2021 Auditions, Finals, and Training Camp

[CruiseGirl]

1 hour ago, sATL said:

adding :

a) Brenda Teele  to this list

b) any grand daughter ( by blood or marriage) whose last name is Jones - get to know the family business better.

 

I’ll add Charlottes daughter Haley to the list. 

[sATL]

{ adding to previous list}

c) since Kelly seems to value his opinion - Neil Mc Coy . it might be a minute due to covid before his touring starts back up again

[Fwcowboysfan]

I hope it’s either Maddie or Kashara. 

[Bellisima08]

2 hours ago, Rodeo Drive said:

There is a new assistant director that will be revealed in due time 

Ok, this has peaked my interest a bit. I'd vote for Kashara.

[HitItHarder..BAM]

1 hour ago, SanDiegoGal said:

Okay, I'll bite. The top ten names that come to mind for the new assistant director position (in no particular order):

1. Victoria Kalina

2. Tina Kalina

3. The Two-Time Mirror Ball

6. Kashara

7.  Maddie

8. Haley Anderson

If I've learned anything in all of these seasons, it's that opportunities come based on who you know, not what you know or how well you know it.

 

48 minutes ago, go4luca said:

She's also been doing the podcasts.  Like I said in my edited reply, I think they've been grooming her for something along these lines for awhile.  But hey, what do I know?

 I think DCC director would be a very  visible role for her to take on. To my knowledge, I don't think Haley has any dance/cheer experience, so I think it would be very difficult to evaluate candidates or offer feedback to the cheerleaders. 

Imo, Haley is being trained to take over Charlotte's job. It would make sense to put her with the cheerleaders since DCC are a big part of the overall Cowboys brand, both in their own right and as ambassadors for the larger org. 

[TB12]

9 minutes ago, HitItHarder..BAM said:

 To my knowledge, I don't think Haley has any dance/cheer experience, so I think it would be very difficult to evaluate candidates or offer feedback to the cheerleaders.

This right here re: Haley she legit doesn’t have the insight/training for the job. I’m def putting the cart before the horse here but NOTHING would surprise me & I honestly can’t handle anymore blatant nepotism. If by any chance it were Haley that may push  me right over the DCC edge of no return…

[sATL]

1 hour ago, DCCOracle said:

LinkedIn says former DCC Dina Donley (March 2020 to present)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dina-donley-39b4a41a9

what does she do, exactly ? everything / anything Kelli doesn't want to do ?

[LilyD]

23 hours ago, pinkandsparkly13 said:

They meant Kashara was the last vet called into training camp her last year, which isn't a good thing apparently.

Woops, sorry, I read the original post as last called to solos. 

6 hours ago, MadHatter said:

I wonder if the producers have ever gone up to a girl and told her to mess up once or twice while they're filming her so they can make sure all the viewers at home know about how difficult the field entrance is.

They often combine the field entrance exercise with a cut night. That definitely adds to the already existing pressure to always be on your A-game. Some thrive with that pressure, most struggle or even succumb to it. I can totally see how some girls completely mess up because of that pressure.

[WoofDCC]

Would Kashara's latest IG story suggest she interviewed but didn't get it?

If it's Haley- would make sense.

Kelli though isn't retiring anytime soon. 9 more seasons left in her.

[go4luca]

I agree Haley does not have the right dance experience to take over.  IIRC, she has some, but not nearly what I consider the right training or experience.  I believe her consideration was hinted at once before on this forum, hence my guess.  But again, who am I to say? 🤷‍♀️

[LilyD]

12 minutes ago, TB12 said:

This right here re: Haley she legit doesn’t have the insight/training for the job. I’m def putting the cart before the horse here but NOTHING would surprise me & I honestly can’t handle anymore blatant nepotism. If by any chance it were Haley that may push  me right over the DCC edge of no return…

Have you looked at the judges? There’s everything from news anchors, weather men, reporters, fitness trainers, country singers, Luchesse managers etc. I struggle to get how they determine a girl might be a good DCC, but here they are. So it’s quite obvious connections go over (any) dance knowledge or experience.

[Holly85]

Dina Donley  was just Kelli’s assistant not the assistant director 

Edited August 15, 2021 by Holly85

[sATL]

40 minutes ago, LilyD said:

Have you looked at the judges? There’s everything from news anchors, weather men, reporters, fitness trainers, country singers, Luchesse managers etc. I struggle to get how they determine a girl might be a good DCC, but here they are. So it’s quite obvious connections go over (any) dance knowledge or experience.

