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100%. I remember one year at first meeting, Kelli said something like, everyone has a title or a crown or a championship--meaning to me, rookies, you only used to be big fish. That would be a very difficult thing to adjust to, I'd think. Some DCC handle it better and with more grace than others, which is always interesting to see. Strangely, I repeatedly looked at those side by side pictures of Madeline and had a hard time telling what might be different and thinking they pics look a lot alike! I also think her face has changed this year (not visible to me in those pics, obvi), and I attribute it to fillers and less-invasive procedures than surgery. I do not think Jaylyn looks as good with her lip fillers as she did without them. She just looks like someone with thin lips that are now full of stuff. Watching her lips move while she talked this season, they just looked kind of strange to me. I'm a Jaylyn fan and I am loving her redemption arc in year 4. I hope she doesn't feel like she has to keep doing stuff to her face to look young and pretty. I think a lot of ladies just want to try it and experiment and think why not, if it is free or at reduced price. Not my cup of tea, but they didn't ask me!

I feel like I read this situation differently with Madeline S her first audition year. I didn't take it as a snub (faux or otherwise) or an indication that she didn't remember cheering with Madeline's mom. Madeline is not a spitting image of her mom, so I could see not immediately recognizing her as one of the legacies trying out. But, if it was some posed snub or mis-recognition, it seems pretty lame and pointless to me. That was one of my first seasons watching the show! The Minchew pageant sisters dropped out of TC and they brought back Kami, who tried really hard but was too behind in the dances to catch up. She was pretty mad the next year when she didn't get an invitation to training camp, but her audition was rough and her kicks a mess, IIRC.

I agree that Jenn's media endorsement seems right in line for her and is cheesy-lame. She seems like she probably grew up in the world of studio cliques and now gets to be a queen bee of sorts in Dallas. If VK does try out again, I will be very interested in what we get to see of the discussions of her in the larger judging panels--as in, what folks besides K think and say about her (we almost never saw Judy saying anything about VK). Is it too early to think that this is going to be one of the largest groups of returning vets? There are not many I'm eager to see retire, so that would be fine with me. Plus, a smaller rookie class might mean 1) more focus on each rookie for the show, and 2) more attention to vets and what training camp is like for them. Wishful thinking, I know.

I also think Kellee could be a future leader and triangle/point! One of my absolute favorites of the season, and you could tell how much her teammates and K & J love her. She seems to keep a cool head and focus, is a beautiful dancer and a great performer. Her photogenic face and body language also are a mark in her favor for point. I can only imagine how on fire and confident she'll be after a couple years as a DCC! She definitely is one of my pics/hopes to go far in this rookie class. Of this rookie class, I'd love a Kellee, Megan, Tyra triangle! And I hope each of them (plus Lea) stay long enough to get their time in the spotlight and be at least 2nd GL. Really, I like the whole rookie class! Each year, K & J do a pretty great job of cutting the ones I don't favor as much for various reasons. Like Ava--beautiful dancer and performer, yes, but her immaturity was a real presence, and I think that kind of thing does have a tendency to impact locker room dynamics and be a public image risk factor. I totally get their decision. I also didn't love Presley, Madyson, Amanda, or Bre last year, and it's like K & J just knew my mind and cut them.

Sure! I feel like she was "campaigning" because she always put herself front and center whenever vets are dancing in a large group, and when guest choreographers were teaching to the full group. It just felt like she always wanted to be, Look at me!! Kind of front and center repeatedly the way some folks here complain about VK situating herself. The example that most sticks out in my mind and got me noticing this front and center with guest choreographers thing was when Brittany Russell was there. Gina threw down so hard that Judy awkwardly asked, "What has Gina gone and done now?" when she did those freestyle moves, almost kicking Marissa in the face with some reverse snake maneuver before then throwing herself backwards on her knees for the grand finish. It was full-out and extra in the ways they are expected to be and certainly point has to bring it, but it really looked to me like she almost kicked her teammate in the face trying to get noticed on the first night of vets in training camp, and that just felt like some kind of metaphor to me for a certain level of her thirst. I also do not forget that Gina announced her rookie year that she never likes to be in the back and always wants to be in the front and the center of attention, so it makes sense to me that this is part of her personality and strategy in striving for point all these years.

