S14.E05: The Transformation Begins

[NoChtngWhenEtng]

I wanted to see Ashley in the uniform - she was oddly bottom heavy. I'm not saying that's why she was cut, but it would be another nail in her coffin. I went back to see her kicks in semis and finals and they didn't say anything in finals (at least on the show), but in the semis Kelly noticed her kicks were tight. 

[DCCFanInKy]

3 hours ago, Route66 said:

If Ashley's cut was due to rumors and gossip about her time with the DMD, that still seems suspect. It's clear from the show that K&J are in touch with other dance instructors, studio owners, and coaches in and around the DFW dance and cheer scene. If there was something suspicious about Ashley, it seems they'd have heard about it from their sources.

Could she have been brought to TC for "ratings"?

[Holly85]

20 minutes ago, NoChtngWhenEtng said:

I wanted to see Ashley in the uniform - she was oddly bottom heavy. I'm not saying that's why she was cut, but it would be another nail in her coffin. I went back to see her kicks in semis and finals and they didn't say anything in finals (at least on the show), but in the semis Kelly noticed her kicks were tight. 

From the way the show went she was cut before fittings 

[KnyghtRyder]

33 minutes ago, NoChtngWhenEtng said:

I wanted to see Ashley in the uniform - she was oddly bottom heavy. I'm not saying that's why she was cut, but it would be another nail in her coffin. I went back to see her kicks in semis and finals and they didn't say anything in finals (at least on the show), but in the semis Kelly noticed her kicks were tight. 

I have to agree. I think she’s one that suffers from the Cheerleader Effect (any HIMYM fans out there?) She was a little awkwardly built actually. A little knock-kneed maybe? Definitely “skinny-fat” (skinny but no muscle tone) with a double chin, but not one caused by extra weight...maybe saggy chin is a better description? It’s a genetic thing because I also have one (thanks, mom! However, I need to lose a good 15 lbs). Her makeup contouring was amazing though. Not sure I’d recognize her without it all layered on. 

Rumors of why she was cut or not, she really got me when the camera cut to her as her eyes started to fill with tears and then she went into a stall in the locker room to cry. She was completely blindsided. 

[woodscommaelle]

Gina Marie doing her jump split after the rest were already down on the ground in their position was positively funny to me.  Is that what she 'should' have done or should she have just continued standing there?

I like her. She's adorable. Hope she comes back next year and makes the team.

[VintageJ]

12 hours ago, KnyghtRyder said:

I have to agree. I think she’s one that suffers from the Cheerleader Effect (any HIMYM fans out there?) She was a little awkwardly built actually. A little knock-kneed maybe? Definitely “skinny-fat” (skinny but no muscle tone) with a double chin, but not one caused by extra weight...maybe saggy chin is a better description? It’s a genetic thing because I also have one (thanks, mom! However, I need to lose a good 15 lbs). Her makeup contouring was amazing though. Not sure I’d recognize her without it all layered on. 

Rumors of why she was cut or not, she really got me when the camera cut to her as her eyes started to fill with tears and then she went into a stall in the locker room to cry. She was completely blindsided. 

LOL!  I LOVE HIMYM.  Great analogy.  Take a real good look at her.  LOL.

[MrsEVH]

1 hour ago, woodscommaelle said:

 Gina Marie doing her jump split after the rest were already down on the ground in their position was positively funny to me.  Is that what she 'should' have done or should she have just continued standing there?

I like her. She's adorable. Hope she comes back next year and makes the team.

Did they show Meredith doing the jump split with the group?  I know she was scared to do it.

Edited September 2, 2019 by MrsEVH

[sATL]

RE: kat  & her host family issue- I like the idea of a host family. It makes the quick move to Dallas,  for the 1-13 weeks of training camp more believable,  realistic and affordable.

All of the apartment  setup for something that may not work out didn't make a lot of sense to me. I wish they would do a side story on the financial view of attending training camp-- like what is the avg rent in Dallas.

There a a few ways a host family can make themselves known (ie contact a realtor or the cowboy organization), and of course all safety and background measures should be done.

