2021 Auditions, Finals, and Training Camp

[Bellisima08]

On 7/8/2021 at 12:07 AM, Lona said:

And as far as “attachment” goes? The fans were very attached … to DCCs like Brennan and Hannah. Women who did nothing but represent the DCC organization with nothing but class and grace throughout their tenure. Model DCCs, both of them. 

Totally agree with this. When Brennan said during cut that she didn't agree with the direction the team was going, I was amazed at her having the courage to say it. And of course she's not wrong because we've seen how things have changed in the last few years. And really it will probably continue to be this way until Kelli & Judy retire and even then things may stay the same unless they get all new management from outside the organization.

[Pau84]

1 hour ago, Bellisima08 said:

When Brennan said during cut that she didn't agree with the direction the team was going, I was amazed at her having the courage to say it.

I always wondered which direction Brennan was referring to. If you look at Kelli’s ‘decisions’ throughout the years there is hardly a direction to speak of, other than an incredible arbitrary or random direction. Having someone three times in Training Camp can hardly be called rational.  The girls auditioning, on the team and even off the team are subjected to the capricious whims of Kelli Finglass with her acting like the judge, jury and executioner.

[Holly85]

No tc tonight they are on a 3 day break !! 

[Tuxcat]

1 minute ago, Holly85 said:

No tc tonight they are on a 3 day break !! 

they just had a three or 4 day break didn't they?

[Holly85]

2 minutes ago, Tuxcat said:

they just had a three or 4 day break didn't they?

Yup they did !! 

[Tdoc72]

26 minutes ago, Tuxcat said:

they just had a three or 4 day break didn't they?

Whatever happened to “you will have no time off this summer?”  🤪

[Holly85]

4 minutes ago, Tdoc72 said:

Whatever happened to “you will have no time off this summer?”  🤪

Haha oh I know 

[StellaCL]

40 minutes ago, Holly85 said:

No tc tonight they are on a 3 day break !! 

I hope there were more cuts. 44 is too many too keep this long. 
Unless of course they are changing the team size....

[StellaCL]

4 minutes ago, StellaCL said:

I hope there were more cuts. 44 is too many to keep this long. 
Unless of course they are changing the team size....

 

[Holly85]

5 minutes ago, StellaCL said:

I hope there were more cuts. 44 is too many too keep this long. 
Unless of course they are changing the team size....

I hope there was to 

[pinkandsparkly13]

When does it end?

 

[Holly85]

3 minutes ago, pinkandsparkly13 said:

When does it end?

 

According to the website July 30th 

[Julie Jaxx]

So I'm watching past seasons on Pluto TV. I wish some of the more recent seasons would do what some of the earlier seasons did where they follow them more after making the team. Like where they did the Calendar shoot in Mexico and the different events that they did leading up to their games and it actually followed them a couple games into the season. I forgot some of the cheerleaders from past seasons. Currently on season 7! Damn you Pluto TV!

[Julie Jaxx]

Also watching past seasons I think Whitney I and Sydney D would be great replacements for Kelli and Judy! I also like KaShara as a replacement. I thought Jenna J would have been a good replacement too but bake screwed that up with the whole Holly incident. 

4 minutes ago, Julie Jaxx said:

So I'm watching past seasons on Pluto TV. I wish some of the more recent seasons would do what some of the earlier seasons did where they follow them more after making the team. Like where they did the Calendar shoot in Mexico and the different events that they did leading up to their games and it actually followed them a couple games into the season. I forgot some of the cheerleaders from past seasons. Currently on season 7! Damn you Pluto TV!

Also I would like to point out that they kicked off some girls for some really stupid stuff in previous seasons. 

[parrotfeathers]

1 hour ago, Julie Jaxx said:

Sydney D would be great replacements for Kelli and Judy!

Welp that ain't happening for sure.  May as well root for Malena or Vivian.

[Jessinvirginia]

19 hours ago, Bellisima08 said:

Totally agree with this. When Brennan said during cut that she didn't agree with the direction the team was going, I was amazed at her having the courage to say it. And of course she's not wrong because we've seen how things have changed in the last few years. And really it will probably continue to be this way until Kelli & Judy retire and even then things may stay the same unless they get all new management from outside the organization.

