Current Squad 2017-2018: Media, Music, Videos & Show Group

[HowdeeDo]

9 hours ago, tobeyoungagain said:

Victoria has always been meh in my book ... not a fan of the look or the dancing.  But did we ever figure out who the little powerhouse in blue top / black bottom is?  She's awesome!!!

I REALLY hope she tries out and makes it. Obsessed with her style. She's on the shorter side so I hope we don't hear any of those "short and stocky" comments. How the hell do you expect them to change that? 

 

Anyhoo, my #girlcrush this year if she tries out. 

[Jaxratchet]

The boots will go all the way to her thigh... lol but she is very good!

[TiaGrace]

17 hours ago, HowdeeDo said:

I REALLY hope she tries out and makes it. Obsessed with her style. She's on the shorter side so I hope we don't hear any of those "short and stocky" comments. How the hell do you expect them to change that? 

 

Anyhoo, my #girlcrush this year if she tries out. 

@HowdeeDo Thank you for posting this for I hadn't seen it. Wow, this girl has power and technique. I'm going to light a candle and pray that she looks good in the uniform cuz we all know Kelli Finglass is sooo obsessed with how that uniform fits the shorter girls. 

I think this Ashley is a real contender. 

[EricaShadows]

While Kelli is obsessed with how the uniform fits a girl, if she likes the girl IN the uniform, the fit of the uniform doesn't really seem to matter unless it looks absolutely HORRIBLE on a girl.  If Kelli DOESN'T like the girl in the uniform, but can't find any other reason to cut her, then the uniform will be the stated reason of why the girl has to go NOW.  We've seen girls who do very well with everything else but didn't make the squad because they "don't look good in the uniform".  We've seen other girls *ahem, looking at you, Allie* who don't have the type of body that typically looks good in the uniform (and Allie was said to have only one picture/pose that looked good at her shoot), yet still make the team.

[bigskygirl]

4 minutes ago, EricaShadows said:

While Kelli is obsessed with how the uniform fits a girl, if she likes the girl IN the uniform, the fit of the uniform doesn't really seem to matter unless it looks absolutely HORRIBLE on a girl.  If Kelli DOESN'T like the girl in the uniform, but can't find any other reason to cut her, then the uniform will be the stated reason of why the girl has to go NOW.  We've seen girls who do very well with everything else but didn't make the squad because they "don't look good in the uniform".  We've seen other girls *ahem, looking at you, Allie* who don't have the type of body that typically looks good in the uniform (and Allie was said to have only one picture/pose that looked good at her shoot), yet still make the team.

So true! Kaitlyn LaRue was told to lose weight in Season 8 and could not dance with a darn, but she made the team. Rumors were floating around she was put on weight probation in late October and was not officially part of the team anymore. In Season Six, Kamilah was told she needed to lose around 10 pounds, but she made the team only to be cut at finals the next year for weight gain. Stephanie Heyman made the team in Season 5, but she was one of the lowest rank TC candidates because of weight issues, and she left after one season. I would not be surprised if part of the reason why she left was because she was on weight probation most of the season.

They have girls like Katie S. from Season 3 and Grace Lee Sells in Season 4 who were cut for weight, but they bring in other girls, who in my opinion, should not have made the team because of their weight. I would love to know the real reason why some of the girls who are called out for weight make the team over other girls who look fine and could dance do not make it.

[HowdeeDo]

I guess being on the team for longer gives vets a little slack, but it's not fair when rookies get cut and vets get slaps on the wrist with their obvious weight gains. (Not talking about just this year's vets) 

[EricaShadows]

It shouldn't take a girl getting to uniform fittings to find out whether or not you don't like her.  That's a personal issue, not a professional issue.  You don't have to like someone to be professional.  If you're letting your personal dislike of a girl (or how she got to Training Camp) get to you, then realize that and don't let it affect your decision.  If you're letting some girls slide through with the uniform issues, all the while saying it's a make or break thing, then it's not truly a make or break thing, it's your personal preference.  Allie's a good example.  She must have other reasons why she made the squad when her body looks square-ish in the uniform and only had one good shot in cameos.  If she didn't, they might have used the uniform fittings as a confirmation of their decisions.  Colby and another girl were too thin in the uniforms while a few others were too square (I swear they used that reason to cut at least one other girl previously, but I can't remember who), whose legs were too short or they had weird (for the uniform) proportions in terms of torso/hip/leg ratios, etc.  Still, the uniform issues weren't really brought up in cuts unless it was weight related.  If fitting into the uniform was SUCH a big issue (and weight isn't the reason), then let the girl know.

If they're going to use the "We'll cut you from the squad for not looking good in the uniform," make it consistent.  Either cut everyone who doesn't look good in the uniform or change the uniform if you can't bear to cut a girl for other reasons.  Essentially, don't use the uniform as an excuse to cut a girl when they dang well won't really bring it up in the "final decision" meetings except as a way to address other issues (if they even mention it).  Most of the talks I remember are "How do you feel about tonight?" with some sort of response, then Kelli and Judy launch into the reason they're letting the girl go.

