The DCC Organization: Coaches, Judges and Owner Group

[bigskygirl]

All DCC organization talk. 

[bigskygirl]

She's back!!!

[GaveIn]

I have my moments with them...love/hate kind of thing

[GaveIn]

Cash & prizes! Loving this tread already!

[BullInChina]

This is a good time to repeat a statement I made a while back: I would pay good money, cold hard cash, for a 24/7 cable tv channel called "Kitty Carter Yells At People."

[bigskygirl]

I have my like/hate moments also.

[bigskygirl]

Bring on the cash and prizes, why are you still here, and no, we are not skipping down the floor.

[SanLynn]

Was Miss Kitty the one who coined the "cash and prizes" phrase? I always thought that was Kelly, LOL.

I have issues with Miss Kitty sometimes but she is always good tv.

[SanLynn]

I agree, there are some times when I feel like I really understand where they're coming from and I like them. But then there are the other times where I watch them and think that they are aliens from outer space. That was never more the case than with poor Vivian.

[GaveIn]

Yes SanLynn! I guess that helps for good tv because you don't know what you'll get from them...the human or the alien.

I still think the whole Danielle thing during finals might of been a set-up...they felt bad seeing her sitting there!? They should of been looking at Collin and feeling bad in my opinion. They had Danielle, Teri, and Kali basically front in center and poor Collin hidden off to the side...I really think they put thought into the seating/numbering at finals for the show's purpose.

[GaveIn]

It might of been Kelly, but as always (to me) Miss Kitty is more memorable LOL

[bigskygirl]

I have only heard Miss Kitty say it.  To me, it is the best expression I have heard on the show.

[cashandprizes]

Hi

[bigskygirl]

I think there was more to the story of why Danielle was brought back.  Obviously, she had injured her foot a few weeks before tryouts, but the judges seemed not to be impressed with her before her injury.  She was called into the office during the Chelsea incident, but it was not shown on the show.  Maybe she was running around with Chelsea and was doing some partying on the weekends instead of focusing on being a proper DCC.

[BEP2011]

Kitty said it to one of the finalists when she was practicing her routine.  I want to say her name was Nina Mochs or something like that.

[BabyVegas]

I always find Kitty hilarious (and not just because she inexplicably reminds me of Miss Vida Boheme from To Wong Foo) but I've always liked that she gives specific critiques. Not just the ever-popular "blending" tag, but she tells a girl what move they're doing wrong and why they're doing it wrong. She might be scary but at least she's pretty much always right.

Edited March 30, 2014 by BabyVegas

[McSavaney]

Fortunately or unfortunately, I have found myself talking to my nursing students about privacy for patients and about not showing the "cash and prizes"!!

[cashandprizes]

The judges were never aware that Danielle was injured.  Which may explain Kelli's last minute decision to not cut her.

[bigskygirl]

Kelli said the foot injury was not the only reason why Danielle was almost cut. The judges did not think she was taking being a DCC seriously (part of the reason why Chelsea was shown the door.)  There is a lot more to why she was almost shown the door at finals.  She was shown talking to Kelli and Judy while wearing the same outfit she had on leaving practice after being told not to show up for cameo photo shoot in the previews on the first episode. She might of been doing things that the judges found out about aka drinking, partying, and having a toxic attitude like Chelsea had. She was scared when Miss Kitty came in and thought she was going to be called out for something.  In a round about way, her foot injury may have save her from being off the team.

Edited March 30, 2014 by bigskygirl

[nrskim]

I love "To Wong Foo"! What a great comparison! Kitty always seems a bit over-the-top drag queen like to me too. I love her. She says it like it is and doesn't just give neutral criticism that really mean nothing.