THIS. After the Brennan/Hannah fiasco I am done. I love the boards and follow a lot of the old cheerleaders, but the show? Dunzo. Not a big fan of bullying and emotional abuse. Empowering women my arse. 

[Agent Gully]

It will be interesting to see how much input Kelli (and to a much lesser extent, Judy) will be allowed in selecting their successors when they retire.

I really don't know much about most of last season's rookies or many of this years new TCC. Like others, I miss getting to know more about the TCC in advance of the tv show. I like having someone to support going in to it.

That said, I am really grateful for our insiders as well as those who give us background on the gals, those who compile interesting statistics, and the ones who make charts and graphics for us. Thank you!

[EricaShadows]

7 minutes ago, Agent Gully said:

It will be interesting to see how much input Kelli (and to a much lesser extent, Judy) will be allowed in selecting their successors when they retire.

I really don't know much about most of last season's rookies or many of this years new TCC. Like others, I miss getting to know more about the TCC in advance of the tv show. I like having someone to support going in to it.

That said, I am really grateful for our insiders as well as those who give us background on the gals, those who compile interesting statistics, and the ones who make charts and graphics for us. Thank you!

I'm grateful for the insiders as well.  I love what they're giving us for information and the inner workings of the DCC.

Kelli probably thinks she's going to handpick her successor and Charlotte will give the green light without issue (wouldn't be surprised if Kelli is eying either Cassie or Victoria for the role).  However, I also wouldn't be surprised if Kelli does something so egregious that Charlotte not only replaces her, but ignores whomever she chose and puts someone else in her place. I also wouldn't be surprised if, if this happens, Kelli takes Charlotte and possibly even Judy with her due to how they're always in each others pockets and all three have to be replaced at the same time.

[kalibean]

Charlotte ain’t going anywhere, but everyone else is easily replaceable IMO. I mostly like Kelli and Judy, and they’ve done a lot to keep the brand prominent, but others would do a great job too. 

[LilyD]

wow... we're in the middle of training camp and our last post about this year's group auditioning is from 2 days ago? 

Makes me wonder what's going on? Have they unmasked some insiders? Moved training camp into a 24/7 guarded fortress with mobile phone jammers? Is this just an incredibly boring group with no news??

[Tuxcat]

48 minutes ago, Jessinvirginia said:

THIS. After the Brennan/Hannah fiasco I am done. I love the boards and follow a lot of the old cheerleaders, but the show? Dunzo. Not a big fan of bullying and emotional abuse. Empowering women my arse. 

 

5 minutes ago, LilyD said:

wow... we're in the middle of training camp and our last post about this year's group auditioning is from 2 days ago? 

Makes me wonder what's going on? Have they unmasked some insiders? Moved training camp into a 24/7 guarded fortress with mobile phone jammers? Is this just an incredibly boring group with no news??

I've really wrestled with this issue. When the show first started, it was admittedly (and with all apologies) "fun" to watch the harsh conditions of training camp. The jiggle tests, the snarky comments, Kelli's looks and Judy's screeches, and the "cellulite is from soda" moments.  It was like a horrible car wreck you just gotta watch. I  knew they brought in certain girls just for the cutting drama and the reality show - but I didn't care too much.

As time went on, I mainly watched for the dancing and for the analysis of things on this forum (identifying all the inconsistencies).  I loathed DCC when they cut Tara. But I still watched. 

Last year was different in every single way. The decisions they made, the when the why and the how... Their treatment of the girls was not surprising - but it was so blatantly disgusting and egregious given the context of 2020.  It just really demonstrated how contrary this show was to everything in life I've come to value. And so it really made me think about whether or not I should be "enjoying" the mistreatment aspects which supposedly made the show more "fun" and "interesting" to watch.

I've determined that this year is boring (despite the Victoria and Amanda upticks). Boring. Probably the show will be too.  And I actually hope so.  That's what I defintiely want because the girls deserve to be highlighted for dance and not used for reality TV. Now, if the show somehow uncovers the hypocrisy within the organization of  DCC and that  leads to real positive change in professional cheerleading - I'd be good with that. Until then MTT - keep it boring. Show us as much dance (real time and not zoomed) as possible. Just dance. We on this forum will take it from there.