I do wonder if K or J would tolerate having someone new who either has on paper (dance studio owner, degrees, etc ) or by recent commercial paid experience/Hollywood  more dance  than them , around them on a daily basis. I mean the two have been running the squad "their way or the highway" for decades. That would make an applicant , leery of applying, let alone accepting the position.

Look at all of the guest choreographers that parade though. sometimes they listen to their opinions and sometimes they don't. I sometimes wish they would stop asking for their opinions.

Edited August 15, 2021 by sATL

[heckkitty]

2 hours ago, Holly85 said:

Yeah it says Assistant to director so not the assistant director 

[Holly85]

5 minutes ago, heckkitty said:

? 

[Cowboysfan16]

7 minutes ago, heckkitty said:

I love a good Office gif 😂

[HitItHarder..BAM]

40 minutes ago, LilyD said:

Have you looked at the judges? There’s everything from news anchors, weather men, reporters, fitness trainers, country singers, Luchesse managers etc. I struggle to get how they determine a girl might be a good DCC, but here they are. So it’s quite obvious connections go over (any) dance knowledge or experience.

The judges are usually there during the auditions, but not training camp. To me, it seems like a lot of the judges are selected to strengthen relationships with the DCC (i.e. if you're getting free boots from Lucchesse, it's a good idea to have someone from the brand interacting with DCC/TCC). 

Also, as a non-dancer, I think I can tell if someone is making a lot of mistakes, but I may not be able to identify the exact issue. Yes, DCC do include a lot of non-experts in their audition process, but it's not like any of them are ultimately responsible for the quality of the team like Kelly is. That being said, the Jones family love having their own in important Cowboys positions, so who knows?

[MrsEVH]

2 hours ago, Manc.UK.DCCfan said:

What years did she cheer for DCC? 

1987 and 1989 (no 1988) she cheered one season with Kelli. She must have taken a year off or maybe didn't make it back for the '88 season. 

https://www.pompedia.com/index.php?title=Dina_Brown

[cgloss]

It’s probably Haley, but I would love for it to be Jackie Bob. 

[An Offt]

3 hours ago, Rodeo Drive said:

There is a new assistant director that will be revealed in due time 

I think it's time for a WOC, and I think The Cowboys would love that for their optics.

My personal favorite would be the GOAT herself, Nicole Hamilton. But Jacie's resume might top hers.

I'm going on the assumption that the Assistant Director will take over when Kelli retires, so whoever they announce is a big deal.

[sATL]

Question: what happened to the facility at valley ranch ? did they tear it down when the Star was complete ?

[bruh]

What does anyone here have to say about anyone's qualifications for the job as assistant director. The only people who have the full picture and even know what they're looking for are those evaluating.

Edited August 17, 2021 by bruh
Removed unintentional quotation.

[dbell1]

2 hours ago, TheGenuineBeauty said:

Haley Anderson? You mean the Olympic Silver Medalist in swimming Haley Anderson???? WHAT IS SHE DOING ON DCC???!!!

Oh wait...wrong Haley lmao.

Guess they’re now doing synchronized swimming in the new pool which is being built under the 50 yard line. It’s in the shape of the Star, raises up, spins and everything. Kick line is now called “The Splashdown”.  Rookies jump last. 

Edited August 16, 2021 by dbell1

[LilyD]

39 minutes ago, sATL said:

Look at all of the guest choreographers that parade though. sometimes they listen to their opinions and sometimes they don't. I sometimes wish they would stop asking for their opinions.

They'll probably listen to their advice if it confirms what they're thinking or matches their plans.😉

But I guess that's fair in a way. You generally ask for advice to confirm your thoughts or when you are unsure/don't know what to do. And that doesn't automatically mean taking the advice. You listen to it and then decide whether it's useful to you or not. That decision is yours only.

[sleepyjean]

If there is an Assistant Director position in the offering, I would bet money Jackie Bob has thrown her hat in the ring. She seems to have kept at least one foot in the pro cheer world since she retired and doesn't seem to have another career that she's dedicated to.

Jackie was well respected by her teammates, She had over 9 years on the sidelines with the 49ers and Cowboys, plus several years as a DCC all star, and was a captain/leader for multiple years on both teams. She has worked with the Pro Bowl cheerleaders and DCC youth camps for years, still teaches dance, and judges cheer/dance auditions. She also has a business background in marketing and sales, though I'm not sure how extensive that is. She is much better positioned for the role than most other DCC who've retired in the last 10 years or so.