[EricaShadows]

The thing that popped into my mind when I saw the whole issue with Danielle being called back to Training Camp in spite of her injury was because of Cassie.  If Cassie could be brought back despite her injury (and Jay's vociferous protests), then they had to show that other girls could be brought back despite their injuries.  Otherwise, there would have been more calls of nepotism, favoritism, or other less polite comments.  There had already been issues with how Cassie was treated vs other girls, how that affected the team dynamics, how the team was viewed, etc.  I think that (and I haven't heard anything about Danielle's other activities, possible or otherwise) Kelly and Judy didn't want to deal with that and Charlotte, who knew about how the whole Cassie thing was being viewed, agreed.  In essence, I think that it wasn't Danielle's dance skills or powering through being injured to dance her heart out that saved her, it was merely a face-saving issue for the team.  It sucks, but that's my opinion at the moment.  Somebody please prove me wrong.

[EricaShadows]

She might be scary (and some people hate that she's so direct and specific), but she's right so much of the time that not listening to her would be folly. She doesn't yell at the girls ALL the time, but she does get up in your face and makes you REMEMBER the corrections. Kelly and Judy aren't like that so their corrections don't always stick. I've heard that Miss Kitty shouldn't even be allowed into the room with these girls and that she's too rude and abusive to be considered a decent dance teacher. I've even heard that some people wouldn't take their children to Miss Kitty for classes because of this.

[McSavaney]

I think she is constructive and is also quick to acknowledge something done well.  She certainly is not like Abbey on Dance Moms!  Now that is one sarcastic and mean person who is quick to tell everyone they can be replaced.  It is one thing with adults but she does it with 6 year olds

 

[McSavaney]

Erica, I hadn't thought about it in that sense but it does ring true.  It is a shame to know you were brought back not because of her dancing but just sort of a face saving deal.  Frankly they talked about her being out of shape and she could still do crunches, and weights etc even though her foot was injuried

[cmccasandra]

I love Kitty Carter.  She tells it like it is.  After a lesson with her you know where you stand and what you need to fix.  I wish they had her on more.  I am glad they stopped with the Jay Johnson segments.  They were good in the first couple of seasons, but became annoying in the last couple that he appeared.  

[sleepyjean]

I know Kitty makes good tv, but I'm not a fan. I don't have a lot of respect for people who are abrasive and insulting, under the guise of "just being honest."  You can be honest and tough without all the extra that she does. I think Kitty is a big power-tripping fish in the tiny little DCC pond. She thinks her way is the only way, and that's not true. She and Kelli both to some degree seem to feel that the only way to get the girls where they need to be is by instilling fear in them. 

The best teachers/mentors/leaders I have ever had were the ones who inspired me, believed in me, earned my respect, and made me want to work my butt off to be the best.  They told it like it was, but they never ridiculed me or spoke to me in a way meant to humiliate me in front of others.

[sleepyjean]

I disagree. I don't think the "she had to take Danielle because she took Cassie" argument holds water at all. If she hadn't taken Danielle, there would've been howls of anger from TWOP, but that's about it. It wouldn't make a difference to ratings, to Cowboys fans, or to the number of girls who audition each year. It wouldn't mean fewer big appearances, fewer calendars sold, or fewer little girls in camp DCC. It wouldn't make the news. Wouldn't make a bit of difference in how "the public" views the squad.

I don't think Kelli puts much stock in anyone's complaints other than Charlotte's, and possibly CMT's.  Although people on TWOP have been very critical of favoritism toward Cassie, realistically, that's just a handful of people on an anonymous forum.  It's not a big deal. Meanwhile, she's been running this team and this show, without interference, for a very long time. In Dallas, she's a much-admired member of the community. She's probably constantly getting praised for the way she runs the team. I doubt people are calling/emailing/or saying anything to her face about the way she runs her team. I bet she gets very little negative feedback, and when she does get it, she probably chalks it up to sour grapes or people just not knowing what it takes to run this kind of organization.

I think she took Danielle back because she wanted to - for strategic reasons of her own. Maybe a bit of that was critical feedback, but I doubt that was the main reason.

[bigskygirl]

The interesting thing in all of this is Danielle ended up on Kelli's shit list for gaining weight and not bringing her A-team.  I wish they would have shown Danielle talking with Kelli and Judy after the Chelsea/Miss Kitty incident and no cameo photo shoot esp. after she by K and J  told her to lose weight, and Kelli and Charlotte were the ones who wanted her back.  There is a lot more to it than Kelli liking her and her injured foot.

