S10.E07: The Cutting Board

[LadyMsJay]

I'm guessing that the cut to 34 had to do with the number of rookies. I agree with the poster who said that with 20 vets and 14 rookies, they just couldn't take the borderline strugglers.

 

Doubt it. They've had larger rookie classes. I think it has everything to do with who was field-ready and nothing to do with vets vs rookies. At the end of the day, the numbers only "matter" before the team is actually made. Once they make the team, they're all DCC.

[homelife]

I honestly do not get the Judy/Kelli love for Kyndall. She was overly cocky and dismissive as some past TCC had been that were dismissed from the office from talking back. That whole bit where she danced alongside Jacie was just ridiculous - a bit desperate. I also don't see how she even got into training camp. She was a compulsive basket case of a dancer, whether in the studio or on the field. Actually, I thought that of a lot of girls this season - how did they even get into TC? I guess there were slim pickings this year and Kelli alwayyyys roots for the diamond in the rough. They should have stuck with Kaleigh at least one more night. She does look a bit older int he face on TV but her cameo turned out gorgeous, and she is very well-spoken. I do hope she auditions next year.

[Moxiejan]

TV alert: CMT has this week's episode (aka Bloodbath) on today (Saturday) at noon Central; last week's airs before it at 11 a.m. Central.

[LaurenBrook]

I was not a Courtney fan, but I was browsing thru her Twitter and found this. Now I'm a fan. Lol. Interesting. http://t.co/DFFBJzd7iT

Impressed with her maturity! She really has her head on straight and is role-model material for younger girls.  I am a fan too and hope she comes back next year!  

I honestly do not get the Judy/Kelli love for Kyndall. She was overly cocky and dismissive as some past TCC had been that were dismissed from the office from talking back. That whole bit where she danced alongside Jacie was just ridiculous - a bit desperate. I also don't see how she even got into training camp. She was a compulsive basket case of a dancer, whether in the studio or on the field. Actually, I thought that of a lot of girls this season - how did they even get into TC? I guess there were slim pickings this year and Kelli alwayyyys roots for the diamond in the rough. They should have stuck with Kaleigh at least one more night. She does look a bit older int he face on TV but her cameo turned out gorgeous, and she is very well-spoken. I do hope she auditions next year.

 

I liked Kyndall a lot...I think she had guts to ask to dance for her life!  If you're there, you might as well really fight for it and K&J definitely saw it as a bold move (positive) not desperate (negative).  I feel like she just refused to sob and cry about it like most of the others do and I guess that could come across cocky?  I don't know, I just didn't get that impression.  

 

I don't think Kaleigh will try again.  I really liked her too and think she is beautiful and a wonderful dancer, but she has to realize that if Kelli was against her from day 1 and Kaleigh didn't do anything WRONG, her chances are slim to none. 

She rubbed me the wrong way when she was working with Courtney and said, "Now did your shoulders move?" That is how I would talk to my 6 year old. When it came to Simone, I thought she could've approached it better than saying, "You caught my attention---but not in a good way." From other episodes in which we've seen veterans working with rookies, I could see those veterans approaching them differently. I really took Loren's style as condescending. Yes, her approach reminded me of Kitty or at least going towards that direction one day. 

 

Haha it did kind of sound like how you'd talk to a little girl but I wonder if that's what Loren is used to. Doesn't she teach young girls?  Maybe she needs more experience working with peers/girls closer to her age.  Courtney and Simone did not seem upset or offended though...Jenn K had a sweeter teaching style but obviously Simone and Courtney still needed more help so maybe K&J figured they needed someone with a different style to work with them and be a little harsher.  Anyway, who knows, but I don't think Loren is seen as a condescending teammate...the note she left Kaleigh was so sweet and I only ever see nice comments about her from the other girls.  (will admit though i'd do better working with a Jenn K than Loren haha) 

[ChlcGirl]

I am not a dancer so sometimes it is hard for me to see some of the technical stuff that K&J talk about.  That being said, I really saw what Loren was talking about when she was helping Courtney and Simone.  Although Courtney was doing all the correct steps she lacked the swish and excitement that was needed for this group.  Even when Loren pointed it out and demonstrated Courtney couldn't do it.  Can she learn it?  Probably!  Is that a definite?  Oh no.  So cutting her made sense to me - not game ready, even in two weeks.  I am sure that if she works on that (and her foot placement, which did look weird when it was shown) and comes back next year, she will probably make the squad.  She did sound extremely well-spoken and intelligent in that interview.  I was also impressed with her thoughts on failing.  Everything she said was absolutely correct.

