S10.E04: The Cuts Begin

[mardo4]

wow, she looks great, especially considering she is battling cancer.

I did not start watching until maybe MTT 5 so I must not have the Jay fatigue the "MTT veterans" have but I really like his boot camp segments. And I enjoy Melissa's role a lot more this season than last.

[Channing]

I am new to this forum so please be gentle with me....because I am sure I am going to say somethings that might not be liked.

I am not impressed with the looks of many of the "rookies". Although they are all cute only a few have what I feel are the DCC image. Over the years DCC girls possess a sexy, but classy image. The majority of these girls look very simple appearance, especially the 18 year old girls.

Let's talk about plastic surgery and botox- Being the daughter of a Plastic Surgeon it is obvious that K&J both have had reconstruction in areas of their bodies. Very obvious implants, botox, and multiple fillers. I could even say that they both could benefit from other modern procedures to help their own look/shape. With that being said...I think they have no right to treat Colby the way they do. Yes she has had work done, but she doesnt look bad. It is ok to not like everyone but K&J's fake "mean girl comments" are childish and are only for the benefit of adding something exciting to the story line of this reality show. My personal opinion of Colby is that she is not a great dancer, but is not tragic. Researching her I found that she does look better with a little more weight on her body. If she was 10 pounds heavier she could pull of a DCC look. She would need to work on her style of dancing.
I am not sure what the hype is about Holly P. During my research of her I find that she is a excellent techincal dancer with skill, but that is it. She is cute and a great performer, but has a juvenille look about her. Her story holds very little truth...
1. Her family home may sit in Reeds, MO but Reeds is a part of Joplin Metro Statisistical Area with a combined populations of over 100,000. A far cry from the comment like; "We don't have a stop light in our town, but we do have a stop sign".
2. There are a number of dance studios in her home town area. She chose to travel to Springfield, MO which is only 40 mile drive. She had a falling out with the dance instructor and selected to drive to Tulsa to a new studio So the comment that she made about no studio in her town was not the truth. There are a large number of well respected studios where she lives.
3. Records show Holly P dropped out of High school her Sophmore year to focus on dance and dance competitions. So she was not the girl with the overhead light on doing math coming home from dance late at night. Education is a must for success in lif. When I think of DCC girls I think of them having an education or with degrees and real jobs. Not someone who has a GED or possibly not IDK and has her mom move with her to Dallas during training camp.
Although I think she cute, a great dancer and excellent at showmanship I still don't love her look as a DCC. I am 100% convinced that she males the team it will be solely on her technical skills alone. Going thru her photos she appears to have alots of fluctuation in her weight. Jay's award was about stamina, not about the most physically fit. She also is 18 and should have more staminia than someone older. Plus she doesnt appear to have a job like most of the other girls, so she does have more time to work cardio.. With that being said, I do think we will see her getting in trouble for her weight in upcoming episodes. I am not hating on her,  I just don't like the stroy line.

Edited August 29, 2015 by thewhiteowl
edited spoiler

[Dopeydwarf]

Ohhhh, I didn't know--I thought she was going for a new look.  :(   

 

(I edited my first post to remove my comment)

Edited August 28, 2015 by Dopeydwarf

[Channing]

@LaurenBrook I live in Kansas City, MO and I work in journalism. I am a fan of all the girls and think Holly P is adorable and like I said before a great performer. However, I was more so commenting on the "story lines" that are not real and are made up for the entertainment value.

Thank you for the info about the spoiler alert. I will use that for my next post.

Everyone has a difference of opinions when it comes to education.

Edited August 28, 2015 by Channing

[lorikauai]

I think of the ideal DCC as being around 25. Youthful and energetic but also poised and polished. Colby is just way too old-looking to fit the mold. I also think she is older than she claims. She looks my age (37) and just far too old to carry the America's Sweetheart label. It also just makes sense to hire more 18-22 year olds who have potential to be on the team 3, 4, 5 years.

I liked the inclusion of Jay. We got too much of him in early seasons but recently he seems to have mostly disappeared. I did miss the power squad awards. I also would rather watch Jay than some of the etiquette and social media training they've shown in the past.

Melissa has been so much better this year. I couldn't stand Breelan last year and Melissa's focus on her.

Madeline needs a makeover so much. That hair is way too dark for her skin. I'm wondering if she hasn't been cut yet just because producers think she'll be good for the makeover episode. She seems hopeless with the dancing. She just can't make the corrections they keep giving her.

Emily was so timid I wondered how she made it past the initial interviews and in to training camp. She is very pretty and seems sweet. Maybe if she watches this she can prepare herself physically (add a little weight) and mentally (confidence) and try again.

I don't understand how anyone tries out for this team if they aren't flexible enough yet. You can't really fix that in 6 weeks.

I think Holly is really likeable but she kind of blends for me. I think she is another makeover candidate. They need to jazz up her hair or makeup or something.

[Dopeydwarf]

I got a GED in 1970, and later got a BS from a university.

 

And Reeds is a small town. It's a ways from Joplin.  (20 some miles.)  

