DCC Q&A: Mysteries of the DCC World

[DCCFAN71]

Hi Shelly:

I've been a fan since Season 1 of MTT.

1.  It has been mentioned on this board that Kelsey is still making dance mistakes in every dance. So, why did she make the team and others didn't.

2. Why was Auto Amy S cut? I imagine she had memory issues too but was there some other reason? Why was Kyndall cut?

3. How do you decide each year which DCC will be point, is there a vote? I do like Jenn K., but honestly I would have loved to see Jenna as point, this is her 5th year so she may not get the chance? 

4. Has Danielle ever tried out for show group? If not, why? If yes, why didn't she make SG?

5. Why was Kali cut? She did not look fat to us. This cut really hit home for a lot of us? 

6. Why was Alyssa cut? Her cut really bothered me too.

Thanks for responding. 

[ShellyB]

7 hours ago, DCCFAN71 said:

What about Holly A? Was she not asked to be an AS?

Not for this season.

[ShellyB]

6 hours ago, DCCFAN71 said:

Hi Shelly:

I've been a fan since Season 1 of MTT.

1.  It has been mentioned on this board that Kelsey is still making dance mistakes in every dance. So, why did she make the team and others didn't.

2. Why was Auto Amy S cut? I imagine she had memory issues too but was there some other reason? Why was Kyndall cut?

3. How do you decide each year which DCC will be point, is there a vote? I do like Jenn K., but honestly I would have loved to see Jenna as point, this is her 5th year so she may not get the chance? 

4. Has Danielle ever tried out for show group? If not, why? If yes, why didn't she make SG?

5. Why was Kali cut? She did not look fat to us. This cut really hit home for a lot of us? 

6. Why was Alyssa cut? Her cut really bothered me too.

Thanks for responding. 

1) if Kelsey was still making dance mistakes, she wouldn't be on the field and possibly the team. Does she have a different style & not as much training as most? Yes, but she is doing well and blending with the rest of her teammates. 

2) You will have to wait and see...show airs the Thursday! 

3) Judy does the formations according to style, power & technique. Other factors that can come into play are Show Group and seniority.

4) Danielle has a pretty serious job and cannot always take off the amount of time needed for the shows and travel. 

5 & 6) Kali & Alyssa did not have good auditions going into their second seasons and sadly, were outperformed. 

[ShellyB]

13 hours ago, raindancer said:

So much this.... @ShellyB it is really meaningful to hear more about the DCC and the whole process that goes into creating the team.  It is fascinating and I always look so much forward to cheering for the girls every year.  Very excited that you're on the boards!!  I had a few questions I was wondering about:

1)  Do you have any Kitty Carter stories you can share?  She is and has always been one of my favorite parts of the show - as tough and aggressive as she is as a teacher I always felt like you could see how much she cares about the girls she's teaching and I really love that.

2)  Can you share any stories about girls (whether they made the team or not) that you have especially loved working with or who caught your attention particularly early in the auditions?  

3)  Is there anything you can share or stories you have about something really interesting or nice about Kelli and Judy that we wouldn't get to see on the show?

Thank you so much for taking part here, it means a lot.

1) Kitty...what you see is for real. I've know her for a very long time & had friends in high school that grew up in her studio. I cheered with her niece, Carrie, in '94-95. She's tough as nails, but is the biggest fan of all the girls.

2) I've taught several of the girls that have been DCC's when they were younger...Erica J, Kaitlin I, Olivia & Claire, so naturally I have a different relationship with them. Lauren C, Meredith, Mia, Jenn K,  I have known since they were little girls, as they were once part of our Jr. DCC squad. I have watched Cassie grow up since she was 18 months old. Plus there are a handful that I was naturally drawn to and have maintained relationships with beyond DCC. 

3) K & J are truly the girls biggest "cheerleaders". If they didn't think there was a shot for girls to make the team, they wouldn't invite them into training camp. Kelli has a great sense of humor and has a pension for Broadway musicals & SNL. Judy is very sweet and loving & seriously the biggest defender and protector. She's very family oriented, spending a lot of time with her kids & grandbabies.

[JayDKay]

@ShellyB What are the new cheerleader facilities like at The Star? 

[ShellyB]

Just now, JayDKay said:

@ShellyB What are the new cheerleader facilities like at The Star? 

We only have artist renditions now. We moved into our office space two weeks ago. Our studio will be ready for rehearsal mid Fall. This week we will have our first rehearsal on the field at The Star!! 

