S15 E06: Upstaged

[laprin]

1 hour ago, sATL said:

I have my speculations, but I can't prove. I don't want to start a rumor that I can't prove. 

1 hour ago, sATL said:

speculations come from being a parent - who has learned  to find a way to overcome obstacles and knowing the cost of college is extremely high. Also knowing that tuition bill negotiations do exist and happen with the financial aid office - like waiving out of state fees. It just seems like you work hard and provide financially all of k-12 to learn your craft, whether that be academics, dance , sports, etc, where there is a will , there is a way . There are books, websites, counselors, and financially planners that come up with legal , honest and creative ways to pay for college.

I also respect that for some families taking out a student loan (or other creative financing) , or perhaps having their kid-adult going to far from home (the story mentioned NYC/LA), is a no-go for them.

This makes it sound like anyone that wants to go to college can afford to go - there’s always a way. That is simply not true. Many people still go who can’t afford it. I have a friend that is in her 40s and still paying on her student loan from an art school. 

My parents could not send us all to college. I fortunately received an academic scholarship and left to go to an out-of-state school. My sister went to school locally while still applying for scholarships to other schools. Eventually, she received one. Why does there have to be something more to it?  

[sATL]

8 minutes ago, laprin said:

This makes it sound like anyone that wants to go to college can afford to go - there’s always a way. That is simply not true. Many people still go who can’t afford it. I have a friend that is in her 40s and still paying on her student loan from an art school. 

My parents could not send us all to college. I fortunately received an academic scholarship and left to go to an out-of-state school. My sister went to school locally while still applying for scholarships to other schools. Eventually, she received one. Why does there have to be something more to it?  

Let just agree to disagree . I don't want to start an debate on a topic that relates to other people money .

Edited December 31, 2020 by sATL

[writeme93]

13 hours ago, Jess14 said:

Ok....so this solo is nowhere near as bad as they made it out to be on the show. I liked it. No, It's not the best solo ever, but they acted like it was one of the worst solos that they had seen. I tend to agree with the other poster that their real issue is that it was political. Rather than just be honest about that, they overlayed it with music that is nothing like what she actually danced to and pretended like she was totally offbeat - I mean, maybe her performance at show group auditions was especially bad, but I'm doubting that. The fact that Scott and Neil McCoy were both a yes for her reinforces that for me - neither would care about politics. Charlotte and Kelli on the other hand - absolutely. 

I feel bad for Meredith, but she needed to go. The clip of her and Ashley dancing Charm's piece next to each other was really glaring. Meredith was completely off. Kelli is nuts for giving her a "yes" - who cares if she is a good lyrical dancer if she is weak at power pom? I actually think she looked worse than her rookie season. I know that she and Kat are often lumped together, but there's no comparison, IMO. Kat may make mistakes, but she looked great in the clips of her dancing the DCC choreography. Meredith always looks like she is a half step behind. 

 

 

I think your paragraph above drives the point home. They went out of their way to make Kristen look bad just so it could fit their narrative. Was it the best dance out of everyone's? No, but it showed good technique and had an important message. It's interesting that Kelli and Judy posted black boxes on Blackout Tuesday but in front of Charlotte, this is the worst dance they've ever seen. 

 

Meredith 100% needed to go. She never executed the DCC style well. I know a lot of people don't like Kat but when when she knows the dance she can do it powerfully. I also think she gets a lot of team support the way Savannah did her rookie season.

[Emma C]

Is it me, or has Neal McCoy always come off as a total perv?

[DragonFlyzz]

On 12/30/2020 at 9:04 AM, sATL said:

lyrical gymnastics..hmmmm.... I need to look at up.. Is that the sport with the ribbon  ?

when I think of gymnastics - floor dance routine - I think of Katelyn Ohashi from UCLA last years 10.0 routine. Wonderful routine but I wouldn't' think DCC solos would be the time and place to do some of those skills.

Kat's handstand and backflip... so that is part of lyrical gymnastics?  

I made the wrong reference.  It’s actually rhythmic gymnastics.  @SMP637 got it right.  A few seasons ago one of the ladies had been a rhythmic gymnast in her teens. Kat was Caucasian, blonde and very thin.  Kat was super flexible with great kicks but she had a problem with power.  She was a one and done.  She came back for her veteran season and was cut.

