S10.E03: An Emotional Beginning

[bigskygirl]

 

Training camp begins and the candidates start to crack as the reality of how hard it is to become a DCC sets in. Melissa Rycroft offers the ladies hope and advice on how to make it through.

 

[dccfan37]

Time to find out who wears the wrong uniform! I'm thinking Emily Hatch

[DCCFanInKy]

Time to find out who wears the wrong uniform! I'm thinking Emily Hatch

You would think somebody would have caught it when they were changing in the locker room before practice but maybe she hadn't brought anything else to wear so she was stuck with it?

[dccfan37]

You would think somebody would have caught it when they were changing in the locker room before practice but maybe she hadn't brought anything else to wear so she was stuck with it?

I feel like I would be someone who brought all training outfits to camp just in case!

[SanLynn]

Seriously?! I can't even get some face time with my favorite Angela during the intros? She's the only other 5 year vet. We got Holly but no Angela outside of a glimpse when Jinelle was on camera. So disappointing.

Edited August 21, 2015 by SanLynn

[LadyMsJay]

So, KaShara (who has THE cutest voice) AND Raylee both wore the wrong uniform on Day 1. What a mess. I don't see how that mistake could have possibly have been made.

[DCCFanInKy]

So, KaShara (who has THE cutest voice) AND Raylee both wore the wrong uniform on Day 1. What a mess. I don't see how that mistake could have possibly have been made.

Was just posting about that. How embarrassing!

I hope they continue to feature KaShara.. With her being from the same state as me I'm really rooting for her!

 

Did they relax the rule that you had to be a FT student or have a FT job?  Seems like they might have but I can't remember.

Edited August 21, 2015 by lscobee

[Aegolius]

So I'll have to go back and check, but I thought at the beginning Kelli said they had 26 veterans and 20 rookies in training camp.  Isn't that backwards? ;)

[dccfan37]

From the amount of times that they stressed what to wear, Kashara saying "let's go get dressed," the dress code being on the board, and Elizabeth saying it as well, and then the montage of the girls in the locker room in their practice uniforms, I almost think it was producer made that someone wears something wrong

Madeline totally got a tan and looks orange :(

[LadyMsJay]

Madeline totally got a tan and looks orange :(

 

She looks so muddy next to the other girls, but she's as cute as a button (though I've never looked at a button and thought 'how cute'..haha).

 

It's weird; at the beginning of training camp, all the TCCs seemed to be super strong dancers (which I'm sure they are), but upon watching this episode so far, I'm quite amazed at how many girls have issues learning the dances. I'm guessing it's nerves; it has to be. Some of them are (or are edited to appear to be completely) falling apart.

Edited August 21, 2015 by LadyMsJay

[DCCFanInKy]

From the amount of times that they stressed what to wear, Kashara saying "let's go get dressed," the dress code being on the board, and Elizabeth saying it as well, and then the montage of the girls in the locker room in their practice uniforms, I almost think it was producer made that someone wears something wrong.

I can't imagine a producer would deliberately sabotage a TCC 

[dccfan37]

I can't imagine a producer would deliberately sabotage a TCC

Now that I'm watching it through maybe they got extra clips of girls talking about the practice uniform. It just seemed like so much haha

1. Also I love the way Elizabeth presents herself on camera. She seems very poised and articulate

[DCCFanInKy]

 

It's weird; at the beginning of training camp, all the TCCs seemed to be super strong dancers (which I'm sure they are), but upon watching this episode so far, I'm quite amazed at how many girls have issues learning the dances. I'm guessing it's nerves; it has to be. Some of them are (or are edited to appear to be completely) falling apart.

I don't see bow ANY normal person could possibly learn a complete routine per night.  Broken down approximately how many TC rehearsals are there?  40?   And didn't someone say there's about 50 total routines?

[SanLynn]

So I'll have to go back and check, but I thought at the beginning Kelli said they had 26 veterans and 20 rookies in training camp.  Isn't that backwards? ;)

I think so. I could have sworn during finals that there were only 23 veterans re-auditioning and they cut 3.

 

Finally saw my Angela! It was great to see her teaching a routine tonight.

[Bailey3606]

Omg Kelli straight up asked Colby if she got work done! I'm dying

[DCCFanInKy]

Did "office Cheryl" get a makeover or something?  She looks "different" (pretty sad that I pick this show apart so thoroughly I'd notice that LOL)

Edited August 21, 2015 by lscobee

[SanLynn]

Omg Kelli straight up asked Colby if she got work done! I'm dying

And then she flat out told her the fans were the only reason she was here. Definitely wasn't expecting that.

