Former DCCs: Where They've Gone & What They're Doing

[scorpio1031]

Faves!

[dreamcatcher]

12 hours ago, pisces125 said:

Honestly I wish they could even show more drama among the women.  But I know they have to act like they all love each other on camera.  At the same time they show things like Madeline being talked to for moving lockers and then don't give us the full story.

I forgot about this... that seems really weird honestly. I don’t know why they’re so obsessed with seniority and strange rules.

[sleepyjean]

The hockey team Jenna works for, the Shreveport Mud Bugs, is starting a dance team, the Lady Bugs. Jenna will be co-director with another lady that works for the team.

https://ladybugsicegirls.com/

Those who were irritated by her calling herself "captain" in that interview a while back (as opposed to "a" captain or "one of the captains"), prepare to be pleased to see she does it again in her bio, lol. Try not to cringe at the (lack of) proofreading on the directors page.

[bigskygirl]

13 minutes ago, sleepyjean said:

The hockey team Jenna works for, the Shreveport Mud Bugs, is starting a dance team, the Lady Bugs. Jenna will be co-director with another lady that works for the team.

https://ladybugsicegirls.com/

Those who were irritated by her calling herself "captain" in that interview a while back (as opposed to "a" captain or "one of the captains"), prepare to be pleased to see she does it again in her bio, lol. Try not to cringe at the (lack of) proofreading on the directors page.

Rolling eyes until my eyes almost fall out. I bet Kelli, Judy and Charlotte are glad to get rid of her.

[BringItOn]

1 minute ago, bigskygirl said:

Rolling eyes until my eyes almost fall out. I bet Kelli, Judy and Charlotte are glad to get rid of her.

Living proof that being a DCC will get you nowhere.

[bigskygirl]

2 minutes ago, BringItOn said:

Living proof that being a DCC will get you nowhere.

Thirty lashes with a wet noodle for you. *lol*

[loveaux]

On 5/19/2019 at 12:41 AM, scorpio1031 said:

Faves!

almost all my faves in one picture just cleared my skin 😂

[Kayce]

8 hours ago, loveaux said:

almost all my faves in one picture just cleared my skin 😂

Needed Meredith and I would have been happy 🙂

[Jess14]

I’ll be the contrarian. Good for Jenna! The grammar for the website needs to be cleaned up (though that’s really on the editor) but otherwise, Im glad to see that she’s starting up a dance team and appears to have landed on her feet. A lot of people (myself included) thought she may be a bit lost after basically knowing nothing but DCC for her adult life, but she moved from Dallas and found something to do. Whether it’s long lasting or not, should be a worthwhile experience. 

[LaurenBrook]

37 minutes ago, Jess14 said:

I’ll be the contrarian. Good for Jenna! The grammar for the website needs to be cleaned up (though that’s really on the editor) but otherwise, Im glad to see that she’s starting up a dance team and appears to have landed on her feet. A lot of people (myself included) thought she may be a bit lost after basically knowing nothing but DCC for her adult life, but she moved from Dallas and found something to do. Whether it’s long lasting or not, should be a worthwhile experience. 

Yeah, Jenna is nowhere near my favorites list and I don't care for her choreo (ME personally and I am no expert) but hey, she's keeping busy and doing something she enjoys.  

[Jess14]

11 minutes ago, LaurenBrook said:

Yeah, Jenna is nowhere near my favorites list and I don't care for her choreo (ME personally and I am no expert) but hey, she's keeping busy and doing something she enjoys.  

Right! I can’t say she has a great future in choreo, but I thought her choreo for the Raiders girls was pretty good (very DCC, but clean).  I don’t care for her combos that she teaches in class, but hey, I’m no expert either. But she’s doing something and seems content, so good for her (she’s even cut back substantially on the ig modeling stuff). 

I will say that she posted a story of her dad dancing a few days ago.....i think he could out dance several of the DCCs lol.