Current DCC Kat said she did gymnastics for fifteen years.  She seems to have done what most think of when they hear gymnast (i.e. handstands, backflips, tumbling, etc.).

[Tuxcat]

24 minutes ago, Emma C said:

Is it me, or has Neal McCoy always come off as a total perv?

Not to be gross but they want to appeal to total pervs so maybe his input is important.  As much as they are "world class" they are still trying to attract male attention via their sexy. Actually though, he's there for ratings/CMT appeal too.

[DragonFlyzz]

On 12/30/2020 at 6:23 AM, sATL said:

Unless the floor was unsafe ( from a hardness/construction standpoint) - why didn't they do the jump split? I think that would have been needed for an evaluation score.

Given the dancers were already physically close most of the day - the 2 minutes they would have had to join-up should have been ok with the other safety protocols. Or they could have wore thin gloves. Gloves shouldn't have that big of an effect on holding the poms.

Kelly mentioned that they wouldn’t be doing the jump split.  She mentioned it when speaking about the kick line and how the ladies would not be hooking up for the kick line.

I wonder if that messes up any of the rookies that make the squad when they return for their veteran season.  Maybe they’ll teach it to them at some point during the season.

Edited January 1, 2021 by DragonFlyzz

[Opine]

54 minutes ago, Emma C said:

Is it me, or has Neal McCoy always come off as a total perv?

People have definitely said that before.  But I consider him the "every man".  He represents what the average male is thinking.  Plus I have heard he is charming and does a lot of good works.

[edie3]

1 hour ago, Emma C said:

Is it me, or has Neal McCoy always come off as a total perv?

Yes! There has always been something about him that creeps me out!

[CrazyMoon]

9 minutes ago, Opine said:

People have definitely said that before.  But I consider him the "every man".  He represents what the average male is thinking.  Plus I have heard he is charming and does a lot of good works.

Neal & I have friends in common...I've never heard anyone who knows him say anything bad about him. He is an entertainer's entertainer. If you've seen him live, you'll understand. Apparently he brings out the best in just about anyone. He talks about the TCC/DCC being hot, but if you watch him watch the actual tryouts he's focused and looking for entertainers. And he seems very kind hearted.

 

[DragonFlyzz]

On 12/30/2020 at 9:09 AM, dcc12312 said:

New here, and no clue how to quote someone, but Kat's pinky at the end of her solo was to show her pinky ring, the one all the Rookies get at the end of their first season. I actually thought it was a cool moment for her, sort of like her trying to show that she did belong.

Showing the ring on her finger went with the song to which she was performing, which was Beyoncé’s Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It).  She also included a couple of moves from Bey’s video for the song. 

I guess that all played together since DCC liked it and put a ring on it. 😍

 

[DragonFlyzz]

I LOVE CLAIRE! 💞

I love how she interprets the music with her body.  

Did I mention that I love Claire?

Total girl crush. 🥰

[Kate2006]

6 hours ago, DragonFlyzz said:

made the wrong reference.  It’s actually rhythmic gymnastics.  @SMP637 got it right.  A few seasons ago one of the ladies had been a rhythmic gymnast in her teens. Kat was Caucasian, blonde and very thin.  Kat was super flexible with great kicks but she had a problem with power.  She was a one and done.  She came back for her veteran season and was cut.

I loved her! Her flexibility was amazing. She got cut her veteran year at finals in part because at the interview panel Brenda thought her pink dress with the cutouts at the waist was inappropriate. I’m not sure how they could think that since they dance around on national TV every Sunday wearing about a yard of fabric! 
 

how much does the Rockettes pay? To me that seems more prestigious than being a DCC but I’m comparing apples to oranges. It’s just a shame DCC doesn’t pay more. Hopefully Alora-Rose knows what the pay is. Does anyone know why she left the Rockettes? Was it because of the pandemic? I have it in my head she was a Rockette a few year ago but I’m not sure. 

[PicnicLife77]

I really don't like Alora-Rose. And I feel bad about that. But I just do not. 

[go4luca]

12 minutes ago, abracadabra said:

I really don't like Alora-Rose. And I feel bad about that. But I just do not. 

You aren't alone.  She and Marissa are my least favs.