Edited September 19, 2015 by ChlcGirl

[MaryWebGirl]

I don't like that they dragged out the evaluations for so long, either ignored certain candidates during that time (one of them said she'd never been called into the office), encouraged others to keep trying (Taylor), and then cut them so close to the end. As others have said, it was a bloodbath, and I think they did it strictly for TV.

I got this impression too and it really bugged me, especially with Taylor. But I guess it wouldn't be much of a show if they cut everyone on the first night.

[Jess14]

While I think it's wrong for them to take girls who can't kick into training camp in the first place, I don't get the issue with Taylor's cut otherwise. They loved her dance performance, but her kicks were bad, so they gave her a chance to get them up over training camp. She got her right kick up a little but could not improve her left kick. It was noticeably worse than Jessica's who was next to her on the end - Taylor didn't get it up as high, and she was dropping her left leg faster than the rest of the line. Thus, she got cut. I thought her cut was more straightforward than just about anyone's this season.  

[LadyMsJay]

It was, but it still seemed..rushed.

[RazzleberryPie]

I was not a Courtney fan, but I was browsing thru her Twitter and found this. Now I'm a fan. Lol. Interesting. http://t.co/DFFBJzd7iT

Thank you! I wasn't a fan either. She was just 'too much' (like Curly Courtney almost) and was cute, but didn't have the DCC look (like she needed to mature a few years - same as Selina and the girl from Mexico), IMO, but now she's grown on me, and that website makes me really like her. She has a great attitude and will be successful no matter what she does.

 

Actually the Cowboys do not pay for all hair, makeup etc etc. I have a friend who is a former DCC, a recent former DCC, and the girls pay for the majority of those expenses themselves.

But even if the Cowboys did pay for everything, there's plenty of money to go around. There's no way budget had anything to do with 34 vs. 36 cheerleaders.

Why am I thinking, maybe when Tia Williams did fashion blog, that most hair, makeup, tanning etc was comped, but they had to tip? Of course that was several years ago.

 

I don't think there was anything *wrong* with the way Loren interacted with Courtney and Simone, but she didn't have any of the warmth/friendliness/humor we saw with Jen Amburn.

Me, neither. I just think Loren has a more direct, high strung, less warm personality, especially when she's teaching. She wasn't rude, and explained exactly what they were doing wrong, and made them fix it. She was much 'warmer' after the training session in her interview,when she wasn't working.

 

She rubbed me the wrong way when she was working with Courtney and said, "Now did your shoulders move?" That is how I would talk to my 6 year old. When it came to Simone, I thought she could've approached it better than saying, "You caught my attention---but not in a good way." From other episodes in which we've seen veterans working with rookies, I could see those veterans approaching them differently. I really took Loren's style as condescending. Yes, her approach reminded me of Kitty or at least going towards that direction one day. 

I guess that depends on the girl being trained - some can hear "move your shoulders" and correct it, some need specifically to be asked "now did you move your shoulders," and some need Kitty to grab and shake their shoulders while ranting about Charro or whatever.

 

I honestly do not get the Judy/Kelli love for Kyndall. She was overly cocky and dismissive as some past TCC had been that were dismissed from the office from talking back. That whole bit where she danced alongside Jacie was just ridiculous - a bit desperate. I also don't see how she even got into training camp.

 

This is how I felt, too. I like that she wouldn't forsake her career for cheerleading, but I thought she was Meghan Flaherty Jr. - on the verge of cocky, not not quite there, but slightly past gracious. I do like that they were courteous to her, but she should've seen the writing on the wall, and maybe she did, when they put her next to Jacie.

While I think it's wrong for them to take girls who can't kick into training camp in the first place, I don't get the issue with Taylor's cut otherwise. They loved her dance performance, but her kicks were bad, so they gave her a chance to get them up over training camp. She got her right kick up a little but could not improve her left kick. It was noticeably worse than Jessica's who was next to her on the end - Taylor didn't get it up as high, and she was dropping her left leg faster than the rest of the line. Thus, she got cut. I thought her cut was more straightforward than just about anyone's this season.  

I liked Taylor and she was very entertaining. It's sad that she just couldn't kick they way she needed to, but this IS the DCC. 