[scorpio1031]

1 hour ago, Jess14 said:

Right! I can’t say she has a great future in choreo, but I thought her choreo for the Raiders girls was pretty good (very DCC, but clean).  I don’t care for her combos that she teaches in class, but hey, I’m no expert either. But she’s doing something and seems content, so good for her (she’s even cut back substantially on the ig modeling stuff). 

I will say that she posted a story of her dad dancing a few days ago.....i think he could out dance several of the DCCs lol.

I loved her dad on Solid Gold:)

[hannahbanana]

15 hours ago, BringItOn said:

Living proof that being a DCC will get you nowhere.

Hey, it's a real job, so don't knock it too much (much better than schilling crap on instagram and trying to be an "influencer").

[PrincessLeia]

Good for Jenna. She has a real job and is living in a new city away from DCC. I’m not really sure why people are knocking her..... she’s not part of some MLM scheme or hocking goofy crap on Instagram. 

Everyone has to start somewhere.

[Uk-Eve]

On 5/19/2019 at 5:41 AM, scorpio1031 said:

Faves!

Who are the 2 girls between Sarah and Abigail? i am poor with remembering faces to names unless I see them regularly (if that make sense).

As for Jenna, not a fan of her either but it seems she is having fun with her new job and her choreo for Raiders, I thought it was her and Mandy (who, is she still Raiders Director?) choreo.

Edited May 23, 2019 by CrazyEve

[pizzaandcatsrlife]

8 hours ago, PrincessLeia said:

Good for Jenna. She has a real job and is living in a new city away from DCC. I’m not really sure why people are knocking her..... she’s not part of some MLM scheme or hocking goofy crap on Instagram. 

Everyone has to start somewhere.

Or a styling stewardess....

[DCC-UK]

18 hours ago, hannahbanana said:

Hey, it's a real job, so don't knock it too much (much better than schilling crap on instagram and trying to be an "influencer").

God, I hate the term 'influencer'. I'm a blogger/content creator but we all get lumbered together. Running a blog takes soooo much work with much less income whereas an influencer just sticks pretty pictures up and make a fortune! 

[LaurenBrook]

3 hours ago, CrazyEve said:

Who are the 2 girls between Sarah and Abigail? i am poor with remembering faces to names unless I see them regularly (if that make sense).

As for Jenna, not a fan of her either but it seems she is having fun with her new job and her choreo for Raiders, I thought it was her and Mandy (who, is she still Raiders Director?) choreo.

Is it Kristin? I know Nicole is the one next to Abigail. 

[MrsEVH]

4 hours ago, CrazyEve said:

aWho are the 2 girls between Sarah and Abigail? i am poor with remembering faces to names unless I see them regularly (if that make sense).

As for Jenna, not a fan of her either but it seems she is having fun with her new job and her choreo for Raiders, I thought it was her and Mandy (who, is she still Raiders Director?) choreo.

L-R  Sarah, Kristin, Nicole, Abigail,  Justine, Malia

[HowdeeDo]

I will never understand flying to another city just to get highlights in your hair. (Kelsey L)

[Kayce]

10 minutes ago, HowdeeDo said:

I will never understand flying to another city just to get highlights in your hair. (Kelsey L)

Me neither...UNLESS she and Brodi are there for some type disc tournament/promotional event.

[nittanyvolleyball]

30 minutes ago, HowdeeDo said:

I will never understand flying to another city just to get highlights in your hair. (Kelsey L)

I think the girl who does her hair gives money off for the promo cause she does a lot of the  Bachelor girls hair and they always post when they're there. Normally those extensions probably cost like $500 

[hannahbanana]

21 minutes ago, nittanyvolleyball said:

I think the girl who does her hair gives money off for the promo cause she does a lot of the  Bachelor girls hair and they always post when they're there. Normally those extensions probably cost like $500 

But if you're flying to another city, how much are you really saving?

[nittanyvolleyball]

53 minutes ago, hannahbanana said:

But if you're flying to another city, how much are you really saving?