I hail from KC as well. 

[Oranaiche]

@LaurenBrook I live in Kansas City, MO and I work for the Associated Press. I am writing an article about "Reality TV Shows", so yes I did research on 4 TCC rookies for this segment. I am a fan of all the girls and think Holly P is adorable and like I said before a great performer. However, I was more so commenting on the "story lines" that are not real and are made up for the entertainment value.

Thank you for the info about the spoiler alert. I will use that for my next post.

Everyone has a difference of opinions when it comes to education.

Just curious, have you been to Reeds to see if they have stop lights or not? Seems like a silly thing to embellish on. Lots of towns don't have stop lights so I don't see it as far-fetched. As far as her education, my understanding is that she homeschooled and did complete her high school education. I would assume that would mean studying at night after dancing during the day. A lot of athletes in general do this, and considering Holly has won dance awards and is going onto what I'm sure will be a wonderful dance career, I don't see a problem with it personally.

I think with the show being nationally aired, things will always be embellished, and a lot of that is producer driven. Regardless I still think Holly is a genuine person, personally.

Edited August 28, 2015 by Oranaiche

[bigskygirl]

Please remember this thread is for the episode and not to bring up abortion, or other topics not related to the what was shown in the episode or previews for next week's episode. Also, please use spoiler tags when discussing what will happen in future episodes. Post going off topic can be hidden or the poster will be ask to edit/use spoiler tags in the future. Thank you.

[rose711]

I think Emily was just so intimidated. She did really, really well to get as far as she did. I hope she performs for another team and gains confidence. She seemed like a sweetheart.

Colby just didn't fit from the beginning. I feel sorry for her that she didn't try out 10 years ago instead of going to London. I'm assuming she was chasing a different dream then, but she gave up her chance for this one. I can't see them ever putting someone who looks so much older on that huge screen.

I do like this more honest Kelly. I wondered if the girls yelling at her (on one of the earlier seasons)for leading them on was some of the motivation for her being more direct.

Edited August 28, 2015 by rose711

[Dancer.Lyfe]

Colby is SO awkward!!!

[Smplsimon]

I loved how classy Colby was -- she didn't fit as a DCC, but I sure liked having her on the show.

[TobyBelle]

I like Madeline and loved how she carried herself when she was leaving the office. There are times she is really cute, and I do see her fitting in as a DCC, even with her looks. I know some of you will call me crazy, but in previous episodes she would remind me a little of Ashton Torres. I don't know, maybe it's her mouth.

Sorry, I really did not like Colby. She seemed like she thought she could talk her way into staying another night saying she is well prepared and willing to dance for them. I still could not shake the feeling of not trusting her. She could turn on the charm when she wanted to. Maybe she can't help her expressions. She scared me with a brief look she gave when she was cut. It was a look of "I"m going to kill you". I didn't get a good feeling from her.

I wondered the scene of bringing in the choreographer and addressing the "too thin for the uniform" was to appease us critics who say the dances look the same and that the DCC's are expected to starve themselves thin. Judy said she was bringing her in so they wouldn't be "cookie cutter", but her dance still looked exactly the same.

I didn't participate in the fan vote, but if I did, I would've voted for Karen even if she ended off to the side. It was her expression that caught my attention. They haven't shown much of her at all so I'm disapppointed. When her group was dancing, Kelli went down the line critiquing most of them, but the film was cut off before they got to her. I liked seeing Kelli interact with some of the girls during the uniform fittings (enjoyed the scene with Simone) and wished we could see more of things like that.

[mardo4]

When Shelbi mentioned quitting her job, Kelli seemed surprised. She didn't get no possible job offer like Courtney did last year.

. My guess is Shelbi is on the bottom and Kelli is thinking, wow you quit your job and still might not keep up or make it. I think they had a real sense Courtney would/could be on the team if her workload was not as heavy. But if Shelbi has the resources to focus on dance for 2 months without working more power to her. a lot of the competition is "going to school" but school is out of session or working a flexible schedule job teaching Zumba or whatnot. But Kelli's reaction is interesting.

[Law Mom]

KeShara totally won the episode with her comment about the shorts being shorter than her attention span.

 

When Stephanie told Emily to smile, I was thinking, that's okay, Christina there is smiling enough for both of you.

 

I've met many, many dancers and cheerleaders over the years and I have never seen such a shrinking violet as Emily. What is her background? Most dancers learn to overcome shyness. In fact, some parents put shy kids in dance to help with that and it works! It was so painful to watch. I hope she gets some performance experience and comes back. It would be good for her.

 

I was starting to like Colby a little bit last week but I hate when people beg and I thought she came a little too close to the line. But when Kelli said the decision was final she bowed out gracefully, so kudos for that. She won't try out again, no way.

 

[ClosetBachJunkie]

That blurb where Stephanie told Kelli and Judy she was intimidated was so staged I couldn't stand it.  I'm all for having guest choreographers come in and teach routines, but I didn't much care for that whole scene.  It just didn't feel like it belonged.  Was it just me or was the flow of the episode really choppy?