Edited September 2, 2019 by sATL

[Loodicrus]

19 hours ago, dreamcatcher said:

Don't bring ladies into camp that can't kick. Waste of their time and gets their hopes up

but...but...what about MacKenzie ?? Even after she made the team, she still kicked lower then Ashley 😮

[MrsEVH]

27 minutes ago, sATL said:

 RE: kat  & her host family issue- I like the idea of a host family. It makes the quick move to Dallas,  for the 1-13 weeks of training camp more believable,  realistic and affordable..

Some TCCs stay with current/former DCCs families. Angela stayed with Brittany Schramm and Yuko stayed with Natalie Woods. Also in the first 2 hour show (2005)  2 TCCs , Melissa and Elizabeth with stayed with vet Misty Cleveland. Poor Elizabeth got cut without any warnings. Melissa was upset that Elizabeth would have to go home to an empty house because she and Misty were still at practice.

Edited September 2, 2019 by MrsEVH

[dreamcatcher]

42 minutes ago, Loodicrus said:

but...but...what about MacKenzie ?? Even after she made the team, she still kicked lower then Ashley 😮

Hmm I don’t think I said this but anyway, LEAVE MACKENZIE ALONE! Glad to see her still being brought up 🙂 I don’t think she stood out that much, and she was absolutely adorable, great ambassador and a powerhouse dancer. I understand making an exception for girls who have everything else, as long as they still have room for improvement. Mackenzie pushed herself a bit too hard to get the results, but not everyone can improve that fast.

[Loodicrus]

3 minutes ago, dreamcatcher said:

Hmm I don’t think I said this

no, you didn't say it 😱 I quoted a quote in your post and it made it look I quoted you 🤷‍♂️

Sorry 🙂 

And for the record.. Mackenzie was one of my favorites, and I didn't mind she made it despite the lower kicks 🙂

Edited September 2, 2019 by Loodicrus
addition

[ElenaFR]

33 minutes ago, Loodicrus said:

no, you didn't say it 😱 I quoted a quote in your post and it made it look I quoted you 🤷‍♂️

Sorry 🙂 

And for the record.. Mackenzie was one of my favorites, and I didn't mind she made it despite the lower kicks 🙂

She too was a favorite but then they didn't take another great performer in Racecar driver Taylor. Just don't get why some get a pass and other don't. 

[omgtv]

21 minutes ago, ElenaFR said:

Just don't get why some get a pass and other don't

I think Kelli doesn't like a stockier build, especially if the woman is on the short side. Mackenzie had little legs, but she was TINY all around. When Ashley walked into the office you could really see that she does not have the type of figure that Kelli likes. I'm sure all of those horrible conversations about weight and tearing apart the girls' figures are still happening, but someone at CMT is wise enough not to film/air them. 

[Grandma Moses]

On 8/30/2019 at 8:59 PM, FutureDCC said:

Also, the audio from Sheryl pulling the girls totally sounded like it was added after the fact.  It's not like she was mic'd at the time so I guess I understand, but when she goes up to them and says "can you come with me?" it sounds like they recorded her saying it later and stuck it in.  Not sure if it only bothered me because I work in A/V production but it seemed unnecessary 🤣 we would still be able to tell what was going on if they had just shown the video.

I was wondering about that! It sounded so creepy.

[Grandma Moses]

On 8/31/2019 at 3:57 AM, ClosetMTTfan said:

I noticed on the kick line that there was a blonde on the end whose belly jiggled terribly badly when she came down on the jump split. I need to rewatch to figure out who it was.

It was Lauren.

4 hours ago, sATL said:

RE: kat  & her host family issue- I like the idea of a host family. It makes the quick move to Dallas,  for the 1-13 weeks of training camp more believable,  realistic and affordable.

All of the apartment  setup for something that may not work out didn't make a lot of sense to me. I wish they would do a side story on the financial view of attending training camp-- like what is the avg rent in Dallas.

ITA regarding host families. Great idea!