[LadyMsJay]

Omg Kelli straight up asked Colby if she got work done! I'm dying

 

I'm glad she did; it had to be asked..and I'm glad she was upfront about letting her know she wouldn't have made it without the fan vote. They already seem like "..whyy is she even here?"

[DCCFanInKy]

Wow is Kelli softening up....that comment about Rose thinking she was getting cut right then?

 

From that last little bit it seems like

Colby

might be the first cut.

Edited August 21, 2015 by lscobee

[SanLynn]

Re-watching and the wardrobe problem was kind of crazy. Almost like KaShara and Rayleen just didn't even check to see which outfit they should wear.

I had to laugh when KaShara's response was "yeah sorry I should have just packed all my outfits". Uhhh no, just check which day it is and bring the right one. LOL

[EricaShadows]

I can understand stress and nerves causing girls to temporarily lose their minds, but, with something like this, if you truly can't remember, bring them all so you have the right one just in case.  In addition, it sounds like KaShara completely blew it off, like it wasn't that important.  Girl, it IS that important.  Girls have been cut for not caring about the small stuff.  Be polite, be contrite and do better.  Make sure there isn't anything else they can ding you on so there's no reason for them to cut you down the road.

 

And then she flat out told her the fans were the only reason she was here. Definitely wasn't expecting that.

 

I haven't watched the show yet, but I can't WAIT to see this section.  If Colby had work done (and admits it), that's not a big deal, especially if it looks natural and only enhances a girl's natural beauty.  If it doesn't enhance anything or makes it look worse, then it's a waste of time, money and a WHOLE lot of other things.  Unfortunately, Colby wasn't the prettiest of the bunch by far and, if she did get "enhanced", it certainly didn't do anything for her.  As for telling her straight up like that so soon, it would certainly sting, but it was also the right time to tell her because she would have to work that much harder to prove herself (if she can) and show them that she deserves to stay.  Unfortunately, she's already got two strikes against her and, if she doesn't straighten up, she could easily be gone.

[bigskygirl]

I'm sorry, but the scene with Melissa and Madeline was painful to watch. Madeline was crying a little and Melissa just walks in and ask her why she was crying. I did like the scenes of the veterans working with the training camp candidates. They need more of that and less of Melissa. And she is an expert now because she won Dancing With the Stars, was called into the office a couple of times during her two years on the team, and was shy girl. Seriously! Makes me think they are trying to sell Miss Melissa since some fans were questioning why she was chosen to be a mentor.

 

And did they decided not to say the same thing over and over again or did they decide to try a new way of editing what is being said or filmed.

[Dopeydwarf]

I thought Madeline was a little cutie ( think she would look great with a makeover) , and Colby is, IMO, pretty--not DCC pretty ,she doesn't look young at all, but I think she looks a lot better than last week.

That Fireball song kinda sucks.

That uniform that i could've sworn was Hannah's is still hanging on the door of Kelli's office. 

[Aegolius]

Another thing I think I noticed in this episode, is they actually 'credit' a song in the lower left corner when it came on.  Does this mean they've finally figured out how to get rights for songs for longer than the first broadcast or during the season?  I hope so, because it's so disappointing when you view old seasons and all the songs are different.

Edited August 21, 2015 by Aegolius

[aj-jayva]

Is it me or are Kelli's dresses becoming shorter each year? The dress she wore (dark blue) was a bit too short for her age. She has nice legs but her shape is a bit square. The dress didn't flatter her figure at all.  Did anyone notice the 2nd routine looked a lot like the dance routine that was taught last year by the Allen Americans Ice Angel's Dance Director/Choreographer, Stephanie Dibiase Wheat? I love watching dance routines and I thought it odd it looked too familiar to last year's dance routine. Also, I think it is extremely unfair to suggest that the "veterans" could pick up choreography faster. Let's face it..the routines haven't changed so of course the vets are going to know the routine....p-llll-....eease... don't insult the audience's intelligence. It was an excellent show this evening but I would've liked to have seen more of the vets. And why are they still showcasing the same rookies on camera? Boring....

[bk10]

Madeline isn't ugly to me. She just has a childish face. It's cute. I hate her black hair though.

 

They didn't feature Karen, but from the little that I saw of her, she has a weird head/neck/torso combination. Her body didn't scream DCC.

 

I like the bits of Robin that we see. She seems to be strong so far. I like Megan as well. 

 

Also, K&J know that they don't want Colby there. They should have let her go. She looks to old and too fixed to be a DCC.