[KickPretty]

My favorite part of this episode?  The Tag Team Geico commercial that kept playing 😂😂😂😂 Other than that, this was another boringggg episode!  Ugh.  If it wasn’t for this board, I would probably lose interest in DCC all together.

[Tulip86]

8 hours ago, Kate2006 said:

I loved her! Her flexibility was amazing. She got cut her veteran year at finals in part because at the interview panel Brenda thought her pink dress with the cutouts at the waist was inappropriate. I’m not sure how they could think that since they dance around on national TV every Sunday wearing about a yard of fabric! 
 

how much does the Rockettes pay? To me that seems more prestigious than being a DCC but I’m comparing apples to oranges. It’s just a shame DCC doesn’t pay more. Hopefully Alora-Rose knows what the pay is. Does anyone know why she left the Rockettes? Was it because of the pandemic? I have it in my head she was a Rockette a few year ago but I’m not sure. 

I think she was only with the Rockettes for 1 season.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

9 hours ago, Kate2006 said:

how much does the Rockettes pay? To me that seems more prestigious than being a DCC but I’m comparing apples to oranges. It’s just a shame DCC doesn’t pay more. Hopefully Alora-Rose knows what the pay is.

According to this article, they make $1400-$1500 per week. But because they don't work every week of the year, that comes to about $36,400 to $39,000 per year. Per this article:

Quote

From September to November, the Rockettes rehearse seven hours per day, six days per week to prepare for their signature show, the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. During the holidays, Rockettes perform five to six shows daily and their pay works out to about $135 per 90-minute show as of 2005.

This NY Times article says that the dancers do up to five 90-minute shows during a 13 hour work day, and they work as many as six days a week. Fun fact: they do 300 kicks per show, so any DCC TCC who loses steam doing the 21 kicks at the end of the signature dance would not be able to cut it as a Rockette.

Edited January 1, 2021 by ElectricBoogaloo

[SuzySmith]

On 12/30/2020 at 4:08 PM, scorpio1031 said:

ViacomCBS got a new president last season who wants the show to send a positive message - talk about weight isn't very positive

Perhaps K&J have decided to focus more on a healthy look, going with the times - which is great, although I doubt that's it

I would suspect is is #1, but maybe that will help TPTB realize that healthy bodies are beautiful bodies. 

Sadly, show biz has been slow to come to that reality.  DD is an actress who is amazing at musical theater.  But she's curvy.  She has consistently lost roles she would have loved to very thin girls.  She still gets cast, but it's often in roles where she plays someone much older (the mother instead of the love interest). 

[SuzySmith]

On 12/30/2020 at 6:39 AM, sATL said:

I'm not buying $$ was the sole reason she did one year at Nebraska , after YEARS of paying for her craft, and suddenly got a payload to go to AZ to offset the tuition and fees that NE costs.

 There is more to this story..🍿

1 year with room & board (in state) at UNL - $21,792

1 year with room & board (out of state) at ASU - $49,396

That is a giant difference.  It is entirely possible that she was offered a scholarship as a sophomore to go to ASU (which may do as many and offer some scholarship students in-state tuition, which is closer to $30K).  Assuming she didn't want to go into massive debt, I can see why she would have done year 1 in-state and continue to pursue scholarship opportunities at her dream college.

[M1977G]

Just rewatched the episode and I can't even with Marissa's stupid pageant tears of joy when she's announced for Show Group. I'll give it to her that she's a real performer, but there is something about her presentation that just seems so...constructed. I was going to say fake, but I'm not sure that's it. She just seems like she's trying to say the right things and be cutesy charming but it comes off as disingenuous to me. And her looks have not grown on me. 

Neal earned points with me this episode, which he rarely does. I like that he was so vocal about Kristin's solo and that he stuck with his guns despite Charlotte and Kelli's obvious displeasure. And over the years, I have come to see that, as someone above posted, he really does pay attention to the performance of each lady. He seems more focused on that and less on "hotness" when he's judging Show Group auditions versus when he's judging the regular auditions before training camp. He was riveted by Kelcey's solo (as was I and I want to see the whole thing), and I liked that he was cheering her, Ashlee, and Claire on at different points. 