Edited March 31, 2014 by bigskygirl

[Guest]

Thought just the current DCC worked out at the DCC dance room at Valley Ranch, but have seen some pics posted last few weeks of girls in Kitty's classes also doing dance workshops at Valley Ranch with other trainers/choreographers.   Makes you wonder if there is an inside track for certain girls?

[Rhondinella]

My "love" relationship basically involves Kelli's hair.

[McSavaney]

Ginger J-I think that must be part of the dance prep as I know Kitty was leading one and others too.  I think in the past it was more DCC but now it seems they have added more to the arsenal. 

[Italian Ice]

I know that in previous years, the DCC prep classes were taught by the Group Leaders. I'm glad they're switching things up now. I think that DCC in general could benefit from bringing in more outside choreographers. Kitty needs her own spinoff show, IMO. She's the best part of this series

[Elizabeth9]

Kelly once told a girl to touch the turf "with all your glory."  When doing the jump split.

I love Kitty and would definetly watch a show of just her.

[EricaShadows]

SleepyJean, they might not pay much attention to a group of anonymous posters on a random website, but they do pay attention to what's being said.  A few seasons back (I think it was the one where Cassie made Group Leader), they addressed the charges of nepotism that had been following the team since Cassie joined and that was several years AFTER Cassie had joined as Cassie had gotten Group leader either in her third or fourth year.  For such things to be brought up ON the show so many years after Cassie was brought on, I suspect that they would have to be hearing it from a variety of sources and for some time.  I do agree that it wouldn't affect a lot of things related to the team, especially with some of the points you mentioned, but I think that, while they were successful for the most part with some of the focus on legacies over the years (Meredith Oden, Olivia and others) failed miserably with Cassie.  If there were issues with Danielle, we didn't really hear or see anything related to them beyond speculation and rumors, we only saw and heard about the injury on the show so that was why I brought up the comparison.

[bigskygirl]

I chuckle at Kelli when she said trying on the DCC uniform is like trying on wedding dresses.  She also said not having the big screen and music during practice at the stadium is the same thing as being a surgeon and having the patient cut open and no tools to use.

Judy acts like it is a big disaster when the girls do not have a lot of time to practice before a public non-game performance or one of the girls are injured and it throws off the performance.  Talk about drama queen!!!

[bigskygirl]

If we take a drink every time we heard someone say pressure, tension, boring, honor, we would all be passed out by the end of a episode.  *lol*

I would like to see more of the judges decisions, finals solos and interviews, group leaders selection,and how the girls balance work, school and relationships.

[McSavaney]

We get attached to some people who have become vets and would like to at least see groups of vets dancing.  Also liked some of the work experiences such as when we saw Jackie at work.

[sleepyjean]

I don't know how to fix it, but this show has gone completely stale for me. I used to know who all the rookies were each year, and some of their back story. I couldn't name more than 2 or three of last year's rookies. I appreciate that they're trying to mix it up a little with things like show group auditions at Gilley's and the fan vote for training camp. But those things were merely interesting, not compelling. This show used to be appointment television for me. Now I dvr it, read the comments on the forum, and only watch the episode if the comments mention something interesting. Even then, I fast forward throught the show to get the the part people are talking about. I haven't seen a full episode of this show in years. The way the team is run is very formulaic, so no matter how they change up the show, the content is the same. Same process, same staff, same makeovers, same choreography, same uniforms, same activities, same angst.

My attitude is at least in part becuase watching the show has made me cynical about the team. In the beginning, it was about young dancers with a big dream. Now the dancers seem too desperate, too foolish to make the kinds of mistakes that could be avoided if they'd watched prior seasons. They seem too willing to hand themseslves over to an organziation that monopolizes their lives, pays them very little, and takes every opportunity to cause competition between them and make them feel unworthy.  The dream doesn't seem as shiny and fantastic of an opportunity, now that I know how hypocritical the organization is (the DCC are "good girls" now put on this skimpy outfit") and how much influence the likes of Kelli, Judy, and Kitty (who don't particuarly like most of these girls) have on these girls.