Lol you're right, but I think if you have enough money it's like a drop in the bucket

[PBSLover]

2 hours ago, nittanyvolleyball said:

Lol you're right, but I think if you have enough money it's like a drop in the bucket

I follow a fitness YouTuber and she flies to Phoenix to get her hair done. She lives in Los Angeles! Some folks are really loyal. It’s gotta be loyalty to go to that kind of time and expense.

[raindancer]

I vote loyal.  I've never had extensions, but a huge part of the reason I don't is because I read up on them like crazy when I was considering them and there are some serious horror stories out there about what happens when they go wrong.  I could absolutely understand staying with the one person you know you can trust with your hair.  

I had an experience with color and cut both that took my hair from hip-length to just below my shoulders....I cried about it so long I was ashamed of myself (it's been almost 6 years now and I am still growing it back out 😩).  I am fanatically loyal to the two angels who fixed my hair for me, and I won't even consider going to anyone else (and I'm nobody special - for someone as beautiful and who is so much in the public eye as Kelsey is, I can definitely understand it if she's loyal to her stylists).

[Txmomof2]

I haven't listened to it yet, but I saw this shared on Facebook. Milan did a podcast and talked about her time as a DCC. 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-want-the-real/id1460166106?i=1000439168200

[go4luca]

42 minutes ago, Txmomof2 said:

I haven't listened to it yet, but I saw this shared on Facebook. Milan did a podcast and talked about her time as a DCC. 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-want-the-real/id1460166106?i=1000439168200

Wow.  This podcast is quite interesting and enlightening.  Especially when Milan describes what really happened vs what CMT edited to show.  Not that I'm surprised but still wild to listen to.

[bigskygirl]

Good for her to step away and realizing being a DCC is not the be all, end of all the universe.

[sleepyjean]

2 hours ago, go4luca said:

Wow.  This podcast is quite interesting and enlightening.  Especially when Milan describes what really happened vs what CMT edited to show.  Not that I'm surprised but still wild to listen to.

I agree. She was more candid than I expected she would be. She confirmed some things and has me rethinking other things. Random thoughts as I was listening:

It's pronounced "Brainy." I had no idea. I always thought her last name rhymed with Johnny.

In light of the scene where they called out Milan's gpa, while behind the scenes giving her crap for prioritizing school, it makes me wonder if the same thing happened with Daphne's "graduation." I'm sure Daphne felt like she had no choice but to skip her graduation in L.A. but then to have a fake one and be praised for it on-camera...all of that must've felt like such a farce.

I always assumed being a DCC was easier for college girls because of the flexibility in their schedules and relative lack of other commitments. I realize now it's just as hard for them. Or at least the ones who are actually trying to get a quality education. However, I wonder even more how the ones with day jobs are able to do everything that is required during training camp. And I also wonder how  or why anyone would want to be a DCC for more than a couple of years. I mean, I guess if you don't have to worry about supporting yourself financially, and/or you are pursuing a career in dance/cheer, the sacrifices seem worth it. But otherwise, I don't get it.

This has me thinking about my past critiques of the women going through the DCC program and how the experience must make them feel. Constantly stressed, exhausted, envious of the girls who get the perks, questioning their own value to the team. People here frequently say "no worse is said in this forum than is said by Kelli/Judy." They also say "the DCC signed up for this, they should expect to be criticized by the public." Be that as it may, and even though opinions here don't have the weight that Kelli/Judy's comments do, I'll be thinking about that before every post. These women take a lot from K/J as it is. If the only feedback they get from their employers is negative, do I need to add to it? Particularly given how uninformed my opinion is. I feel sillier than ever now, making criticisms based on a tv show that I know isn't reality. The DCC are an iceberg and I'm only seeing the sliver of it that's visible above the waves. Below the water it's dark, and there are sharks and sharp edges, and all kinds of hazards I couldn't even imagine.

