S10.E06: Having a Bad Day

[Oranaiche]

Her kicks are awful and every time someone talks to her about them she just shrugs and says she's not as flexible as the other girls, or "I'm Barbie, not Gumby." Sorry girlfriend, that is not going to cut it.

Well I mean to be fair when she made that statement, she went on to say that she had to work toward being Gumby. Didn't really seem like a shrug off to me. I think she knows what she needs to do, it just doesn't mean that her body is going to allow it.

[ByTor]

I'm not sure why the uniforms even need sizes, since they're custom-made to fit each girl (as they remind us every season).

I thought the same thing in a previous season when they were calling out some girl for being "heavy" and they told her they already had her wearing the shorts in a "Large".

I'm curious what material their blue shirts are made of. When Kelli ties them so tight for maximum cleavage I'm always afraid those ties are going to tear right off the shirt.

[mardo4]

I'm curious what material their blue shirts are made of. When Kelli ties them so tight for maximum cleavage I'm always afraid those ties are going to tear right off the shirt.

lol every male DCC fan's dream!

[EricaShadows]

Aaaaand Taylor's kicks. They are so bad. There is a lot to like about her otherwise, but her kicks will never be good enough this season. Why is she still there?

 

 

Her kicks are awful and every time someone talks to her about them she just shrugs and says she's not as flexible as the other girls, or "I'm Barbie, not Gumby."   Sorry girlfriend, that is not going to cut it.

 

This reminds me of when Mackenzie Lee tried out and her kicks weren't the best (they were also lower and a bit tight).  She used ankle weights and Brittney Evans to help her get her kicks up.  I don't remember the entire sequence, but it's available in a previous episode.  Taylor could have really benefitted from at least watching that episode for that segment alone.

[mardo4]

I think Kaleigh looks too much like Holly A's older sister - same exact styling, dancing, body type, etc., but just not as fresh. Like she has premature crows feet in the corner of her eyes and it ages her when she's probably not really older than average. I agree that K&J should be blaming themselves/the makeover salon and NOT the TCC for any styling issues at this point though.

She did not strike me as a natural blonde, so they could have tried to go darker to make her eyes pop more. Oh, I now see Calligirl suggested that upstream... I agree!

I think she has a more angular, long, face than some so a different cut could have been good and made her stand out more. But definitely think this was the stylist and K&J just missing the opporturnity for something different. It is unfair to hold the TCC accountable for that...she has a slamming body and she went under their directives for styling.

This reminds me of when Mackenzie Lee tried out and her kicks weren't the best (they were also lower and a bit tight). She used ankle weights and Brittney Evans to help her get her kicks up. I don't remember the entire sequence, but it's available in a previous episode. Taylor could have really benefitted from at least watching that episode for that segment alone.

Kitty did say to give Taylor time to get the kicks up...so she got the thumbs up on her performance from Kitty which does buy her some time. Edited September 15, 2015 by mardo4

[Pinknblue]

This reminds me of when Mackenzie Lee tried out and her kicks weren't the best (they were also lower and a bit tight). She used ankle weights and Brittney Evans to help her get her kicks up. I don't remember the entire sequence, but it's available in a previous episode. Taylor could have really benefitted from at least watching that episode for that segment alone.

There have been pics on Taylor's social media of her doing similar things to try to get her kicks.

But I can't see any improvement at all from the start of camp and there's not long to go. It'll be a painful cut for everyone if they leave it til the last minute. She seems like a hard worker and a popular TCC. Poor girl.

I thought the same thing in a previous season when they were calling out some girl for being "heavy" and they told her they already had her wearing the shorts in a "Large".

I'm curious what material their blue shirts are made of. When Kelli ties them so tight for maximum cleavage I'm always afraid those ties are going to tear right off the shirt.

It seems to me that they start fittings with a generic uniform of whatever basic size, then make adjustments and alterations from there to get the exact custom fit.

Edited September 15, 2015 by Pinknblue

[blairwaldorf]

It seems to me that they start fittings with a generic uniform of whatever basic size, then make adjustments and alterations from there to get the exact custom fit.

I'm pretty sure they do start with a generic size and then customize it from there. That's how we ordered uniforms when I was in high school and how I ordered them for my girls when I was coaching cheer. 

[DCCFAN71]

All of this time I had been wondering why Angela was never apart of show group, I was totally shocked to learn that she had been trying out and not making the cut. She seems like such an exciting dancer to watch. It has to be totally embarrassing to be the only Group Leader to NOT make show group.