It's hard to sometimes put it into words.  I guess it's because I don't like the whole "everything is life and death here and one wrong move will send you home" attitude that Kelli and Judy have.  Be honest with the girls in a polite, professional matter.  Be absolutely CLEAR about what is going wrong and why (especially in the critiques), then, if the girl isn't correcting those mistakes, bring them into the office for a one-and-done meeting.  They have one meeting in the office and, if they're brought into the office a second time, then the girl goes home.  No multiple meetings for some girls while others don't know they're on the chopping block until they're cut.  If people are used to the three-strikes (verbal/written/termination) method, the verbal could be the corrections in practice, the written could be the first office meeting and the "termination" would be the whole "tonight is your last night" spiel.  They wouldn't be dragging girls all the way to the end of camp (Kaime/Kendall/Amy/assorted other girls) when Kelli and Judy know these girls won't be on the squad.

Did any of this make sense or am I rambling again?

Edited April 15, 2017 by EricaShadows

[twinkietwin94]

Just now, EricaShadows said:

It shouldn't take a girl getting to uniform fittings to find out whether or not you don't like her.  That's a personal issue, not a professional issue.  You don't have to like someone to be professional.  If you're letting your personal dislike of a girl (or how she got to Training Camp) get to you, then realize that and don't let it affect your decision.  If you're letting some girls slide through with the uniform issues, all the while saying it's a make or break thing, then it's not truly a make or break thing, it's your personal preference.  Allie's a good example.  She must have other reasons why she made the squad when her body looks square-ish in the uniform and only had one good shot in cameos.  If she didn't, they might have used the uniform fittings as a confirmation of their decisions.  Colby and another girl were too thin in the uniforms while a few others were too square (I swear they used that reason to cut at least one other girl previously, but I can't remember who), whose legs were too short or they had weird (for the uniform) proportions in terms of torso/hip/leg ratios, etc.  Still, the uniform issues weren't really brought up in cuts unless it was weight related.  If fitting into the uniform was SUCH a big issue (and weight isn't the reason), then let the girl know.

If they're going to use the "We'll cut you from the squad for not looking good in the uniform," make it consistent.  Either cut everyone who doesn't look good in the uniform or change the uniform if you can't bear to cut a girl for other reasons.  Essentially, don't use the uniform as an excuse to cut a girl when they dang well won't really bring it up in the "final decision" meetings except as a way to address other issues (if they even mention it).  Most of the talks I remember are "How do you feel about tonight?" with some sort of response, then Kelli and Judy launch into the reason they're letting the girl go.

It's hard to sometimes put it into words.  I guess it's because I don't like the whole "everything is life and death here and one wrong move will send you home" attitude that Kelli and Judy have.  Be honest with the girls in a polite, professional matter.  Be absolutely CLEAR about what is going wrong and why (especially in the critiques), then, if the girl isn't correcting those mistakes, bring them into the office for a one-and-done meeting.  They have one meeting in the office and, if they're brought into the office a second time, then the girl goes home.  No multiple meetings for some girls while others don't know they're on the chopping block until they're cut.  If people are used to the three-strikes (verbal/written/termination) method, the verbal could be the corrections in practice, the written could be the first office meeting and the "termination" would be the whole "tonight is your last night" spiel.  They wouldn't be dragging girls all the way to the end of camp (Kaime/Kendall/Amy/assorted other girls) when Kelli and Judy know these girls won't be on the squad.

Did any of this make sense or am I rambling again?

I think it makes perfect sense and I completely agree! It bothers me that it seems some girls get so many warnings and make the team then others it's one meeting and they're done.

[cherryblossom]

On 4/14/2017 at 0:11 PM, Hummingbird24 said:

Little blonde and Victoria blew everyone out of the water. Everyone else blended together. 

I thought the rest were a hot mess!

[MrsEVH]

2 hours ago, EricaShadows said:

It shouldn't take a girl getting to uniform fittings to find out whether or not you don't like her.  That's a personal issue, not a professional issue.  You don't have to like someone to be professional.  If you're letting your personal dislike of a girl (or how she got to Training Camp) get to you, then realize that and don't let it affect your decision.  If you're letting some girls slide through with the uniform issues, all the while saying it's a make or break thing, then it's not truly a make or break thing, it's your personal preference.  Allie's a good example.  She must have other reasons why she made the squad when her body looks square-ish in the uniform and only had one good shot in cameos.  If she didn't, they might have used the uniform fittings as a confirmation of their decisions.  Colby and another girl were too thin in the uniforms while a few others were too square (I swear they used that reason to cut at least one other girl previously, but I can't remember who), whose legs were too short or they had weird (for the uniform) proportions in terms of torso/hip/leg ratios, etc.  Still, the uniform issues weren't really brought up in cuts unless it was weight related.  If fitting into the uniform was SUCH a big issue (and weight isn't the reason), then let the girl know.