I agree re: apartment leases too. I kept thinking at the end of this episode, So Gina Marie is like, “Ok, anyone want to take on the 3 weeks that’s left of my month-to-month lease??”

Other thoughts on this episode:  I found the ancestry.com stuff to be kind of cringe worthy. The sub text goes something like, Well, my Irish Grandpa nailed Grandma who was from Trinidad, and...

Chandi continues to be one of my favorites. She’s gentle on the ears, gentle on the eyes. I like how she wears yellow to everything. Like it’s her brand. Smart!

I liked getting to see the TCCs learn the jump splits. It’s such a technical thing and it looks so hard to do. I always like seeing/hearing the instruction.

I felt bad for Kat. But why are all of her housing situations falling through? Wasn’t she invited to stay at someone’s place in Ep. 2 or 3?  Didn’t the girl say to Kat she could stay there as long as she needed?

Oh, Travis Wall, you will never be the point girl—Kelli hates tattoos.

Edited September 2, 2019 by Maven
Typo

[BullInChina]

On 8/31/2019 at 5:41 PM, DCCfaninMA said:

I too was scratching my head with the nail salon scene, more than anything I wondered what that single mom was thinking, inviting a complete stranger into her home.  

Well, you know, how often do you meet a complete stranger who travels with a film crew? I'd probably invite somebody like that into my house too. 😃

[DCCFanInKy]

On 9/1/2019 at 9:59 PM, KnyghtRyder said:

Rumors of why she was cut or not, she really got me when the camera cut to her as her eyes started to fill with tears and then she went into a stall in the locker room to cry. She was completely blindsided. 

I would think the cameras in the locker room would be an invasion of privacy but that's just me.  

[ElenaFR]

I don't know what Travis was smoking but VK was not the best in the room. There were plenty of vets who were better. I wish the show would stop trying to sell this VK narrative.

[DCCFanInKy]

2 minutes ago, ElenaFR said:

I don't know what Travis was smoking but VK was not the best in the room. 

Sucking up to Kelli and Judy?

[NMDD43]

11 hours ago, sATL said:

I wish they would do a side story on the financial view of attending training camp-- like what is the avg rent in Dallas.

I would love to see this as well. The financial side and logistics of it all. Instead of showing me a TCC putting together a lamp, tell me how she got her apartment on such short notice, what are the lease agreements, how much does it cost, how is she paying for it, how far is it from the Star? Shelly said the girls are on their own to find housing, but then why was Yuko hooked up with Natalie Woods, yet Kat is practically homeless? It seems like no small feat to move your life to Dallas on such short notice for what may only be a few weeks and I want to know how they make it all work and afford it. 

[DCCFanInKy]

2 minutes ago, NMDD43 said:

I would love to see this as well. The financial side and logistics of it all. Instead of showing me a TCC putting together a lamp, tell me how she got her apartment on such short notice, what are the lease agreements, how much does it cost, how is she paying for it, how far is it from the Star? Shelly said the girls are on their own to find housing, but then why was Yuko hooked up with Natalie Woods, yet Kat is practically homeless? It seems like no small feat to move your life to Dallas on such short notice for what may only be a few weeks and I want to know how they make it all work and afford it. 

When my little brother first moved to Western Ky Univ for college he had a male room mate and I was't comfortable staying with him in his apartment when I visited.  The apartment complex had at least a couple of fully furnished "model" units that they let the tenants use if they had out of town guests.  Later on when he moved from there to Nashville I was able to find a couple of "studio" rentals (basically like hotel suites) to stay at when I visited him there.  Maybe there's such an animal in the DFW area?

[rafibomb]

On 9/1/2019 at 5:17 PM, Dal8las said:

I felt backhanded for Ashley and I wasn't even cheering for her, but something def feels suspect......

I wonder if the personality test exposed her for having a brain or something...thats to dangerous in DCC world.

Based on what we've seen of Ashley, I really, really doubt that was the issue.