Love Claire and Armani in a future triangle, but I hope not to see Marissa in it--though I think she's a real candidate based on how much TPTB love her and how far they moved her up this year. I do not care for Marissa's pagent-y presentation, which seemed toned down her second year but still puts me off a bit. By pagent-y, I mean she just seems rehearsed and like she knows the "right" thing to say and has a certain cheese factor to me. I don't want to look at her face in the triangle all the time. It would be like Amy-Maddie 2.0 to me, but to give Marissa credit, with better performance and dancing. Do folks think Rachel W will retire? If Gina's staying, I'd like to see at least one fresh face at point next year. Just beacuse. I'd be fine if Gina retires, too! She is an amazing dancer, but I don't always love watching her dance in a group for various reasons. Her overall thirst rubs me the wrong way, and while I do think she has genuinely learned to become a great team player, she also has campaigned so hard for point that I got tired of it. (Not as tired as I'm sure she was of getting overlooked for so long.) Every rehearsal and especially with guest choreographers, she was front and center--which is exactly what she said her rookie year in a talking head, that she always wants to be in the front and hates to be in the back or lost in a group. So, whoever said upthread that they didn't think Gina had changed that much since her rookie season, I see the point. To me, her persistent thirst is off-putting, but I also can see that it has fed her persistence that has gotten her DCC point at last.

I hope the ladies who are ill recover quickly and fully. I love Kelcey in the triangle too!! I've been wanting to see her in the triangle or at point since her rookie season. Her dancing is just so smooth and effortless and she always draws me in. I feel like I wasn't consistently wowed by Claire's DCC style last year, but I think she's been killing it this year and will only get better. I hope to see Kelcey as a 2nd leader next year (and in the triangle or directly behind point) and expect to see Claire as a leader as well. Maybe Erin will retire now that she's getting married and has put in her 4 years? I admire Erin's dancing, but I am ready for her to retire. I'm not particularly sad about Lexie or Taylor retiring. I like them both and I'm glad Lexie got PBC--she's had a long pro career, and I like that, because I remember she didn't make her first college dance team she tried out for and I admire that she didn't give up. I've loved watching Amber dance these past years and never understood how so many people thought she was forgettable. She dances on fire and she has delivered every time she has danced at point/as lead. She's had a great run. I'm also ready for Kristin, Gina, Rachel, Madeline, and Marissa to retire.

🤣 😂 🤣. So polite and yet so...pointed and on point! I'd love to see it. Or, if they insist on the scenes with MRS, then please just let us hear more feedback from the vet than MRS saying, "Get out of your head," etc. I like the game and expansion! Favorite: Ashlee Fave who will never be point: Kat Love to see at point/triangle from current SG: Ashlee, Kelcey, Chandi & Caroline, Armani, McKenzie Favorite rookie: Tyra (Kellee and Megan are close 2nds) Added: Favorite not on Show Group: tie between Dani and Elli

The first part of this, about someone being standoffish at Gillie's and elsewhere during the tour of Dallas team bonding day, Kelli was talking about Kristin her first year in training camp! The rest of it you and everyone else mentioned? Yep, that was Gina. I've been rewatching some of the episodes, and I just noticed that Judy and Kelli said at the first rookie rehearsal that Amber was struggling or going to struggle more than they thought. I'd not remembered that, so it's interesting to see she's been coming from behind all of camp, or at least up and down during TC. I also am noticing what a crier she is! She has teared up in at least 4 different talking moments. I suppose that's a testimony to the heart they put in and also what an emotional roller coaster training camp is. But, whew! Apparently, at least sometimes, yes! Sydney Durso posted about this incident with a kicker when she was on the field years ago. The kicker looks like such a childsih ass with how he goes about warming up while the DCC were doing their kick line. Not the finest sportsmanship!