[mardo4]

Flow of episode was really choppy IMO. lots going on. I liked it when they spent a little more time on the

Fittings, guest choreographer, etc. but it was all in one episode so they had to keep it short. I hope it means we get to see more vets or when they make the team in later episodes.

Edited August 28, 2015 by mardo4

[TobyBelle]

That blurb where Stephanie told Kelli and Judy she was intimidated was so staged I couldn't stand it.  I'm all for having guest choreographers come in and teach routines, but I didn't much care for that whole scene.  It just didn't feel like it belonged.  Was it just me or was the flow of the episode really choppy?

I had to rewind that scene because I was confused. When someone says she's intimidated, it's usually upon the first time meeting someone, but then she had already been working with the Kelli and Judy on a regular basis.

[ByTor]

Kelli certainly did not try to hide her distaste toward Colby.  The way she was making fun of the faces Colby makes while dancing was IMO out & out catty.

[MrsEVH]

Kelli certainly did not try to hide her distaste toward Colby.  The way she was making fun of the faces Colby makes while dancing was IMO out & out catty.

I agree.

What I thought was kind of mean was at finals when the judges made fun of the top 3 girls  in the FV.

[RedDelicious]

Kelli was a downright catty bitch about and towards Colby. Not okay. Colby definitely comes from good breeding and it shows. I loved that she said she was "doing well" instead of "doing good" which makes my blood run cold. I give her a lot of credit for auditioning, doing the best she could and carrying herself with grace and composure. That counts for a lot in my book. Keep dancing Colby!

[PrincessLeia]

Kelli was a downright catty bitch about and towards Colby. Not okay. Colby definitely comes from good breeding and it shows. I loved that she said she was "doing well" instead of "doing good" which makes my blood run cold. I give her a lot of credit for auditioning, doing the best she could and carrying herself with grace and composure. That counts for a lot in my book. Keep dancing Colby!

I agree. The only person who came out looking bad was Kelli. She acted like a catty gossipy high school sophomore.

[SopranoKris]

My take on this week's episode:

 

1.  Count me in as happy to see Jay back.  I miss the Power Squad awards :)  Glad that they're doing a little bit with him.  No need to go overboard, but I like seeing how hard they have to work out to stay in shape.

 

2.  I was not sorry to see Colby go.  I haven't liked her from the beginning.  Mostly due to the fake "comes & goes" accent.  She came across across as disingenuous to me.  She certainly did look older than her stated 31 years to me.  Heck, I'm 46 and I look younger than she does.  (Definitely not that skinny, though)  She did not look right in the uniform, either.

 

3.  Poor Emily, she had 3 strikes against her:  not quick on the uptake with choreo, too skinny in the uniform and a shrinking violet personality.  I felt so bad for her, because I know how hard it is to overcome shyness.  Especially when you feel like you're out of your element.  I hope she gives it another try with some renewed confidence (and about 5 to 10 more pounds)

 

4.  KaShara continues to be my favorite personality of the TCCs.  Just adorable.  Love the attention span comment :)

 

5.  Holly is still my favorite TCC dancer.  I could see her making it all the way.

 

6.  Oh, Taylor...those kicks!  She's got such a great personality and she picks up the routines well.  But, those kicks are atrocious. We'll see what happens to her.  I can see her being one they'd say "please come back next year with more flexibility".

 

7.  If Madeleine had never said she grew up in a dance studio (her mom's to be exact), I would have never guessed by her performance so far.  She looks like a lost little lamb most of the time.  I don't know if it's just the editing or if she's truly struggling that much.  She's one I'd like to see with a makeover before a cut decision is made.  But if her dancing doesn't improve immensely, I don't see her going much farther.

 

8.  Looks like Rose is going to be back in the office next week, judging by the previews.  She kind of flew under the radar this week.  She's another one who wears her insecurity on her face when she dances.

 

9.  Loved, loved, loved that they showed who the group leaders are this season!  I wish they'd show which TCCs are in each group.

 

10.  Can't wait to see the makeovers next week!

Edited August 29, 2015 by SopranoKris

[PrincessLeia]

I don't think Colby is lying about her age. It lines up with the years she was at UT. She appears to have sun damage around her eyes and she's too thin- both things make you look older.

I know her accent is kind of ridiculous, but she has a good attitude, and judging from social media, she seems to be very well liked.

[DCCFanInKy]

8.  Looks like Rose is going to be back in the office next week, judging by the previews.  She kind of flew under the radar this week.  She's another one who wears her insecurity on her face when she dances.

 

Do you have a link? I can't seem to find that preview.  :)

[DCCFanInKy]

Was just watching the end credits for this episode (I've actually never watched the full credits before).  Noticed that Sam Finglass is a "Production Assistant".  Anyone know how long she's been doing that?  Also is the "Katy Aldrich" that is a a "Special Events Coordinator" retired DCC Katy Marie?

Edited August 29, 2015 by lscobee

[Jennifer J]

I expected Emily to go, I don't understand how she even made it into camp.  Surely her timid style showed at auditions.   I thought they would hold onto Taylor another week for the drama purposes.   Can't understand her making it either.    I really wonder if the training camp roster would be different if there wasn't TV.   Seems like they choose some people who will make a good story for TV.