If they're going to use the "We'll cut you from the squad for not looking good in the uniform," make it consistent.  Either cut everyone who doesn't look good in the uniform or change the uniform if you can't bear to cut a girl for other reasons.  Essentially, don't use the uniform as an excuse to cut a girl when they dang well won't really bring it up in the "final decision" meetings except as a way to address other issues (if they even mention it).  Most of the talks I remember are "How do you feel about tonight?" with some sort of response, then Kelli and Judy launch into the reason they're letting the girl go.

It's hard to sometimes put it into words.  I guess it's because I don't like the whole "everything is life and death here and one wrong move will send you home" attitude that Kelli and Judy have.  Be honest with the girls in a polite, professional matter.  Be absolutely CLEAR about what is going wrong and why (especially in the critiques), then, if the girl isn't correcting those mistakes, bring them into the office for a one-and-done meeting.  They have one meeting in the office and, if they're brought into the office a second time, then the girl goes home.  No multiple meetings for some girls while others don't know they're on the chopping block until they're cut.  If people are used to the three-strikes (verbal/written/termination) method, the verbal could be the corrections in practice, the written could be the first office meeting and the "termination" would be the whole "tonight is your last night" spiel.  They wouldn't be dragging girls all the way to the end of camp (Kaime/Kendall/Amy/assorted other girls) when Kelli and Judy know these girls won't be on the squad.

Did any of this make sense or am I rambling again?

From what I can remember:

Colby and timid Emily were too thin

Grace S, Katie S, and Megan P (who had a thutt) all looked too big in the uniform

Karen and Vivian both had short legs "swallowed up" by the boots

Leah Parker and Sunni Cranfill were called in only once (I think) and cut. Also Elizabeth from the very 1st show (2005) show

[bigskygirl]

Danielle was called into the office with Miss Kitty and Judy in Season 7 once, but she made the team. There has been girls who were called into the office at least once, but the scene was not shown on the show.

One of my pet peeves is when they bring in a girl because they like her personality or have a unique look, but the girl cannot dance. To this day, I cannot understand why Grace or Katie did not make the team or brought into TC for a second time, but they let girls like Stephanie H. Kamilah, or Kaitlin LaRue on the team when they were called out for weight. Kaitlin could not dance, Kamilah barely made the team, and Judy was not happy at all with Stephanie.

[sleepyjean]

Quote

It shouldn't take a girl getting to uniform fittings to find out whether or not you don't like her.  That's a personal issue, not a professional issue.  You don't have to like someone to be professional.  If you're letting your personal dislike of a girl (or how she got to Training Camp) get to you, then realize that and don't let it affect your decision.  If you're letting some girls slide through with the uniform issues, all the while saying it's a make or break thing, then it's not truly a make or break thing, it's your personal preference.  Allie's a good example.  She must have other reasons why she made the squad when her body looks square-ish in the uniform and only had one good shot in cameos.  If she didn't, they might have used the uniform fittings as a confirmation of their decisions.  Colby and another girl were too thin in the uniforms while a few others were too square (I swear they used that reason to cut at least one other girl previously, but I can't remember who), whose legs were too short or they had weird (for the uniform) proportions in terms of torso/hip/leg ratios, etc.  Still, the uniform issues weren't really brought up in cuts unless it was weight related.  If fitting into the uniform was SUCH a big issue (and weight isn't the reason), then let the girl know.

If they're going to use the "We'll cut you from the squad for not looking good in the uniform," make it consistent.  Either cut everyone who doesn't look good in the uniform or change the uniform if you can't bear to cut a girl for other reasons.  Essentially, don't use the uniform as an excuse to cut a girl when they dang well won't really bring it up in the "final decision" meetings except as a way to address other issues (if they even mention it).  Most of the talks I remember are "How do you feel about tonight?" with some sort of response, then Kelli and Judy launch into the reason they're letting the girl go.

It's hard to sometimes put it into words.  I guess it's because I don't like the whole "everything is life and death here and one wrong move will send you home" attitude that Kelli and Judy have.  Be honest with the girls in a polite, professional matter.  Be absolutely CLEAR about what is going wrong and why (especially in the critiques), then, if the girl isn't correcting those mistakes, bring them into the office for a one-and-done meeting.  They have one meeting in the office and, if they're brought into the office a second time, then the girl goes home.  No multiple meetings for some girls while others don't know they're on the chopping block until they're cut.  If people are used to the three-strikes (verbal/written/termination) method, the verbal could be the corrections in practice, the written could be the first office meeting and the "termination" would be the whole "tonight is your last night" spiel.  They wouldn't be dragging girls all the way to the end of camp (Kaime/Kendall/Amy/assorted other girls) when Kelli and Judy know these girls won't be on the squad.

