S12.E02: Making the Team

[KatebytheSea]

2 minutes ago, PrincessLeia said:

That may very well be the case.... but if she was valedictorian, she should've qualified for major academic scholarships. Our class valedictorian got a full ride to Harvard. 

I'm not understanding your post.  Maybe you could explain...?  Kalyssa chose to dance rather than go to college.  So I'm not sure what raising money to go and audition for DCC has to do with qualifying for a scholarship. I'm sure she would have gotten scholarships if she'd chosen that path. Guess I'm not connecting the dots...  Sorry!

[PrincessLeia]

Just now, KatebytheSea said:

I'm not understanding your post.  Maybe you could explain...?  Kalyssa chose to dance rather than go to college.  So I'm not sure what raising money to go and audition for DCC has to do with qualifying for a scholarship. I'm sure she would have gotten scholarships if she'd chosen that path. Guess I'm not connecting the dots...  Sorry!

That post had nothing to do with the tshirts.... in a prior post I'd written that perhaps she skipped college due to lack of money. Another poster mentioned the tshirts, alluding to her not having enough money for college, hence the scholarship post! 

[KatebytheSea]

9 minutes ago, PrincessLeia said:

It's totally fine because at the end of the day, people can make their own decisions. But devoting yourself to dance 100% by dancing for OKC just isn't the same as going to NYC to make it on Broadway. Sure college will still be there, but if she wants to go to a reputable 4 year college like a UT or an SMU, it's not like those are easy to get into, especially if you have a big gap in your resume. But I'm old and have the benefit of hindsight. She's young and hot and it's her life! 

I see where you're coming from. However, from someone who did wait for college till I was 28, I still got scholarships, so it's possible! (Though I imagine her parents were tearing their hair out! LOL)

1 minute ago, PrincessLeia said:

That post had nothing to do with the tshirts.... in a prior post I'd written that perhaps she skipped college due to lack of money. Another poster mentioned the tshirts, alluding to her not having enough money for college, hence the scholarship post! 

Oh! lol Thanks, cause I didn't get it. Now I know why! lol

Edited August 13, 2017 by KatebytheSea

[PrincessLeia]

2 minutes ago, KatebytheSea said:

I see where you're coming from. However, from someone who did wait for college till I was 28, I still got scholarships, so it's possible! (Though I imagine her parents were tearing their hair out! LOL)

Oh! lol Thanks, cause I didn't get it. Now I know why! lol

I think that's why I feel the way I do... mom of two girls here. If one of them skipped college to be a professional cheerleader, we'd have problems!!!! 

[TinyHands]

It is perfectly acceptable to pursue dance after high school as a full time job on Broadway, a ballet company, etc. More power to you. It is absolutely ridiculous to say you are skipping college to pursue dance by being on a part-time, evenings and weekends team like DCC or Mavericks. Kelli and Judy explicitly say that they want girls to have jobs and/or go to school while on the team. They are paid part-time wages. 

[Guest]

3 hours ago, missmansfield said:

I totally agree with everything you said.  Was Cary the mother/daughter duo?  When I first saw them I thought wow, they have hatchet faces. Their noses really bothered me.  I can't imagine having a nose like that and not having it fixed.  Yes, I know I am going to hell!!!

THAT was funny.  

Omg ????

Me too I guess ! ??  haha

[Mardo2044]

On 8/11/2017 at 9:11 PM, PBSLover said:

Im more interested in the auditioning girls this season. I am not a big fan of the veterans on this team, hence I have been absent from this board as I am bored by who is left on the DCC squad. The rookies seem to have more energy and enthusiasm than some of the more recent rookies. And of course I love the gossip on the vets

This, I just found this very true with last year's rookies and a lot of favs retiring just has not left a lot of personalities on the squad.  

[kalibean]

I watched both episodes with my mom tonight (who is a very casual watcher) and she was like, wait. Back up the truck. She was valedictorian and chose not to go to college to pursue dance?  So she moved down the street to OKC to shake poms for a sports team that isn't even that high profile??? She didn't know they have colleges in OKC???  I laughed so hard. 

If she had gone for pursuing BIG dance dreams like LA, NYC, Vegas showgirl, hell, even trying out for SYTYCD or dancing on a cruise ship, I would get it. But nothing about a part time sports team job prevents you from also going to college if you want both. I'm hoping we get more of her backstory and find out that she did indeed give bigger dreams a go, it didn't work out and she decided OKC was good enough to keep her in shape for DCC. Or whatever. 