I think Megan is stunning, and she is one of my favorite rookies! Which is saying something, because, as per usual, I like most of the rookie class. Megan has those beautiful almond-shaped blue eyes and such a bright smile and personality, and as Judy notes, great musicality. Like Tyra, she exudes happiness when she dances and I love it. I know opinions are objective, but I find it so surprising that she is in the bottom tier of the judging! 🤣

Loved Show Group auditions! I especially enjoyed hearing from Jacie, finally--especially her saying my favorite rookie Tyra was the "full package" (haha, but true). I liked MJ as a judge and the way media savvy testing was worked into the evening rather than done as a whole long day and separate segment. Tyra might be becoming one of my favorite DCCs ever! She is just so talented and beautiful and exudes an impressive joy and kindness. So glad she made SG! I'm not sure I really question anyone who made SG, but I would have loved to see Ellie and Dani make it, too. They are two of my favorite 2nd years--but there's hardly anyone in that cohort I did not care for, except for Alora-Rose, so I'm kind of shamefully looking forward to Friday's episode and finding out some semblance of what happened with her. (I don't know we will see what really happened, if you know what I mean.) Interesting to see what they were talking about with Rebecca being a little soft in the DCC style. Excellent that she worked that issue out to make the team. Go Judy for defending Megan! She is one of my favorite rookies and I'm here for it. Can't wait for rookie makeovers and group leader announcements!

I see you, @dccfan204! 😂

Also: I'm so excited for the next episode! I love knowing we get to hear real opinions from at least one guest judge, and I'm excited to see Criscilla (?) teach for the first time. I loved the choreo I saw her doing with vets seemingly ages ago. It was a fun mix of poppy hip-hop and country funk dance styles that seemed very DCC appro and like it would read well on a field or sidelines. I know some folks are bored, and I agree there's always much to critique, but I am enjoying this season so far. Of course there are scenes I find boring that could be shortened or cut altogether (MRS coaching, McMansion tour, etc) and I wanted to hear more opinions from some of the guest judges who are not MRS, but I feel like I am getting introduced to at least one or two rookies each episode, I am loving that I'm seeing so much new fresh choreo (instead of seeing all the same old dances, though of course we spot some of those, too), and I have enjoyed all the guest judges. I would like to see more of the vets, especially 2nd years who still are field rookies and a better goodbye for Daphne, but overall, I am having fun.

I always am bothered so much that they sometimes put short people in the very middle and the extra tallies in random spots! I don't personally need it to flow from tallest in the center to shortest on the edges with the triangle (as in the kickline), but I do think the triangle looks better when you have the tallest best women down the center. I get especially peeved when they put a short(ish) person right behind point. I don't know why Kelli and Judy need to hear this, but you can't really see the people behind point unless they are tall. I almost put that in shouty caps. Back in the day, they had tall ladies behind point and it looked so good in pictures and different camera angles--Kelsey Bond, Kinzie, Lauren O., etc. Then, they randomly stuck Erica behind point and it was like that became a slot for shorter women. It drove me nuts that Tess wasn't behind point--I thought the triangle would look so much more balanced that way, and while I like Tess more than most folks here did, I didn't see her as top three for triangle and still think behind point would have been a better slot for her. ITA that Taylor should be strong enough to be in the middle. Jada kills it in comparison to Taylor in the dancing and the kick line and jump splits. I like Taylor well enough, but I always thought her kicks were low to be one of the middle DCC in the kickline. She looks like she's marking it half the time next to Jada. Kelcey would be my pick for behind point this year for at least one triangle (I'm all for Kelcey for point some day), and I also would go for Caroline there, because I think she's been robbed in her placement this year. I could see Jada, Dani, or even Jessica behind point for their 3rd years. (I've predicted that Jessica is going to grow tremendously as a dancer and get a new glam glow and become a great DCC down the line, so she's my dark horse for that rookie class.)