Did any of this make sense or am I rambling again?

I get what you are saying. And emotionally, I'm on the same page with you. But I think you have to consider that the show has given us an oversimplified, neatly packaged story that is meant to invoke drama and an emotional reaction from the audience. That's not necessarily an accurate reflection of how the decisions are made and what happens behind closed doors.

There are a LOT of criteria that go into choosing a DCC. Personality, physique, work ethic, intelligence, professionalism, facial attractiveness, references, technical skill, strength and flexibility, stamina, consistency, showmanship, ability to quickly learn, retain, and clean choreography, ability to adopt the DCC style, appearance in the uniform, plus extra stuff that gives you cachet with the judges, like if you're from another country, or stunningly beautiful, or a mom, or a legacy, or in a STEM  program/career, or own your own business, or are a natural redhead, or have an exotic look. And there are politics as well. Diversity requirements, people with connections, social media presence, etc.

From the minute the rookie candidates are taken into training camp, Kelli and company are evaluating them on that complex mix of criteria. We see very little of what happens during the judging process and very few of the comments that are made about each candidate. And when someone is cut, it's boiled down to the "tv reason," which - in my opinion - doesn't reflect the whole of that evaluation.

It doesn't make sense to me to compare women in one training camp against women in another training camp. Every training camp has its own field of candidates with different strengths and weaknesses. If two women in two different training camps have uniform "issues" and one is cut and the other is not, there could've been a whole host of reasons why, and we were only given one. Maybe the one who was cut didn't rank very high in all those other aspects and was out-competed. For her the uniform was make-or-break.  Maybe she was in a strong field and there had to be some hair splitting in her case. Maybe the one who made the team was stronger in those other characteristics. (And when I say "strong," I mean strong in the eyes of the people doing the picking. Not the people watching the tv show. Lord knows we can't agree on this forum who is strong and who isn't. Who is pretty and who isn't. Who is on the bubble and who isn't.)

This choice IS personal preference. The judging is entirely subjective. No use pretending it isn't. I think they do keep fairness more in mind when choosing who makes it to the next round of auditions and even who makes it into training camp. Every year they choose some women who they know aren't the total package, but have potential. But when it comes to picking the actual team? The idea that Kelli and Judy would pick someone they personally are kind of "meh" about, just to be fair...nope. Not gonna happen. This is no different than any other job interview. If a boss has two candidates who are similarly qualified, they'll pick the one they like better, the one they think will be a better fit. The one they think they will enjoy working with. Even if the other candidate can do a quintuple pirouette and kick high enough to knock herself unconscious.

Kelli and Judy go with what their gut and their experience tells them. Are they always right? No. They don't have ESP. But are they better "choosers" than we are? I believe so.  I'll take Kelli and Judy's combined 70 years of experience over my 150 hours of tv watching. And in any case, I don't believe we're in much of a position to decide what's fair and what isn't. The DCC staff see these women up close, in many different settings, for many many hours over the course of months. We see each of these women for maybe 30 minutes over the course of a season. Some we don't see at all. We don't have nearly the observation and insight that they do. Heck, we can't even see one dance all the way through.

It's very easy for viewers to armchair quarterback who should and shouldn't have made the team. I try to always remember that everything I know, I know from the tv show - which is highly edited and meant to give select candidates a "story" - and from social media, which is not even sort of an accurate reflection of real life. Especially not for an organization well known for keeping their cards close to the vest.

Now it's my turn to stop rambling. :-)

Edited April 16, 2017 by sleepyjean

[Jaxratchet]

Selina was cut on the last night of training camp in season 10, but made the team in 11 with no featured presence on CMT.  They showed her get cut, and maybe a cast intro in episode 7 at the end so the cut would make sense, but we got literally nothing in either season about her capabilities on the show.

[ShellyB]

2 hours ago, sleepyjean said:

I get what you are saying. And emotionally, I'm on the same page with you. But I think you have to consider that the show has given us an oversimplified, neatly packaged story that is meant to invoke drama and an emotional reaction from the audience. That's not necessarily an accurate reflection of how the decisions are made and what happens behind closed doors.

There are a LOT of criteria that go into choosing a DCC. Personality, physique, work ethic, intelligence, professionalism, facial attractiveness, references, technical skill, strength and flexibility, stamina, consistency, showmanship, ability to quickly learn, retain, and clean choreography, ability to adopt the DCC style, appearance in the uniform, plus extra stuff that gives you cachet with the judges, like if you're from another country, or stunningly beautiful, or a mom, or a legacy, or in a STEM  program/career, or own your own business, or are a natural redhead, or have an exotic look. And there are politics as well. Diversity requirements, people with connections, social media presence, etc.