[Opine]

On the rewatch I noticed two interesting contrasts:

1.  When VK was “point” and MRS gave the ridiculous speech about no rookie wanting to be near her, they then went to kicking.  VK was huffing and puffing and hunching.  Behind her was Jada executing perfect kicks with ease and someone comments that she is showing up the vets.  Yes she was!  Particularly a certain vet that dances “heavy” on everything!

2.  When they were talking about who does well in hip hop they show Maddie as an example.  Yet right there in the frame is Marissa kicking Maddie’s ass!  I don’t care for Marissa’s flakiness captured so well by a poster above but she can dance!

[Emma C]

I don't understand the VK thing, why Kelly and Judy are so in love with her. I mean, aside from the obvious nepotism. Her teeth annoy me so much.

[Jess14]

1 hour ago, Opine said:

On the rewatch I noticed two interesting contrasts:

1.  When VK was “point” and MRS gave the ridiculous speech about no rookie wanting to be near her, they then went to kicking.  VK was huffing and puffing and hunching.  Behind her was Jada executing perfect kicks with ease and someone comments that she is showing up the vets.  Yes she was!  Particularly a certain vet that dances “heavy” on everything!

2.  When they were talking about who does well in hip hop they show Maddie as an example.  Yet right there in the frame is Marissa kicking Maddie’s ass!  I don’t care for Marissa’s flakiness captured so well by a poster above but she can dance!

Yes, I thought the exact same thing. Marisa looked better than Maddie in the hip hop dance clip that they showed. I’m just can’t get into the “Hip Hop Maddie” thing. I don’t think she is bad at hip hop, but when they portray her as being a standout, it does her no favors because I just watch with a more critical eye.

Same with VK. She looks fine, but she’s not heads and shoulders above anyone else.

[EricaShadows]

5 hours ago, Opine said:

On the rewatch I noticed two interesting contrasts:

1.  When VK was “point” and MRS gave the ridiculous speech about no rookie wanting to be near her, they then went to kicking.  VK was huffing and puffing and hunching.  Behind her was Jada executing perfect kicks with ease and someone comments that she is showing up the vets.  Yes she was!  Particularly a certain vet that dances “heavy” on everything!

Ah yes, the same ol' song-and-dance from TPTB about no one wanting to be near her because she's one of their so-called rock star performers/dancers.  However, nothing we've seen from Victoria shows that she's the best girl on that squad.  Decent dancer/performer/pretty girl?  Yes.  Blender? BIG yes!  Should she be anywhere near the front? Nope, not a chance!  She deserves to be buried where she is because she's consistently inconsistent yet we'll likely see her as point before any of the other girls who deserve to be there, the image we saw above proves that.  Her kick technique is HORRIBLE (as is her technique for turns, jumps, leaps, and every other aspect of dancing). 

Edited January 1, 2021 by EricaShadows

[hs98]

Kitty without any snark?  What’s even the point?

[ElectricBoogaloo]

On 12/31/2020 at 5:57 AM, sATL said:

I have my speculations, but I can't prove. I don't want to start a rumor that I can't prove.  There is sometimes a back story is more than what is presented during these little snippets on the show. People find and spent money on what they want to... and won't spend money, even if they have it, on what they don't want to.

speculations come from being a parent - who has learned  to find a way to overcome obstacles and knowing the cost of college is extremely high. Also knowing that tuition bill negotiations do exist and happen with the financial aid office - like waiving out of state fees. It just seems like you work hard and provide financially all of k-12 to learn your craft, whether that be academics, dance , sports, etc, where there is a will , there is a way . There are books, websites, counselors, and financially planners that come up with legal , honest and creative ways to pay for college.

I also respect that for some families taking out a student loan (or other creative financing) , or perhaps having their kid-adult going to far from home (the story mentioned NYC/LA), is a no-go for them.

 

On 12/31/2020 at 7:29 AM, laprin said:

This makes it sound like anyone that wants to go to college can afford to go - there’s always a way. That is simply not true. Many people still go who can’t afford it. I have a friend that is in her 40s and still paying on her student loan from an art school. 

My parents could not send us all to college. I fortunately received an academic scholarship and left to go to an out-of-state school. My sister went to school locally while still applying for scholarships to other schools. Eventually, she received one. Why does there have to be something more to it?  