One thing that drove me nuts about this episode: on a "coming up" segment, they showed Travis Wall saying "I don't know how to say this without offending anybody" and then that never actually happened in the episode. I rewound and watched it again because I thought I must've missed it, but nope. 

[Route66]

9 hours ago, NMDD43 said:

I would love to see this as well. The financial side and logistics of it all. Instead of showing me a TCC putting together a lamp, tell me how she got her apartment on such short notice, what are the lease agreements, how much does it cost, how is she paying for it, how far is it from the Star? Shelly said the girls are on their own to find housing, but then why was Yuko hooked up with Natalie Woods, yet Kat is practically homeless? It seems like no small feat to move your life to Dallas on such short notice for what may only be a few weeks and I want to know how they make it all work and afford it. 

They probably won't show this because most, if not all of them are being supported by their families and it would portray them as out of touch elitists.

Bringing up McKenzie is 100% appropriate. Not only could she not kick but as a short girl, she was on the end of the kickline where it's most apparent. Don't go on and on about what a big deal the kickline is if you're taking girls who are not up to par.

That's really the issue with the VK favoritism. If you've been in a corporate or professional environment you will see favoritism manifested not only as "undeserving or incompetent employee is hired/promoted" but oftentimes as certain employees are demoted or terminated or passed over for promotion for wrongdoings for which other employees are not punished. Nobody has said that VK sucks, but rather that she's constantly forgiven for transgressions they wouldn't otherwise overlook. If Malena fell out of a turn they'd click about how she hadn't improved. If a girl they didn't like said she'd cut Charlotte, Kelli might say something about how the girl is ignorant about the organization. If a random girl had blown off Jinelle and lied about the doctor appointment, she'd be told to not reaudition. This is why there was so much annoyance over them overlooking her weight gain and Kitty insisting she deserved "respect". Gabby as a vet wasn't given "respect" to get off the weight, neither was Hannah West. 

[MyFavShows]

3 hours ago, Route66 said:

They probably won't show this because most, if not all of them are being supported by their families and it would portray them as out of touch elitists.

Bringing up McKenzie is 100% appropriate. Not only could she not kick but as a short girl, she was on the end of the kickline where it's most apparent. Don't go on and on about what a big deal the kickline is if you're taking girls who are not up to par.

That's really the issue with the VK favoritism. If you've been in a corporate or professional environment you will see favoritism manifested not only as "undeserving or incompetent employee is hired/promoted" but oftentimes as certain employees are demoted or terminated or passed over for promotion for wrongdoings for which other employees are not punished. Nobody has said that VK sucks, but rather that she's constantly forgiven for transgressions they wouldn't otherwise overlook. If Malena fell out of a turn they'd click about how she hadn't improved. If a girl they didn't like said she'd cut Charlotte, Kelli might say something about how the girl is ignorant about the organization. If a random girl had blown off Jinelle and lied about the doctor appointment, she'd be told to not reaudition. This is why there was so much annoyance over them overlooking her weight gain and Kitty insisting she deserved "respect". Gabby as a vet wasn't given "respect" to get off the weight, neither was Hannah West. 

Hannah West was at least thin her first season as a DCC.  Gabby was heavy last year in TC (you can see her thickness in the middle in last season’s footage) and was on WW her entire first season.  Then she shows up heavy yet again at auditions.  They gave Gabby a full year actually as a DCC (when others, like VK, didn’t make the team) to get her act together w/ her weight and she didn’t do it.  She deserved to be cut.

In Hannah’s case she probably did deserve some time - I think there was something else going on there where they just didn’t want to give her time.

Edited September 3, 2019 by MyFavShows

[Lexusprincess]

Malena was kept in training camp until the very end with performance issues daily.  Her lack of memory and crumbling under pressure on the field and in meetings with k and J was there the entire time of training. camp.  They gave her a lot of time and she should have been cut earlier.  In fact I would have cut her probably before VK.  VK does remember choreography.  So I do not get the comparison.  VK her immature self showed so much more maturity in her cut than Malena.   As to the rest of the story on lies or medical appointments, doctor can't even confirm someone is a patient under HIPPA (a federal law not a state one ) so some of what has been heard etc does not add up.  Did VK act badly towards Jinelle by not texting her back and how she acted in the office... absolutely.  That's different than throwing Jinelle under the bus.  