I've long believed Jackie's ultimate goal is to direct an NFL dance team and expect her to be right there when Kelli retires.

 

ETA: Jenn Amburn is my second guess, as far as fairly recent alumni go.

Edited August 16, 2021 by sleepyjean

[CruiseGirl]

1 hour ago, sATL said:

what does she do, exactly ? everything / anything Kelli doesn't want to do ?

She is Kelli’s office assistant. Back in the day they called them secretary’s 

 

1 hour ago, TB12 said:

This right here re: Haley she legit doesn’t have the insight/training for the job. I’m def putting the cart before the horse here but NOTHING would surprise me & I honestly can’t handle anymore blatant nepotism. If by any chance it were Haley that may push  me right over the DCC edge of no return…

Haley has marketing experience which is a big part of Kelli’s job  and she has been working closely with Kelli over the last two years so anything’s possible. 

[kalibean]

2 hours ago, LilyD said:

Have you looked at the judges? There’s everything from news anchors, weather men, reporters, fitness trainers, country singers, Luchesse managers etc. I struggle to get how they determine a girl might be a good DCC, but here they are. So it’s quite obvious connections go over (any) dance knowledge or experience.

I don’t think you have to be a dance expert to appreciate if someone is fun to watch, tho. Or if they’re personable and potentially good in appearances. It’s good to have some “everyday” people in the mix, and Kelli, Charlotte and Judy review each round to make sure no one was missed. IE, dance community recommendations and such. 

Now for assistant director? Doesn’t make as much sense, tho if paired with a strong technical director and choreographers, maybe not out of the question. They’d need several years before they could take over the Director role full time IMO. 
 

They have to dance but so much of the job is also appearances, training camps like JR DCC, and marketing vehicles like the calendar. If someone was really strong in other areas and had a great support staff, could work. In my line of work, you can head up a buying office in men’s apparel even if you aren’t a man, or bicycles if you aren’t a rider…you just have to bust your ass to learn the business and lean on the experts around you. 

[UnicornKicksBack]

2 hours ago, TB12 said:

This right here re: Haley she legit doesn’t have the insight/training for the job. I’m def putting the cart before the horse here but NOTHING would surprise me & I honestly can’t handle anymore blatant nepotism. If by any chance it were Haley that may push  me right over the DCC edge of no return…

I would not expect anything less than blatant nepotism from a family owned and operated company like the Dallas Cowboys Organization. What is the point of a family run business if you can't hire your family first. It's expected to me. 

2 hours ago, LilyD said:

Have you looked at the judges? There’s everything from news anchors, weather men, reporters, fitness trainers, country singers, Luchesse managers etc. I struggle to get how they determine a girl might be a good DCC, but here they are. So it’s quite obvious connections go over (any) dance knowledge or experience.

This. Some dancers would make terrible business decisons, too.

1 hour ago, heckkitty said:

You're a genius.

1 hour ago, cgloss said:

It’s probably Haley, but I would love for it to be Jackie Bob. 

YES JACKIE BOB would actually be perfect. Qualified in the pro cheer, dance instruction, and business backgrounds. Plus SHE'S FREAKIN QUEEN JACKIE. 

53 minutes ago, sleepyjean said:

If there is an Assistant Director position in the offering, I would bet money Jackie Bob has thrown her hat in the ring. She seems to have kept at least one foot in the pro cheer world since she retired and doesn't seem to have another career that she's dedicated to.

Jackie was well respected by her teammates, She had over 9 years on the sidelines with the 49ers and Cowboys, plus several years as a DCC all star, and was a captain/leader for multiple years on both teams. She has worked with the Pro Bowl cheerleaders and DCC youth camps for years, still teaches dance, and judges cheer/dance auditions. She also has a business background in marketing and sales, though I'm not sure how extensive that is. She is much better positioned for the role than most other DCC who've retired in the last 10 years or so.

I've long believed Jackie's ultimate goal is to direct an NFL dance team and expect her to be right there when Kelli retires.

 

ETA: Jenn Amburn is my second guess, as far as fairly recent alumni go.

What I said above re Jackie but Jenn would be qualified as well. 

36 minutes ago, CruiseGirl said:

She is Kelli’s office assistant. Back in the day they called them secretary’s 

 

Haley has marketing experience which is a big part of Kelli’s job  and she has been working closely with Kelli over the last two years so anything’s possible. 