 

9 hours ago, SuzySmith said:

1 year with room & board (in state) at UNL - $21,792

1 year with room & board (out of state) at ASU - $49,396

That is a giant difference.  It is entirely possible that she was offered a scholarship as a sophomore to go to ASU (which may do as many and offer some scholarship students in-state tuition, which is closer to $30K).  Assuming she didn't want to go into massive debt, I can see why she would have done year 1 in-state and continue to pursue scholarship opportunities at her dream college.

Not everyone knows that tuition and school fees are negotiable. My parents and I just assumed that we had to pay the full amount listed as the cost for the year. We never would have dreamed of contacting the financial aid department at a large university and trying to negotiate the price down like we were at a swap meet. I was brought up not to question things like that so college was an eye opener. I couldn't believe when one of my classmates got a C on a paper in our literature class and she went to the professor to argue that she should have gotten at least a B. It never would have occurred to me to do anything but accept the grade that I was given. It was even more shocking to discover that the professor raised her grade (probably just so she would go away). It wasn't until my third year of college that I found out the financial aid office can waive all kinds of fees to reduce your total cost. Of course, I also had classmates whose parents were paying the full tuition plus room and board in cash so it wasn't an issue for them. My parents took out a PLUS loan on top of all the federal and private loans I took out (on top of my work study job) so that I could attend college. And yup, it took me forever to pay off all those damn student loans. Mr. EB is still paying his off.

For all those reasons, I don't have a problem believing that someone would choose to attend an in-state school due to the cost. I also don't think there's necessarily anything nefarious to the same person transferring to another school after receiving a $20K scholarship which would significantly reduce her cost. So many people begin college knowing absolutely nothing about the cost of schools or how they can finance it. I'm guessing that during her senior year of high school, her parents saw how much some of her dream schools cost and told her that they couldn't afford it so she picked a state school and then she started looking for other avenues like scholarships and grants which is what led to the money she ended up receiving.

2 hours ago, EricaShadows said:

Ah yes, the same ol' song-and-dance from TPTB about no one wanting to be near her because she's one of their so-called rock star performers/dancers.  However, nothing we've seen from Victoria shows that she's the best girl on that squad.  Decent dancer/performer/pretty girl?  Yes.  Blender? BIG yes!  Should she be anywhere near the front? Nope, not a chance!  She deserves to be buried where she is because she's consistently inconsistent yet we'll likely see her as point before any of the other girls who deserve to be there, the image we saw above proves that.  Her kick technique is HORRIBLE (as is her technique for turns, jumps, leaps, and every other aspect of dancing). 

I agree. At best she's a blender with big hair. At worst, she's falling out of turns and flailing. She's another example that beginning dance at a young age doesn't necessarily mean you'll end up with great technique. If you start dancing at 3 but you learn bad technique or are never corrected, you will not be one of those amazing dancers with flawless technique. You can still end up one of the star dancers at your studio/on your high school dance team/in your small town, but once you're up against real competition then your flaws will become apparent.

[Mardo2044]

On 12/30/2020 at 5:50 AM, sATL said:

 

RE: the dances we didn't see - 

Production really could have made this a two part episode since they had to film everyone initially. were they that bad that they didn't make the final cut for the episode?

I think they didn't want us to notice who was truly strong and not. I wish it was 2 episodes, we really did not get to see the dances.

[Mardo2044]

On 12/30/2020 at 8:07 AM, Mattlewis9 said:

Can someone list the show group members? I understand Hannah is not back in, but does anyone know the rest?  I read somewhere that CiCi lost her spot and Lisa got on. Obviously this is not true because if it was, they would have shown that.

 

Thanks!

I can't believe no one is talking about how Jalyn is not back in showgroup!  They did not even show hers which makes me think it was good enough to invite scrutiny to the selection process.  

[Mardo2044]

On 12/30/2020 at 3:53 PM, dccfangirl said:

Really shocked by the edit they gave Kristin's solo - it was an artistic piece and they made her look so so bad. I feel like it's a warning shot to other dancers not to do political pieces - am I being melodramatic?

I watched the insta link and its better with the music but still doesn't have much dancing.  I also don't think it takes advantage of the strong beat driven moments in the song.  That said, I don't even live there or watch pro football and know Jerry doesn't like politics in his football and can't imagine Charlotte would feel differently.