Maybe her financial situation changed, since she had enough for dance classes, gear, and possibly plastic surgery. Even so, I don't think that's her barrier to attending, given her academic status and need based financing. It's just an eyebrow raiser since she said she was valedictorian and most at least start college.  I'm sure tons of young gals show up at DCC with no intentions to immediately start school. 

But back to my mom - she was tickled by Kelsey's storyline, asked me more about the judging process, wondered why the judges didn't call out the bad/chunky dancers, etc. All the things those of us who have watched faithfully for years are like OMG stop it. I guess they keep picking up new viewers and need that extra exposition. 

Edited August 13, 2017 by kalibean

[MyFavShows]

3 hours ago, PrincessLeia said:

That may very well be the case.... but if she was valedictorian, she should've qualified for major academic scholarships. Our class valedictorian got a full ride to Harvard. 

It's totally fine because at the end of the day, people can make their own decisions. But devoting yourself to dance 100% by dancing for OKC just isn't the same as going to NYC to make it on Broadway. Sure college will still be there, but if she wants to go to a reputable 4 year college like a UT or an SMU, it's not like those are easy to get into, especially if you have a big gap in your resume. But I'm old and have the benefit of hindsight. She's young and hot and it's her life! 

Harvard doesn't give academic scholarships based on merit - everything about Harvard is "need based".   All someone getting "full ride" to an Ivy League school proves is that that person's family is needy financially (and they met the requirements to get in, of course) - it doesn't mean they were any smarter/more qualified than the others who got into Harvard that year.  Ivies also reject a TON of valedictorians every single year.

She may have been able to get academic scholarships elsewhere though provided her SAT/ACT scores were good too...

[dreamcatcher]

6 hours ago, missmansfield said:

I was thinking the same thing about Jenn K.  I personally don't see any of the vets this year who are the natural leaders they have had in the past (Jenn, Holly A. ect.)  I know Jenna has been on the squad the longest but I don't see her in that leadership role.

Adding more, I do see Cersten as a possibility of being the next great leader for the squad if she stays.

Cersten would absolutely make a great leader and would be great at point as well. I actually blame K&J for the Jenna situation. They keep saying that no one is guaranteed a leadership role or even a showgroup position based on seniority, so prove it. We can't know for sure what happened last year but I think even this conversation proved there were issues. If a 6 year vet says this is the year of change or that she just now realized she needs to be you know, a leader, then she doesn't deserve the spot. 

5 hours ago, KatebytheSea said:

Re: Kelsey - On the one hand, I wish CMT editors would quit bringing out the "50 yards" Kelsey and let her live that down. On the other, I guess I can see Kelli's point in "checking in" with Kelsey regarding her upcoming interview. As history has it, Kelsey is 2 (bad Interviews) to 1 (good Interview).  How many times have we seen Vets come into auditions with weight gain, not knowing the routine, etc. Maybe Kelli wants to make sure Kelsey doesn't take her year on the squad for granted and is unprepared for the Interview.  Maybe this year will tie her up 2 to 2 and CMT will drop the bad interview crap!

Re: Jenna - We haven't seen any other Vet interviews (do they do them yearly?), but I agree that it's weird to ask a 6 year Vet if she's ready to "step up." As a Manager, I know my employees, so I could tell you who was ready to lead. Guess Kelli isn't sure about Jenna.  But I guess it would have been a slap in the face to her as most senior Vet if they hadn't put her in a leadership role.

I too was so pleased they acknowledged the retiring Vets! I will really miss Melissa, and I thought Megan C had the most beautiful, natural, joyful and charming smile I've ever seen. She just lights up the line. I'll miss seeing her along with Jenn K and Danielle. 

I totally understood Kelli's side and I'm glad she tried to help Kelsey-and without adding weird comments like calling her a bacon. The producers didn't really need to add those things but I guess a first time viewer would be confused by this scene withou some context.

if i'm not mistaken,these are the interviews they are doing every year with the returninh vets. But i don't think we've ever seen them before.

[PrincessLeia]

6 hours ago, MyFavShows said:

Harvard doesn't give academic scholarships based on merit - everything about Harvard is "need based".   All someone getting "full ride" to an Ivy League school proves is that that person's family is needy financially (and they met the requirements to get in, of course) - it doesn't mean they were any smarter/more qualified than the others who got into Harvard that year.  Ivies also reject a TON of valedictorians every single year.