[raindancer]

16 minutes ago, ShellyB said:

1) Kitty...what you see is for real. I've know her for a very long time & had friends in high school that grew up in her studio. I cheered with her niece, Carrie, in '94-95. She's tough as nails, but is the biggest fan of all the girls.

2) I've taught several of the girls that have been DCC's when they were younger...Erica J, Kaitlin I, Olivia & Claire, so naturally I have a different relationship with them. Lauren C, Meredith, Mia, Jenn K,  I have known since they were little girls, as they were once part of our Jr. DCC squad. I have watched Cassie grow up since she was 18 months old. Plus there are a handful that I was naturally drawn to and have maintained relationships with beyond DCC. 

3) K & J are truly the girls biggest "cheerleaders". If they didn't think there was a shot for girls to make the team, they wouldn't invite them into training camp. Kelli has a great sense of humor and has a pension for Broadway musicals & SNL. Judy is very sweet and loving & seriously the biggest defender and protector. She's very family oriented, spending a lot of time with her kids & grandbabies.

@ShellyB thank you so much - can't wait for the show to start again and really appreciate your taking the time to respond.  Love all the girls you mentioned - Olivia especially had some of my favorite solos during tryouts (also really loved Sasha Agent, Alyssa Sarasani, and Ashton Torres).

[BritFan]

  @ShellyB Hi Shelly *waves* Firstly, I did feel a bit hurt by your first comment regarding people not using their real names or photos.

I don't use my photo because I am not confident about my looks.. and when I joined I didn't think about using my real name, I am a Brit and it seemed an appropriate name.

Having said that I have shared links to my Instagram and blog in the past so many people will know my name, which is Helen.

I try to never be negative, not every girl will appeal to every viewer but that is why it is nice to have such diversity in looks and body shapes, and I appreciate it.

This is not exactly a question per se, and I covered it in a post I made on the 2016 Tryouts thread.

Many of the girls have got Barbies and we hear from K&J what fantastic dancers they are .. but never really see it.

Being a Brit I don't hear about DCC anywhere other than on MTT which is televised at 2pm during the week on a slightly obscure channel. Even when they came to London I never saw any advertising about them.. And I'm a Londoner! 

The only place I see them dance is on fan clips on Youtube, things the girls post themselves on Instagram (which not many do) and minute clips on MTT.

What I think would be wonderful would be either more clips on the show, which I understand may not be possible as it IS a reality show and lots of people like the dramas rather than the dancing... So what about some clips on the DCC Instagram? You could have them on the Instagram Stories. Better than snapchat because we can rewatch them for 24 hours!! 

Thanks for answering all our questions, it has been fascinating!

Edited August 23, 2016 by BritFan

[DCCFAN71]

Thanks for responding Shelly

I'm learning so much from your answers. I had no idea that Mia, and Jenn K were Junior DCC. So, now my question is this: Do the little girls have to try out to be a Junior DCC or can they just sign up and pay a fee to be on the squad?

Also, did you all get bigger offices at The Star??

[Runnergrl37]

Shelly I have a question that you may not answer but I'll ask any way.  As you know reading the board, Cassie Trammell isnt popular because some believe there was a strong nepotism factor when she was in the squad.   Does that make you or your daughter think twice about being in the squad? 

[DCCFAN71]

11 hours ago, ShellyB said:

Not for this season.

Wow. Is it just me or is she the first point DCC that was not asked to be an AS?

[Smplsimon]

2 minutes ago, DCCFAN71 said:

Wow. Is it just me or is she the first point DCC that was not asked to be an AS?

Rumor is that she had a spat with Cassie, and that's why she wasn't asked.  Sigh.

[RazzleberryPie]

Were Holly and Cassie even on the team at the same time? 

One more for @ShellyB - the new boots - in some photos they look like the bottom of the shaft is almost slipping down under the heel. Is his just a weird angle or are they slipping? That has to take some adjustment of the fit is different. More flexible soles are always better though, especially when turning, so they're just going to look bwt

[ShellyB]

3 hours ago, DCCFAN71 said:

Thanks for responding Shelly

I'm learning so much from your answers. I had no idea that Mia, and Jenn K were Junior DCC. So, now my question is this: Do the little girls have to try out to be a Junior DCC or can they just sign up and pay a fee to be on the squad?

Also, did you all get bigger offices at The Star??

We no longer have the Jr program, although we still do our summer camps. When we had juniors, they were hand selected by our camp staff from all of the camp attendees.

Our office space is smaller at the Star, however we are all together vs. being in different areas of the DCC wing at Valley Ranch. 