I'm sorry, Tyra tried out before and didn't make it to training camp?!? I can't. Truly shocking news to me! Interesting. I found Cailey to be poised and eloquent through all of her talking head moments, even when she was in so much pain after rehearsal, so I did not see the discomfort being on camera. But I totally agree with the rest! Would love to see a glamorizing Lea makeover! She has an interesting kind of ripple in her otherwise very straight hair that seems to go all the way around her head, about ear-level. Maybe some layers to give some texture and toss to her hair, and some eye makeup magic to help her eyes pop more. Add seeing her makeover to my wishlist with KayDianna and her eyeshadow tutorial. 100% a hilarious and real possibility about Tori. I'd like to think that isn't how it all went down, and that even if producers told her to bring the picture, she got to be genuine about how it felt to come back this year. I don't think the tears were faked, even if the scene was forced. I like Tori way more this year than I did last year. She and Jada looked great dancing next to each other!

Lauren G. was not on my original list, but I agree with other posters on this. She was a makeover/glam-up candidate who is an amazing dancer, and she's a perfect example of what the team misses when Kelli and Charlotte don't listen to Judy. Now, Grace Sells was on my original list and is one of few training camp cuts I truly disliked. In the end, most cuts from training camp, I see clearly why the cuts were made to agree. I thought Grace's figure looked lovely (she was cut for physique), and she was a fabulous performer. One of my favorites in that training camp. Whoever said Mandy Correa got my other one! Mandy was such a great dancer (even though she didn't get highlighted enough that season IMO) and even Judy said she was one of the power performers. I seriously kept wondering why they didn't just put some lifts in her boots, since the only time her height seemed like a big deal was on the field and especially in the kick line. So, give her a couple inches boost, just like Tom Cruise! I bought mine on iTunes this yea, and while there have been issues in the past, this season's episodes have been available the next morning like clockwork. At least, so far. YES! She's one of my favorite rookies and my front runner for ROTY! Her dancing is amazing and she seems so joyful and like one of the most encouraging and supportive teammates. I like a lot of the rookies so far. I'm really wanting a show introduction to Amber, Rebecca, Megan, and Jensen. We haven't gotten to see much of Jensen at all, but already she's one of my favorite rookies because she reminds me of Heather O with her eyes and hair. Ha! But really, it's true. I'd like an intro to Ashley W, as I'd love to see her come back next year and make it, but I'm more for show emphasis on girls who do make the team than getting us invested in women who get cut. (No regrets on Cailey's segment last week, though!) I see the Christina-Savannah comparisons some are making, but I think, at this point, Savannah is a much cleaner dancer (even as a rookie). Christina seems a bit out of control a lot of the time. I like her well enough, but I'm not won over by her dancing yet. I am rather curious about her relationship with KayDianna, though. Didn't they just graduate from the same TCU team? I wonder if they are friends. Anyone know? Based on dance and performance, I certainly can see why KayDianna was captain and Christina was not. I wish they would share more about these dance world connections and communities related to DCC! Just in these first episodes, they could have mentioned Jessica's ties to Melissa (the Emerald Belles kicking coach), Amber's ties to Megan C thru U of M, and KayDianna and Christina coming from the same college team and trying out for the same pro team together. I agree with others, this seems more interesting and pertinent than a lot of the sob stories and family chatter on the show (and I do like seeing the ladies with their families, but I'd like to see the editor be more judicious with those scenes).