From the minute the rookie candidates are taken into training camp, Kelli and company are evaluating them on that complex mix of criteria. We see very little of what happens during the judging process and very few of the comments that are made about each candidate. And when someone is cut, it's boiled down to the "tv reason," which - in my opinion - doesn't reflect the whole of that evaluation.

It doesn't make sense to me to compare women in one training camp against women in another training camp. Every training camp has its own field of candidates with different strengths and weaknesses. If two women in two different training camps have uniform "issues" and one is cut and the other is not, there could've been a whole host of reasons why, and we were only given one. Maybe the one who was cut didn't rank very high in all those other aspects and was out-competed. For her the uniform was make-or-break.  Maybe she was in a strong field and there had to be some hair splitting in her case. Maybe the one who made the team was stronger in those other characteristics. (And when I say "strong," I mean strong in the eyes of the people doing the picking. Not the people watching the tv show. Lord knows we can't agree on this forum who is strong and who isn't. Who is pretty and who isn't. Who is on the bubble and who isn't.)

This choice IS personal preference. The judging is entirely subjective. No use pretending it isn't. I think they do keep fairness more in mind when choosing who makes it to the next round of auditions and even who makes it into training camp. Every year they choose some women who they know aren't the total package, but have potential. But when it comes to picking the actual team? The idea that Kelli and Judy would pick someone they personally are kind of "meh" about, just to be fair...nope. Not gonna happen. This is no different than any other job interview. If a boss has two candidates who are similarly qualified, they'll pick the one they like better, the one they think will be a better fit. The one they think they will enjoy working with. Even if the other candidate can do a quintuple pirouette and kick high enough to knock herself unconscious.

Kelli and Judy go with what their gut and their experience tells them. Are they always right? No. They don't have ESP. But are they better "choosers" than we are? I believe so.  I'll take Kelli and Judy's combined 70 years of experience over my 150 hours of tv watching. And in any case, I don't believe we're in much of a position to decide what's fair and what isn't. The DCC staff see these women up close, in many different settings, for many many hours over the course of months. We see each of these women for maybe 30 minutes over the course of a season. Some we don't see at all. We don't have nearly the observation and insight that they do. Heck, we can't even see one dance all the way through.

It's very easy for viewers to armchair quarterback who should and shouldn't have made the team. I try to always remember that everything I know, I know from the tv show - which is highly edited and meant to give select candidates a "story" - and from social media, which is not even sort of an accurate reflection of real life. Especially not for an organization well known for keeping their cards close to the vest.

Now it's my turn to stop rambling. :-)

 ??????T.H.I.S. ??????

[cherryblossom]

If shortness is a real problem why don't they change the height requirement to 5'5" or more and weight proportional to height?  Then it would definitely eliminate some girls anyways.  I know they weigh them at ? semi finals or finals, why not a height?

[WichitaStateShock]

This is a tv show. If the dcc admin has issues with us being an armchair judge then they can stop the tv show. They shouldn't bite the hand that feeds them. I, Kansas girl, would have never known about dcc or how they are somehow the most prestigious dance team in the nfl if it wasnt for the show. This suggests that the tv show has actually increased brand recognition and interest so I say again don't bite the hand that feeds you.

[bigskygirl]

No offense, but there has been "meh" girls who have made the squad especially the last few years aka Morgan and Kaitlin from Season 8, Ashley Pro and Breelan from Season 9, and a lot of girls who made it into TC but were cut. Kelli and Judy do not spend every night at practices during TC, so I am sure they get a lot of feedback from other sources. Yes, we do not know the whole story on every single girl brought into TC, but to bring in a girl who has a snowball chance in heck of making the team because of naughty social media pictures, looks soft, looks like an actress aka can send out on appearances, but she cannot dance DCC style, Kelli and/or Charlotte likes her, to me is saying we want the drama and the ratings to keep the viewers interested. I also think it is mean when they girls in who do not look good for the uniform in their minds and cut her in a heavily edited cut scene because lets face it, they are trying to prove to the viewers and fans they had good reasons to cut the girl without telling the whole story. I also find it hypocritical when they say girls look soft, over tanned, too much makeup, bad hair, etc. etc. but they call out fans and viewers for saying the same thing. I do have sympathy for Kelli and Judy because I think a lot of the time they have outside influences making decisions on who makes it into TC and who makes the team. Yes, I can sit in front of the television set or my computer and make my armchair judging decisions base on the show and social media, but I would not want their job for all the tea in China.

[RazzleberryPie]

THis is an entertainment job. Primarily dance, then sort of hosting/ambassadors. As fair as Kelli tries to present it with rubrics and handbooks, it's still a very, very subjective judging process. They can choose whoever they want and don't have to give a real reason as to why they chose one girl over the other.

There's not much fairness in entertainment, or you'd never see mediocre vocalists sell millions of albums, or unrealistic looking models selling household products, etc. 