She may have been able to get academic scholarships elsewhere though provided her SAT/ACT scores were good too...

The need based scholarship was kind of my point..... the point I was making was that if she didn't have the money for college, since she was obviously smart, she probably could've received scholarships based on need or merit. Which school is irrelevant, and not the point of my post.

[Mardo2044]

Look, I am a big believer in college, but also think there are plenty of people who attend college that are just wasting their money.  It is an expensive way to party if you are not interested in academics and pursuing a career.  If her heart desire is to dance in a regional market and teach Zumba classes I don't see anything wrong with that.  Plus she is young, can always go back if she changed her mind.  I am 47 and getting my masters!

[Mardo2044]

On 8/11/2017 at 0:43 PM, bigskygirl said:

I was hoping they would call in the vets who were not bringing their A+ game aka weight gain and the dreaded Kelli use of the word potential.

Phil is so adorable. More Phil please. I like the way the vets were shown at the end even with the Kelsey scene.

Yes and yes.  

[cherryblossom]

29 minutes ago, Mardo2044 said:

Look, I am a big believer in college, but also think there are plenty of people who attend college that are just wasting their money.  It is an expensive way to party if you are not interested in academics and pursuing a career.  If her heart desire is to dance in a regional market and teach Zumba classes I don't see anything wrong with that.  Plus she is young, can always go back if she changed her mind.  I am 47 and getting my masters!

As a recently retired college professor, I can say that there is no right time to go to college.  My oldest student was70.  Yes, I see young students wasting mom and dad's money because they don't know what to do and how hard the course work is in my field.  More and more I think Europeans have it right with a gap year between high school and college.  I remember a relative saying when asked about what by his school in 8th grade what he wanted to study in college, he replied, don't you think this is a little early.  Some people know right away or are called to a field of study or profession.  Others think you have to have a passion for something but we are finding you can find something you like and make it your passion.  As to the relative who answered the question...he went to college for 3 years, did well, kudos on his work from professors and peers but left (due to a girl).  Now enjoys what he does for work but unfortunately finds it without IRA or healthcare and fewer options without a degree.  I also agree with Mike Rowe that there are many areas that do not need college.  My mother, an educator, insisted everyone needed to go to college but I couldn't understand who would cut our hair, fix our car etc.  There is always time to get more education, no matter the age or area of study.

[RazzleberryPie]

if Kalyssa can afford boobs, she can afford community college at least, scholarships or not. She didn't go to college bc she didn't want to.

This irks me slightly, because a lot of schools give tuition waivers or full rides to valedictorians. I wish a valedictorian would see how valuable that title is, and utilize it. If kalyssa is needs based, I'd think she'd value the free money do education more than shaking poms part time.

[sATL]

17 hours ago, LaurelleJ said:

Something is different than being just a group leader and being group 1 leader, point, most senior vet on the team and the go to vet. Jenn K left them with huge shoes to fill. She is mature, organized, and a phenomenal dancer and teacher. She reminds me of the veterans from seasons 1-5 when they seemed more mature. I understand their sit down with Jenna, asking her if she is ready and willing to step into that role. 

Agree. some people naturally are leaders, and some are followers/team members.  Not everyone wants the responsibility .I'm still trying to read into the "by example, by example, by example" comment . I wonder if Jenna didn't agree to step up her leadership skills, given her seniority status, would that be an issue with the judging panel. Or since she was a past group leader, maybe were there issues within her group - i.e. almost like an annual performance review comment. Is there a "leader" of the group leaders?

[sATL]

14 hours ago, DTrumpHasTinyHands said:

It is perfectly acceptable to pursue dance after high school as a full time job on Broadway, a ballet company, etc. More power to you. It is absolutely ridiculous to say you are skipping college to pursue dance by being on a part-time, evenings and weekends team like DCC or Mavericks. Kelli and Judy explicitly say that they want girls to have jobs and/or go to school while on the team. They are paid part-time wages. 

Maybe that is her plan. Get onto DCC and then attend SMU - since she has (had) the grades to get in. Now, I do wonder how attractive is a valedictorian,  from a full academic scholarship standpoint, that has been sitting out two years. She might have to write one hell of an admission essay, explaining what she's been doing all of this time.

If she gets onto DCC, and chooses to work to satisfy the requirement, what exactly can she do? What did she do when she wasn't NBA dancing? the other DCC girls, that they do segments on, seem to have a skill that is employable in the Dallas market.