I felt bad for Milan. Her story is so relatable - working hard to reach a huge goal, getting there, and then finding it's not all it's cracked up to be. It's difficult when people are telling you how lucky you are and how proud you must be and inside you're sort of disappointed with the whole thing.  Makes me think about Alexandria bailing out so early. Makes me wonder if Milan and Kalyssa had any heart-to-hearts about it. I know a lot of people here criticize the path Kalyssa has chosen post-DCC, but I have seen zero sign that she regrets bailing out early, and now I can see why. I wonder if Alexandria's and Kalyssa's experiences with other pro teams were completely different in terms of how they were treated/valued and if the DCC experience hit them like a face full of ice water by comparison.

Milan confirmed something that I suspected: Kelli and Judy are extremely removed and distant. It doesn't seem that they interact with the girls much at all, which has to be odd, given how much time they all spend together. Not that I expect Kelli to know everyone's birthday and their boyfriend's name and their career/school goals and all that. But it's like they don't know these women at all. Or care to. Kelli is busy running the DCC "business," and seems to have lost touch with its employees, the women themselves. Judy is busy being the artistic director and not a hands-on choreographer who makes and teaches the dances. I wonder if all of this is a function of how long they have been in the job. I can imagine Kelli being genuinely surprised to hear how everything was impacting Milan. I think Kelli cares about the women in an abstract sense, as a group, but she don't seem all that engaged with the team in general, or with the women as individual human beings with their own personalities, and goals, and struggles.

I'm racking my brain thinking of all the speculation that swirled around Milan's departure. IIRC, the prevailing belief was that it was tied up with the whole study abroad thing. Turns out she'd just had enough. I will say, I wasn't inside her head, so I have no idea what she felt during that time, but I have to question whether it was SO bad that she couldn't make it through the last game, to minimize impact on her teammates.

I had no idea she was the youngest on the team.

The story about changing her hair and changing it back. I really would like to have seen just how dark they went.

Edited May 26, 2019 by sleepyjean

[bigskygirl]

Kalyssa did not leave, she was cut. Kelli wanted to keep her because she was a Kelli favorite, but Charlotte told her to cut Kalyssa.

Alexandria left due to her future mother-in-law being sick, but she also left due to the fact she could not stand to be around certain toxic girls aka Jenna and a few others.

I think Daphne's getting her diploma scene was a big freaking FU moment to prove they value girls who get their education because we went girls who are smart on the team. They want the girls to sign over their life to being a DCC because it is just a privilege to be one, but it comes at a price. I admire girls like Milan and Alexandria who leave because they had enough of the crap and realize there is a lot more to live than being a DCC.

[Fwcowboysfan]

3 hours ago, Txmomof2 said:

I haven't listened to it yet, but I saw this shared on Facebook. Milan did a podcast and talked about her time as a DCC. 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-want-the-real/id1460166106?i=1000439168200

Wow. I am SO disappointed in Kelli and Judy for treating girls like that. Even more disappointed in Charlotte for allowing it to happen. Good for Milan for speaking her truth! This makes me incredibly sad for the girls. No one should be treated like that. 

[bigskygirl]

5 minutes ago, Fwcowboysfan said:

Wow. I am SO disappointed in Kelli and Judy for treating girls like that. Even more disappointed in Charlotte for allowing it to happen. Good for Milan for speaking her truth! This makes me incredibly sad for the girls. No one should be treated like that. 

Charlotte can be just as bad. Look how she treated Ann Lux at finals in Season 6.

[Fwcowboysfan]

7 minutes ago, bigskygirl said:

Charlotte can be just as bad. Look how she treated Ann Lux at finals in Season 6.

I have no doubt. She is probably the ring leader and reflects the culture of the organization. At the end of the day, it is her job to make the change. If girls are really treated like that, Charlotte is failing. 

[sleepyjean]

23 minutes ago, bigskygirl said:

Kalyssa did not leave, she was cut. Kelli wanted to keep her because she was a Kelli favorite, but Charlotte told her to cut Kalyssa.

Alexandria left due to her future mother-in-law being sick, but she also left due to the fact she could not stand to be around certain toxic girls aka Jenna and a few others.