[Mardo2044]

18 hours ago, Opine said:

 

1.  When VK was “point” and MRS gave the ridiculous speech about no rookie wanting to be near her, they then went to kicking.  VK was huffing and puffing and hunching.  Behind her was Jada executing perfect kicks with ease and someone comments that she is showing up the vets.  Yes she was!  Particularly a certain vet that dances “heavy” on everything!

I thought we were done with having VK shoved down our throats.  Oh, guess not!?  UGH

[Mardo2044]

On 12/30/2020 at 5:50 AM, sATL said:

 

Welcome back Kitty.👏

 

YYEEESSSSS!!!!  I wish we could hear more of the commentary.

[StillHere]

3 hours ago, Mardo2044 said:

On 12/30/2020 at 3:53 PM, dccfangirl said:

Really shocked by the edit they gave Kristin's solo - it was an artistic piece and they made her look so so bad. I feel like it's a warning shot to other dancers not to do political pieces - am I being melodramatic?

 

Not at all. They did Kristin dirty this week. Downright shady – intentionally misrepresening the artistic intent of her piece to put her in her place.

They smeared Kristin because they don’t like her politics. Shame on Kelli and Charlotte. The Joneses are perfectly fine with mixing politics and football – but they don't welcome politics they disagree with. This is one the reasons the NFL is getting an increasingly bad reputation. 

Edited January 2, 2021 by StillHere

[Emma C]

5 hours ago, StillHere said:

Not at all. They did Kristin dirty this week. Downright shady – intentionally misrepresening the artistic intent of her piece to put her in her place.

They smeared Kristin because they don’t like her politics. Shame on Kelli and Charlotte. The Joneses are perfectly fine with mixing politics and football – but they don't welcome politics they disagree with. This is one the reasons the NFL is getting an increasingly bad reputation. 

I guess I don't understand... what happened with Kristin?

[scorpio1031]

9 minutes ago, Emma C said:

I guess I don't understand... what happened with Kristin?

Bottom line - they edited her solo to make her look bad and then criticized her for it.

[StillHere]

1 hour ago, Emma C said:

I guess I don't understand... what happened with Kristin?

More directly, Kristen sincerely supports BLM.  And The Joneses, well, we can fill in the blanks.

[parrotfeathers]

1 hour ago, Emma C said:

I guess I don't understand... what happened with Kristin?

You miss a couple of days here and you miss the latest.

[dccfangirl]

9 hours ago, Mardo2044 said:

I watched the insta link and its better with the music but still doesn't have much dancing.  I also don't think it takes advantage of the strong beat driven moments in the song.  That said, I don't even live there or watch pro football and know Jerry doesn't like politics in his football and can't imagine Charlotte would feel differently.

I agree that the content wasn't high volume and it wasn't a very DCC audition in terms of musicality (slow dancings vs moves on every half beat). 

But it was artistic and they made it seem goofy and malcoordinated and tone deaf. I honestly feel it was so so hypocritical after Kelli's whole "oh this singer sings about racial injustice here's a video from her". 

 

[PollyHowell]

So exciting to see all the solos!

Episode thoughts:

Kat, loved her solo SO MUCH, honestly my favorite. She is imperfect and so so watchable. Haters gonna hate on her Beyonce moves, she pulled them off; the tie-in to the DCC ring was actually really clever. She's still a little OTT in personality but just seems fun. I also liked her interview sans makeup after auditions finished up. Same with Meredith in her office visit. It's a little thing, but I'd be willing to bet there are ladies in that locker room that wouldn't be willing to chat to the cameras with a totally bare face.

The dirty edit they did Kristin was so tone deaf, even though I do think she looked low energy. She looked way better in the post with the correct music. If they wanted to do a critique, Cassie's looked worse.

Jada is gonna be the new Tess.

Marissa is sloppy but cute and excited like a puppy. 

Claire should get the same grief Erica got for that ponytail, that plus the outfit for the solo was a no for look (also hated Amanda's outfit). Claire is such a gorgeous dancer though, effortless. On the other hand if that was the best solo clip they had of Vic, yikes. Opposite of effortless. Her thing is lyrical but I honestly think she's a better pom dancer; she has a great smile and "game day" energy if that makes sense. Agree that she's getting groomed for point asap even though there are definitely better candidates. We all know it's coming though.