Edited August 13, 2017 by sATL

[WichitaStateShock]

8 minutes ago, RazzleberryPie said:

if Kalyssa can afford boobs, she can afford community college at least, scholarships or not. She didn't go to college bc she didn't want to.

This irks me slightly, because a lot of schools give tuition waivers or full rides to valedictorians. I wish a valedictorian would see how valuable that title is, and utilize it. If kalyssa is needs based, I'd think she'd value the free money do education more than shaking poms part time.

Agreed. Plus, college gives you so much more depth as a person. I learned how to critically think through college. In the Midwest, it can make you challenge a great deal of your beliefs.

[LaurelleJ]

30 minutes ago, sATL said:

Agree. some people naturally are leaders, and some are followers/team members.  Not everyone wants the responsibility .I'm still trying to read into the "by example, by example, by example" comment . I wonder if Jenna didn't agree to step up her leadership skills, given her seniority status, would that be an issue with the judging panel. Or since she was a past group leader, maybe were there issues within her group - i.e. almost like an annual performance review comment. Is there a "leader" of the group leaders?

I always thought the leader of the group leaders was the leader of group one. They have made cheerleaders the leader of group 1 even if they didn't have the seniority. In season 7 Sydney was the leader of group 3 as a 5 year vet and Jackie was the leader of group 4 as a 4 year vet. The next season Jackie jumped to group 1 leader while Sydney was group 2 leader, even though Sydney was more senior. Jenn k was also group 1 leader as a 4th year over all the 5th years. They know that Jenna is primed for that spot this year and want to know if she can handle that responsibility. The thing with jenn k is that everyone saw her as serious and a leader. There's a new attitude that Jenna needs to adopt in order to be able to lead this team. It can't be 24/7 fun and games anymore. 

Edited August 13, 2017 by LaurelleJ

[bigskygirl]

@ShellyB were the scenes where the vets were practicing and some were called into the office for a talk with Kelli and Judy right before finals or were the vets called into a the office for a chat before tryouts were started?

[MrsEVH]

There's a deleted scene with Madeline's visit to Kelli's office on the DCC MTT Facebook page. I wonder how many of these visits were filmed and not shown.

[M1977G]

Kelli talked about the vet meetings as wanting to touch base "before audition season" starts, so I think the show depicts these meetings out of chronological order, since we see them after semi-finals in this episode.  I loved seeing these meetings, and I imagine that we might see a couple more at the start of the finals episode--ie, with a cheerleader or two who was on the bubble.  This episode, Judy mentioned twice that the vets had to be on their best game and some needed to step it up, especially regarding their appearance, but then none of the meetings we saw addressed that.  

Spoiler

We saw Stephanie and Tasha in Kelli's office in the preview for the whole show at the start of episode 1 and again in the scene while Judy was saying some vets weren't at their best, alongside a shot of Raylee, so I do think it's coming in the next episode or two.  We know that Raylee gets cut and that Stephanie and Tasha were on weight watch/probation, so methinks that was some foreshadowing and that the editors will follow through on it.

I don't think that Kelli was picking on Kelsey at all.  I think she was telling her directly what she needed to be on top of to be sure that she had a strong interview.  I liked Kelsey's response to their instructions:  "You got it."  Once again, she takes instruction and critique well and shows that she's willing and able to work hard.  I'm not a huge Kelsey fan, but I have been somewhat converted over the last year and thought she looked fine in that scene.

I actually think that Whitney's looks are one of the things that did appeal to Kelli and Judy year after year...after year.  She is very pretty, with striking eyes and dimples, but she's not a great dancer, does not learn or retain choreography quickly or that accurately, and does not have a very dynamic performance face.  This year at semis, she showed that those weaknesses have not gone away.  I think her not making it to finals is because she showed that she has not been able to overcome those weaknesses, and after 5 years, she probably never will.  So, bye, Whit.