Malena had a bad audition this year showing her usual weak points such as lack of memory so no mystery why she did not come back.

VK looks great this year.  She has stayed toned.  There will always be some favoritism but she earned her spot in training camp this year.  

Mackenzie's kicks were low and she worked hard on improving them.  Mackenzie was a much better dancer (and better trained) than Ashley.  Her kicks were also not as low as others people keep bringing up such as Truck Taylor and Auto Amy.  I loved Amy (rooted for her and cried when she was cut) but ....her kicks were very low.  

Edited September 3, 2019 by Lexusprincess

[parrotfeathers]

45 minutes ago, Lexusprincess said:

Mackenzie's kicks were low and she worked hard on improving them.  Mackenzie was a much better dancer (and better trained) than Ashley.

She also had those hard to resist dimples!

[DCC-UK]

I have to say Mackenzie has always been one of my fave DCCs. She just had that extra sparkle quality that so many of them are missing. She's a powerhouse dancer and her kicks weren't as low as some of the others. She then showed how much she was willing to work for it by visiting a physio and stretching with a veteran. 

I liked Taylor also, she was a powerful dancer also but hers didn't seem to improve as the series went on. 

Amy was pretty rubbish on the dancefloor and with her kicks. 

[Pink-n-Green]

On 8/30/2019 at 11:54 PM, FutureDCC said:

Was Kelli trying to show how diverse they are by asking them about their "ancestry.com results"? Lack of diversity has been a big talking point this season so it doesn't surprise me.

That reminds me of when I asked my sister if she was interested in doing an Ancestry DNA test and she said, "Why?  So I can see how many different kinds of white I am??"

[pasdetrois]

Maybe there are a bunch of temporary/corporate apartments near training camp. Weekly or monthly leases.

I read a Washington Post article that talked about how CMT is trying to modernize its image. There was a leadership shake-up at its parent company Viacom last fall, and the article stated that the new Viacom leadership wants MTT to do a better job of showing the candidates as more empowered (I'm paraphrasing). Supposedly we'll see evidence of this in the current season.

[scorpio1031]

37 minutes ago, pasdetrois said:

Maybe there are a bunch of temporary/corporate apartments near training camp. Weekly or monthly leases.

I read a Washington Post article that talked about how CMT is trying to modernize its image. There was a leadership shake-up at its parent company Viacom last fall, and the article stated that the new Viacom leadership wants MTT to do a better job of showing the candidates as more empowered (I'm paraphrasing). Supposedly we'll see evidence of this in the current season.

Yes - “listening to their conversations” - more like scripting them.

[dreamcatcher]

3 hours ago, Lexusprincess said:

Malena was kept in training camp until the very end with performance issues daily.  Her lack of memory and crumbling under pressure on the field and in meetings with k and J was there the entire time of training. camp.  They gave her a lot of time and she should have been cut earlier.  In fact I would have cut her probably before VK.  VK does remember choreography.  So I do not get the comparison.  VK her immature self showed so much more maturity in her cut than Malena.   As to the rest of the story on lies or medical appointments, doctor can't even confirm someone is a patient under HIPPA (a federal law not a state one ) so some of what has been heard etc does not add up.  Did VK act badly towards Jinelle by not texting her back and how she acted in the office... absolutely.  That's different than throwing Jinelle under the bus.  

Malena had a bad audition this year showing her usual weak points such as lack of memory so no mystery why she did not come back.

VK looks great this year.  She has stayed toned.  There will always be some favoritism but she earned her spot in training camp this year.  

Mackenzie's kicks were low and she worked hard on improving them.  Mackenzie was a much better dancer (and better trained) than Ashley.  Her kicks were also not as low as others people keep bringing up such as Truck Taylor and Auto Amy.  I loved Amy (rooted for her and cried when she was cut) but ....her kicks were very low.  