[bigskygirl]

Too bad they do not go back to the Season 2 format.  In my opinion, Season 2 was the best season of all.

The idea of going past training camp was nice, but the veterans outside of TC scenes were too phony, and the calendar episode in season 7 was terrible.

[Rhondinella]

I edited the title of this thread to "Suggestions for Show Improvement" since that seems basically to be what you're talking about.  My brain isn't fully functioning yet this morning, so if anyone else has ideas for a more pithy or funny title, please feel free.

[GaveIn]

I also like going past TC and the things girls do outside (jobs, helping each other practice, etc) but it does all seem so fake now! I enjoyed Jackie & Colin at work, but when all the rookies meet up for coffee, I wanted to cringe because it just seemed so forced and fake! I like when they show the vets working with and helping the rookies outside of Valley Ranch.

I HATED that whole swimsuit thing! For people who don't actually follow the team, just the show, it might not of been that bad. Just knowing they had to do all the extra work to make sure they didn't show any of the girls that were cut, just seemed silly & a waste of the editors time.

I think they should do a calendar shoot special before they start the audition process episodes...

[bigskygirl]

Part of the reason why I hated the swimsuit episode was they were pretending it was after TC ended.  The girls reactions were bad.  The swimsuit modeling show was also bad with the bikinis and boots.  In my opinion, the girls looked trashy.  Plus the swimsuit calendar viewing with the girls and Kelli and Judy were just as bad.  The girls are bad actors.

[sleepyjean]

I would really like to know why they changed the schedule around and pushed auditions into May. When this show first started, auditions were in April, and then the veterans went on the calendar shoot a few weeks afterward. Why have the shoot before the squad is determined, knowing that there's a good chance they're taking at least one cheerleader who won't make the team again? Why go to that expense? I also think it's odd that Kelli was ok with cutting the 4 month training camp down to 3 months. After all, don't they need all of that time to "earn" their way onto the team and prove they deserve those white booty shorts?

[DCCFanInKy]

I just noticed this tweet....

Samantha Finglass ‏@samfinglass  
Tomorrow is my last time to ever drive out to Arlington for cheer

[sleepyjean]

I know she's done all-star cheerleading for years, but I don't recall anything about a dance background. Cassie did allstar as well. Did she have any dance before she auditioned?

[DCCFanInKy]

 Did she have any dance before she auditioned?

No idea.  I wonder how much, if any, she'd be able to pick up by accompanying Mom to work all those years and through Jr DCC?

 

Anybody know if Samantha was ever a Jr DCC?

Edited April 23, 2014 by lscobee

[GaveIn]

I'm not sure if Samantha was a Jr DCC. If I remember correctly, I think she is going to (or wants to go) to an Ivy Leuge school and be a journalist one day. Miss Kitty mentioned her going to Havard, Yale or one of those schools a while back. I'm glad she has that dream and hopefully gets to fulfill it. I remember actually feeling kinda bad (just a little) for Cassie when she said in her final interview that her dream was always to be a DCC and now that it was over, she didn't know what to do with her life (or something along those lines).

[GaveIn]

You are killing me with all these threads! LOL not really, it is just going to take some time to get use to. But we're talking about Kelly's teenage daughter Samantha who has never really been on the show...would that not be small talk??

[Pearl1227]

I was just going to say that Elizabeth9! I thought that was wildly inappropriate of Kelly...lol.

[Pearl1227]

It would be interesting to see what's in the Big Book of DCC that all of the training camp candidates get at the first meeting. Scandalous details of the Buffalo Jill's rule book have been splashed across the media in the past few days regarding personal hygiene (use correct size of tampons!), etiquette rules (don't eat too much bread!), etc. I can only imagine the lengthy rules the DCC must follow! Give us a peak Kelly and Judy!!