Kelcey, Elli, and Armani are all wows. Ashlee comes off as soooo likeable and is super fun to watch but when dancing next to Maddie, I found myself watching the latter. 

Meredith's cut was inevitable. If anything I'm surprised she was so surprised.

I like that this episode had so much dancing, but this episode (and season as a whole) have come off as really shallow. The manufactured rookie sob stories come off as exactly that, manufactured. Someone further up the thread talked about a missed opportunity to follow different ladies and talk about how truly different this year is and I agree. TPTB seem to be trying to treat the whole process as normal as possible on camera. It would be so much more captivating with acknowledgement of everything going on.

[Emma C]

4 hours ago, PollyHowell said:

Her thing is lyrical but I honestly think she's a better pom dancer; she has a great smile and "game day" energy if that makes sense. Agree that she's getting groomed for point asap even though there are definitely better candidates. We all know it's coming though.
 

I read this as "porn dancer"... lololol

[go4luca]

9 hours ago, PollyHowell said:

Marissa is sloppy but cute and excited like a puppy. 

Marissa for me will always be annoying AF.  I'm also not into her sob stories, her look and she really needs to learn to keep some things to herself.

Nothing would make me happier than if she's a one and done.

[DragonFlyzz]

12 hours ago, PollyHowell said:

Claire should get the same grief Erica got for that ponytail, that plus the outfit for the solo was a no for look (also hated Amanda's outfit). Claire is such a gorgeous dancer though, effortless.

Kelcey, Elli, and Armani are all wows. Ashlee comes off as soooo likeable and is super fun to watch but when dancing next to Maddie, I found myself watching the latter.

I’m glad, though, that no one’s dinging a great dancer over her hair.  It’s beyond stupid when they know the rookies will get makeovers (except probably this season). 

I wish we got to see more of Elli’s and Dani’s solos.  I also wish we got to see all of the dances to the actual music.  The performances lose something when the show dubs in different music.  Sometimes the show’s choices suck. 

[moonchild81]

i think the rookies went to a salon before training camp

[DancerMom]

LONG time lurker, from TWOP days. 
This show is one of my faves because I love dancing. 
Here are some of my thoughts:

Claire is a beautiful dancer (one of my faves). Her outfit was typical for lyrical performances.  She looked “glam” for other dances.  I think some of the vets are intimidated by her. 
I love Jada! I was so glad we got to see her solo. Such great extensions. She has such great energy and seems so like-able/sweet. 
Marissa seems genuine to me! Not sure why so many dislike her. I thought she was surprised to make show group and was not expecting it. She is a great performer and has really good expressions. She has a competition dance background (as did Claire). She is from a town about thirty minutes from me. She seems like a typical Southern girl. 
Maddie can do hip hop. She hits the moves hard. I felt like Judy was almost justifying her being good in that style though.  I agree not point material as far as looks but she is consistent. 
VK is good at DCC style but not impressive in her style.  When Charlotte said “amazing” after VK’s solo I felt like that was dubbed over from Jada’s  high kicks comments. What I saw was not amazing! 
Hannah looked awful. Lack of energy and technique wasn’t as strong. 
Chandi is looking good (obviously a pet of Kelly’s) but she made show group with three votes? That may be why we didn’t see Jalyn’s performance. 
Glad they got rid of Meredith finally. She stood out in a bad way. 
Someone above said Jada is new Tess. What does that mean? 
Oh and Rachel W for point! 
 

[Grandma Moses]

On 12/30/2020 at 7:39 AM, sATL said:

I'm not buying $$ was the sole reason she did one year at Nebraska , after YEARS of paying for her craft, and suddenly got a payload to go to AZ to offset the tuition and fees that NE costs.

 There is more to this story..🍿

Huh? She stayed in state to save money, then got a scholarship and went to ASU. Out of state tuition for a school like that is prohibitive for many families; the scholarship she earned made the difference. ASU is one of the largest universities in the country and the biggest public university west of the Mississippi. Claire wanted a bigger audience to showcase her talent, and she got it. Good for her! 

On 1/3/2021 at 4:15 PM, DragonFlyzz said:

I’m glad, though, that no one’s dinging a great dancer over her hair.  It’s beyond stupid when they know the rookies will get makeovers (except probably this season). 