Right there with you, and been there since episode 1 for all the reasons you said. I also do not care for many of her facial expressions when she dances. Last episode (or the one before), she had some real stank face going on--it was almost startling the brief moment she was shown smiling on camera in this episode. She looked like a DCC there, but I don't think she has the maturity to be a good ambassador or team mate at such a young age. Yes, I loved all the dancing, too--and also that we got to see Evan do his full choreo last week! It feels like we are getting more sustained glimpses of the dancing this season. But what I have really missed in the past two episodes is seeing K & J sit down with the guest choreographers after rehearsal to get their opinions, top 36, and picks for point. We got some commentary during rehearsal from Denise, but we didn't see after-talks with Denise (on any of her 3 nights), Evan, or Melissa. I mean, why would we want to hear what these pros think of the vets or rookies? Who did Evan think nailed his choreo, and does he still advocate for Gina for point three years later? Who did Melissa think were the best and weakest vet kickers? Which rookies did she think were strong? Inquiring minds want to know. I love Tyra's dancing and her attitude! Nice to see more of Megan's dancing this episode and hear the comments on her. She had caught my eye with Evan's choreo last week--usually on the edge of the screen. She can groove and I'm a fan. I'm pulling for Kelley--loved how joyful she was during her freestyle, and I am enjoying seeing all the coaches and vets and rookies pulling for her to show what she's really got, because she is an absolutely beautiful dancer and also because she seems so genuine. She can be fierce! I just cannot with KayDianna's full-lid pink eye shadow. I would love to see some makeup tutorials for certain rookies as part of the makeovers episode. I feel like we saw one, once, as an extra clip online, but I'd seriously love to see how she's told to fix that ugly eyeshadow. She is one of several ladies I think would look so much prettier with less or differently applied makeup. She is a lively and mostly clean dancer, so I see why she stands out among the rookies, but I want to see her extra facials to get toned down as much as her eyeshadow. Just smile, like Judy says. The competitive cheer and pageant style performance facials always are a turn off for me. Poor Cailey! I'm glad she was introduced to us before she was cut. She seems just lovely, inside and out, and was so poised and graceful through all of training camp in spite of her back pain. I also was glad to know of her important work during the pandemic--it feels like this is the first time in 2 seasons that the show really has directly addressed the impact of the pandemic, aside from all the ways that they were making the "bubble" last year to protect themselves from Covid. Many of us do not see the kind of loss Cailey talked about--daily deaths of patients and losing a dozen family members--and it felt like a real moment on the show that didn't pretend like everything is back to normal. I, too, hope she heals, and I would love to see her be a strong comeback girl like Tori or Madeline S. What is Kelli wearing in the first rehearsal of this episode? She looks like she decided to wear her pandemic lounge wear to work. I mean, on the one hand, I respect it--many of us are embracing more comfortable work wear after working from home for so long, and Kelli is entitled to be comfortable, too. But, on the other, the ruffles and bell bottoms were not flattering. Definitely one of her wardrobe misses this season for me.

Madeline just can't hide her vanilla sometimes. She looked almost as awkward as her rookie round of TC, but she rallied with grace, so good for her. But, yeah, I agree with others that she and Erin and Taylor all appear to be getting outperformed at the start of their 4th training camp. This is the most perfect polite way of saying you don't like something I ever could imagine, and I love it so much! It's like the sincerely sweet Southern version of "bless your heart," but DCC-specific! I may be missing one or two rookies, but I think that Nicole Bulcher's rookie class only had 7 or 8 ladies in it: Nicole Bulcher, Ann Lux, Lauren Oliver, Sasha Agent, Kaitlin LeGrand, Stephanie Heyman, and Alyssa Sarisani. Season 6, I think? Episode 2 did not make me like Ava more. She felt so faux to me with her "is best solo good?" moment last episode, and she has yet to wow me on the field. She has some good moments, when she is hitting it more sharply than her usual more lyrical style, but she's just clearly trained differently and it's a bit awkward to watch. Also, at some point she was dancing with a hard-core stank face on, and it was quite off-putting to me. Lea was great. Armani killed it and looked smoking to me. Rachel W actually gave Gina a run for her money during part of BPR's choreo (obviously not the freestyle part!). Dani, McKenzie, Gina, Jaylyn, and Lexie looked good to me in the glimpses I saw. Would have loved to see Ashlee, Caroline, Amber, and more of Eliie featured with that dance and in this episode. I felt absolutely fine about all of the cuts coming so early, and I loved BPR's demeanor, groove, and feedback. I want to learn that choreography, and I think she'd make a great Show Group judge! Oh, Daphne. 😪