I think Haley could pull it off. No clue to what extent she has danced herself, but not like Kelli 1) always picks the best trained dancers 2) ever gets up to demo herself 3) could keep up with these girls today if she tried. Even if she had her 1980s body back. They're on a whole different level way past the cornball dances from Kelli's days. 

[Pj3422]

4 hours ago, Holly85 said:

Yeah it says Assistant to director so not the assistant director 

So, it’s like Dwight on The Office? Assistant to the Regional Manager instead of Assistant Regional Manager?

Edit: Looks like heckkitty beat me to it! 

Edited August 16, 2021 by Pj3422

[Holly85]

I wonder what’s going on that they had to hire an assistant director 

[parrotfeathers]

4 hours ago, go4luca said:

Looks like they've been grooming Haley for some time.

Can she dance?

[ATLGirl]

1 hour ago, sATL said:

Question: what happened to the facility at valley ranch ? did they tear it down when the Star was complete ?

They tore it down in late 2018. I saw it a few months before that. They were supposed to be building apartments on the land, don’t know if they ever did. 
 

Edited August 16, 2021 by ATLGirl

[scorpio1031]

1 minute ago, parrotfeathers said:

Can she dance?

[JayDKay]

9 minutes ago, Holly85 said:

I wonder what’s going on that they had to hire an assistant director 

Probably nothing. My guess is that Haley wanted a promotion and got one. 

Even if she doesn't plan to take over from Kelli as Director in the future.. Assistant Director sounds better then her current role (whatever that is). 

[SanDiegoGal]

37 minutes ago, UnicornKicksBack said:

I think Haley could pull it off. No clue to what extent she has danced herself, but not like Kelli 1) always picks the best trained dancers 2) ever gets up to demo herself 3) could keep up with these girls today if she tried. Even if she had her 1980s body back. They're on a whole different level way past the cornball dances from Kelli's days. 

But can Haley tie the perfect knot on the uniform blouse? Kelly mentions her knot-tying expertise every season, so surely that is part of the interview process.

[kalibean]

54 minutes ago, parrotfeathers said:

Can she dance?

IIRC, there have been a few Haley dance class sightings posted here through the years. And she’s not a strong dancer but looked to be enjoying herself.  
 

Some of the best football coaches never played past high school, so perhaps this could be in that same vein. Haley is in her mid-20’s and does seem to have a good head on her shoulders. Curious how her training through the organization will evolve. She’s been focused on social media and the show the past couple of years, right? Assistant director with marketing under her areas of responsibilities would be a next step for sure. 
 

Jenn A possibly groomed to backfill Judy or Kitty?  Kashara is currently event coordinator, that could also level up. DCC picks whatever the hell titles they want of course but I would see coordinator - manager - asst director - director. 

[Holly85]

57 minutes ago, JayDKay said:

Probably nothing. My guess is that Haley wanted a promotion and got one. 

Even if she doesn't plan to take over from Kelli as Director in the future.. Assistant Director sounds better then her current role (whatever that is). 

We don’t even know if it’s for sure Haley 

[Survivor197]

3 hours ago, heckkitty said:

PERFECT reference. 

Maybe Judy is getting a promotion to asst director, and Kashara or Jenn will be brought on as choreographer 

[pinkandsparkly13]

New assistant director? I really don't care that much. Lol

[Teriyaki Terror]

On 8/11/2021 at 6:31 PM, Bellisima08 said:

That's a good point. To have your boss say something negative about you just to you is bad enough, but to have them say it on a national scale is a whole other ball of wax. Because now, not only do you know your boss thinks your chest is small, but complete strangers (after having that pointed out on TV) are probably thinking it as well. They never showed if Kelli or Judy ever said anything to Christina about her chest size prior to that, but if the 1st time Christina heard feedback about her boobs was from watching that episode, she must have been mortified.

Kelli is a garbage person who LOOOOOOOOVEEEESSSSS to constantly bring up her East Texas double Ds. 

[Teriyaki Terror]

What happened to Lisa? Did she injure her neck with those hair flips? 

[Holly85]

4 minutes ago, Teriyaki Terror said:

What happened to Lisa? Did she injure her neck with those hair flips? 

She had to have neck surgery 

[heckkitty]

6 hours ago, Holly85 said:

? 