Now, as for Kalyssa:  I have mixed thoughts and feelings about her at this point.  I think she's gorgeous and has real performance power.  I'll be interested to see her technique in solo and the audition routine during finals.  We saw this week that she is a strong kicker, so that's definitely in her favor in this process.  I, personally, would not have made the same life choice regarding dancing for the OKC Thunder instead of going to college.  No big deal--we all should go our own ways in life.  However, based on the preview for next episode, I began to feel some disdain for her level of ignorance.  The girl doesn't know who the freaking First Lady is!  So, to me, this indicates that she doesn't give a shit about reading or knowing much of anything going on in the world, and this suggests an almost total lack of intellectual curiosity that explains her lack of interest in college.  After seeing that, I'm not so sure that she could have gotten major scholarships anywhere.  Seriously, if she was valedictorian, I'd hate to think what they are and are not learning at her high school, and I don't know that she would have a scholastic foundation to succeed at college.  Certainly not an Ivy League, and maybe not at community college, either.  She'd be there for an Mrs degree and the parties.  I'm fine with her not taking someone else's place in college who might have worked really hard to get there and stay there.  So in addition to thinking she's gorgeous on the outside and a fun performer to watch, I also am starting to think that she's entitled and willfully ignorant.  I'll have to wait and see. 

[Mardo2044]

11 hours ago, dreamcatcher said:

I totally understood Kelli's side and I'm glad she tried to help Kelsey-and without adding weird comments like calling her a bacon.

If i'm not mistaken,these are the interviews they are doing every year with the returninh vets. But i don't think we've ever seen them before.

I think like many said upstream she wanted Kelsey to be aware she needs to study and nail the interview like last year and not just assume because she is a vet she is safe.  

I have seen vets in the formal interview, but the one on one with Judy and Kelli before finals...no I didn't know they did that and I think it's first time to MTT production.

[Mardo2044]

Neil they use him in the panel because he tours with them and performs at USO.  Its nice exposure for him and it's sort of a way for DCC to acknowledge his contribution to DCC by asking his opinion.  Also they need some male perspective.  Although He would not be my first choice He just doesn't bother me like most posters; I think he gives an unvarnished opinion that many men think but would not say.

I also like Ramos.  His questions are getting better and I am certain it is cross marketing there too.  I like his mingling with the prospectives...it gives is a chance to know some more girls even a little bit.

[RazzleberryPie]

2 hours ago, LaurelleJ said:

I always thought the leader of the group leaders was the leader of group one. They have made cheerleaders the leader of group 1 even if they didn't have the seniority. In season 7 Sydney was the leader of group 3 as a 5 year vet and Jackie was the leader of group 4 as a 4 year vet. The next season Jackie jumped to group 1 leader while Sydney was group 2 leader, even though Sydney was more senior. Jenn k was also group 1 leader as a 4th year over all the 5th years. They know that Jenna is primed for that spot this year and want to know if she can handle that responsibility. The thing with jenn k is that everyone saw her as serious and a leader. There's a new attitude that Jenna needs to adopt in order to be able to lead this team. It can't be 24/7 fun and games anymore. 

Nope G1 is just G1. Not always point and not ring leader of everything. 

[missmansfield]

5 hours ago, Mardo2044 said:

Look, I am a big believer in college, but also think there are plenty of people who attend college that are just wasting their money.  It is an expensive way to party if you are not interested in academics and pursuing a career.  If her heart desire is to dance in a regional market and teach Zumba classes I don't see anything wrong with that.  Plus she is young, can always go back if she changed her mind.  I am 47 and getting my masters!

I agree with this.  I have a 4 year degree in Psychology and it has been proven to be pretty much worthless.  I would not necessarily trade going because it was the best time of my life but I don't think it has either gotten me a job or more pay with any job I have had.  It all seems to be about who you know.

Most people I know who have a degree have the same problem.

Looking back, if I had a chance to be an NFL cheerleader or a professional dancer I would take it and then go to college later if I wanted to. 

Edited August 13, 2017 by missmansfield
Added more

[Guest]

1 hour ago, M1977G said:

I actually think that Whitney's looks are one of the things that did appeal to Kelli and Judy year after year...after year.  She is very pretty, with striking eyes and dimples, but she's not a great dancer, does not learn or retain choreography quickly or that accurately, and does not have a very dynamic performance face.  

I don't get the appeal.  She looks like she's high.  Her eyes are set way too far apart. And her eyelids hang too low over the top of her eyes.  I know, I'm going to hell again lol ? 

I think she's a sharp girl but no where near the DCC look or talent. 

[missmansfield]

3 minutes ago, Rita J said:

I don't get the appeal.  She looks like she's high.  Her eyes are set way too far apart. And her eyelids hang too low over the top of her eyes.  I know, I'm going to hell again lol ? 

I think she's a sharp girl but no where near the DCC look or talent. 

Sounds like you and I have the same standards of beauty LOL!