[bk10]

It was a really good episode. I can't help but feel like they focused on the girls who were too skinny because a lot of the viewers make a big deal over them telling girls that they're too big. 

Edited August 29, 2015 by bk10

[Pinknblue]

I wish Holly's hair was different. It doesn't seem very DCC (not boofy enough maybe? Lol) and it's probably hard to change it up with that length during makeovers. It just seems to get in her way when dancing. But I love her!

Poor Emily. I wish she'd been able to find some mojo and overcome her shyness. I hope we see her next year with some more performance "pop".

Colby had some moments on camera this week that were extra unflattering in terms of looking "DCC fresh". Kelli must have really been annoyed that she made it by a popularity contest (or paying for votes) with the fan vote - Kelli totally lost her poise with the comments she was making about Colby, to the point that I thought she must have been taking it super personally?

Madeleine has a really cute personality and I hope she gets it together. A makeover might really make a difference for her, makeup can do so much to turn a baby-faced girl into a more mature looking woman!

Taylor... so much discussion on the season 10 spoilers thread where she got really trashed by so many, so I wasn't expecting to love her. I think she's gorgeous and I'm really impressed with her. But those kicks!! I think she'd be a fantastic DCC if she can find more height. Given that she's tried out for a few years running, she should know the kick standards and I'm really surprised that she's only now going to start working on them. Really? She comes across too smart to ignore something so important for something she keeps trying out for.

Oh Shelbi. I think Kelli's reaction to her quitting her job says everything about what Kelli thinks about her chances of making it. I hope the extra practice makes a difference, but Kelli's reaction said to me that it might be an almost insurmountable challenge in her eyes...

I love that Angela is a GL and conducts herself so beautifully. I'm an Aussie so it's nice to see her and Jinelle making us proud :-)

Edited August 29, 2015 by Pinknblue

[Elizabeth9]

I think for some people, that's as flexible as you can get. I'm in great shape but have never been flexible.

[pasdetrois]

 

Kelli totally lost her poise with the comments she was making about Colby, to the point that I thought she must have been taking it super personally?

Kelli has never been able to completely hide her bitchy disdain for certain candidates. She can be very polished and professional, but she ruins it by making faces and sarcastic comments, such as during practices.

 

Judy is so impassive as to appear tranquilized. It's curious to me that the organization hasn't replaced her with a more dynamic choreographer. Maybe she does a lot of stuff off-camera that they find valuable.

 

I appreciate seeing the short-haired women, because not all of "America's sweethearts" have long blonde hair. Holly has a very appealing look and dance style.

[rose711]

I agree. The only person who came out looking bad was Kelli. She acted like a catty gossipy high school sophomore.

I saw Kelli imitating physical movements, something she does with a lot of girls. I can see how it sounded catty, but she does refer to physical movement, looking up with head down and moving her shoulder in an unbecoming way, she didn't say anything about Colby personally. She was talking about the way she moves.

I thought Kelli seemed annoyed that she was going to have to waste time on a girl who the judges didn't like. Kellie told Colby that directly,but I don't think it sunk in that Kellie would never put someone on the team the judges don't like. I don't think Colby was even close to the training camp cutoff, given the judges shocked reaction that she was in the top 3. I'm sure Kelly would have taken back a veteran over Colby if she was taking an extra person.

I'm a fan of Holly. She is very dedicated dancer and very talented.

I actually think this group looks like they might be the best so far. I have high hopes for them

Edited August 29, 2015 by rose711

[PrincessLeia]

I saw Kelli imitating physical movements, something she does with a lot of girls. I can see how it sounded catty, but she does refer to physical movement, looking up with head down and moving her shoulder in an unbecoming way, she didn't say anything about Colby personally. She was talking about the way she moves.

I thought Kelli seemed annoyed that she was going to have to waste time on a girl who the judges didn't like. Kellie told Colby that directly,but I don't think it sunk in that Kellie would never put someone on the team the judges don't like. I don't think Colby was even close to the training camp cutoff, given the judges shocked reaction that she was in the top 3. I'm sure Kelly would have taken back a veteran over Colby if she was taking an extra person.

I'm a fan of Holly. She is very dedicated dancer and very talented.

I actually think this group looks like they might be the best so far. I have high hopes for them

If Kelli was annoyed, she can only be annoyed with herself since she probably came up with or signed off on the fan vote. Colby didn't take anyone's spot- she made it in addition to everyone else who made it into TC by the judges. And quite frankly none of the three veterans deserved to make it back based on what I saw at Finals, but it's not like Colby took one of their spots anyway. I just completely disagree- Kelli's hated Colby since the beginning and she's definitely lost her poise with this one.

[rose711]

If Kelli was annoyed, she can only be annoyed with herself since she probably came up with or signed off on the fan vote. Colby didn't take anyone's spot- she made it in addition to everyone else who made it into TC by the judges. And quite frankly none of the three veterans deserved to make it back based on what I saw at Finals, but it's not like Colby took one of their spots anyway. I just completely disagree- Kelli's hated Colby since the beginning and she's definitely lost her poise with this one.