[Duffer]

1 hour ago, EricaShadows said:

I'm grateful for the insiders as well.  I love what they're giving us for information and the inner workings of the DCC.

Kelli probably thinks she's going to handpick her successor and Charlotte will give the green light without issue (wouldn't be surprised if Kelli is eying either Cassie or Victoria for the role).  However, I also wouldn't be surprised if Kelli does something so egregious that Charlotte not only replaces her, but ignores whomever she chose and puts someone else in her place. I also wouldn't be surprised if, if this happens, Kelli takes Charlotte and possibly even Judy with her due to how they're always in each others pockets and all three have to be replaced at the same time.

Do you know who Charlotte is? 

[Holly85]

15 minutes ago, LilyD said:

wow... we're in the middle of training camp and our last post about this year's group auditioning is from 2 days ago? 

Makes me wonder what's going on? Have they unmasked some insiders? Moved training camp into a 24/7 guarded fortress with mobile phone jammers? Is this just an incredibly boring group with no news??

And that cut happened right before the 4th of July 4 day break !! 

[StellaCL]

3 minutes ago, Tuxcat said:

 

I've really wrestled with this issue. When the show first started, it was admittedly (and with all apologies) "fun" to watch the harsh conditions of training camp. The jiggle tests, the snarky comments, Kelli's looks and Judy's screeches, and the "cellulite is from soda" moments.  It was like a horrible car wreck you just gotta watch. I  knew they brought in certain girls just for the cutting drama and the reality show - but I didn't care too much.

As time went on, I mainly watched for the dancing and for the analysis of things on this forum (identifying all the inconsistencies).  I loathed DCC when they cut Tara. But I still watched. 

Last year was different in every single way. The decisions they made, the when the why and the how... Their treatment of the girls was not surprising - but it was so blatantly disgusting and egregious given the context of 2020.  It just really demonstrated how contrary this show was to everything in life I've come to value. And so it really made me think about whether or not I should be "enjoying" the mistreatment aspects which supposedly made the show more "fun" and "interesting" to watch.

I've determined that this year is boring (despite the Victoria and Amanda upticks). Boring. Probably the show will be too.  And I actually hope so.  That's what I defintiely want because the girls deserve to be highlighted for dance and not used for reality TV. Now, if the show somehow uncovers the hypocrisy within the organization of  DCC and that  leads to real positive change in professional cheerleading - I'd be good with that. Until then MTT - keep it boring. Show us as much dance (real time and not zoomed) as possible. Just dance. We on this forum will take it from there.

I hope this season is "boring" in the same way too. The dance competition aspect is why I watch. My 11 year old daughter sometimes watches reruns with me on Pluto, and I get uncomfortable with all the body shaming they do and what she may be absorbing, especially how awful they were in the earlier seasons. Measuring fat in a water tank (so unneccesary, they were all knockouts!), the lining up of the girls and lecturing them for gaining 5 pounds that aren't even visible, and just last night we watched Stephanie in season 6 have to do special sessions with Jay when she still had a killer body, but from some angles looked "wider." I hope K&J&C watch those reruns and are horrified by their own behavior and comments. 

[Tuxcat]

1 minute ago, StellaCL said:

I hope K&J&C watch those reruns and are horrified by their own behavior and comments. 

I worry they are horrified only because they said those things publicly. 

[StellaCL]

49 minutes ago, KnyghtRyder said:

Im not sure Charlotte is going anywhere since she is the daughter of the owner/GM of the Dallas Cowboys plus IS the Executive VP of the Cowboys. She’ll be around a lot longer even after Kelli leaves. (And probably even longer than that based on her genes: her father is still out there kicking and he looks like the cryptkeeper). While I can imagine Kelli will have a lot of input into who replaces her, ultimately Charlotte will probably have the final decision.  She’ll have to opportunity to get Kelli back for keeping Ann Lux when Charlotte obviously wanted her gonzo. 

Charlotte has been fired twice by her own father, but ultimately gets re-hired. Gotta keep in the fam!

Kelly is only 56, and Judy is 63 (this is what google tells me). I have a feeling KelliFine isn't retiring anytime soon. Judy will be first, and Kelli will stick it out long enough to ensure she has a solid grip over how things are going to look when she leaves. 