I have yet to read any solid information about the reasons why either of them left. However, in the case of Kalyssa, whether she left voluntarily or was terminated for engaging in behavior prohibited by her contract, I would argue that both of those scenarios were her deciding it wasn't worth it, and making the choice to do something else that was more important to her than being a DCC.

[bigskygirl]

I was told by more than one insider about Alexandria. I was also told by someone within the DCC Organization that Kalyssa was cut, but I was not told the reasoning behind the cut. At least three insiders told me Kelli wanted her to keep her on the squad, but Charlotte said no.

After what Milan said and having more than one insider tell me the same thing along with a person from the organization tell me about Kalyssa, I do believe Alexandria left because of the toxic environment going on behind close doors. More and more of the real story is coming out. I applaud Milan for being brave and telling us what she went through. Good for her for getting the heck out of DCC Town for her mental and physical sake.

Edited May 26, 2019 by bigskygirl

[scorpio1031]

39 minutes ago, sleepyjean said:

I'm racking my brain thinking of all the speculation that swirled around Milan's departure. IIRC, the prevailing belief was that it was tied up with the whole study abroad thing. Turns out she'd just had enough. I will say, I wasn't inside her head, so I have no idea what she felt during that time, but I have to question whether it was SO bad that she couldn't make it through the last game, to minimize impact on her teammates.

It could be both.  I thought you had to apply early to study abroad, so I was always wondered how it managed to work out for her.  

46 minutes ago, sleepyjean said:

Milan confirmed something that I suspected: Kelli and Judy are extremely removed and distant. It doesn't seem that they interact with the girls much at all

There have been several TCC's who have said K&J rarely attend practice unless it is a filming night.  Group leaders run practices.  I would say that is why Kelli really has no idea about the behavior and attitude of some girls.

[M1977G]

Wow, that was quite a podcast episode! I'm still processing some of the insights Milan provided. My eyebrows definitely went up when she talked about being treated like an "object," and it made me think back to when Ashley F. asked (during a horrid social media seminar with stupid Shannon) about getting more personal profiles or stories posted so that the ladies didn't feel so much like "objects." Ashley's comment even made it on the show and reflected that she had talked about it with other DCC. All this to say, Milan is not alone in feeling that way, apparently, and that is awful but I think I shouldn't be as surprised as I felt in the moment. (Speaking of, I always have wished they'd talk about or show how they handle fans who are inappropriate with the cheerleaders--what kinds of security measures, deflection tactics, or assuring ladies of their rights to be treated with respect in the uniform. But I also always have wondered how much they protect them from gross comments, leers, wandering hands, etc.) 

I'm very impressed with Milan. She was impressive on the show, but this felt like a more real version and I like that version even better. Like others, I was very interested to hear what kinds of things get left out of the show (like Kitty's blasting her for thinking she's "too good" to audition for Show Group and hounding her til she cried, crazy diets [and that they don't tell you what day you will weigh to set your squad weight, wow], and how down she felt about herself from the negative treatment and feedback). Hearing more about how much leadership the group leaders and vets take on and how distant Kelli and Judy are makes me want even more to see group rehearsals and group leader work on the show away from TPTB. Also, kudos to her friend who started the podcast, who is looking to talk honestly about mental health issues, drug abuse, pressures on young women, and how to be positive in a difficult world!

[Agent Gully]

Just finished listening to the podcast with Milan. Her talking about her weigh in and diets of the ladies reminded me again of one of the things I hate the most about the DCC requirements. It is incredibly naive, ill-advised and completely idiotic to enforce a girl staying at her initial weigh- in weight throughout her DCC career. 

I majored in Horsemanship/Teaching in college (yes, you really can get a B.A. in such a thing!), we had weigh - ins frequently. For every 5 pounds you were over what they decided was your ideal weight, you lost one letter grade in your riding classes. There never was a penalty for being under your ideal weight. So, of course most of us starved ourselves in order to be sure of being safe during weigh-ins. Thankfully, a new director came in my sophomore year who had sense and the weigh-ins were dropped. No one went crazy and became overweight without that requirement.

As long as a gal looks healthy and fit while in uniform, that should be the goal instead of subtly rewarding unhealthy standards for these women.