Edited September 19, 2015 by RazzleberryPie

[gotta watch]

I'm glad to see that Courtney is doing well. I swear when she got cut she had a look of pure defeat & shock on her face, like she'd temporarily lost her will to live. I'm not even a big fan of hers, but I felt really sorry for her in that moment.

[rose711]

I don't think the cuts were just for drama. I know they like to give candidates a chance to see how they will be on the field. Wasn't that what that girl who was cut three times was complaining about? That she didn't even have the chance to make it to the field?

And they don't get to the field until Judy does the blocking. And she doesn't want to do the blocking until they are almost finished with cuts.

Am I wrong? Isn't it better to give the girls as much time as possible instead of cutting them earlier? They even let some of these girls have a chance to be on the field early, so they would be used to it. It seems like they were doing everything they could to try to help them succeed.

It's just very hard to make this team. To have the look, the dance skills, the kick skills, and to not crack under the pressure is a lot to ask.

Edited September 19, 2015 by rose711

[ChlcGirl]

I don't think the cuts were just for drama. I know they like to give candidates a chance to see how they will be on the field. Wasn't that what that girl who pilot cut three times was complaining about? That she didn't even have the chance to make it to the field?

And they don't get to the field until Judy does the blocking. And she doesn't want to do the blocking until they are almost finished with cuts.

Am I wrong? Isn't it better to give the girls as much time as possible instead of cutting them earlier? They even let some of these girls have a chance to be on the field early, so they would be used to it. It seems like they were doing everything they could to try to help them succeed.

It's just very hard to make this team. To have the look, the dance skills, the kick skills, and to not crack under the pressure is a lot to ask.

 

I could be wrong here, but I think that the drama of the cuts was referring to the conversations in the office as opposed to when they occurred.  I mean, at least that was what I meant when I said that things were done for the show :)

[bigskygirl]

I think Kit and Simone will be one year girls.

 

Stephanie reminds me of one year vet Brandi Kirby from season 4. Imo, the reason why Mackenzie made the team with questionable kicks and Taylor did not was Mackenzie worked hard to improve her kicks, her follow training camp candidates and the veterans love her, she definitely was a fan favorite, and she had a lot of the DCC qualities Kelli and Judy were looking for. Taylor is a sweet girl and is a good dancer, but she may not have worked hard to get her kicks in better shape. She had three years to work on her kicks. I would like to see her make the team, and I hope she works on her kicks in order to make the team next year.

 

Courtney's cut broke my heart. I think with some hard work she could make the team next year. The field and dance routines seem to eat her up plus her nerves got the best of her. She has a lot of potential.

 

I also wonder if Kelli and Judy were going to the squad leaders and asking about certain girls before they were cut. I know they seem to ask their opinions on certain girls before making the decision to cut or give the girls more chances. I also would have hated for Courtney and Taylor to make the team this year, but one or both get cut at next year's finals because they were on the bubble for the whole season.

 

This year's season episodes seems rushed, but I think this season is better than seasons 8 and 9.

[rose711]

one thing I don't miss this season is the lectures to veterans about their weight. I don't miss seeing them in the office and one of them being cut. I feel it was a good decision to cut them at finals.

Edited September 19, 2015 by rose711

[caligirl50]

- I've watched the show from the beginning and I don't think the show does anything for the cameras.  Yes, they cut short the conversations in the office but it is too real a situation to really play with that much. You are getting the gist of what happens without the small talk.

- Judy and Kelli have a tough job and they had some great rookie talent this year but with all the vets retiring, the pressure was on to re-build the squad.  Ultimately, they took the same number of girls as last year. This season is no different from the others.  I don't feel they have been meaner than in past seasons.

- I thought Loren's comments during the practice were correct and not harsh.  She was trying to get Courtney to move her shoulders, doing it with her.  Courtney wasn't doing it correctly and maybe that had been the 10th time or so. We just don't know. I've really grown to like Loren a lot.

[RazzleberryPie]

.

 

 

I also wonder if Kelli and Judy were going to the squad leaders and asking about certain girls before they were cut. I know they seem to ask their opinions on certain girls before making the decision to cut or give the girls more chances. I also would have hated for Courtney and Taylor to make the team this year, but one or both get cut at next year's finals because they were on the bubble for the whole season.

 

This year's season episodes seem rushed, but I think this season is better than seasons 8 and 9.

I think this season has improved a lot, too. The biggest improvement they could ever make, and we've all said it, is to STOP CUTTING THE CAMERAS EVERY THREE SECONDS. Let us actually see a dance from one angle from start to finish. All that jumping makes it hard to tell who is awesome and who needs help.