Obviously dcc wouldn’t (and shouldn’t) have access to VK’s medical records. But considering she blamed her weight gain to thyroid issues, got an appointment through dcc for free i’m sure and then blew it off AND lied about it... Kelli had every right to know whether her rookie candidate followed up with the doctor, but apparently it was Jinelle who found out that she never attended, so they didn’t actually make sure she visited the doctor. yeah it does add up with what was shown on the show with Kelli saying she doesn’t want to accuse anyone of dishonesty but something isn’t adding up or whatever. That much I think is confirmed. And as someone who’s spent quite a lot of money on doctors for that same issue, I can’t even express how entitled, spoiled and ungrateful that one thing made her look to me. I wish I had auntie Kelli to essentially pay for my treatment just to get on a team.

As for her maturity over her cut, i don’t have any inside info but you can’t tell me that the girl who was rolling over Kelli’s desk over not getting SG (as a rookie CANDIDATE) saw the light just before her cut somehow. She clearly got advance notice-no way Auntie Kelli would embarrass VK on tv.

Edited September 3, 2019 by dreamcatcher

[Kayce]

3 hours ago, parrotfeathers said:

She also had those hard to resist dimples!

She was and still is cute as can be 🙂

[scorpio1031]

12 minutes ago, dreamcatcher said:

As for her maturity over her cut, i don’t have any inside info but you can’t tell me that the girl who was rolling over Kelli’s desk over not getting SG (as a rookie CANDIDATE) saw the light just before her cut somehow. She clearly got advance notice-no way Auntie Kelli would embarrass VK on tv.

Don't forget about the mascara we didn't see until her cut.  Then we saw lots of it.

[KnyghtRyder]

2 hours ago, scorpio1031 said:

Don't forget about the mascara we didn't see until her cut.  Then we saw lots of it.

Lol. My husband watched that scene with me, and he thought it was hilArious. Not that she was being cut (he isn’t that cruel), but because every time the camera cut back to her, there was more and more mascara running down her face. He said either they have a spray bottle of mascara water that they are spraying in her face when the camera cuts away. OR it’s the shittiest editing ever. Well his exact word were, “Those shitty YouTube videos the kids watch have better editing than these monkeys.”  He also commented, “Isn't she (Victoria) kind of big to be a DCC?” Well, yes dear. Hence the cut. 

For the record, he did watch this episode (S14E5) and when Travis gushed about Victoria, I pointed her out as “mascara girl.” He thinks she looks good, “exactly like a DCC.” Also for the record, he does not care about dance ability. 

[MyFavShows]

5 hours ago, DCC-UK said:

I have to say Mackenzie has always been one of my fave DCCs. She just had that extra sparkle quality that so many of them are missing. She's a powerhouse dancer and her kicks weren't as low as some of the others. She then showed how much she was willing to work for it by visiting a physio and stretching with a veteran. 

I liked Taylor also, she was a powerful dancer also but hers didn't seem to improve as the series went on. 

Amy was pretty rubbish on the dancefloor and with her kicks. 

Not a MacKenzie fan as her post DCC online stuff is some of the most vapid stuff I have ever read in my entire life.   Being that she was in the neighborhood of 30 years old (don’t remember exact age) when she wrote some of that stuff, I think she’s just extremely out of touch w/ reality and the type of girl that makes me kind of embarrassed to be a DCC fan knowing that women like that may make up a good portion of the organization (I actually like to hope she was/is an outlier on the vapid/self-centered scale).

That said, she was very, very pretty, had an adorable figure, and was a great dancer.   Can totally see why K&J gave her a pass on her kicks where they wouldn’t give some of these other girls the same.

Edited September 3, 2019 by MyFavShows

[DCC-UK]

7 hours ago, MyFavShows said:

Not a MacKenzie fan as her post DCC online stuff is some of the most vapid stuff I have ever read in my entire life.   Being that she was in the neighborhood of 30 years old (don’t remember exact age) when she wrote some of that stuff, I think she’s just extremely out of touch w/ reality and the type of girl that makes me kind of embarrassed to be a DCC fan knowing that women like that may make up a good portion of the organization (I actually like to hope she was/is an outlier on the vapid/self-centered scale).