I have to say it again, from what we see on the show, Kelli, Judy, Kitty, etc are some of the politest, nicest dance audition crew out there. They absolutely sugar coat most of the critiques we see on the show. They also dismiss girls with far more info that you'll see at most auditions. Usually at this level of talent it's just 'yes, no,' etc with no rhyme or reason and no explanation. You just stay or go to the next round. You may have no idea what they're looking for or what to improve, and nobody cares. You're just a nameless dancer. Kelli and friends at at least tell most of the girls in TCC what the issue is. 'You're not right for this team' is even far more info than you usually get.

[dreamcatcher]

On 15/4/2017 at 0:32 AM, iwtv123 said:

She's a strong performer from what I hear. She stands while dancing when you see her in person. She doesn't have that punch, per se, but she has "showmanship." She'll make the team on her own terms.

She may be great in other types of performances, but she doesn't have the "power and projection" Kelli always talks about. They have dismissed girls for similar reasons so we can't really say her making the team will be completely on her own terms. But at least she's trying. However I've seen in a previous post that she has "dcc" on her twitter handle and I don't know it does sound too presumptious to me.

On 15/4/2017 at 5:20 AM, HowdeeDo said:

I REALLY hope she tries out and makes it. Obsessed with her style. She's on the shorter side so I hope we don't hear any of those "short and stocky" comments. How the hell do you expect them to change that? 

 

Anyhoo, my #girlcrush this year if she tries out. 

She reminds me of McKenzie! I hope she makes it!

[parrotfeathers]

1 hour ago, dreamcatcher said:

She may be great in other types of performances, but she doesn't have the "power and projection" Kelli always talks about. They have dismissed girls for similar reasons so we can't really say her making the team will be completely on her own terms. But at least she's trying. However I've seen in a previous post that she has "dcc" on her twitter handle and I don't know it does sound too presumptious to me.

She reminds me of McKenzie! I hope she makes it!

I've never danced but there is something about her arm movement that doesn't endear me.

[Teresa]

My unpopular opinion is that I actually like Melissa Rycroft and I think she was perfect for the role of showmanship and performance mentor. After all, that was her strength and you don't need 5 years on the team to help girls with that. And I never thought she looked like a "hot mess" like so many on here liked to say. She was approachable and warm which is why I think the girls liked working with her. 

[sleepyjean]

Quote

However I've seen in a previous post that she has "dcc" on her twitter handle and I don't know it does sound too presumptious to me.

It was @victoriakdcc, but she was probably 12 or 13 when she created the account and not savvy enough to realize it might be a problem later. She changed it to @victoriaakalina last fall. Probably because she was finally old enough to understand.

Edited April 19, 2017 by sleepyjean

[dreamcatcher]

On 18/4/2017 at 2:33 PM, parrotfeathers said:

I've never danced but there is something about her arm movement that doesn't endear me.

I'm glad you said it because that's exactly my issue. I'm not sure what she does 'wrong' but her arms always seem off.

[TiaGrace]

3 hours ago, dreamcatcher said:

I'm glad you said it because that's exactly my issue. I'm not sure what she does 'wrong' but her arms always seem off.

I, too, have noticed this. Victoria is lanky. At times her long limbs make her movements look clunky. So I think right now Victoria appears clanky to me. 

Clunky + Lanky = Clanky

Clanky = Victoria2017

Edited April 20, 2017 by TiaGrace

[dreamcatcher]

now that you said that, can we get JennK as showmanship ans performance mentor next year?

[AnnMichele]

2 hours ago, dreamcatcher said:

now that you said that, can we get JennK as showmanship ans performance mentor next year?

Yes!!! I would love a more recent former DCC to be showmanship mentor. I mean, how many viewers can Melissa R really pull in? 

[LaurelleJ]

I always remember that scene from season ten episode 3. After the first night of training camp where the rookie candidates meet at the verandah club to go over the first routine. That year Jennifer was helping and when she went to coach Madeline about not being too sharp, you could see Melissa in the background listening and just looking out of place like why am I here? While she serves as mentor to help the girls feel better I would love to see a former powerhouse dcc come in as that role to truly help the girls with choreo and making the team. 

[Teresa]

Hey I love Jenn K! I certainly would not disagree with you on that! She was like the epitome of perfect DCC.

[sleepyjean]

Quote

Yes!!! I would love a more recent former DCC to be showmanship mentor. I mean, how many viewers can Melissa R really pull in? 

Melissa isn't just there for showmanship, she's there because she's a celebrity and that draws in a wider audience. Jenn doesn't have that kind of pull. Melissa helps the show make money. Jenn's presence has no impact on ratings.