[DCCFanInKy]

3 minutes ago, Agent Gully said:

I majored in Horsemanship/Teaching in college (yes, you really can get a B.A. in such a thing!),

Sorry for the temporary derail... where did you go to school?  We have a college in Ky where you can major in horse related degrees

[scorpio1031]

25 minutes ago, M1977G said:

Wow, that was quite a podcast episode! I'm still processing some of the insights Milan provided. My eyebrows definitely went up when she talked about being treated like an "object," and it made me think back to when Ashley F. asked (during a horrid social media seminar with stupid Shannon) about getting more personal profiles or stories posted so that the ladies didn't feel so much like "objects." Ashley's comment even made it on the show and reflected that she had talked about it with other DCC. All this to say, Milan is not alone in feeling that way, apparently, and that is awful but I think I shouldn't be as surprised as I felt in the moment. (Speaking of, I always have wished they'd talk about or show how they handle fans who are inappropriate with the cheerleaders--what kinds of security measures, deflection tactics, or assuring ladies of their rights to be treated with respect in the uniform. But I also always have wondered how much they protect them from gross comments, leers, wandering hands, etc.) 

Ashley F was one of my faves, and what I always wondered was how many articles or blogs did the girls write that were never posted on the website?  Or were they told never mind.

I believe the girls have security for appearances and chaperones when they travel.  There is a video of them singing in their bus during a USO tour with a group of guys  - could be security/road crew.  They no longer dance on the upper decks, which is good cause not only was it dangerous but they were quite close to the fans.

[EricaShadows]

2 hours ago, Agent Gully said:

Just finished listening to the podcast with Milan. Her talking about her weigh in and diets of the ladies reminded me again of one of the things I hate the most about the DCC requirements. It is incredibly naive, ill-advised and completely idiotic to enforce a girl staying at her initial weigh- in weight throughout her DCC career. 

I majored in Horsemanship/Teaching in college (yes, you really can get a B.A. in such a thing!), we had weigh - ins frequently. For every 5 pounds you were over what they decided was your ideal weight, you lost one letter grade in your riding classes. There never was a penalty for being under your ideal weight. So, of course most of us starved ourselves in order to be sure of being safe during weigh-ins. Thankfully, a new director came in my sophomore year who had sense and the weigh-ins were dropped. No one went crazy and became overweight without that requirement.

As long as a gal looks healthy and fit while in uniform, that should be the goal instead of subtly rewarding unhealthy standards for these women.

2 hours ago, DCCFanInKy said:

Sorry for the temporary derail... where did you go to school?  We have a college in Ky where you can major in horse related degrees

I'm rather interested to know as well since I know of only a handful of schools where horses are welcomed/accepted and even fewer that award degrees in relation to them. 

[Agent Gully]

6 hours ago, DCCFanInKy said:

Sorry for the temporary derail... where did you go to school?  We have a college in Ky where you can major in horse related degrees

Virginia Intermont College in Bristol, VA. (Class of '85)There are many programs leading to a degree, but unless you live near one or are involved in horses, rarely are they known.

[parrotfeathers]

I listened to the podcast featuring Milan.  As she mentioned, she was the youngest on the squad.   I think it was just too much for someone that young when also trying to have excellent grades at such a demanding university.  I'm glad she thought her mental health and education were the first priorities.

I don't find it really unusual that Kelli is not involved in the day to day training aspects of the DCC.   I thought Judy would have been there every night.  But that fact doesn't make me dislike either of them.   I can't imagine Judy flitting around like a 20 year old trying to show the proper method of combos/etc. etc.  

I did learn the group leaders/veterans play a much larger role in training than I previously thought.

Obviously with so many returning year after year, someone is always up to the task.