I didnt mean that she took one of their spots. I meant to say that she was probably below them on the list of who the judges would take to training camp. I know they ordered the girls by score and took the top 45, but that became 46 with Colby. I don't think Colby was 46th on the list. I found it likely that a cut veteran was ranked higher (on the final judges list) than Colby. The judges were hard on the veterans, and stuck to the policy of not taking "overweight" or "soft" veterans. I still think Kelly and Judy would have taken a veteran over Colby if they had that choice. The judges gasped and looked shocked that Colby was in the top three. I doubt they rated her very high on that final list.

I know Colby worked in online marketing, maybe she had a way to get a lot of votes sent her way?

I'm sure Colby is a great person but never once did she seem right for that team. Maybe if she was an amazing dancer her looking so much older wouldn't have mattered. But even she admitted she was the slowest to pick up the choreography.

Colby should treat her entire training camp experience as a gift. She wouldn't have been there at all without winning an online contest and she was one of the worst dancers.

I watched Season 7 where they followed the team longer and I can see why they absolutely need dancers who can learn choreography and adapt quickly. They have a short amount of time to adapt if someone is injured and they have to learn new, complicated routines for half time shows at home games in a very few days.

Edited August 29, 2015 by rose711

[MaryLennox84]

As far as Colby, I do think she seems an old 31, though I don't doubt she is 31. However, I myself am the same age as Colby and if I were 20lbs thinner and a dancer, I would probably blend in with the group a lot better than she does--and so would a lot of women my age. She does look like she has the Real Housewives of Orange County syndrome in that she's gotten way too much plastic surgery at far too young and is underweight. 

 

However, despite all of that, Kelli's behavior was appalling. I get that Kelli didn't like her, but I had a lot of trouble discerning WHY. I feel like there were other candidates that were less "blendy" than Colby and I would have gotten rid of first, but Kelli's attitude made it clear that she was going to 86 Colbster at the first possible opportunity. 

[rose711]

As far as Colby, I do think she seems an old 31, though I don't doubt she is 31. However, I myself am the same age as Colby and if I were 20lbs thinner and a dancer, I would probably blend in with the group a lot better than she does--and so would a lot of women my age. She does look like she has the Real Housewives of Orange County syndrome in that she's gotten way too much plastic surgery at far too young and is underweight.

However, despite all of that, Kelli's behavior was appalling. I get that Kelli didn't like her, but I had a lot of trouble discerning WHY. I feel like there were other candidates that were less "blendy" than Colby and I would have gotten rid of first, but Kelli's attitude made it clear that she was going to 86 Colbster at the first possible opportunity.

My guess is that Colby got few judges votes supporting her. Kelly was never going to let her make the team when the judges were against her.

Kelly has said a few times that training camp is for the girls who are close, one girl had 9 yeses, 1 maybe and 5 noes, that's why she came to training camp to see if she could learn and develop. And Kelly has said that she has seen girls develop performance or wow with a make over in training camp. I am guessing that Colby was so far down the list, she wasn't a candidate for improvement.

I thought Kellie was professional to Colby. Maybe her remarks to Judy were mean, but that was not done to her face. I bet they imitate a lot of what the girls are doing on the field or in the studio.

Edited August 29, 2015 by rose711

[pasdetrois]

 

Maybe her remarks to Judy were mean, but that was not done to her face.

It was worse - it was broadcast on television.

 

I forgot to say that I love the candidate with the great sense of humor. Pretty brave of her, considering that everyone is usually all cowering with yes ma'am and no ma'am.

 

And the guest choreographer looked horrible with her Botox and heavy spray tan and fake boobs and skinny frame. I guess she feels the pressure to try to look young in her profession. I thought her choreography was a jumbled frantic mess, but that may have been editing.

 

Maybe if the Cowboys organization would pay these women a salary, they wouldn't have to work other jobs and try to cram so much into a single day.

Edited August 29, 2015 by pasdetrois

[EricaShadows]

I did appreciate that Colby knew she wasn't the strongest dancer there and was working to improve her dancing and performance skils.  However, I don't think that Kelly was in a rush to get Colby out of there or was making fun of her by imitation.  We've seen Kelly do that with other girls as well (mainly to Judy to see if she's seeing the same and those critiques are usually shared with girls either right after they finish performing or are typed up and given to them) and we certainly don't see everything they've filmed, it's just that Colby had a storyline up until this point and so we got to see some of the comments made about her.  Sometimes, it's easier to describe what was seen if the words can't be found or are much less flattering than describing them.  If Kelly truly wanted her out of there so badly, Colby would have been gone the first time she was called into the office (it's been done before), however, it seems that Kelly wanted to give her a chance to prove that "Hey I can do this!  Just watch!"   