 

I don't think Danielle tried out.

I think Taylor is a great dancer and dynamic performer. Judging her strictly on performing. She is already a Kelli favorite. I was impressed that she had the guts to try-out for show group even though her kicks are bad.

I'm sure if she masters her kicks it is only a matter of time and she will be a DCC!

[LaurenBrook]

I will say I have been really impressed with Taylor thus far.  She has not pulled a Vivian and been obnoxious on camera...she seems hard working and mature.  I love watching her perform, she really has a great style and looks like she is having a great time.  I hate that her kicks are so tight!!

 

As for SG, I thought someone said everyone has to try out, just for the experience? Angela doesn't seem to be letting it affect her at this point.  She seems to be enjoying the season and having a great time at events and games. She is too professional to let it bother her long term.  I'm glad she'll be able to still have fun this final season! Maybe she'll get to go to some cool events anyway.

[Moxiejan]

With bad kicks like Taylor's, sometimes the problem isn't as much a lack of flexibility as it is a lack of strength. She appears to be first lifting at her knee and then trying to "fling" the leg to straighten; the technique is all wrong and all the stretching in the world won't fix it! A strong high kick begins with a brush of the foot and hard point of the toe; the lift comes from a tension that extends from abdominal muscles all through the leg. 

 

She needs intensive weight-resistance training in which she slowly raises and holds for as long as she can, even if it's just at waist height. Once she can do that, it sets up a good foundation for adding a kicking action and pushing the leg higher. Another exercise is going to a ballet barre and placing the leg at a correct turned-out position. Then, using abdominals and no kicking, slowly and repeatedly lift the leg up and off the barre and then back down to the barre. It really does work.

[PrincessLeia]

With bad kicks like Taylor's, sometimes the problem isn't as much a lack of flexibility as it is a lack of strength. She appears to be first lifting at her knee and then trying to "fling" the leg to straighten; the technique is all wrong and all the stretching in the world won't fix it! A strong high kick begins with a brush of the foot and hard point of the toe; the lift comes from a tension that extends from abdominal muscles all through the leg.

She needs intensive weight-resistance training in which she slowly raises and holds for as long as she can, even if it's just at waist height. Once she can do that, it sets up a good foundation for adding a kicking action and pushing the leg higher. Another exercise is going to a ballet barre and placing the leg at a correct turned-out position. Then, using abdominals and no kicking, slowly and repeatedly lift the leg up and off the barre and then back down to the barre. It really does work.

This is the best explanation of kicks I've ever read! Thank you!

By the way, I tried that move in Bar Method once- just lifting my leg off the bar. Holy crap. Hardest thing ever! LOL

[caligirl50]

She might also respond to physical therapy like Makenzie did or a chiropractic adjustment might help as well.

[LadyMsJay]

As for SG, I thought someone said everyone has to try out, just for the experience? Angela doesn't seem to be letting it affect her at this point.  She seems to be enjoying the season and having a great time at events and games. She is too professional to let it bother her long term.  I'm glad she'll be able to still have fun this final season! Maybe she'll get to go to some cool events anyway.

 

I think it was that everyone SHOULD try out for the experience..not everyone does, for personal issues. As far as Angela, she could very well be bothered by it. Of course WE aren't going to see that, nor will she let it show. I do think though that she felt it should have been offered because of her tenure.

[PrincessLeia]

I think it was that everyone SHOULD try out for the experience..not everyone does, for personal issues. As far as Angela, she could very well be bothered by it. Of course WE aren't going to see that, nor will she let it show. I do think though that she felt it should have been offered because of her tenure.

Judy actually tweeted that everyone tries out.

[bigskygirl]

I ask Miss Kitty about the girls trying out for Show Group and this is her answer   http://forums.previously.tv/topic/31527-s10e06-having-a-bad-day/?p=1497045

 

It looks like it is not required.

[LadyMsJay]

Judy actually tweeted that everyone tries out.

 

Sometimes, girls chose not to though.

[MrsEVH]

I wonder if most of them audition for SG because they feel like they "have to".  Maybe they don't want to be on Kelli & Judy' s***t list if they don't.

[Kaedee]

This reminds me of when Mackenzie Lee tried out and her kicks weren't the best (they were also lower and a bit tight).  She used ankle weights and Brittney Evans to help her get her kicks up.  I don't remember the entire sequence, but it's available in a previous episode.  Taylor could have really benefitted from at least watching that episode for that segment alone.

