradition.

@ShellyB If Kelli had offered you the option of a courtesy call in the event that she was going to cut Dayton, would you have wanted that, or did you prefer not knowing? I personally feel like legacies SHOULD get special consideration, especially when their mothers are still heavily involved in the organization. Being cut as a legacy is not the same as being cut when you're just a regular candidate. It's just not. I thought Dayton handled it as well as could be expected. I think legacies should be given every opportunity to make this team, and IMO, that includes letting them do all 8 weeks (or however long it is) of training camp before making a decision. And even then, the decision should come down to more than just "Is she top 36?" Cutting a legacy, especially one who may not quite be there yet but COULD get there with some extra help, should never be taken lightly. I don't think it's unfair to the other girls to give a legacy, whose family has been loyal to the organization for 20 years, extra consideration or special treatment in certain circumstances. Should they put them on the team if it means bumping a more qualified girl or if there's just no way the legacy can do it? No. But should they strongly consider taking a larger team than anticipated to accommodate a legacy who may not be top 36 this year but IS DCC material? Yes, IMO. A legacy should never be one of the first cuts. And Dayton certainly should not have been cut before Malena, who has no DCC ties and was NOT ALLOWED TO DANCE with her previous team because she's incapable of memorizing choreography. I didn't think Dayton was necessarily top 36 at the moment, but she didn't deserve to be cut as early as she was, and if they had given her more of a chance I think it's possible she could have gotten there.

Wow. That is just so wrong. I would have been furious.

I really hope they at least gave Dayton's mother the courtesy of a phone call to let her know that Dayton was going to be cut. I realize they don't do this for all TCCs, but I do think it's a consideration that should be given to legacies, especially legacies like Dayton, where the mother is actually employed by the organization and the TCC has grown up in it. If I were Dayton's mom, I would be furious that Dayton, who is improving and really stood out at Show Group auditions, was released but Victoria, who is not improving and has gained ELEVEN POUNDS since auditions was given more time AND a personal coach to help her make this team. Why are they bending over backwards to give VK extra help but throwing Dayton to the wolves and in fact telling her, "You will not make this team just because you're someone's daughter." I honestly may have quit my job over the way Dayton was treated if I were in her mom's position. At the very least, I would be in Kelli, Judy, and Charlotte's offices raising hell. I'm glad Dayton has found a great opportunity with Royal Caribbean, but that doesn't change the fact that the way she was treated by DCC is unacceptable. If they were going to extend Victoria the "respect" of more time because she's a legacy, they should have done the same for Dayton. Given the circumstances, there is no excuse for releasing her but keeping Victoria AND going out of their way to help Victoria not get cut. Kitty Carter's influence over this organization and affiliation with DCC needs to end. What a nasty b!tch. Her "honesty" isn't constructive. It's unnecessarily mean and unprofessional. And, frankly, it's hard to take comments about TCC being "fat," "unattractive," or having a bad attitude seriously when they are coming from a woman who looks and acts like Kitty. I would not be surprised if Kelli wasn't planning on cutting Dayton but Kitty steamrolled her into it to buy VK some extra time. And I do not think Judy wanted to cut Dayton but it appeared her hands were tied. Malena, Kristin, and Victoria need to go. They're not ready and they're not improving despite multiple warnings.

Haha I was totally wrong then!

VK is second from last on the bottom row. The first picture on the second to last row looks like Dayton. Second from the right on the second to last row: Brennan.

Dayton was great in the hip hop dance they did at SG tryouts. Wow! I guess hip hop is her style. She outdanced everyone in her group on that routine. Victoria clearly expected Kelli to put her on SG just because she's Victoria and was stunned when it didn't happen. And it's certainly understandable how someone who grew up with Cassie Trammell would expect that, but it's still not a good look. Victoria doesn't seem to understand (or care) that when it comes to DCC, Kelli is her boss - not Mommy's BFF. Judy seems annoyed by VK's entitlement and inappropriately casual attitude, but is obviously in the tough position of not really being able to say anything about it because of the blatant favoritism shown to Cassie from the moment they placed her (in a spot she absolutely didn't deserve) on the team. I do not get the Jalyn love. She's one of my least favorite TCC. I cannot believe they let Malena resign from her job to stay in Training Camp. Based on what we saw in this episode, I don't think she could even make a high school dance team in Texas. She's cute, but she cannot dance at this level. And it's not just the memory issues.