[ShellyB]

2 hours ago, Runnergrl37 said:

Shelly I have a question that you may not answer but I'll ask any way.  As you know reading the board, Cassie Trammell isnt popular because some believe there was a strong nepotism factor when she was in the squad.   Does that make you or your daughter think twice about being in the squad? 

Not at all...she had to audition just like everyone else. Also, Judy removed her self from judging during Cassie's rookie season and solos rounds after.

If Dayton decides to audition, she will have to make it by her own merit & talents. Something she's very used to doing because she's been a competitive dancer since she was very young. 

[Ms. SW]

Sorry if this is in the wrong thread. I'm rewatching S2 and each TCC has a Big Sis/Buddy. I'm guessing they don't do that anymore?

[ShellyB]

41 minutes ago, DCCFAN71 said:

Wow. Is it just me or is she the first point DCC that was not asked to be an AS?

I never realized how big the point is to some people. But to answer your question...I'd have to look back and see who all has been the point. There were many years that point was switched EVERY game.

There are a lot of factors in choosing AS's and they don't necessarily fall in the dancing category or come from just our office. We get input from Charlotte too. It is also a decision based on our needs for the season. 

[ShellyB]

34 minutes ago, RazzleberryPie said:

Were Holly and Cassie even on the team at the same time? 

One more for @ShellyB - the new boots - in some photos they look like the bottom of the shaft is almost slipping down under the heel. Is his just a weird angle or are they slipping? That has to take some adjustment of the fit is different. More flexible soles are always better though, especially when turning, so they're just going to look bwt

Yes, they cheered together.

I think the angles are weird. The boots are custom fit for the girls. They have a softer sole for pointing the toes and turning in releve'. 

[RazzleberryPie]

I don't expect Shelly to answer this bc it is sensitive, but any 'legacy' knows by now they're going to have go way past their A game and bring a AAAA game or face a lot of backlash. 

What I would like to know is all the Cassie hate (which I honestly feel like is beating a dead horse, burying it, digging it back up, and beating again), was the Cassie hate primarily this board or viewers and fans in general care. Except when she announced she was jury's daughter during show group appearances, did anyone even know? 

[ShellyB]

5 hours ago, BritFan said:

  @ShellyB Hi Shelly *waves* Firstly, I did feel a bit hurt by your first comment regarding people not using their real names or photos.

I don't use my photo because I am not confident about my looks.. and when I joined I didn't think about using my real name, I am a Brit and it seemed an appropriate name.

Having said that I have shared links to my Instagram and blog in the past so many people will know my name, which is Helen.

I try to never be negative, not every girl will appeal to every viewer but that is why it is nice to have such diversity in looks and body shapes, and I appreciate it.

This is not exactly a question per se, and I covered it in a post I made on the 2016 Tryouts thread.

Many of the girls have got Barbies and we hear from K&J what fantastic dancers they are .. but never really see it.

Being a Brit I don't hear about DCC anywhere other than on MTT which is televised at 2pm during the week on a slightly obscure channel. Even when they came to London I never saw any advertising about them.. And I'm a Londoner! 

The only place I see them dance is on fan clips on Youtube, things the girls post themselves on Instagram (which not many do) and minute clips on MTT.

What I think would be wonderful would be either more clips on the show, which I understand may not be possible as it IS a reality show and lots of people like the dramas rather than the dancing... So what about some clips on the DCC Instagram? You could have them on the Instagram Stories. Better than snapchat because we can rewatch them for 24 hours!! 

Thanks for answering all our questions, it has been fascinating!

Good ideas to give our account handlers! I'll pass them along. 

[ShellyB]

5 minutes ago, RazzleberryPie said:

I don't expect Shelly to answer this bc it is sensitive, but any 'legacy' knows by now they're going to have go way past their A game and bring a AAAA game or face a lot of backlash. 

What I would like to know is all the Cassie hate (which I honestly feel like is beating a dead horse, burying it, digging it back up, and beating again), was the Cassie hate primarily this board or viewers and fans in general care. Except when she announced she was jury's daughter during show group appearances, did anyone even know? 

 Judges didn't know because during her rookie season, they didn't use their last name in their intros at auditions. #deadhorse

Edited August 23, 2016 by ShellyB

[BritFan]

One more teeny tiny thing @ShellyB .. If there was any way that MTT could be available on UK itunes I'm sure all your UK fans would be eternally grateful!! 

Worth a try lol!

[pink317]

I care not at all about All Stars but previous point girls (from the last 10 years or so)

Nicole Hamilton

Crystal Trevino (the best!!)