Mackenzie also went to that therapist who helped her stretch. Using the weights and I think that massage/stretch/yoga (whichever) therapist really helped her. Maybe Taylor will do the same. I can't imagine Taylor hasn't watched every episode of MTT, so she must know the importance of the high kicks. Kelli and Judy have said many times that kicks can make or break a TCC. So why do great performers like Taylor audition without having their kicks topnotch? After the first episode Taylor said she was a Barbie, not a Gumby. I remember thinking that was odd, as Gumby-Barbie's are what the DCC is looking for!

Edited September 16, 2015 by Kaedee

[Smplsimon]

I think all the rookies had to audition as if it were rehearsal given that it was an opportunity to judge their progress and, thus, decide who might need to be cut next.

[MrsEVH]

I forgot; which rookies made SG?

[LaurenBrook]

I forgot; which rookies made SG?

Amy Trader ("Amy MO"), Holly Marie and Megan C. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Can we keep Bree and get rid of Kitty? That is how you give constructive criticism without reveling in your bitchitude. She gave a lot of very specific feedback that the girls can use - and all without saying, "OMG you suck sooooooo much!" Bree was much more tactful than Kitty ever is and she had much more useful comments than Kitty ever does.

 

Also I thought it was quite funny when the guest choreographer got right up into their faces. I guess if you can carry on when a crazy person is all in your face it bodes well!!

Bela Karolyi used to bring a bunch of the other gymnasts and have them stand around the beam yelling and making noise while his Olympic gymnasts did their routines. He said it was to make sure that they could handle the pressure of being in a loud distracting situation and still focus.

 

I also really appreciated that she reiterated the old "show must go on" mantra because that is EXACTLY what separates professionals from everyone else. If you have a terrible day, you don't let it show when you hit the stage. You turn it on, perform, and then afterwards you go cry or do whatever it is you need to do. I know that rehearsal is not exactly the same as performing on the field, but training camp is essentially a really long job interview so you need to show that you can dance your ass off every time you are asked to do it.

 

I was cracking up that Kelli and Judy were SO OFFENDED that Megan had the nerve to quit. How dare she take away their opportunity to cut her?

 

I knew Karen was going to cut as soon as they introduced her. There's no other reason for them to suddenly introduce her in the sixth episode. Kelli didn't look coninced that Kyndall can come out of her shell so I think she is going to be cut next week. I feel a little bit for Kelli having to hear these girls come into her office and say, "I know I can do it!" If you know you can do it, THEN DO IT. I am not surprised that Shelbi was cut. She has been on their radar for too long in a negative way. Once you get warned/called into the office, you really have to show improvement and she didn't in my opinion.

 

I was surprised that there weren't more rookies who got negative comments during cameos. As Kelli says every year, that can be a make or break thing and this year it seemed only Karen and maybe one or two other girls got negative comments from Kelli and Judy. I mean, it's good that so many of them did well but in the past I felt like there were a lot more girls who K & J criticized during the photo shoot.

 

I wish they would show even more of show group auditions. I would gladly trade more dancing for the bad singing. When the show group is announced, is it in any particular order? Because I noticed that Jinelle got called after some of the rookies. Glad that Holly got called first because she is awesome!

 

The order they were called (which was obviously not all of them): vet Holly, Jennifer, Jenna, Ashley, TC Amy from Missouri, TC Holly, Jinelle, TC Megan and Mary. This show is always super short (39 minutes as opposed to the usual 42 of other hour long shows) so I don't know they couldn't announce the other eight names (Jessica, Melissa, Lacey, Erica, Rachel, Jacie, Kinzie, Kelsey). That would have added all of 10-20 more seconds to the episode.

 

Angela needs to get her shit together during rehearsal. It didn't look like she was having a bad day. It looked like she just didn't know the dance at all. But in defense of her twerking, some of the DCC routines have the same booty popping move, just not as many times, so it seemed silly for Kelli and Judy to be so critical of her doing that in her show group audition. So it's okay if you do that move when you're facing the audience or turned 90 degrees, but if you do it with your butt facing the audience, it's suddenly inappropriate!

 

I so love the fact that Kelli has a Trapper Keeper folder in her office!  Can you still buy those or is that vintage?

You can still buy them! I saw them recently at a back to school sale!

 

If an appearance is optional, and someone turns it down cause they have personal conflicts, and you later hold that against them when they try to do something else, then it really wasn't "optional", was it? - and its actually kind of underhanded to do that IMO.