 

I agree with your spoiler about one girl, but i see Kat there longer. 

 

They definitely speak to group leaders about girls' progress.

[MyFavShows]

I thought it was cute (and sad) how Kyndall asked to see her cameo one last time.

That was really cute.

I thought the whole scene where Kelli agreed to give her one more chance and had her dance w/ Jaci was really cool too. Kelli seems to really like her and said some really nice things about her and how she'd be good for the team (which I agreed w/ all of it) - it's a shame she kept making mistakes, but hopefully she works on things and comes back next year.

[caligirl50]

She showed confidence and how much she wanted to make the team.  Clearly, they wanted her to make the team as well.  They said as much in her exit interview.

[mardo4]

that was too funny! I have not heard her name in a long time. I used to love her!

. Tina Kalina also said "these girls really need to know how to dance!" Paraphrasing but I got the idea maybe there was more sex kitten and less dance talent in the 90s. Like all organizations and sports they evolve. :)

[mardo4]

Where are these rankings?

. they aired a peek of Kelly's paper on episode 4 for sure and they have been shown throughout the shows from time to time normally during cuts. Checkout episode 5 forum postings around pg 3 for the patient person who paused their TV and pieced it together, Simplsimon I think. Anyway I stand corrected Simone was ranked 25th... still she was no girl on the bubble at the time. Edited September 19, 2015 by mardo4

[Jess14]

I think Kit and Simone will be one year girls.

 

 

I don't know. I could see both being one year girls, or I could see both or either being there for a few years. It seems like most of the obvious one year girls (not the ones with weight issues) are the ones who struggled in training camp with picking up the choreography and constantly made memory mistakes - Morgan, Breelan, Ashley Pro, Emily from S7. From what we have seen, the two mentioned in the spoiler tags seem to struggle more with style than memory so I think they could both get where they need to be over the season.  

 

I also agree with some others that I have enjoyed this season for the most part. Things have been rushed, but with such a large rookie class, I feel like they have done a better job of introducing girls than they have in other seasons with similarly big rookie classes (season 6) or even seasons with smaller rookies clasess, like in season 8 which turned out to be the Morgan show.

[mardo4]

I guess that depends on the girl being trained - some can hear "move your shoulders" and correct it, some need specifically to be asked "now did you move your shoulders," and some need Kitty to grab and shake their shoulders while ranting about Charro or whatever.

LOL - I am going to have that image of Miss Kitty in my head all day!

[mardo4]

Impressed with her maturity! She really has her head on straight and is role-model material for younger girls. I am a fan too and hope she comes back next year!

. I didn't like Courtney's overexposure in the earlier episodes but I liked her enthusiasm. if she can "fix her feet" (channelling my inner Judy) I think she can make it and would be a valued member of DCC. Loved the article. Edited September 19, 2015 by mardo4

[Runnergrl37]

The ladies who were cut weren't up to snuff. We don't get to see 90% or more of rehearsals and practice so I'm sure there were more reasons than we what we get to see. I'm not invested in any of these people this year. not sure why Kat is there either. she's not "HD friendly" at all. I personally like the way Kelli and Judy are acting this season. It's no bullshit and I like it.

[PrincessLeia]

Yeah I'm not sure how Kat made the HD friendly cut either. I think Kaleigh has a much softer look than Kat.

[ChlcGirl]

I have always found Kat's looks to be disconcerting so yes, I will third the "not HD ready" theory.

[EricaShadows]

When they were discussing Taylor's kicks as being not the best, I agree as well as whoever had posted on here about how kicks are supposed to be done.  Taylor seems to lead with her knees which, from what I can see, is NOT the way to do those kicks.  If she worked on those kicks with a vet and do them in slow-motion (if possible) to REALLY learn how it's done right, then, when she's learned them right (which she should have been doing once she was in Training Camp), she would look amazing now.  I don't think she realizes how her kicks look.  She just seems to think it's a matter of flexibility when, as the one poster said here (and I hadn't really thought about until she posted it), it's not only a matter of flexibility, but strength and control as well.  If you don't have one, none of the others really matter.