[MyFavShows]

Like KaShara - she has a cute personality and definitely has a DCC face. I'm not too fond of her roommate though - anyone that brags about being homecoming/prom queen in a backstory segment for a reality show instantly annoys me, and I find it a little odd that she'd miss her high school graduation to be at DCC tryouts/TC. Would the timing/logistics really conflict like that?

I still think Madeline is really 14 and she used a fake ID to tryout - haha ;). Her crying and whining to the camera seemed very immature (and annoying) to me.

Too much Courtney again - ugh. Not sure what I think about Rose yet. Kyndall seemed nice.

Seemed like a lot of "I made DCC TC so I need to quit my job now cause if I can't practice all day during the day I'm not going to make the squad" going on in this episode. Someone who would need to do that must not be very good at picking up and remembering choreography IMO.

That stuff Kelli said to Colby was brutal! How she controlled her emotions during all that is pretty unbelievable.

Edited August 21, 2015 by MyFavShows

[Aegolius]

So, KaShara (who has THE cutest voice)

SO glad she has the thick KY accent. :)

Edited August 21, 2015 by Aegolius

[Teresa]

Rose is not even remotely pretty (those eyebrows are hideous!) and had a stupid interview. What the hell is she doing there?

Edited August 21, 2015 by Teresa

[Teresa]

Cue all the complaints about Melissa R not dressing professionally.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

So I'll have to go back and check, but I thought at the beginning Kelli said they had 26 veterans and 20 rookies in training camp.  Isn't that backwards? ;)

I double checked and Kelli definitely said there are 20 rookies and 26 veterans at the beginning of the episode. KELLI MADE A MISTAKE!!

 

I'm not too fond of [Raylee] though - anyone that brags about being homecoming/prom queen in a backstory segment for a reality show instantly annoys me, and I find it a little odd that she'd miss her high school graduation to be at DCC tryouts/TC. Would the timing/logistics really conflict like that?

According to the DCC audition page, the first meeting of training camp was on June 1st this year. My high school graduation was in mid-June so it's entirely possible that she had to miss her graduation to be at training camp.

 

Did they relax the rule that you had to be a FT student or have a FT job?  Seems like they might have but I can't remember.

It's no longer mentioned on the audition page, FAQ, or rules and regulations. The only mention is on the FAQ page which says:

Is being a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader a full-time job?

No, most Cheerleaders hold part-time or full-time jobs or attend college.

 

On a shallow note, I hate those "cross your heart" tops they wore at the first rehearsal.

 

Is this the first we have heard of Elizabeth being an Oakland Raiderette? I remember in the past, anyone who had been on a pro football/basketball dance team got at least enough screen time during the audition process to mention that.

 

ITA that Madeline's new spray tan made her look like muddy. She has a cute face but I think her dark hair is a little harsh. I'm not saying she needs to go DCC blonde, but even just some highlights would soften her look. Maybe when she gets her makeover, they will change her hair color to a chestnut brown. I just hope they don't cut her hair super short and straighten it because her hair looks really thin so shortening and straightening it would make it look like she has droopy wet hair.

 

Although I think Kelli gave no fucks about hurting Colby's feelings, a lot of what she was saying is true. She does get squinty and her dancing does appear more similar to aerobics. And everyone already noticed her Joker smile during auditions. It's hard to unlearn facial expressions, so I feel for her. I also give her credit for taking all the things Kelli said to her with so much grace and without getting angry or defensive.

 

I agree that Emily needs to put some more power in her dancing but at least in the short snippet we saw of her she was getting the steps, unlike some of the other TCCs. But I will say in defense of the TCCs, learning a whole dance on your first night and dancing in front of the vets can be really intimidating and nerve wracking. It is so easy to lose confidence as soon as you start feeling like you're behind on learning the choreography and then it just snowballs. And I'm sure a lot of them are also overwhelmed by learning a whole dance in one night. It's not impossible but if you aren't used to learning at that pace then it is a lot of information to take in at once. Rehearsals are 7:00-10:30pm and I would guess that most of them are not used to three hour dance classes (most are an hour and even if you are a studio kid who takes multiple classes each day, you get to stop at the end of each hour, take a 5-10 minute break, and then do something new which gives your brain a break from whatever you just learned in your previous class) so they are probably tired both physically and mentally which just exacerbates the problem.

 

One thing I really dislike about Melissa's mentoring sessions is that she is pulling girls out of (optional) dance practice, especially this early in training camp. They need all the extra practice they can get, especially at the beginning. Can't she just make a note of who she wants to talk to and then do it after practice?

 

Ugh, seeing Kyndall barefoot in the bathroom at work gave me the heebie jeebies! [/germaphobe] But I feel for her and anyone else who does not have the option of quitting their job so they can rehearse all day.