[EvergreenLove]

1 hour ago, M1977G said:

Now, as for Kalyssa:  I have mixed thoughts and feelings about her at this point.  I think she's gorgeous and has real performance power.  I'll be interested to see her technique in solo and the audition routine during finals.  We saw this week that she is a strong kicker, so that's definitely in her favor in this process.  I, personally, would not have made the same life choice regarding dancing for the OKC Thunder instead of going to college.  No big deal--we all should go our own ways in life.  However, based on the preview for next episode, I began to feel some disdain for her level of ignorance.  The girl doesn't know who the freaking First Lady is!  So, to me, this indicates that she doesn't give a shit about reading or knowing much of anything going on in the world, and this suggests an almost total lack of intellectual curiosity that explains her lack of interest in college.  After seeing that, I'm not so sure that she could have gotten major scholarships anywhere.  Seriously, if she was valedictorian, I'd hate to think what they are and are not learning at her high school, and I don't know that she would have a scholastic foundation to succeed at college.  Certainly not an Ivy League, and maybe not at community college, either.  She'd be there for an Mrs degree and the parties.  I'm fine with her not taking someone else's place in college who might have worked really hard to get there and stay there.  So in addition to thinking she's gorgeous on the outside and a fun performer to watch, I also am starting to think that she's entitled and willfully ignorant.  I'll have to wait and see. 

YES!  This has been at the heart of my anti-Kalyssa attitude all along.  She seems to care mostly about self-promotion and making sure everybody knows how fabulous she is in all aspects, to her own detriment.  And of course the never-ending ta-ta shaking.  I think it was back in season 3 prelims where Kelli was mocking the <ahem> large number of ta-ta shakers that showed up.

[LaurelleJ]

1 hour ago, RazzleberryPie said:

Nope G1 is just G1. Not always point and not ring leader of everything. 

I know g1 leader is not always point. Just thought they were considered overall captain of the team. Otherwise they would have made Whitney group 1 leader when she was a 5th year and clearly a stronger dancer than Cassie, the group 1 leader. 

[ShellyB]

5 hours ago, bigskygirl said:

@ShellyB were the scenes where the vets were practicing and some were called into the office for a talk with Kelli and Judy right before finals or were the vets called into a the office for a chat before tryouts were started?

They held that practice & meetings with vets  before finals week. It was shortly after they returned from calendar, because Eddie was there as our last teacher for Technique Tuesday. 

4 hours ago, MrsEVH said:

There's

 They talk to all, not sure if all were filmed. 

[ATLGirl]

I wonder why Kelli keeps introducing Neal M as a "new judge" at auditions. This is at least the third time he's been a judge, right?

 

❤️❤️❤️Phil's dance party! I did notice some not enthused faces but I wonder if they were just tired of waiting for K&J to come out to announce the finalists. I'd love to dance with Phil, he is such a sweetheart. 

 

Briana from Delaware is TALL. Not a bad thing but it's awfully obvious if your kicks are bad. The other tall girl (Kateltyn?) from LSU Tiger Girls (and later Golden Girls) is tall but boy she can kick! She just needs her hair fixed to soften her up (a la Kamie O'Teeter from seasons past). 

 

Sorry Whitney. Beautiful, smart girl. But If you come back still with closed mouth facials half the time and screw up the combo at semis after making it to Training Camp last year, you don't deserve a sixth chance. 

[missmansfield]

Who was the guy that was teaching the vets at the studio?

[MyFavShows]

3 hours ago, 123DCCWoooo said:

YES!  This has been at the heart of my anti-Kalyssa attitude all along.  She seems to care mostly about self-promotion and making sure everybody knows how fabulous she is in all aspects, to her own detriment.  And of course the never-ending ta-ta shaking.  I think it was back in season 3 prelims where Kelli was mocking the <ahem> large number of ta-ta shakers that showed up.

Yeah.  She also seemed to be forcing herself front and center during the on the field learning of the combo w/ Judy and co.   I've seen more than enough clues over the footage shown thus far that she is pretty self-absorbed and desperate for attention.   I'm not a fan.

[kalibean]

I think she's sexy and that's going to appeal to many. Pretty face, and I think she'll have a Tasha vibe once they run her through the DCC makeover.  She looks ten years older than Briana and there's only a two year age difference.

My only beef with her is saying she didn't go to college because she wanted to pursue her dance dream...she chose a part time dance job 40 minutes from her home town. She could have done both. But hey, that's not as festive a storyline. I don't think we've as a group cared so much what someone did outside of their cheering ?