[ThreaLevelMidnight]

Sorry I don't know how to do the quote thing I'm replying to from my phone. Anyhow, someone said the girls pay for their own hair and makeup, someone else said he Cowboys pay for it... Neither of those are correct. The salon that sponsors the DCC does the services complimentary for all the girls. In return they get to advertise that they are the official salon of the DCC and they get their name and logo listed in programs and on some promotional items ( I forget if it's posters or calendars or what). Besides the services the girls get done at the actual salon, the salon sends people to the locker room to do the girls hair and makeup before the games.

[English Teacher]

Sorry I don't know how to do the quote thing I'm replying to from my phone. Anyhow, someone said the girls pay for their own hair and makeup, someone else said he Cowboys pay for it... Neither of those are correct. The salon that sponsors the DCC does the services complimentary for all the girls. In return they get to advertise that they are the official salon of the DCC and they get their name and logo listed in programs and on some promotional items ( I forget if it's posters or calendars or what). Besides the services the girls get done at the actual salon, the salon sends people to the locker room to do the girls hair and makeup before the games.

Really? Because I always thought they show (on MTT) the girls in the locker room helping each other with their hair and makeup....

[ThreaLevelMidnight]

Really? Because I always thought they show (on MTT) the girls in the locker room helping each other with their hair and makeup....

Some girls elect to do their own makeup and/or hair at the games, but they do have people there from the salon to help. The services at the salon that sponsors them are definitely all complimentary though.

[PrincessLeia]

Sorry I don't know how to do the quote thing I'm replying to from my phone. Anyhow, someone said the girls pay for their own hair and makeup, someone else said he Cowboys pay for it... Neither of those are correct. The salon that sponsors the DCC does the services complimentary for all the girls. In return they get to advertise that they are the official salon of the DCC and they get their name and logo listed in programs and on some promotional items ( I forget if it's posters or calendars or what). Besides the services the girls get done at the actual salon, the salon sends people to the locker room to do the girls hair and makeup before the games.

My friend who is a former dcc had to pay for her own cut, color, and extensions. She also did not receive unlimited free tanning.

Edited September 20, 2015 by PrincessLeia

[Silverleaf]

I can't find which episodes I've noticed it in but sometimes they show a little room off the locker room with basins and reflected in the mirror there is a massive carousel of makeup.

However in trying to spot that I notced some folders in the office titled things like meeting the team and Allstars and mixed in with those was Samantha Bday 8/25

[RhiRhi]

I can't find which episodes I've noticed it in but sometimes they show a little room off the locker room with basins and reflected in the mirror there is a massive carousel of makeup.

However in trying to spot that I notced some folders in the office titled things like meeting the team and Allstars and mixed in with those was Samantha Bday 8/25

Her daughters birthday gets its own folder lol

[Pinknblue]

I really dislike how Kelli has brought girls into the office this year with the intention to cut them, and starts with a "how do you think you went this week" or "how are you feeling about tonight". Does it matter? It seems so cruel to set them up for an extra twist of the humiliation knife by leading them on like that. How confusing and embarrassing - it bears uncomfortable parallels to emotional abuse.

ETA: Tobybelle pretty much said the exact same thing earlier! I'm thinking exactly what you said. I don't get it. It totally drove me insane in this episode. There's no way to answer Kelli's question in any useful way; the sword of Damocles is hanging over the girl's head, so cut to the chase and use that time to be constructive with solid feedback instead of pussyfooting around and pretending to care about the girl's opinion of how she thinks she's performing!

Edited September 20, 2015 by Pinknblue

[Pinknblue]

Taylor said some silly things at her cut - another poster here called her out on the entitlement mentality - most of it I can give her a pass on though, I think DCC meant so much to her, that in her obvious emotional pain she just wasn't thinking rationally. It'd be hard to swallow being cut so late in camp and then have cameras and producers all up in your face to capture the reaction. And she knew how much they liked other aspects of her performance - so it seemed like a real shock to her that they finally went, nup.

I love how Courtney had it all figured out before the final two got called in - talking about K&J's office strategy, how the first girls get called in and just get warnings, and it's only last ones that get cut. It was refreshing to see someone talking like that, because I'm sure that those sort of rationalisation conversations happen a lot among the TCCs as they try to work out where they stand in the group.

[Pinknblue]

. I like Melissa's role this year and that she has added help by seasoned vets. The nature of Melissa's "job" is to help the struggling ones. By the nature of the system only a few potentially that she works with will click with the addl help and make it.

I think that Melissa has explained things and broken it down for the girls in a much more practical way this year with the video playbacks. Much more helpful than Judy's standard ambiguous feedback!