Whitney

Jackie/Mia/Whitney (Jackie/Mia split the 50 during Thunderstruck but Whitney front and center other times)

Mia

Holly

Jenn K

[TCU2007]

1 hour ago, ShellyB said:

I never realized how big the point is to some people. But to answer your question...I'd have to look back and see who all has been the point. There were many years that point was switched EVERY game.

There are a lot of factors in choosing AS's and they don't necessarily fall in the dancing category or come from just our office. We get input from Charlotte too. It is also a decision based on our needs for the season. 

I don't think people are surprised she wasn't asked to be an AS just bc she was point. I'm surprised she wasn't asked bc of how highly decorated she is (rookie/vet of the year, 5X show group, point, pro bowl, etc). Not to mention the lack of blondes on the current team, she could fill in anywhere for anyone.

[Guest]

Maybe she wasn't asked because she never gave them the idea that she wanted to be asked? It's possible she just wants to settle down at the moment.

[Ms. SW]

I'm watching S2 now. Are the TCC still assigned a Big Sister/Buddy?

[RazzleberryPie]

I kinda got the impression Holly enjoyed her time as a DCC, but then was ready to move on.

[ShellyB]

14 minutes ago, pink317 said:

I care not at all about All Stars but previous point girls (from the last 10 years or so)

Nicole Hamilton

Crystal Trevino (the best!!)

Whitney

Jackie/Mia/Whitney (Jackie/Mia split the 50 during Thunderstruck but Whitney front and center other times)

Mia

Holly

Jenn K

Neither Crystal or her sister were As's, but they are among some of my favorite people because of their spirit. They just so personable. 

5 minutes ago, heatherrrrz said:

Maybe she wasn't asked because she never gave them the idea that she wanted to be asked? It's possible she just wants to settle down at the moment.

They are hand picked, nothing they write down or indicate upon retiring. 

[ByTor]

2 minutes ago, ShellyB said:

Neither Crystal or her sister were As's, but they are among some of my favorite people because of their spirit. They just so personable. 

Really?  I could have sworn Trisha was, I don't know what made me think that.

[RazzleberryPie]

Megan Fox was point during one of the first seasons. Don't remember who it was, if they even showed, on the 2 hr special or before Megan.

[ShellyB]

4 hours ago, TCU2007 said:

I don't think people are surprised she wasn't asked to be an AS just bc she was point. I'm surprised she wasn't asked bc of how highly decorated she is (rookie/vet of the year, 5X show group, point, pro bowl, etc). Not to mention the lack of blondes on the current team, she could fill in anywhere for anyone.

Lots of other long tenured, decorated DCC were not AS's. Again, it goes back to the needs of the immediate season. We don't really have them to fill in. The purpose is for promotional events, suite visits when the current squad is unavailable. The last couple of seasons when we have put them in Thunder, it has been due to last minute injuries…literally days before the performance. 

Edited August 23, 2016 by ShellyB

[PrincessLeia]

@ShellyB Do the girls still have a big sister? I know they used to! 

[Guest]

Do the game day gifts start at preseason game or regular season?

[DCCFAN71]

As far as Holly not being hand picked. I truly find it hard to believe that the organization did not have a NEED for someone as decorated as Holly. Holly is just as talented and maybe even more popular than the ones that were picked this time around. That's just my opinion. 

Thanks for responding Shelly, but ??!!?? 

When do the new DCC get their new Twitter accounts? It seems like it's taking a long time this year?

Edited August 23, 2016 by DCCFAN71

[LaurenBrook]

1 hour ago, ByTor said:

Really?  I could have sworn Trisha was, I don't know what made me think that.

Trisha and Crystal were both in that clip from like, hm, season 4 or 5??? where the All star's are performing at six flags and the rookies go to watch.  I was also under the impression they were all stars then but maybe they were just helping out at that show.  

[raindancer]

@ShellyB I just realized I'd forgotten a question I meant to ask you, if you have time to answer it - I was just wondering about how the squad changed in the time you were DCC.  I think I read that you were on the team starting in 1989 and ended in 1996.  I'm wondering about everything from hair to makeup to uniforms ? Did you have a favorite year as a cheerleader?

[nmvrn]

Thanks for answering all our questions Shelly!! I'm learning so much.

Will The Star be shown on the new season?

[ShellyB]

On August 21, 2016 at 9:28 PM, Smplsimon said:

Not sure why my question wasn't answered -- reposting just in case you missed it.

They know that potentially any night is a cut night. But through the years, I suppose we've developed a certain flow from week to weeks during filming. 