 

Ha, I loved Rose's response to being told she's awkward. If you're told you are awkward, how do you unawkward yourself? And it's true that it's a vague comment and can be taken a lot of ways.

 

Based on her earlier interview where she said she grew up in her mom's dance studio, it's really surprising to me that Madeline is having so much trouble learning routines AND performing AND didn't have good kicks. You'd think that she would be good at at least one.

 

Man, Kelli had a ton of dark eye shadow on at the second rehearsal. Most of the time she is a hardass and she owns it, but I hate when she tries to act surprised that the girls who get called into her office get emotional or think they are about to get cut.

Edited August 21, 2015 by ElectricBoogaloo

[English Teacher]

Am I wrong, or is it rare that they don't teach part of Thunderstruck on the first night? These two dances seemed very new, which could explain why the rookies were confused. I'm sure many of them practiced the signature dance prior to TCC.

I also felt Kelli let the girls know about cuts more than in previous years....normally she speaks about building a squad, not looking for the 10 weakest to cut.

Not surprised that Megan and Melissa are friends...they are both powerhouses.

I'm worried for Madeline; her facial expressions are not "pleasant to watch" when she dances. She also seems to be much more natural when it comes to makeup. she reminds me of someone...an actress I think.....

im not a Colby fan but I agree she handled that verbal beating with grace and poise.

[Smplsimon]

Reactions:

 

I like a lot more after this episode.  I thought she handled herself very well in face of what I considered some cruel statements by Kelli.  I loved the way she referenced her mom when explaining her cheek bones.

 

The girls wearing the wrong uniforms -- big deal!  And the reason they showed so much about the uniforms leading up to it is this was edited together after the fact and, knowing that the wardrobe boo-boo was coming, the producers just used more footage that usual about dress code to set the scene.  The same way we got lots of footage about the weight contract at the beginning of the season where Chelsea was ultimately cut after behaving unprofessionally after told to tone up.

 

The stuff with the girl practicing in the bathroom at work (in her work clothes!) was so ridiculously fake and staged!

 

I was really impressed with Jennifer's ability as a dance teacher -- I can see why she's a #2 group leader.

 

Can't believe Kelli said 26 vets and 20 rookies -- seriously?  And it was a voice over, so she could have changed that anytime prior to airing.

 

I too hate to see Melissa pull girls who are struggling out of practice classes -- they need that a lot more than her platitudes about believing in yourself.  Barf.

 

Overall, the third episode is always the most lame.  Bring on the cuts! :-)

 

Edited August 21, 2015 by Smplsimon

[MMLEsq]

Also, K&J know that they don't want Colby there. They should have let her go. She looks to old and too fixed to be a DCC.

But then they would miss her "breakthrough moment" -- how many times did Colby mention that?  You don't need to have a breakthrough moment to make the DCC -- just be a good (no, make that great, per Kelli) dancer, look okay in the uniform, and don't do or say anything that makes K&J seriously question whether you'd be a good ambassador for the DC. 

Edited August 21, 2015 by MMLEsq

[MaryWebGirl]

I was rooting for Rose after she said that "awkward" was a vague comment (because it is), but then she just continued being defensive. I understand that response, but it certainly isn't something K&J like.

 

I'm also a little grossed out that they've featured women the last couple of years who quit their jobs to be on the team. I know DCC can open up opportunities for some people, but it's hardly a resume builder for a lot of careers. It was refreshing to hear Kyndall say she can't afford to quit her job and she's not going to do it.

[English Teacher]

When Kelli said at the start of first night, "speaking of personality" the look on some of the girls' faces was as if they expected Kitty to come out.

Lots of low kicks on the across the floors...

[rose711]

What is a "breakthrough moment"?? Is this a dance term? It sounds like something meaningless a marketing person would come up with that doesn't really meAn anything.

Maybe Colby is positioning herself to be a motivational speaker with that as her catchphrase a la "heartbreaker" from 30 rock.

That said I do think the dancers seem much better than in previous seasons.

Edited August 21, 2015 by rose711

[Pinknblue]

When Kelli asked about Colby's cosmetic work, and Colby played it down with "temporary" lip filler... I was like, the lips are the least of her problems, ...and what about all the rest of it? The whole episode I was distracted by that frozen forehead!

She must be attractive IRL but just not very videogenic - Melissa R commented on her beauty at the unofficial rehearsal and I could kind of see something fresher/more attractive in Colby in her talking head straight after that (more flattering lighting? Less guarded?)

She seems like a sweet person, and was graceful in the face of K's honesty. But there is nothing about her that says DCC to me! IMO she looks a lot older than her stated age.