[ChlcGirl]

I love how Courtney had it all figured out before the final two got called in - talking about K&J's office strategy, how the first girls get called in and just get warnings, and it's only last ones that get cut. It was refreshing to see someone talking like that, because I'm sure that those sort of rationalisation conversations happen a lot among the TCCs as they try to work out where they stand in the group.

 

 

I LOVED THAT TOO!!  Very meta! :D

[Lexusprincess]

Of all the cuts, I didn't understand Courtney. I felt she suffered from Kelli trying to have an even number for the triangle. Courtney is great. I hope someone gets a hold of her to work on her complexion. Taylor's kicks have always been bad and I believe she would look better with dark hair. Kendall is adorable but made so many mistakes. Selina was not very good. Time ran out for them.

Loren was helpful to the girls and I did not feel her comments were too harsh. The difference in watching her compared to the few she was helping made it clear what their problems were.

I loved Melissa this year. Melissa has some specific comments much better than Judy just screaming you're wrong or it's messy.

I hope Courtney and Kendall try out next year. Taylor should not try out. With her attitude I'm Barbie, not Gumby she will never make it. She's tried for 3 years and still can't kick. Time to move on.

[bubbls]

I've had to stop watching due to all the silly boo-hooing and tearing up, but I am disappointed Courtney got cut. I really liked her. I hope she tries out and makes it next year. I might be able to stomach the emotional overload by then.

[JerseyGirl]

Looks like Courtney is happy to back at Dallas Ice Girls.  Is she the spokesperson in videos for them too?   Felt like she was the rookie spokesperson for DCC this season:

 

[RazzleberryPie]

Really? Because I always thought they show (on MTT) the girls in the locker room helping each other with their hair and makeup....

I think having your hair cut/colored and styling it before a game are apples and oranges.

 

I love how Courtney had it all figured out before the final two got called in - talking about K&J's office strategy, how the first girls get called in and just get warnings, and it's only last ones that get cut. It was refreshing to see someone talking like that, because I'm sure that those sort of rationalisation conversations happen a lot among the TCCs as they try to work out where they stand in the group.

I liked that, too, I liked that she's sharp enough to figure it out, and not too scared to express it. 

 

Of all the cuts, I didn't understand Courtney. I felt she suffered from Kelli trying to have an even number for the triangle. Courtney is great. I hope someone gets a hold of her to work on her complexion.

If they have orthodontists, dentists, stylists, etc., and we know they've endorsed skin care and cosmetics before, they have to have a dermatologist or esthatician on board to help her with her skin. 

[EricaShadows]

Of the girls who were cut in this episode, Courtney and Kyndall were by far my favorites followed by Taylor.  Both Courtney and Kyndall just needed a little more time to get comfortable with the dances and they would have been absolutely amazing on the field.  I really liked Kyndall's attitude when she approached Kelly and Judy.  I just wonder if they told her they were going to change up the music on her.  Even if they didn't, she should have gone in like this is game day.  I know I remember hearing either Judy or Kelly say that they don't always know what music is going to be played so the cheerleaders have to know what they're doing out there on the field.  I really hope that both try out again and just blow everyone else out of the water.  

 

Taylor, I liked, but felt she needed more work on her kicks.  If she had focused on strength as well as flexibility from the beginning, she would have made the team, I think.  However, if she intends to come back, put into practice everything she learned and, if she stays in contact with anyone already on the team, especially the vets, she should work with them to REALLY improve her kicks.  Should she do that, I think she'd make the squad next year.  I barely remember the other two who were cut.

Edited September 20, 2015 by EricaShadows

[Moxiejan]

With Taylor's kicks, I'm not sure more work with the vets would help her, since it didn't work during TC.

The issue isn't stretching more and trying harder.

 

She needs to go back to square one with a ballet instructor who will drill the importance of toe point and straight legs.

No kicking past waist height until she can use her abdominals to slowly lift and hold a perfect position. 

Edited September 20, 2015 by Moxiejan

[LadyMsJay]

I really think her kicks themselves can't improve THAT much and that she should focus more on her release. I mean, too late now, but if she wants to tryout again, she should consider it. It'd be the 4th time for her.

[Teresa]

I think it's ridiculous how Judy always expects the rookies to have the field entrance practically perfect the first time. They wait so long to teach it and then she acts panicked cause their first game is always "right around the corner and they need to have it perfect". 