ITA - I was in a performance group a few years ago and I remember there were a few times when the director got really mad that some of us couldn't do a performance. I was like hold on there, we all have FULL TIME JOBS and you think we should call in sick so that we can have a last minute rehearsal during the day so that we can do this performance for you so that you can get your cut of our performance fee? Nope.

 

I keep thinking of new things to say, but I think the pace of DCC is what overwhelms a lot of them. Shelby said she's used to practicing and perfecting one dance and here they have to learn a dance a night and perfect it in a short amount of time on top of learning a new one the next night.

I agree - being on a competitive cheer team is totally different from being a DCC. As Shelbi admitted earlier, they learn one routine and that is the ONLY routine they work on all year. DCC TC is like the exact opposite of that.

 

being the only group leader left out of show group would be a game changer. It's a huge, HUGE slap in the face.

This is one of the few times I really agree with Kelli - girls should not expect to be given something because of their tenure on the team. Even if you are a 5 year vet, that doesn't mean you should automatically make show group if there are 16 girls who are better than you.

 

I don't think group leader and show group are the same. Show group may have some amazing technical dancers who aren't the best teachers/leaders, and group leaders may have excellent leadership skills, and be able to explain things well, but aren't the best technical dancers.

ITA - I have seen this in other performance groups too. The leaders (dance captains, directors, group leaders, etc) are often people with a lot of experience in the group who are reliable, organized, and good at leading (teaching choreography, helping people who are having problems with the routines, having meetings, etc). That doesn't mean that they are the strongest dancers/performers in the group though.

 

I agree about the rigging - I think some of the candidates are kept on solely as cannon fodder for the TV show. The organization already knows which candidates will probably make it (as expected).

This is totally true. During one of the earlier seasons, I remember K&J said in an interview that normally (meaning before this show existed), they would take into training camp who they thought should be on the team. Barring any huge surprises or disasters, getting into training camp meant you would most likely be on the team. Once they started the show, however, CMT wanted the drama and suspense of girls being cut so they started taking more TCCs than they had room for on the team with the intention of having to cut people. It's similar to the way colleges admit more freshman than they know they want in their incoming class. They know that not everyone will end up enrolling so they have a bumper of extra people so that the end result will be they have the number of people they actually want.

 

When I was a cheerleader in high school, I had to wear red trunks under my uniform and I searched around in my closet and found some red ones from doing gymnastics years before.  They were very stretchy and when I tried them on they still fit.  They were a size 6x.  I was around 5'3" or so and about 107 pounds and I very distinctly remember trying on clothes when my little sister went shopping and I fit into preteen sizes, like 10 and 12, at the time.  And, I wasn't even that thin -- certainly no one looked at me and said anything about me looking overly thin.  (Oh, if only that had lasted.....that was many years, and many pounds, ago.)

In college and even into my mid-20s, I was 5'2" and 105 so I remember when baby doll tees were in, sometimes I would go to the girls' section and buy a little girl's side 6 shirt if I liked the print. A few years ago, one of my friends had a dance costume that her 8 year old daughter had worn and she gave it to another friend who was maybe 5'6" and 115 and it totally fit her. It definitely depends on how stretchy the material is, how fitted the costume is, etc. but yeah, a lot of pieces can be worn by a wide range of sizes!

[LadyMsJay]

Can we keep Bree and get rid of Kitty? That is how you give constructive criticism without reveling in your bitchitude. She gave a lot of very specific feedback that the girls can use - and all without saying, "OMG you suck sooooooo much!" Bree was much more tactful than Kitty ever is and she had much more useful comments than Kitty ever does.

 

Nope. Don't you know that Kitty's ancient reign as a former DCC is what allows her to maintain her place in the show!? They clearly NEED her there to show that a former DCC can give brutally honest criticism! NO OTHER WAY! ;-)

[rose711]

Nope. Don't you know that Kitty's ancient reign as a former DCC is what allows her to maintain her place in the show!? They clearly NEED her there to show that a former DCC can give brutally honest criticism! NO OTHER WAY! ;-)

Kitty's segments are some of my favorite of the episodes. I always see exactly what she is talking about with a performers issues. I also agree with her that they need girls that are emotionally and mentally tough. I think performing in front of a huge crowd at that stadium is incredibly demanding. I feel the actual work of being a DCC is harder than training camp. If you can't keep it together during the critique of Kitty, then maybe you can't handle the pressure of being on the team.

Edited September 18, 2015 by rose711