Edited May 26, 2019 by parrotfeathers

[Kayce]

14 hours ago, Txmomof2 said:

I haven't listened to it yet, but I saw this shared on Facebook. Milan did a podcast and talked about her time as a DCC. 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-want-the-real/id1460166106?i=1000439168200

Thank you for posting this! Going to listen to it now 🙂 

[MelissaB326]

Who was Milan’s Group Leader? She didn’t seem impressed with them. Did she have many close friends in DCC? Because it doesn’t sound like it. Her talking about the politics being more important than dance ability was interesting too. It also sounded like she doesn’t watch the show at all because she thought she was season 14 unless I heard that wrong. 

The podcast was worth the listen, I like that she can tell it like it is since unlike most alumni, she isn’t still trying to still be a part of the organization.

I found the info about the lengths the girls go to before the swim calendar to lose weight very concerning. Maybe Kelli and Judy just don’t care how they lose weight as long as they look a certain way and meet these weight requirements. Milan said she suddenly dropped 7 pounds from a juice cleanse around uniform fittings and was told she had to maintain that weight now but I was confused because I thought they were held to their audition weight? If they suddenly lose weight and are held to a new low weight, then that is even more problematic. 

I always wondered why she tried out again if she couldn’t make it through the season and I have my answer, she thought it would be better as a veteran but then she seemed to upset at internal politics and being put to the back of formations her second year. I don’t know enough about her dance ability to know if it matched her beliefs about it. Her talk about internal politics show just how much someone who is connected like VK and Cassie have a leg up. They would get the best spots, the group leaders would be afraid to say much to them and the other girls would be afraid to say anything negative to them at all because unlike the other girls who seem to not even be able to talk to Kelli and Judy, these girls have a direct close relationship with them. It is shocking to me that Kelli and Judy don’t even talk to the younger girls and seem to barely know them, you would think they could make a little effort. 

And now I know just what happened during the scene when they supposedly were happy for Milan going to school and having a 4.0 GPA, it really goes to show that they expect DCC to come before anything else to the detriment of these girls’ lives. So the girls have the following options: try out right after high school and skip college, go to some community college and only take a few classes, go to a good school and struggle to meet your academic goals, or wait until after college and put off your career goals. They really need to make exceptions  for appearances when girls are in college and working full time jobs. 

[kalibean]

11 hours ago, Agent Gully said:

Just finished listening to the podcast with Milan. Her talking about her weigh in and diets of the ladies reminded me again of one of the things I hate the most about the DCC requirements. It is incredibly naive, ill-advised and completely idiotic to enforce a girl staying at her initial weigh- in weight throughout her DCC career. 

I majored in Horsemanship/Teaching in college (yes, you really can get a B.A. in such a thing!), we had weigh - ins frequently. For every 5 pounds you were over what they decided was your ideal weight, you lost one letter grade in your riding classes. There never was a penalty for being under your ideal weight. So, of course most of us starved ourselves in order to be sure of being safe during weigh-ins. Thankfully, a new director came in my sophomore year who had sense and the weigh-ins were dropped. No one went crazy and became overweight without that requirement.

As long as a gal looks healthy and fit while in uniform, that should be the goal instead of subtly rewarding unhealthy standards for these women.

I agree so heartily. I naively had hoped that the actual weight really only came into play when a DCC didn’t look healthy and fit in her uniform anymore. A reality check of sorts for when a gal suddenly has muffin top when there wasn’t one before. If Kelly and Judy don’t attend practices much with the ladies, they’ll likely see that weight gain more quickly than someone who sees them every day. A quick check of the paperwork to confirm, a reminder to the DCC to get back into shape and call it a day.

Plus, even though Texas is a right to work state, a DCC who is let go of due to breech of contract, they can easily pinpoint weight change as a reason even if they have other reasons that aren’t as concrete. 

I’ve got to think someone who looks amazing in her uniform (no alterations needed) wouldn’t be held to a number over time if there’s nothing to criticize. 

[Holly85]

1 hour ago, MelissaB326 said:

Who was Milan’s Group Leader? She didn’t seem impressed with them. Did she have many close friends in DCC? Because it doesn’t sound like it. Her talking about the politics being more important than dance ability was interesting too. It also sounded like she doesn’t watch the show at all because she thought she was season 14 unless I heard that wrong. 