[LadyMsJay]

I think it's ridiculous how Judy always expects the rookies to have the field entrance practically perfect the first time. They wait so long to teach it and then she acts panicked cause their first game is always "right around the corner and they need to have it perfect". 

 

Who knows how long they're REALLY out there practicing it? When you compare it to the routines, the entrance isn't as long, but it is definitely very precise and likely "easier" than eight 8-count dances. I'm sure what we see isn't how it truly goes down. Yes, they probably should pick it up quicker, but I don't think it's "ridiculous."

[Moxiejan]

I know that the reason given for the last-minute field teaching of the entrance is that Judy needs to block the group, but I still don't understand why the 8-count can't be taught earlier for individual practice at a local field. Yard lines are the same everywhere; even just practicing doing the steps and "hitting the lines" would help.

 

After all, something like 5-6 ladies were cut after the first field rehearsal, so she probably had to re-block it all anyway.

[blairwaldorf]

I agree with the cuts of Kyndal and Taylor, but I think they should have cut Simone instead of Courtney. Simone seems like she expects special treatment and, to use a popular DCC quote, every time she's dancing in a group, she stands out to me in a negative way. She seems like someone who would get really lazy as soon as she had her spot locked in if she made the team... Like Ashley Pro or Breelan. I'd like to see Courtney come back next year. I got the impression that Kelli regretted cutting her... I think Judy was really the one behind that decision. 

 

I didn't see enough of Selina prior to her cut to comment on her. 

 

Kat is lucky she can kick because I'm pretty sure that's the only thing keeping her around. She has a very severe look that isn't really in line with what Kelli and Judy tend to prefer, and she struggles with the DCC style of dance. 

 

I agree that in the future, they shouldn't waste training camp spots on girls who can't kick at auditions. Everyone knows that good kicks are a necessity for DCC. If you have the ability to get flexible enough to do DCC kicks, there is no excuse for showing up to auditions unprepared and so out of shape that you can't do it. That means you are lazy, sloppy, or both. If your build is such that DCC-level kicks are just never going to be possible for you, that can't be fixed in training camp. Either way, not being able to kick at auditions is a pretty good indication of incompatibility with DCC.

[English Teacher]

I've actually wondered about doing the entrances earlier too; if I were a rookie, I would PAY a vet to take me out on ANY football field and just help guide me, get to the lines, etc., just to get the style and rhythm down before the blocking.

 

Personal pet peeve: I tend to watch tv with close captioning.  NEVER - not ONCE since the poor girl was a rookie -- has Kinzie's name been spelled correctly in the CC.  At least this week it was closest (Kenzie).  There have been some FUNKY spellings of that girl's name.

 

I've gone back and forth on this issue, especially after reading people's comments, but regarding Kelli asking girls, "How do you think this week went" I have to admit, I do that myself as a teacher.  When I am about to conference with a student (and I teach high school; I would not do this for the little guys) about a disappointing grade or report card average, I begin the conversation asking for his/her perception.  I'm not doing it to be mean or cruel or condescending -- I am looking for some insight into how their perception meets reality and to see if they have the self awareness that can accompany improvement (or explain problems). That said, I have expressed my opinion on Kelli's affect in the office this season vs. other seasons -- so I do see how that question can seem incredibly harsh in light of the horrible news that accompanies it.   

It just seems strange to me -- she seems so detached.  Every other season, she has shed tears for at least one girl's departure (Alexandra last season; even Chelsea's cut led her to well up with tears; Kalli F.... and when there aren't tears, she expresses some remorse (Alex in season 6, Ashley Pro in season 8)...  Nothing this season, not even for Taylor who she said was one of her favorite performers.  

It kind of matches the mood this MTT season has had to me: very intense and a little cold.  

[Whiteduck]

I agree they should teach the field entrance earlier on in TC, so the girls don't fall apart with the stress of having to have this new thing perfect right away or get cut for it. It's too much.

I do NOT agree with the cuttings of Taylor, (who I thought was improving noticiably in the kicks and was perfect in every other way)

I also think cutting Kyndall and Courtney were both mistakes, which will wind up being regretted.

In the past they've taken MANY girls who still need some more polish and most of them do very well... Caila from season 9 is a great example of this. Rarely are one of these girls such a problem that they get let go during the season. Never really. The only one that stands out to us is Loni running off the field for kickline.

I think Kelly shot herself in the foot and broke 3 potentially GREAT girls spirits down, and I hope all 3 of them get the last laugh.