 

I did like how classy Colby was, but I felt she was bordering on desperate when she was being cut.  Her accent kept appearing and disappearing, she seemed to talk more than she did the last time she was in the office, and she kept moving around, especially when she offered to show them what she could do after all the practice, like "Hey, let's go out there right now!"  I know some people do move around when they're nervous, I just noticed that she seemed to be trying to get up and head towards the studio.  It might have just been me though.  I also do get that, while the girls do get uniforms customized to their bodies (and those bodies have to be slim), the uniform has to also be flattering as a whole.  Colby did not look right in the uniform and I think that was the final straw for Kelly.  She could work with a girl who isn't the best dancer, she can work with a girl who has body issues (to a point), she can work with a girl who doesn't QUITE look right (and I could imagine Kelly looking at her in uniform out there on the field with the rest of the current squad), but when those are all in the same package, I think Kelly cut her losses and told Colby it wasn't a fit for her this year. 

[English Teacher]

Colby in no way could "blend" into the team and her dance style was very (I hate to use this word) awkward, but I admire her spirit.  Clearly this was a dream and she went for it.  She seemed to appreciate the camaraderie with the girls and seemed to be working really hard.  But Kelli and Judy clearly did not like her.  Whether she is not being honest about her age or she just has that unfortunate older look, she could not work on the HD.  She is very pretty when she isn't trying to make dancer faces, but no.  Brittany Schram (One of my favorites) retired around 31/32 and looked much fresher.  Still, I think this may be the first time (aside from Kelsey and her illness) when I ever heard Kelli tell girls they were too thin.

 

Oh that kick line.  I have never seen it look so bad.  The left side wasn't just low, they were completely out of sync with the rest of the line -- and someone on the right (I couldn't tell who) was very low and tight also.  And if I can notice it....   Every girl auditioning knows this is an integral part of the audition process; how are you not training on flexibility and kicking?

 

Poor Madeline.  She clearly has the pedigree of a good dancer and Judy must be aware of her talent (I believe she referenced it in this episode) but I think the pace of learning and the innate intimidation is going to doom her.

 

Who is the TCC who is VERY petite - at the end of the line? I don't know how that will work in boots and shorts.  Hasn't Kelli cut girls for being too small also?

 

I also didn't mind the Jay segment -- much better than in the past when they had to climb trees and stand on 15 foot poles (I'm sorry, but my acrophobia would conquer my dream of being a DCC in an instant if that is what it took to make the team).  I feel that is such a reality show gimmick (like having chefs run a race to prove they can cook on Hell's Kitchen).  Not part of the job requirement and not necessary.

 

My favorite element this season is seeing more of the vets coaching the girls.  I wish there would be more of that -- that is so much more interesting.  These episodes seem to be much more frenetic -- too much in too short a time.  The kickline could have been a full segment in itself (given how horrible it was) and you could see the vets making comments behind the TCC line -- I'd love to see more of them helping the rookies.

 

Melissa is much better this year.  She's not picking favorites (yet) and she is much less of a cheerleader in her TH sessions -- she's very real and bluntly honest.  Actually, that's true of Kelli.  I'll say it again, this is a tougher, less nurturing Kelli than we've seen in previous seasons.

[MelissaS]

Hey everyone

I'm long time lurker first time poster :-) love the show and this forum. I'm from the UK so I have to wait abit longer to see episodes on YouTube.

I really likes the flow of last night's episodes and seeing the bits with jay and Stephanie. I wonder if some of the ex AAIA who are now TCCs found it easier learning Stephanie's style of choreography.

I also love KaShara and her personality

I also can't get Little Red Wagon out of my head haha

[Jess14]

Kelly was definitely catty when she spoke about Colby, but I honestly thought all of her comments have been spot on, even if mean. Colby did have peek-a-boo look to her dancing with all the squinting and shrugging; she did look like an aerobics instructed at times; she does look like she has had a ton of work done on her face; and she does look too old to be on the squad. Now just because it's true doesn't mean it should be said, but I have thought Kelli has been way more personal about other girls in the past. I think Kelli absolutely hated the idea of Colby being in training camp and disliked nearly everything about her style, but I didn't get the sense that she personally disliked her like I've seen with some other girls like Ika and Ashley from Kansas City during her season, even Hannah last year. With that said, Colby seemed like a nice person, and she grew on me over time. 

 

I didn't mind the Jay segment. It was the right amount of time, but I don't need to see Jay again this season. 

 

I like Melissa WAY more this year. Last year, she was basically Breelan's mentor. This year, she hasn't played favorites nearly as much. 

 

Does anyone know who the second leaders are for each group? Kelli must love Jennifer for her to jump several of the 4 year girls to make group leader. However, I very much liked her style when she was helping the rookies with the dance, so I can see is a group leader. 

 

Emily was way too timid, so I'm not sad to see her go. I 'm not spoiled but I have to think that Shelby is not far behind. I hate that she quit her job, and Kelli's response was very different than it was with Courtney last year. I'm guessing that she sees Shelby as bottom 10. Madeline is growing on me as a person, but I have to think that her days are numbered as well. Ditto for Taylor. I haven't done dance or gymnastics in probably 8 or so years, and my kicks are basically at Taylor's level. They're just awful and completely unacceptable for someone who is in her 3rd year of auditioning. 