I wish we got to see more of Elli’s and Dani’s solos.  I also wish we got to see all of the dances to the actual music.  The performances lose something when the show dubs in different music.  Sometimes the show’s choices suck. 

I too wanted to see more of Dani. She's got a lot of pop to her and I adore her lithe little body frame.

Oh, and I agree regarding the real songs vs. the dubbed music. Like with Kat, it was obvious just watching it: She's doing Beyonce's moves and alluding to her DCC pinky ring. I'm like, oh yeah, she danced to "All the Single Ladies." But for everyone else's solos, I have to either guess or check out their Instagram to see if they posted it there. I know it's a licensing issue, using the real music, but still, I wish.

Claire was incredible. Love love love her. And I think it says a ton that she has so much respect from the vets. We're all in awe of her!

Jada too--she's still my fave this season.

Armani reminds me a little bit of DCC Robin from a few seasons back. Fun to watch, pretty smile, sweet, a good leader.

It was tough watching Meredith's cut, and I don't even like Meredith. Several posters on here said the same thing. I mean, I think that's a content/editing maneuver, making sure Meredith's cut gained her some sympathy from viewers. Maybe that was Kelli's parting gift to her!

Argh, I am not a fan of Chandi's "sultry" look and vibe this year. I liked the sweet Chandi much better, her hair blown out, polished look.

I was so over Maddie a few seasons ago. And to top it off, this season I'm getting this mean girl feeling from her. Anyone else seeing that?

I like Marissa. She reminds me of champagne. Bubbly. Light. Gets the job done.

[go4luca]

40 minutes ago, Grandma Moses said:

I like Marissa. She reminds me of champagne. Bubbly. Light. Gets the job done.

All I see are slits for eyes, stringy hair and a Wallace and Gromit grimace when she smiles too big.  #NotPrettyAtAll

Edited January 5, 2021 by go4luca

[Grandma Moses]

1 minute ago, go4luca said:

All I see are slits for eyes, stringy hair and a Wallace and Gromit grimace when she smiles too big.  #NotPrettyAtAll

What about her dancing? You don't like the pop? She's effervescent in the way she is and the way she dances. It's more than a look.

[Grandma Moses]

On 1/2/2021 at 3:56 PM, StillHere said:

More directly, Kristen sincerely supports BLM.  And The Joneses, well, we can fill in the blanks.

It seems to me in past season interviews, TPTB didn't want the girls using the DCC brand as a platform for something else.

On 12/30/2020 at 8:41 AM, DragonFlyzz said:

18-year old Brianna from NJ was another well trained technical dancer whose solo Kelly, in particular, loved.  Despite atrocious kicks Brianna made it into training camp but couldn’t translate her technical training into DCC style.  Legacy Madeline was yet another classically trained dancer with a lovely solo who couldn’t adapt.

Legacy Madeleine! I was wondering about her. Anyone know if she auditioned this year? I was hoping she'd come back. Same with NJ Brianna.

On 12/29/2020 at 11:32 PM, dbell1 said:

Is the flowing top in now? Before only VK wore it for solos and now they’re all floating around the stage looking ethereal. 

Ugh, THIS. It's like all these girls just rolled out of bed in their nighties and bare feet and immediately fell into a lyrical solo routine.

Edited January 5, 2021 by Grandma Moses
Forgot to comment on one quote

[go4luca]

18 minutes ago, Grandma Moses said:

What about her dancing? You don't like the pop? She's effervescent in the way she is and the way she dances. It's more than a look.

Definitely NO.  She can dance but I'm not a fan.  There are better dancers on the squad. 

I really cannot stand her appearance so that stone cold kills any possibility of me of liking her.  She is not pretty. I don't care for her SM posts either.  Seems someone else didn't either since she removed some of her questionable Tik Tok vids.  I just get attention whore from her and it's an instant turn-off.  Not to mention the pageant queen stuff & helicopter parents.  She cannot be gone soon enough.

[StillHere]

41 minutes ago, Grandma Moses said:

It seems to me in past season interviews, TPTB didn't want the girls using the DCC brand as a platform for something else.

They don't mind the women using the DCC brand as a platform to support the US military. Using logic and objectivity, as the proverb goes, 'you can't have it both ways'.