Great find--thank you! Count me among the fans of this performance. They look so strong! Clean, great energy (yes, except for Kristin, my goodness, girl), nice views of a number of the ladies dancing, with a steady camera to boot. Wow to the rookies, and go Gina! Everyone looks great, except those called out. Kristin looks like she's marking it and dialing it all in, Madeline looks a bit awkward. Erin looks the same to me. I'm happy for her being appointed 2GL, but I'll be fine for her to retire after this year. I'm interested to see what goes on with Madeline in next week's episode. She looked so awkward in the preview, and she just looked a little off here too. Did she get injections or something? I feel like her face looks just a scootch different and more frozen, but I can't put my finger on it. It's not her lighter hair, I don't think. I've liked Madeline well enough over the years, but this video and the preview for episode two remind me of her first year in TC when she seemed so young and awkward and vanilla. McKenzie, wow, what a bombshell performer and figure! And Lea has totally won me over with her energy and her moves. She radiates something awesome when she dances! Overall, what a strong team, and it makes me way more excited for the next episodes. I second your post and your eye seems pretty good to me! You see the technique in the performances as well as the musicality and that je ne sais quoi of a performer who can make you really feel it. You also see some of the clunkiness, which means your eye isn't undiscerning. And you love Kelcey, so you clearly have good taste! 😂 The most important thing is how much you enjoy watching someone or not, whatever your level of "training" as dancer or armchair judge. Yes to what everyone is saying about Ellie's solo this year, and I agree it pales in comparison to the energy and execution of last year's video. But I'm still a big fan of hers--her dancing energy is fierce, she is so fun to watch perform, and she is gorgeous. I see her as triangle contender material and would love to see her as a GL down the line. As for Taylor, I think the Savannah comparison is a very good one. They are both fairly boring yet clean dancers with well pointed feet who blend, and their strengths are in their ambassadorship. But for me, they blend in that more positive way. Neither stands out to me like Kristin consistently does, for example, for low energy or weaker body lines.

I really enjoyed KayDianna's family! And since I think that women and girls should all be taught to love ourselves more, I give her a pass, too. It's a little strange to put it that way, but self love is healthy and that is positive role modeling I think. But really, she needs to calm the facials. She just seems like a really enthusiastic person, and her enthusiasm might make her a little extra. I'm a fan of her dancing so far, though! Haha, Duggar hairdo! I die. I think Chandi has both sultry and sweet down pat! I have been a big fan of hers from day 1, and think the sultry is mostly her growing up more and gaining confidence. In both her sultry and sweet modes, she just seems genuine to me. I'm not sure how to explain it. Genuine joy, maybe? I would love to see her as group leader down the line. Hoping we see Kitty later in the season. Very excited for some of the guest choreographers and judges. I wish we heard from Jacie as a judge. We hear all the time from Melissa, but Jacie wasn't just a DCC, she was a rockstar DCC and group leader who went on to be a Rockette. I want to hear from her!!!

Oh, that's a big thing I couldn't put my finger on about Ashlinn's look! She just seemed overall softer and more glowy to me, but I wasn't sure why. Her shock blonde of her hair might be toned down a little, too. Some of her dancing in this episode was just wow. Marshall's hair blowing in the breeze of that fan was awesome, and they edited that as a reaction shot perfectly. I'm here for your contemplated name change. And yes, re: Ava! I said above her mom bugged me more than she did, but you just reminded me how faux she seemed in this moment. False modesty or dumb blonde, not sure which she was playing but neither is a good look to me. And it was weird, because she was almost hilariously forthright when saying to the cameras, maybe they want to talk to me because I practically fell over on the field. A weird shift to what then seemed like a cluelessly sweet front with Kelli and Judy. Speaking of Judy, I thought she was hilarious talking about her dream about Kat's dance. And I kind of thought we didn't see more of Kat's dance because they didn't want to show too much of her booty in that Brazilian or thong leotard she appeared to be wearing. But yeah, that was some buildup to see almost nothing of Kat's solo.