 

Love KaShara, and I would like to see more of Robyn and the very short girl who was on the end of the kickline. I don't even know her name. 

[MelissaS]

Second leaders are Danielle for group 1 Kinzie for group 2 Jessica Marie for group 3 and Jenna group 4

[EricaShadows]

I agree with the Emily cut.  She's too much of a wallflower to ever be a DCC unless (or a possible until) she grows out of it, if she ever does.  I wonder if she's danced, but had little to no performing.  I know a lot of studios do Nutcracker (whether on their own, with several other studios, or with professional companies) and an end-of-the-year performance.  If Emily wants to be on a professional dance squad, she needs to do some competition dancing and get out there and do some solos.  If she can't handle Training Camp, she's not going to be a DCC.  I did hate to hear that she was ranked so high and I could see that it hurt her to hear that as well, especially when she's being cut, but that's why they brought her to Training Camp, to see if she could do what it takes to jump those two or more places and get on the squad and she crumpled instead.  I think she was another that didn't have the look and didn't have the dancing.  I seem to remember Kelly saying that she was an easy one to cut because she was struggling so much.   From what has been shown in this and previous seasons, they give all the girls about two weeks to really show what they can do and start cuts around the second week unless a girl is a HUGE risk (I seem to remember there was at least one girl who was cut the first week due to racy photos taken and shared with a boyfriend who then sent them to Kelly and Judy).  

 

As for Madeleine, I think they expect more out of her because she IS a studio "rat" or "brat" (I couldn't tell which one Madeleine said).  If you spent that much time in a studio dancing, you should be amazing (ahem, Holly).  However, Madeleine seems average at best to me.  She seems like a studio darling who wasn't really pushed to be the best she could be because she didn't "have" to be the best, she just coasted in her studio.  Now that she's among girls with titles and skills, she isn't the best and it shows.  I would be really surprised if she made it to the end, really, because she's just not there, both technique-wise and with the ability to not only pick up dances but make the requested corrections.  She's on Kelly's and Judy's radar for sure, so she's going to be watched to see if she can hack it.  Shelby's another one they're going to be watching as she's having dance issues as well.  I think that Taylor's kicks are going to do her in despite being a powerhouse dancer.  They really liked her this week, but have also said that her kicks are an issue.  She might know dancing, but, if she can't get her kicks up there (possibly due to her body being "stiffer" than some of the other girls), she's toast.

 

With the whole "career-ending hamstring injuries" or however it was phrased, I think they meant with the DCC/TCC careers.  Very few girls who got leg injuries in Training Camp went on to become DCC.  In fact, I can't think of one girl who did go on to become a DCC.  Brooke was already in her second year and an amazing dancer when she got injured and I don't think she was much longer on the team.  Wasn't she a three-year girl or something similar?

[Law Mom]

It doesn't matter if you are naturally flexible or not. High kicks are a job requirement, period. My daughter was not one of the more naturally flexible girls when she started dancing but over the years she worked at it and now she can kick. Personally, I wouldn't even consider auditioning without being able to kick. 

 

And as for Madeline and other studio girls, unless they do workshops and conventions, they might do just a couple of routines a year. They learn them slowly over several weeks and don't have to go full out right away, so this business of performing with facials and all on the first day is truly foreign to them.

Edited August 29, 2015 by Law Mom

[PrincessLeia]

I didnt mean that she took one of their spots. I meant to say that she was probably below them on the list of who the judges would take to training camp. I know they ordered the girls by score and took the top 45, but that became 46 with Colby. I don't think Colby was 46th on the list. I found it likely that a cut veteran was ranked higher (on the final judges list) than Colby. The judges were hard on the veterans, and stuck to the policy of not taking "overweight" or "soft" veterans. I still think Kelly and Judy would have taken a veteran over Colby if they had that choice. The judges gasped and looked shocked that Colby was in the top three. I doubt they rated her very high on that final list.

I know Colby worked in online marketing, maybe she had a way to get a lot of votes sent her way?

I'm sure Colby is a great person but never once did she seem right for that team. Maybe if she was an amazing dancer her looking so much older wouldn't have mattered. But even she admitted she was the slowest to pick up the choreography.

Colby should treat her entire training camp experience as a gift. She wouldn't have been there at all without winning an online contest and she was one of the worst dancers.

I watched Season 7 where they followed the team longer and I can see why they absolutely need dancers who can learn choreography and adapt quickly. They have a short amount of time to adapt if someone is injured and they have to learn new, complicated routines for half time shows at home games in a very few days.

No, I agree- you're right. She was never right for the team. Maybe 5-10 years ago!

[PrincessLeia]

It was worse - it was broadcast on television.

And the guest choreographer looked horrible with her Botox and heavy spray tan and fake boobs and skinny frame. I guess she feels the pressure to try to look young in her profession. I thought her choreography was a jumbled frantic mess, but that may have been editing.

y.