Edited August 23, 2016 by ShellyB

[ShellyB]

2 hours ago, LaurenBrook said:

Trisha and Crystal were both in that clip from like, hm, season 4 or 5??? where the All star's are performing at six flags and the rookies go to watch.  I was also under the impression they were all stars then but maybe they were just helping out at that show.  

They did do AS's at Six Flags. That was a summer contract vs the year long contract for football season and other events. 

[ShellyB]

2 hours ago, nmvrn said:

Thanks for answering all our questions Shelly!! I'm learning so much.

Will The Star be shown on the new season?

I'm not sure if the crew went out to film there or not. 

Edited August 23, 2016 by ShellyB

[ShellyB]

3 hours ago, DCCFAN71 said:

As far as Holly not being hand picked. I truly find it hard to believe that the organization did not have a NEED for someone as decorated as Holly. Holly is just as talented and maybe even more popular than the ones that were picked this time around. That's just my opinion. 

Thanks for responding Shelly, but ??!!?? 

When do the new DCC get their new Twitter accounts? It seems like it's taking a long time this year?

Twitter accounts coming soon...finalizing details. 

[ShellyB]

On August 21, 2016 at 7:25 PM, MrsEVH said:

Just curious.  How do you watch it on iTunes? A computer or ipod?   I thought that was for downloading music. Forgive me but  I'm old school and never downloaded music (wouldn't know how to if my life depended on it).

On August 21, 2016 at 8:07 PM, MrsEVH said:

Question for ShellyB: 

Why are certain TCCs cuts not shown? There was a blond TCC named Rebecca Lynn in season 6 who just disappeared.  We never knew what happened if she was cut  or did she leave on her own?

In the early seasons, they would tend to show the cuts of girl with more storylines. And I hate to admit this, but I cannot remember Rebecca. ?

Edited August 25, 2016 by ShellyB

[ShellyB]

8 hours ago, heatherrrrz said:

Do the game day gifts start at preseason game or regular season?

First preseason game....given by the 1st group leaders. 

[ShellyB]

7 hours ago, raindancer said:

@ShellyB I just realized I'd forgotten a question I meant to ask you, if you have time to answer it - I was just wondering about how the squad changed in the time you were DCC.  I think I read that you were on the team starting in 1989 and ended in 1996.  I'm wondering about everything from hair to makeup to uniforms ? Did you have a favorite year as a cheerleader?

So many things, but not the overall nuance of DCC. Big Texas hair & red lipstick to softer hair and more natural makeup. I've personally worn two different uniforms that evolved over time, three if I include the "skater" uniform we experimented with in 1990 ? I cheered 89-91, 94-97. I left, got married had a baby and came back to cheer. My favorite year was probably my rookie year. I met my husband on a USO tour to Cuba. He is a former USMC Jet Pilot. I had great experiences every year I cheered, none are identical. I've cheered at 3 American Bowls, been on 3 USO Tours, Super Bowl XXX, been in 4 calendars, went on 3 calendar shoots and was the Pro Bowl Cheerleader my last year. 

[Runnergrl37]

Shelly what was the response when Brandi Redmond was on Real Housewives?.  She didn't act like the "lady"that DCC wants all their girls to be but more like a teenage boy, fart jokes and all.  

[parrotfeathers]

Shelly,  thank you for being here.   I think Natalie Woods was a favorite of many here.  Does she really work for the organization?

Edited August 24, 2016 by parrotfeathers

[RhiRhi]

When and why did they stop dancing in the 'touchdown decks'? 

Are current DCCs ever encouraged to not reaudition?  

Will we ever know why Kaitlyn LaRae departed mid-way through the year and didn't get a pinkie ring? 

[parrotfeathers]

2 minutes ago, RhiRhi said:

 

Will we ever know why Kaitlyn LaRae departed mid-way through the year and didn't get a pinkie ring? 

Oh my gosh, those beautiful eyes!   She was so young though and just wasn't ready?

[Teresa]

So since Group Leaders are ultimately chosen by Kelli and Judy, then Judy's statement about Cassie being a Group Leader proving she made the team on her own is false. 

[ShellyB]

4 hours ago, Runnergrl37 said:

Shelly what was the response when Brandi Redmond was on Real Housewives?.  She didn't act like the "lady"that DCC wants all their girls to be but more like a teenage boy, fart jokes and all.  

We have no response to RHOD.

4 hours ago, parrotfeathers said:

Shelly,  thank you for being here.   I think Natalie Woods was a favorite of many here.  Does she really work for the organization?

Natalie is contracted by Triage, the production company for the show.