I love auditions episodes, but I also like the idea that the episodes this season are focusing in on the most talented dancers from the start. I mean, I loved the terrible dancers scenes etc., but I found it fun to watch a good bit of solos from the beginning. I also read @HitItHarder..BAM's user name in Kitty's voice, and I love it and get a kick out of it every time! Other episode thoughts: From her first time on the screen, Ashlinn looked more beautiful and confident and her dancing seems next level from last year's training camp. There is something more relaxed and confident about her dancing that just adds something to her already gorgeous performance skills. Good for her! While I agree that diving into her deepest and most personal pain immediately is jarring, I am impressed with her courage and admire her for speaking up about domestic violence, whatever the context. Still needs to work on nailing her end pose, though. Get it, Ashlinn! I loved some of the TCC solos: Tyra, Amber, Rachel, and wow, Madeline S is all grown up! It was kind of lovely to see Tyra and Amber a little emotional after they each nailed their solos. Maybe it's just been that kind of year, I dunno! Solo clips of Jada, Chandi, Kelcey, Ashlee, Amber and Caroline all looked fantastic to me. Armani's costume showed off her figure in a whole new way that added some new "wow" to her performance. Aside from that one DCC in Motion of her they posted a while back that seemed kind of flat, I totally see why K & J and the judges gush over her. She is so fun to watch, just like MR said. Alora-Rose's solo looked great, but I'm still not really a fan of hers. Can't wait to see that previewed convo with Kelli about auditioning for the Rockettes! Wish we'd seen more of Dani, Ellie, and Jaylyn in this episode. Kat's kicks looked surprisingly beautiful. Don't yet love: Presley, Ava, or Erin F. Presley is a beautiful dancer, but somehow I don't care for her look. Maybe she just needs a glam makeover. I also don't love Lea's look, but that girl can dance in such a way that I want to watch more. It may not be fair, but the main thing I hold against Ava from this episode is her mom. Ava is beautiful and her dancing is gorgeous. Mom just seemed like such a stage mom, where it seems sweet how much she cheers on her baby, but underneath it, it seems to me that her sense of self and happiness are invested in her daughter's successes and that she puts a lot of pressure on Ava to perform and achieve. I got a weird vibe from the little we saw of her waiting for Ava after the judges' showcase and her meeting with K & J. I like Klein and think she is strong, but I would like to see her (and Kaydianna!) calm down those competitive cheer and pageant performance-style facials and just smile. I also think Kleine is adorable but could use some makeover polish. Her curls could use some polish and I bet some makeup adjustments would take her from cute girl next door as she showed up in training camp to more of a knockout. I feel like I've seen pictures of her with darker hair and I thought she was more striking, but I may be imagining things? And lastly: Poor Daphne. 😪

Does she make the team? Or are they just introducing us to TCCs they cut so far? I have to hunt up the roster, because I really don't know any new TCCs or who makes it, and I like to be fully spoiled when I watch the show. But, if anyone has one of those amazing rosters with pics on hand that one of the enterprising posters here has made, please feel free to share! Also, here is my Bingo/drinking card for the auditions episodes:

ITA. It doesn't even look like she's really trying compared to the others and looks more like she's marking it. I was ready for her to retire before becoming point. I think Rachel is a much better point than Amy was--more beautiful to look at in terms of face, hair, and body, and, I think, more pop to Rachel's dancing. I was coming on here to complain that, on the morning of the season premiere, the show is not available on iTunes yet. So, seems like it's not available anywhere yet and someone at MTT/CMT does not have the shit together. Hoping this is not a sign of a season with episodes becoming available days after they air. Oooo, that's impossible to me--I really like too many of the vets! I'm going with a dual-point pick, since that's what K&J are doing now, and I would go with Ashlee and Amber. I have loved them both since their rookie season. Also for future points, I'd pick (in order) Kelcey, Ellie, and Dani. I also really love Chandi, but I'm cool with her just being in the triangle. (For the record, I love Chandi in the triangle! And if she were to get point, I'd be thrilled for her and expect she'd do an excellent job!)

Honestly, my immediate thought when she first filled my screen and I read her age at the bottom was, she's 22?! My second thought was, tell me she didn't make the team. Just not a DCC to me. I suspect that her appearance--slightly matured and dare I say a little hard for one so young--might have factored into her cut, and certainly that slightly messy dancing could have contributed, based on this video. Good dancer, but neither her looks nor her moves did anything for me. I know nothing else about her and am in full support of that cut.