Edited April 20, 2017 by sleepyjean

[bigskygirl]

Melissa is probably under contact with CMT also. She had her own show which bombed after two years, plus she was on another CMT show last year. I would love to know the ratings for the show after Melissa. I think part of the problem are the scenes with Melissa. Maybe if they did not look rehearsed, fake and the same thing over and over again, maybe more viewers and fans would like Melissa being a mentor. Personally, I would love to see a former DCC coming in every season to work with the rookies instead of the same one every year.

[RazzleberryPie]

1 hour ago, sleepyjean said:

Melissa isn't just there for showmanship, she's there because she's a celebrity and that draws in a wider audience. Jenn doesn't have that kind of pull. Melissa helps the show make money. Jenn's presence has no impact on ratings.

This.

1 hour ago, bigskygirl said:

Melissa is probably under contact with CMT also. She had her own show which bombed after two years, plus she was on another CMT show last year. I would love to know the ratings for the show after Melissa. I think part of the problem are the scenes with Melissa. Maybe if they did not look rehearsed, fake and the same thing over and over again, maybe more viewers and fans would like Melissa being a mentor. Personally, I would love to see a former DCC coming in every season to work with the rookies instead of the same one every year.

And This.

Melissa is there because she draws in a wider audience. She's not the best DCC ever, not the most popular with us, not the most technical, etc. However, she is probably the most visible DCC to mainstream audiences in several years. She's there to draw in more viewers and keep the advertising revenue flowing, not to be the best teacher and mentor possible.

[bigskygirl]

I often wonder if certain rookies are told to work with her or else. I think CMT picks the girls who are suppose to go to her for help. Personally I would not be happy if I was one of the chosen to be mentored by her. I would show up, put a fake smile on my face, talk about how much she supposedly helped me, and go to a former or current DCC to help me afterwards. Kelli also acts like she is so happy Melissa is a mentor, but I have the feeling she is not all that happy especially when Melissa talks about how she went back and forth when she was deciding to try out for her third year and how mean a few of the girls were to her. This is DCC World. The girls are suppose to act like they all get along 24/7/365. Of course, Melissa took it all back once she became the official mentor.

[Teresa]

1 hour ago, bigskygirl said:

I often wonder if certain rookies are told to work with her or else. I think CMT picks the girls who are suppose to go to her for help. Personally I would not be happy if I was one of the chosen to be mentored by her. I would show up, put a fake smile on my face, talk about how much she supposedly helped me, and go to a former or current DCC to help me afterwards. Kelli also acts like she is so happy Melissa is a mentor, but I have the feeling she is not all that happy especially when Melissa talks about how she went back and forth when she was deciding to try out for her third year and how mean a few of the girls were to her. This is DCC World. The girls are suppose to act like they all get along 24/7/365. Of course, Melissa took it all back once she became the official mentor.

I know she talked about the mean girls and trying out for the third year in her book, but when did she take it all back? I've not heard her address this at all since the book?

[LaurelleJ]

Honest question: have the ratings really increased since Melissa has started with the show? Are more people really watching just to see her on these mentoring sessions?

[tobeyoungagain]

25 minutes ago, LaurelleJ said:

Honest question: have the ratings really increased since Melissa has started with the show? Are more people really watching just to see her on these mentoring sessions?

Good question!  I doubt we will know but I would be surprised if it were.  I mean she's no Khardashian ... is she really that "famous"??

[bigskygirl]

1 hour ago, Teresa said:

I know she talked about the mean girls and trying out for the third year in her book, but when did she take it all back? I've not heard her address this at all since the book?

http://thetvpage.com/2014/07/25/melissa-rycroft-talks-mean-girl-rumors-return-dallas-cowboys-cheerleader-show/

She disputes the mean girls was the reason why she left the team, but she mentions the mean girls in her book as part of the reason why she left the team. She knew which side of the bread is buttered. In otherwords, do not bite the reality show which fed you in the beginning.

[woodscommaelle]

20 hours ago, LaurelleJ said:

Honest question: have the ratings really increased since Melissa has started with the show? Are more people really watching just to see her on these mentoring sessions?

I 'think' I can safely say none of us are watching the show bc of Melissa.  So, I can't imagine her presence improved ratings.  But who knows.

[LaurelleJ]

2 hours ago, woodscommaelle said:

I 'think' I can safely say none of us are watching the show bc of Melissa.  So, I can't imagine her presence improved ratings.  But who knows.

These were my thoughts. I'm not sure if her fans, independent of the show, have started watching this because of her. She doesn't make or break the show for me, but I just don't know how much she is helping. This past season seemed less about training camp and more about how many stars and cmt acts can we cram into this season. Loved the addition of candance romo though, unfortunately they brought her in too late in the game and she may not be back. 

BTW your username made me smile and now I have chip on my shoulder stuck in my head. 

[spazette]

Aaaaand now I'll be singing the Legally Blonde soundtrack at work all day ?

[kalibean]

On 4/21/2017 at 9:08 AM, woodscommaelle said:

I 'think' I can safely say none of us are watching the show bc of Melissa.  So, I can't imagine her presence improved ratings.  But who knows.