[LilyD]

17 minutes ago, Tuxcat said:

I hope K&J&C watch those reruns and are horrified by their own behavior and comments. 

Now they won't... Anyone remember this clip from two years ago? Look at some of their responses and how they laugh at candidates that completely humiliate themselves in front of them and on national tv? That says it all....

 

[hannahbanana]

2 hours ago, StellaCL said:

 My 11 year old daughter sometimes watches reruns with me on Pluto, and I get uncomfortable with all the body shaming they do and what she may be absorbing, especially how awful they were in the earlier seasons. 

I hope K&J&C watch those reruns and are horrified by their own behavior and comments. 

 

1 hour ago, Tuxcat said:

I worry they are horrified only because they said those things publicly. 

Are you kidding? They aren't horrified about how awful they were. They don't think they were awful. If anything, they probably think they should have been harsher.

Hopefully, you use those as teaching moments for your daughter -- just because someone says something doesn't make it right or true. These women are thin and beautiful and look at these two crazy people tearing them down for imaginary things! Don't listen to crazy people!

[EricaShadows]

3 hours ago, KnyghtRyder said:

Im not sure Charlotte is going anywhere since she is the daughter of the owner/GM of the Dallas Cowboys plus IS the Executive VP of the Cowboys. She’ll be around a lot longer even after Kelli leaves. (And probably even longer than that based on her genes: her father is still out there kicking and he looks like the cryptkeeper). While I can imagine Kelli will have a lot of input into who replaces her, ultimately Charlotte will probably have the final decision.  She’ll have to opportunity to get Kelli back for keeping Ann Lux when Charlotte obviously wanted her gonzo. 

I don't think she's going anywhere either, but there's only so much she can protect Kelli and the brand from (and she knows a lot of the skeletons in the closet plus has a few herself).  If something happened that was particularly egregious, she might be forced out to protect the brand and the family, but then quietly rehired in another department where she wasn't nearly so visible.

2 hours ago, Duffer said:

Do you know who Charlotte is? 

Yes, I do and the entire Jones family needs to go, but they won't be going anywhere any time soon.

[Teriyaki Terror]

7 hours ago, Julie Jaxx said:

I also like KaShara as a replacement

KaShara, Jen Colvin, Jen Amburn and Shelly of course should run it.

[vanillagum]

3 hours ago, LilyD said:

Now they won't... Anyone remember this clip from two years ago? Look at some of their responses and how they laugh at candidates that completely humiliate themselves in front of them and on national tv? That says it all....

 

This video is so beyond tacky. It really makes a mockery out of it all, especially of women who were forced to be extremely vulnerable in front of a camera 

[CrazyMoon]

Nobody is 'forced to be vulnerable' on camera. They've signed an agreement to be filmed/photographed. Let the chips fall where they may. Judy addressed it plainly stating these women should have someone film them or work in front of a mirror. There are always people out there who are so clueless they can't hear anything but the hamster on the wheel in their head.

 

[Bellisima08]

23 hours ago, Pau84 said:

I always wondered which direction Brennan was referring to. If you look at Kelli’s ‘decisions’ throughout the years there is hardly a direction to speak of, other than an incredible arbitrary or random direction. Having someone three times in Training Camp can hardly be called rational.  The girls auditioning, on the team and even off the team are subjected to the capricious whims of Kelli Finglass with her acting like the judge, jury and executioner.

I would only be speculating about what "direction" Brennan was referring to, but based on what I observe, I think some likely things would be the enforcement of rules (meaning how some are held to them and others are allowed to skate on by) and how some loyal hard-working vets are cast aside in favor of shiny new rookies who, while being pretty & way outgoing, are blenders or subpar. And if I recall correctly (and my memory may not be accurate about this), she also had an issue with Covid regulations for TC (which would be understandable because she had Covid and was probably being hyper-aware of the steps they were taking).

[Bellisima08]

On 7/10/2021 at 4:01 PM, StellaCL said:

Charlotte has been fired twice by her own father, but ultimately gets re-hired. Gotta keep in the fam!

Kelly is only 56, and Judy is 63 (this is what google tells me). I have a feeling KelliFine isn't retiring anytime soon. Judy will be first, and Kelli will stick it out long enough to ensure she has a solid grip over how things are going to look when she leaves. 