[lah715]

Maybe it was the editing but the first and second night practices were boring - most looked really bad if you compare them to season 7 or 8 rookies - I enjoyed watching them picking up the routines.  It might have been the dance they were teaching too since it did not look like Thunderstruck. 

[LadyMsJay]

I was really impressed with Jennifer's ability as a dance teacher -- I can see why she's a #2 group leader.

 

Jennifer was a #2 last year,

she's the head honcho of her group this season, Jessica is her 2nd!

 :)

 

When Kelli said at the start of first night, "speaking of personality" the look on some of the girls' faces was as if they expected Kitty to come out.

Lots of low kicks on the across the floors...

 

LOW? Those "kicks" were beyond low. Like, didn't you know what you were getting into? 

Edited August 21, 2015 by LadyMsJay

[Gigi88]

Rose is not even remotely pretty (those eyebrows are hideous!) and had a stupid interview. What the hell is she doing there?

I'm glad I'm not the only one thinking that about Rose. Her eyes were red and face all blotchy even at interviews! I'm not getting it at all ! I think Madeline is super cute but she seems very immature. Growing up in the dance world you would think she would have a thicker skin by now. But she did say she grew up dancing in her moms studio so I guess she had it too easy there. She will need time to mature before she should even consider coming back. I love, love , love Megan, Holly and KaShara!

Edited August 21, 2015 by thewhiteowl
Removed spoiler

[Dopeydwarf]

Rose is about my favorite. she won me over with the "vague" comment.  I'm sure she won't be there long. I like her looks.She reminds me of a friend I had.

 

It is very difficult for me to connect with any one of these rookies.  The whole thing is like a totally different dance team that Kelli and Judy are teaching. I realize that it is actually a different team, but this one has a different group persona--it's kinda strange--not like the other DCC groups I've watched. It's like K&J have been hired out to produce a new show "XYZ Dance Class', and it's being shown as a DCC spinoff.    

[Teresa]

I agree that Jennifer K is an excellent dance teacher in that she is personable making the girls comfortable and detailed in explaining exactly how to be more fluid with the dance steps instead of just saying you're too sharp.

[MyFavShows]

When Kelli asked about Colby's cosmetic work, and Colby played it down with "temporary" lip filler... I was like, the lips are the least of her problems, ...and what about all the rest of it? The whole episode I was distracted by that frozen forehead!

She must be attractive IRL but just not very videogenic - Melissa R commented on her beauty at the unofficial rehearsal and I could kind of see something fresher/more attractive in Colby in her talking head straight after that (more flattering lighting? Less guarded?)

She seems like a sweet person, and was graceful in the face of K's honesty. But there is nothing about her that says DCC to me! IMO she looks a lot older than her stated age.

I agree that Colby seems like a sweet person. She also showed great maturity and a positive attitude after all that awful stuff Kelli said to her - when on the other hand you got Madeline bawling her eyes out like her lifelong pet just got hit by a car over a few corrections. Rose was overreacting some too but at least she was called into the office and had a reason to be upset.

[bigskygirl]

Reminder-Please use spoiler tags when talking about what could or will happen in future episodes. Episode threads are for current episodes and sneak peaks of what will happen in next episode. Posters not using spoiler tags in relations to future episodes will be asked to edit their posts or a mod will edit the post. Thank you.

[LadyMsJay]

"Overreacting" is debatable. These girls' whole lives are dedicated to making this cheer team, so to them it's a big deal..where to many of us, it's just a part time dance job.

[English Teacher]

...not to mention, tears come quickly if you are tired and stressed. and many of these girls are over achievers so they get frustrated and angry with themselves when they don't perform perfectly. I think some of the tears come from there. But Madeline is turning into this season's Katherine Dunn with the crying jags.

[h2ogirl]

Colby won me over (mostly) in this episode.  Before when she said that nonsense about the unity and hard work of the american people and that she was looking forward to being a mentor and sharing her life experience I was rolling my eyes big time.  But here she handled herself well with Kelli being brutally honest with her.  I wish she hadn't done all the work to her face - it seems like she'd look much better just leaving her face alone.  She's pretty and she's only 31 - too early to do all that IMO.

 

I like Rose too - but she looks like Leslie Van Houten from the Manson family and it kinda freaks me out.  

[Dopeydwarf]

Ooh gee thanks , h2o girl, now I'll never be able to look at her without thinking that she's "Ouish"! (Van Houten's nickname given to her by Manson)  I so remember that face! 

[h2ogirl]

Sorry Dopeydwarf.  :)