I can see how some curious followers of Melissa might have tuned in for the first time because of her, but I'm sure that's not why they stayed :) She seems to do quite a bit of promotional stuff on CMT, or at least she did last year. 

I hope they can maximize productivity with her. She's a nice tie in with her history with the team and does have a down to earth likability factor. I can see that being good for the younger girls like Breelyn and Caila who might need the "big sis" but they have to blossom on their own after she gives the push. Caila did for year two, Breelyn didn't  

Melissa is kind of like the design wall on Project Runway - use it VERY thoughtfully. 

[sleepyjean]

I don't have any numbers to back up the idea of Melissa being good for ratings. However, I think it's a reasonable conclusion to draw, given:

1. CMT has stated in several releases that Melissa is a fan favorite
2. It costs money to have her on the show
3. Her role was originally just as judge, and was expanded to mentoring
4. She's been asked back to the show for several seasons
5. Even when she couldn't be there for judging because of the new baby, they still wanted her to come back and mentor through training camp.

If she wasn't a draw, I can't think why she would be on the show. Especially if - as some have speculated - Kelli isn't a fan of hers. 

[bigskygirl]

DCC:MTT is not the only show Melissa has been on the CMT channel. I think she has a contact with CMT since she had her own show for two years and was on Redneck Island? for one season. CMT can state she is a fan favorite, but they may have said it to bring viewers to the show since the show is suppose to be the highest rated CMT show. She probably was chosen to be the mentor because she is considered a reality show success story, she already had a contact with CMT, and fans were hoping to see a former DCC be a mentor. I do not think Kelli and Judy were asked if they wanted her to be on the show. I personally do not think she brings in extra viewers since after reading posts on here and the DCC:MTT facebook page where fans and viewers do not seem to like her mentoring scenes. To me, her scenes are painful to watch, she does not have a say so in which rookies she works with, and she is just another CMT experiment of testing out another new show idea.

[sleepyjean]

But that brings me back to the question - why have her on the show then? If she doesn't attract viewers and the fan base doesn't like her, why have her there? Why keep bringing her back?  I'm at a loss to come up with a rational reason, but I'm open to suggestions. Is she connected or something?

[HowdeeDo]

1 hour ago, sleepyjean said:

But that brings me back to the question - why have her on the show then? If she doesn't attract viewers and the fan base doesn't like her, why have her there? Why keep bringing her back?  I'm at a loss to come up with a rational reason, but I'm open to suggestions. Is she connected or something?

See bigskygirls post. She's more than likely under contract so it doesn't matter if she brings viewers or not. She's not a hot commodity anymore so maybe we won't see her next season.

[Oranaiche]

Gotta agree with @sleepyjean. I really doubt they would bother bringing Melissa on season after season if they didn't have some kind of research showing she brings in some viewers. I'm not saying she brings great crowds, but she does have fans, and regardless of her being under contract with CMT (which is speculation) or not, they still have to pay her for her appearances. Reality is those of us who post here are obviously here for the cheerleaders and not the "celebrity guests," but not everyone who watches MTT posts on this forum, so I just don't feel like the general opinion of Melissa on this forum is a good general gauge for how viewers overall feel about her.

[bigskygirl]

If she had her own show for two years, was on another CMT show for a season, and is on another CMT show, I think she is has a CMT contract. I have read posts on other forums and facebook, and it does seems a lot of viewers and fans are not impressed with Melissa. I am not saying she is drawing in viewers, but I do not think she is bringing in a lot of fans to make a dent in the ratings. For me, I do not think her mentoring scenes are not great. Yes, she has done a few scenes where it looks like she was giving sound advice to the girls, but the majority of them sounds like something Kelli and Judy have already said to the girls on the bubble. The scenes look rehearsed and fake to me. Is she helping certain girls, I cannot say, but I do not think she "all that" compared to Judy, Kelli, Miss Kitty or even Charlotte and Jay.

[kalibean]

I agree wholeheartedly with that - but she isn't nearly as scary as Kitty, Charlotte, Kelli, etc. to some of the younger and/or immature girls either. 

That said, a tag team of Candace and Melissa would be the sexiest option to my viewing eyes, because Candace is awwsome and Melissa has the credentials. But with Tony headed out, not sure they are staying in Dallas. If he worked for CBS and they stay based here, maybe she'll be a judge again. 

[bigskygirl]

I have the fear of dancing in front of Charlotte, Kelli and Miss Kitty, Jay making me work out, and getting a makeover and ending up with red hair. Ha!

[LaurelleJ]

The thought of losing Candace makes me sad. I thought she was great!

[bigskygirl]

My favorite judges from last season were Judy, Kristy, Jay and Candace. The other judges were okay, but I think the four I listed have better insight in who makes a good DCC.