Charlotte's been fired twice?! Wow, I'd never heard that before. Makes me wonder if she knows where some bodies are buried or something in order for her to be brought back. But yeah I don't see her going anywhere until she's physically incapable of doing the job. Sadly I think you are right that Judy would retire before Kelli which is a bit sad as I actually respect Judy a bit more and it seems like she's more fair & more about the talent & dancing ability of the girls versus Kelli who seems to be more ruled by her whims & who she likes in the moment or who is on her good side.

I do get the sense that Kelli will try to hold on to her position as long as she can, possibly to the point of overstaying her welcome. At some point, there will come a time when her way of doing things is seen (by the organization) as underwhelming and dated and when TPTB start wanting to shake things up and make changes to the audition or training camp process, I think they would easily show Kelli the door. The question is, will Kelli let it get to that point? If she's smart, she should know it's better to show yourself out on your own terms then to be given a box of your things & escorted to the door.

Edited July 11, 2021 by Bellisima08

[parrotfeathers]

1 hour ago, Bellisima08 said:

I think they would easily show Kelli the door. The question is, will Kelli let it get to that point?

Maybe they'll just tell her it's best not to audition for the next year.   I find Judy interesting on the show.  Kelli sometimes tries to get a few words out of her and Judy doesn't say anything.  In the first few years of the show she was very vocal.  Maybe it's just like this while the cameras are rolling.

[vanillagum]

2 hours ago, CrazyMoon said:

Nobody is 'forced to be vulnerable' on camera. They've signed an agreement to be filmed/photographed. Let the chips fall where they may. Judy addressed it plainly stating these women should have someone film them or work in front of a mirror. There are always people out there who are so clueless they can't hear anything but the hamster on the wheel in their head.

 

Lol, I knew someone would say this. These women want to be DCC, and the reality show comes with the territory, so if they want to audition, they basically have no choice but to be filmed. I'm sure almost no one would refuse to sign a waiver; that would really help their chances, sure. I feel like we haven't gotten straight-up 'invisible' TCCs in years now. Correct me if I'm wrong. Some are more focused on than others, that's it. 

It means a lot to them; they're in an absolute pressure cooker for weeks or months, being scrutinized not only by K and J but also by the cameras; and their painful cuts are immortalized only for Kelli and Judy to create some 'we react to' video that makes a joke of TCCs' raw emotions for some YouTube views. 

That reaction video makes me sad. Malena was clearly going through it, and in the moment they seemed empathetic. She was in over her head and shouldn't have been in TC in the first place, but they let her get so deep into it that she (yes, voluntarily) quit her job, one she loved. And then she gets cut. Who wouldn't be so upset that they were borderline frantic?

"That was scary! She was having a meltdown! It was the most awkward thing ever! We were so uncomfortable!" Groundbreaking commentary.

Are they forced to audition to be DCC? Of course not. Are they forced to participate in reality TV if they want to be DCC? Essentially, yes.

[Lona]

11 hours ago, parrotfeathers said:

Welp that ain't happening for sure.  May as well root for Malena or Vivian.

Imagine walking into the DCC Training Grounds and instead of the team motto "Lucid Dream" is plastered over the entrance. 🥴😂

[HitItHarder..BAM]

7 hours ago, Duffer said:

Do you know who Charlotte is? 

Come on now, we're not in panel interviews 😉😂

4 hours ago, Teriyaki Terror said:

KaShara, Jen Colvin, Jen Amburn and Shelly of course should run it.

Any of these women would be amazing running DCC. I don't think either Jen will ever come back to run DCC though. Jen A has a successful choreography business that puts her under a lot less scrutiny than director/choreographer of DCC and Jen C has a successful dance studio in Florida. 

I do wonder how many former cheerleaders have been given the opportunity to work in DCC leadership. I know Tina Kalina worked with them in the 90s, Shelly McClasin and the legendary Shelly Bramhall have all worked with DCC. It feels like Kashara is the only recent former cheerleader to still be with the organization. 

[3nglishhornist]

I haven’t seen anyone else mention this but the DCC instagram account wished Daphne a happy birthday the other day. Does that mean that Daphne is not retiring but possibly taking a hiatus similar to VK??? Her ig bio still says Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader.