The podcast was worth the listen, I like that she can tell it like it is since unlike most alumni, she isn’t still trying to still be a part of the organization.

I found the info about the lengths the girls go to before the swim calendar to lose weight very concerning. Maybe Kelli and Judy just don’t care how they lose weight as long as they look a certain way and meet these weight requirements. Milan said she suddenly dropped 7 pounds from a juice cleanse around uniform fittings and was told she had to maintain that weight now but I was confused because I thought they were held to their audition weight? If they suddenly lose weight and are held to a new low weight, then that is even more problematic. 

I always wondered why she tried out again if she couldn’t make it through the season and I have my answer, she thought it would be better as a veteran but then she seemed to upset at internal politics and being put to the back of formations her second year. I don’t know enough about her dance ability to know if it matched her beliefs about it. Her talk about internal politics show just how much someone who is connected like VK and Cassie have a leg up. They would get the best spots, the group leaders would be afraid to say much to them and the other girls would be afraid to say anything negative to them at all because unlike the other girls who seem to not even be able to talk to Kelli and Judy, these girls have a direct close relationship with them. It is shocking to me that Kelli and Judy don’t even talk to the younger girls and seem to barely know them, you would think they could make a little effort. 

And now I know just what happened during the scene when they supposedly were happy for Milan going to school and having a 4.0 GPA, it really goes to show that they expect DCC to come before anything else to the detriment of these girls’ lives. So the girls have the following options: try out right after high school and skip college, go to some community college and only take a few classes, go to a good school and struggle to meet your academic goals, or wait until after college and put off your career goals. They really need to make exceptions  for appearances when girls are in college and working full time jobs. 

Her rookie year the group leaders for here group was jinelle and Jenna 

[Lolfordays]

1 hour ago, MelissaB326 said:

Who was Milan’s Group Leader? She didn’t seem impressed with them. Did she have many close friends in DCC? Because it doesn’t sound like it. Her talking about the politics being more important than dance ability was interesting too. It also sounded like she doesn’t watch the show at all because she thought she was season 14 unless I heard that wrong. 

The podcast was worth the listen, I like that she can tell it like it is since unlike most alumni, she isn’t still trying to still be a part of the organization.

I found the info about the lengths the girls go to before the swim calendar to lose weight very concerning. Maybe Kelli and Judy just don’t care how they lose weight as long as they look a certain way and meet these weight requirements. Milan said she suddenly dropped 7 pounds from a juice cleanse around uniform fittings and was told she had to maintain that weight now but I was confused because I thought they were held to their audition weight? If they suddenly lose weight and are held to a new low weight, then that is even more problematic. 

I always wondered why she tried out again if she couldn’t make it through the season and I have my answer, she thought it would be better as a veteran but then she seemed to upset at internal politics and being put to the back of formations her second year. I don’t know enough about her dance ability to know if it matched her beliefs about it. Her talk about internal politics show just how much someone who is connected like VK and Cassie have a leg up. They would get the best spots, the group leaders would be afraid to say much to them and the other girls would be afraid to say anything negative to them at all because unlike the other girls who seem to not even be able to talk to Kelli and Judy, these girls have a direct close relationship with them. It is shocking to me that Kelli and Judy don’t even talk to the younger girls and seem to barely know them, you would think they could make a little effort. 

And now I know just what happened during the scene when they supposedly were happy for Milan going to school and having a 4.0 GPA, it really goes to show that they expect DCC to come before anything else to the detriment of these girls’ lives. So the girls have the following options: try out right after high school and skip college, go to some community college and only take a few classes, go to a good school and struggle to meet your academic goals, or wait until after college and put off your career goals. They really need to make exceptions  for appearances when girls are in college and working full time jobs. 

It proves that it is just an outright lie when they say the girls have to be full time students or have a full time job.

[bigskygirl]

11 minutes ago, Holly85 said:

Her rookie year the group leaders for here group was jinelle and Jenna 

That explains a lot because we all know what Jenna was like.