[ShellyB]

On 8/11/2017 at 3:43 PM, tajalexander said:

 

So I'm rewatching S11 E1 and around the 21:35 mark when the audition combo is being taught, Judy says they perform the routine 4 times as well. Does the kick line count as a routine that's performed twice? I guess I just always referred to it as "the kickline" lol 

The combo is 8 8 counts. It is repeated after the first run, so 16 8 counts total, then the lines switch and it is repeated 2x through. So it is danced twice...each line getting a chance to be in front. The kick line is done twice, switching splits each time. 

[KatebytheSea]

22 hours ago, DTrumpHasTinyHands said:

It is perfectly acceptable to pursue dance after high school as a full time job on Broadway, a ballet company, etc. More power to you. It is absolutely ridiculous to say you are skipping college to pursue dance by being on a part-time, evenings and weekends team like DCC or Mavericks. Kelli and Judy explicitly say that they want girls to have jobs and/or go to school while on the team. They are paid part-time wages. 

We know those who make the squad are expected to either work or go to school FT. Kalyssa may have dreams of going to Broadway or something; we don't know. But she did say that, since she came to dance late, she didn't have the technical dance experience of many of the other contestants. Maybe she plans on studying dance and getting those skills while being on a prestigious squad known for great dancers, if she makes it.

I guess I'm confused why so many put down DCC as just flapping around poms. These are skilled dancers and the squad has a great reputation for excellence. Sure, there are many dance platforms; ballet, modern dance companies, Broadway, Rockettes, background dancers etc. Just because being in a ballet company is more prestigious doesn't mean DCC is trash. Erica went on to dance for the Pussycat Dolls, Rene and Jacie are with the Rockettes, many former DCCs are dance teachers or own their own dance studios, Brooke is choreographer in FL, and there are many more retired DCC dance success stories.

Lots of kids and teens dream of careers in the arts; most don't ever succeed. Most of those who make DCC will go on to other endeavors afterwards, but I'm happy for any who are able to live out their dance dreams for awhile. :)

[Guest]

31 minutes ago, ShellyB said:

The combo is 8 8 counts. It is repeated after the first run, so 16 8 counts total, then the lines switch and it is repeated 2x through. So it is danced twice...each line getting a chance to be in front. The kick line is done twice, switching splits each time. 

@ShellyB you just changed our lives! ?? ❤️❤️

[cherryblossom]

2 hours ago, missmansfield said:

Who was the guy that was teaching the vets at the studio?

Eddie Moody?  from KJ Dance

[ShellyB]

2 hours ago, ATLGirl said:

I wonder why Kelli keeps introducing Neal M as a "new judge" at auditions. This is at least the third time he's been a judge, right?

 

New on Semi-finals day. He was not at Prelims.

2 hours ago, missmansfield said:

Who was the guy that was teaching the vets at the studio?

Eddie Moody. He is the Hip Hop teacher with LA Dance Magic, sets choreography all over the US and relocated to Dallas from LA a couple of years ago and teaches at a couple of local studios. 

Edited August 14, 2017 by ShellyB

[TinyHands]

1 hour ago, KatebytheSea said:

We know those who make the squad are expected to either work or go to school FT. Kalyssa may have dreams of going to Broadway or something; we don't know. But she did say that, since she came to dance late, she didn't have the technical dance experience of many of the other contestants. Maybe she plans on studying dance and getting those skills while being on a prestigious squad known for great dancers, if she makes it.

I guess I'm confused why so many put down DCC as just flapping around poms. These are skilled dancers and the squad has a great reputation for excellence. Sure, there are many dance platforms; ballet, modern dance companies, Broadway, Rockettes, background dancers etc. Just because being in a ballet company is more prestigious doesn't mean DCC is trash. Erica went on to dance for the Pussycat Dolls, Rene and Jacie are with the Rockettes, many former DCCs are dance teachers or own their own dance studios, Brooke is choreographer in FL, and there are many more retired DCC dance success stories.

Lots of kids and teens dream of careers in the arts; most don't ever succeed. Most of those who make DCC will go on to other endeavors afterwards, but I'm happy for any who are able to live out their dance dreams for awhile. :)

She comes off bad using the information she presented. It's not a career in the arts if she's paying to take a bunch of dance classes during the day. Sooooooo many girls have come to DCC and said they want to be dance teachers and teach dance during the day. She didn't mention anything approaching that. 