[TK4ever]

1 hour ago, HitItHarder..BAM said:

I do wonder how many former cheerleaders have been given the opportunity to work in DCC leadership. I know Tina Kalina worked with them in the 90s, Shelly McClasin and the legendary Shelly Bramhall have all worked with DCC. It feels like Kashara is the only recent former cheerleader to still be with the organization. 

Megan Fox had some kind of job with them during the first few seasons of the show. I’m not totally sure what her responsibilities were but she would sometimes sit next to Judy in rehearsals when Kelli wasn’t there.

[Agent Gully]

2 hours ago, 3nglishhornist said:

I haven’t seen anyone else mention this but the DCC instagram account wished Daphne a happy birthday the other day. Does that mean that Daphne is not retiring but possibly taking a hiatus similar to VK??? Her ig bio still says Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader.

One reason might be that they don't want to give away a spoiler to the tv audience that she had to leave the team (due to her injury). Some fans do keep track of the DCC birthdays. I'd imagine that someone who comments will say something about her injury.

[Ena355]

I think Kelli is so self unaware that she would have no clue she was no longer welcome. I think she'll try and hang on for at least another 10 years, potentially until she is pushing 70. Her kids have left home and she doesn't really know anything else apart from DCC. Not sure if her husband is social media shy but he doesn't seem to be around much. She always strikes me as a try hard trying to get in with the cool k ids.

[kalibean]

While I do like that Judy leans towards the best dancers, I also think she would pick a strong dancer over a blender with an amazing personality.  But maybe that blender is a better candidate for appearances, DCC Camps, etc. 

The Cowboys have 8 home games that the entire squad performs in, and then they’ve got a variety of Christmas shows and I assume other things the whole group does. But the bulk of performances outside of the games go towards show group, and from there, it’s appearances and more appearances and camps, etc. So Kelli seems to keep an eye out for someone who can hang with the dances but shines in those other areas…like Kat. 
 

Again, dancing is super important…it’s a dance team.  But I get why you’d pick a Kat over someone who is technically talented but boring or snooty. Fortunately for Kelli and Judy, the bulk of the people auditioning seem to have both. 

[Pau84]

17 hours ago, Bellisima08 said:

I would only be speculating about what "direction" Brennan was referring to, but based on what I observe, I think some likely things would be the enforcement of rules (meaning how some are held to them and others are allowed to skate on by) and how some loyal hard-working vets are cast aside in favor of shiny new rookies who, while being pretty & way outgoing, are blenders or subpar. And if I recall correctly (and my memory may not be accurate about this), she also had an issue with Covid regulations for TC (which would be understandable because she had Covid and was probably being hyper-aware of the steps they were taking).

In Kelli’s world (the DCC) there are no rules, only pretexts!
So no change of direction if hard working, responsible, honest and good vets are cut for shiny new rookies! 
I agree with Brennan that this is not a good thing!

The direction was, is and will always be whatever Kelli comes up with. 

[dccfan204]

I'm dying to know who the group leaders and seconds are

[Holly85]

2 minutes ago, dccfan204 said:

I'm dying to know who the group leaders and seconds are

Me to 

[dccfan204]

2 hours ago, Pau84 said:

and how some loyal hard-working vets are cast aside in favor of shiny new rookies who, while being pretty & way outgoing, are blenders or subpar.

Just to play devil's advocate, this could be said about Brennan, Hannah, and Lily too. During Brennan and Hannah's rookie year, Keyra and Selina were cut. During Lily's rookie year, Gabby was cut. They always cut weak veterans in order to make room for the new rookies. In order to end this cycle, they should just stop taking the weaker rookies (like Alora-Rose this year).

[Julie Jaxx]

As I'm rewatching past seasons on Pluto TV, I did not realize how many times Keyra Ford and Kelli Sullivan tried out before making it to training camp and the team! It's right up there with Brennan and Christina

[Manc.UK.DCCfan]

I think, part of the proof of how last year went down, this board in comparison to last year (I did only find these forums beginning of TC last season) this year is so much quieter. 

[StellaCL]

So...... any news on cuts? Here is some Instagram deciphering for you, posted today. 
First up Ava. Followed by Presley.