You have to be a fan of The Office to get this

[hannahbanana]

8 hours ago, LilyD said:

Have you looked at the judges? There’s everything from news anchors, weather men, reporters, fitness trainers, country singers, Luchesse managers etc. I struggle to get how they determine a girl might be a good DCC, but here they are. So it’s quite obvious connections go over (any) dance knowledge or experience.

They have that variety on purpose -- they want opinions from a variety of perspectives to appeal to more people. The average fan doesn't give a hoot about how well they dance (within reason 😜) -- those judges are there to represent the general fanbase -- not saying it's a good representation, but this is their main purpose -- to judge how they appeal to them in general (and hopefully the wider fanbase), not how well they dance.

Edited August 16, 2021 by hannahbanana

[Pau84]

5 hours ago, DCCOracle said:

As long as the show exists, no decisions are being made for the sake of the "team".

Exactly. EXACTLY.

As long as Jerry Jones has had the Cowboys, there were only pretexts.

No one could ever argue that the Cowboys are there to win Superbowls. They are there to give meaning to Jerry. The Dallas Cowboys only reason is to nepotise (is that a word?) the hell out of this world.

The new assistant director might as well be Hayley. It would help the Jones family to have a passtime/hobby for its offspring.

[cherryblossom]

KnyghtRyder noted that he/she wouldn’t be surprised if Haley got a job within the Cowboys organization but I thought she had a position already of doing the podcast etc.  I can’t see aJones/Anderson member take a position of personal or administrative assistant such as what Dina has.  She replaced Cheryl Dorie, the door lady.

[mizzhyer]

12 hours ago, An Offt said:

I think it's time for a WOC, and I think The Cowboys would love that for their optics.

My personal favorite would be the GOAT herself, Nicole Hamilton. But Jacie's resume might top hers.

I'm going on the assumption that the Assistant Director will take over when Kelli retires, so whoever they announce is a big deal.

Jacie just announced she's returning for her third season with the Rockettes so I'm guessing it won't be her (but I would love it if it was 😁).

[M1977G]

I think it's pretty common for a major organization to have an assistant or associate director underneath the director. Those positions still involve leadership and some authority, but they also are the people who oversee elements of org operations that the director would be too busy for. Much as Judy has assistant choreographers, who seem likely to do more of the choreography and teaching to group leaders and vets than Judy directly does--you know, the people who get paid less and recognized less but who get the shit done. I've long thought it would be interesting to get more insight into how the DCC organization is set up and run, and I've wanted to see who the assistant choreographers are and see them at work. I don't know if they've had an assistant director in the past (I suspect yes and it's just not been publicized), but I'd love to see who they are and them at work, too. Others here likely know way more about this, and I'd love to hear if you do, but I believe that Megan Fox was shown as an assistant choreographer working with rookies in season 3 (and I always wish we could see more of this with assist. chors. or group leaders), and maybe KaShara and Jenn A were/are in that position with whatever they took on with the DCC after retirement. I would love to see more clearly what some DCCs do with the organization after they retire. Now, to loop it back on topic, does anyone know what KaShara and Jenn do with DCC now, or who the current assistant choreographer is?

Edited August 16, 2021 by M1977G

[sATL]

6 hours ago, Pau84 said:

Exactly. EXACTLY.

As long as Jerry Jones has had the Cowboys, there were only pretexts.

No one could ever argue that the Cowboys are there to win Superbowls. They are there to give meaning to Jerry. The Dallas Cowboys only reason is to nepotise (is that a word?) the hell out of this world.

The new assistant director might as well be Hayley. It would help the Jones family to have a passtime/hobby for its offspring.

What I am really waiting for is for Grandson John Stephen Jones (  link )  to enter the NFL draft after leaving the family alma matter. That is when we really can see nepotism in play. Does Dallas draft him (by any trading means necessary) or do they take the chance and play against him, possibly twice a season? 🍿

Wouldn't surprise me if the draft that year was held in Dallas . 

RE: winning superbowls... all  32 nfl teams want to win the  superbowl in August. In Jan/Feb, there will only be one.  We'll see how the betting fairs on the cowboys  going to Super Bowl 56  in Los Angeles, California in 2022.💸

Edited August 16, 2021 by sATL

[Pj3422]

11 hours ago, Holly85 said:

We don’t even know if it’s for sure Haley 

I figured they’d move Haley around to various positions in the organization over the next few years to groom her to be Charlotte’s replacement.