I laughed so hard when I read this.... We used to live in Dallas and my daughter took dance at Powerhouse. Stephanie is connected to the studio. She's older and has three kids, but I'm not sure how old she is. I laughed at your comment bc my husband watched this episode with me and when she came on he said "wow, she looks like your typical Dallas over botoxed, under fed, fake boob, you don't know how old she is woman"

[Law Mom]

Well, at the risk of being stalkery, Stephanie's FB says she went to North Garland High School, and when you Google her name and school it says she graduated in 1991 so that makes her 42 years old.

[RazzleberryPie]

Emily looked a lot like the actress Christine Taylor (married to Ben Stiller), but yes, she was too timid. 

 

Shelbi reminds me of a younger, glammed up Nia Vardalos (Big Fat Greek Wedding). 

 

Not getting the love for Madeline. She's immature and can't keep up, plus those chipmunk cheeks are not DCCish.

 

Colbi  - I like her personality, and she is very pretty, but especially close up, she does look older than 31, and isn't a good fit for the team.

 

That's all I need to see of Jay.

 

I cannot fathom why anyone would even pick up an application form without 1) being in perfect shape, 2) at least being able to say they had so many years of dance training (cheering doesn't cut it with Judy no matter how good), and 3) being able to do a full split, kick, and do a jump split. Kickline and jump split are trademark moves. Girls have to be stupid or naive to never have tried one before auditions. Honestly, I think that needs to be stage one, round one. Do the splits from both sides and kick high, or don't even come through the door.

 

My gut reaction after this episode, is that this is the last season. Complete 10 years, Do a big flash back episode at the end, then call it quits. The rushed formatting of this year, plus bringing back Jay for a minute, airing at a super late time, are all indicators. We've seen all the components over and over - auditions, tears, wardrobe malfunctions, weight fluctuation, fitness challenges, speaking challenges, immaturity, lack of flexibility, memory trouble, kick line trouble, makeovers, underdogs,etc. There's not much more in the audition process that can be rehashed.

 

If this show continues, I wonder if it will be webisodes or they should just shift it to what happens AFTER they make the team and continue through the season.

 

My second gut reaction is that Kelli and Judy have removed a lot of the filter, and the bluntness and cattiness is more of their real interaction with the girls. There's just no way anyone is sincerely that polite and sweet, in a very glamorous, competitive, appearance based entertainment job, unless cameras are rolling. I like them straight up saying 10 girls need to go, and admitting they're searching for the weakest link.  I like the realness far better than the fake sweet, but they were indeed catty and mean mimicking Colby. They were accurate, but mean.

[Jess14]

Emily looked a lot like the actress Christine Taylor (married to Ben Stiller), but yes, she was too timid. 

 

Shelbi reminds me of a younger, glammed up Nia Vardalos (Big Fat Greek Wedding). 

 

Adding another famous look-alike, Kat kind of looks like gymnast Nastia Liukin, as she (Nastia) has aged and grown into her looks.

[TobyBelle]

RazzberryPie, I thought the same thing about Emily looking like Christine Taylor!

I always thought there were moments Kelli and Judy, and especially Charlotte, would make mean comments about the girls. What turned me off the most this season was at audition when Amy (forgot the nickname posters was giving her) was ready to pop out of her top during her solo. I completely lost respect for the judges when I saw them laughing at her.

[Kaedee]

With the whole "career-ending hamstring injuries" or however it was phrased, I think they meant with the DCC/TCC careers.  Very few girls who got leg injuries in Training Camp went on to become DCC.  In fact, I can't think of one girl who did go on to become a DCC.  Brooke was already in her second year and an amazing dancer when she got injured and I don't think she was much longer on the team.  Wasn't she a three-year girl or something similar?

I agree, in that the "career-ending" comment was meant for DCC careers.

Brooke Sorenson (now Sorenson-Nix) was a 5 year DCC and she got her injury in her 4th or 5th seasons. Anyone else know? (I don't feel like going back and checking it out! lol) 

 

Stephanie DiBiase-Wheat looks looks older because she's so thin. I imagine she'd look younger if she gained ten pounds, which her frame could definitely handle.

 

I like Colby. I think she should have been given more time. Yes, she didn't blend with the other candidates or Vets and she was always going to be cut. But in deference to the fans who voted her in, giving her one more week wouldn't have hurt.  I thought her "peek-a-boo" style, as Kelli dubbed it, was cute and flirty. Of course, it wasn't DCC, but it was fun. 

 

RazzleberryPie - Interesting, that you broached something I'd been wondering: how long is DCC:MTT going to continue...  I agree that we see the same thing over and over again year after year, but I also know there's a lot of people (besides us) who watch.  According to TVbytheNumbers, "CMT’s longest running non-music series, 'Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team' reached nearly 2 million total viewers across all CMT platforms weekly last season."  2 Million viewers isn't bad for a end-of-summer, late night program. Of course, I don't know how many actually tuned in Thursday night.  They must have gotten below a .3 in the desired demographics, because they're not listed in Thursday's cable ratings chart. But I'll be watching as long as it's on!