DCC are great and world class (heck, you just have to look at the Dolphin's cheer video to know that). DCC and Kelli openly and repeatedly say DCC shouldn't be your only thing. So it is not a "career". 

[KatebytheSea]

On 8/13/2017 at 10:14 PM, DTrumpHasTinyHands said:

She comes off bad using the information she presented. It's not a career in the arts if she's paying to take a bunch of dance classes during the day. Sooooooo many girls have come to DCC and said they want to be dance teachers and teach dance during the day. She didn't mention anything approaching that. 

DCC are great and world class (heck, you just have to look at the Dolphin's cheer video to know that). DCC and Kelli openly and repeatedly say DCC shouldn't be your only thing. So it is not a "career". 

Maybe she came off bad to some. To me she didn't. Other than what she said (which I thought was concise), I don't know a thing about her.  Seems like she's going to be this seasons "polarizing" TCC if chosen.

I don't think most DCCs plan on a career in dance. Dancer years are, apparently, limited. But if someone wants to take advantage of those years while they're young and dance for DCC, then why not? If I was her mom, I'd hope I'd be supportive (while quietly having a heart attack in my room!). 

Edited August 15, 2017 by KatebytheSea

[ByTor]

On 8/12/2017 at 11:36 AM, Hummingbird24 said:

I'm sexy; I'm cute....

...I'm popular to boot! Sorry, I really like Bring it On :)

[Guest]

2 hours ago, ByTor said:

...I'm popular to boot! Sorry, I really like Bring it On :)

hahaa I was singing that in my head reading that post

Also the whole college discussion is really played out at this point, but just throwing my two cents in as someone who did a year and then decided not to continue. If you don't want to go to college, don't go to college. There's nothing wrong with not attending, as long as you feel like you can get a job doing something you love without a degree. I went to school for med assisting after I quit college and that was the right career path for me for a few years until it wasn't. Then I went back to school and got my associates. I'm still doing the same job I had before I had my associates and it's pretty well paying. So I say do what you like and college will always be there for you whenever you feel like you want to attend. There's times I wish I stuck out the next 3 years and then I realize what a waste of money it would have been since I had no clue what I wanted to do. Still don't, but with my degree I can pretty much do anything within reasonable limits.

[kalibean]

9 hours ago, KatebytheSea said:

Maybe she came off bad to some. To me she didn't. Other than what she said (which I thought was concise), I don't know a thing about her.  Seems like she's going to be this seasons "polarizing" TCC. 

I don't think most DCCs plan on a career in dance. Dancer years are, apparently, limited. But if someone wants to take advantage of those years while they're young and dance for DCC, then why not? If I was her mom, I'd hope I'd be supportive (while quietly having a heart attack in my room!). 

Her mom does seem incredibly supportive.  I can't remember if it was the DCC Facebook page or the show's Facebook page, but her mom had top comment in the vein of "that's my daughter!!  So proud of you!!" etc.  

I've said it upthread...it doesn't bother me one bit that she's pursuing her dance dream instead of going to college immediately.  But there's no reason she couldn't have done both since she didn't have to move to cheer for OKC (Chickasa is 40 minutes away) and it's a part time gig.  The way I heard her story is that she had to choose...go to college OR pursue dance.  

I'm looking forward to hearing more of her story next episode, especially since she will have to move for training camp if she gets in.

[missmansfield]

Did I see Tessa on the field on this episode?  If not there was a girl who looked just like her.

[Jazzmom]

On 8/11/2017 at 0:47 PM, mmm said:

does anyone has a link to the preview of next week ? i can't find it !!

Just saw the ad on tv..took a screenshot from what I think is after Hollly's solo.  

[missmansfield]

On 8/13/2017 at 8:36 PM, cherryblossom said:

Eddie Moody?  from KJ Dance

I hate his dancing style.  It does not seem like DCC style at all.  I don't know why they are going off their formula.  It sucks.

[scorpio1031]

1 hour ago, missmansfield said:

I hate his dancing style.  It does not seem like DCC style at all.  I don't know why they are going off their formula.  It sucks.

Isn't that the point of Technique Tuesdays??  To introduce the gals to other styles of dance and help them with new choreography?

[ShellyB]

1 minute ago, scorpio1031 said:

Isn't that the point of Technique Tuesdays??  To introduce the gals to other styles of dance and help them with new choreography?

Exactly....it's our off season regimen