That said, she was very, very pretty, had an adorable figure, and was a great dancer.   Can totally see why K&J gave her a pass on her kicks where they wouldn’t give some of these other girls the same.

I've only followed her for a short while but I've not seen any of this! Can you elaborate? 

[Teriyaki Terror]

I've seen better acting in nudie movies than what went on between Kat and the woman at the nail salon. Where's my eye roll emoji?  

[MrsEVH]

17 hours ago, MyFavShows said:

Not a MacKenzie fan as her post DCC online stuff is some of the most vapid stuff I have ever read in my entire life.   Being that she was in the neighborhood of 30 years old (don’t remember exact age) when she wrote some of that stuff, I think she’s just extremely out of touch w/ reality and the type of girl that makes me kind of embarrassed to be a DCC fan knowing that women like that may make up a good portion of the organization (I actually like to hope she was/is an outlier on the vapid/self-centered scale).

Do you know where I can read some of this? Doesn't she have a blog?

[dreamcatcher]

18 hours ago, MyFavShows said:

Not a MacKenzie fan as her post DCC online stuff is some of the most vapid stuff I have ever read in my entire life.   Being that she was in the neighborhood of 30 years old (don’t remember exact age) when she wrote some of that stuff, I think she’s just extremely out of touch w/ reality and the type of girl that makes me kind of embarrassed to be a DCC fan knowing that women like that may make up a good portion of the organization (I actually like to hope she was/is an outlier on the vapid/self-centered scale).

That said, she was very, very pretty, had an adorable figure, and was a great dancer.   Can totally see why K&J gave her a pass on her kicks where they wouldn’t give some of these other girls the same.

 Well, I highly doubt most of these girls are seriously all about world peace and community outreach and that’s why the chose to dance in underwear for little to no pay.

[MyFavShows]

12 hours ago, MrsEVH said:

Do you know where I can read some of this? Doesn't she have a blog?

It was on a blog of hers of some type.   It was posted on here awhile back - probably on the former DCC thread.  She wrote about her daily life - which was basically about fashion and attending parties and shopping.    I read the current entry and went back a couple more before I couldnt take it any more.    Just really, really vapid stuff for someone her age.

I know these girls aren’t rocket scientists and usually come from privelidged upbringings, but this stuff was especially bad.

Edited September 5, 2019 by MyFavShows

[MyFavShows]

11 hours ago, dreamcatcher said:

 Well, I highly doubt most of these girls are seriously all about world peace and community outreach and that’s why the chose to dance in underwear for little to no pay.

lol.  Yep - very true.  I’m probably falsely believing in the DCC PR spin to expect otherwise.

[EricaShadows]

Re-watched this episode and I forgot how badly Victoria was when Travis pulled her out with the rest of his "chosen" ones.  She was the only one visibly and obviously rushing the counts.  It seemed she was almost a full beat ahead of the rest.  Based on what I saw, even before Travis pulled her out, there was no way Victoria was better than any of the girls there.  She was average at best.  Amanda had attitude and technique to die for.  Gina killed it.  Bridget was amazing.  Kelcey rocked it.  Victoria . . . get some actually technique and training, THEN come back and do something like this and MAYBE we'll talk about you being good.  Best in the room or anything close to that?  Nope.  Not happening.

I would have also cut Meredith based on what I saw, both on the field and in the studio, because she could get someone hurt with her jump splits, but Kelli sure does love a pretty girl and would pick a squad of gorgeous girls (like Meredith and Kelsey L.) even if they had barely any training on the assumption that Judy can bring them up to speed fast enough.

[Neurochick]

On 8/31/2019 at 12:15 AM, Bad Example said:

Well... I'm not charmed by her (well, except how she feels about her cat.  That I like).  I feel as if they love her look so much that they're blind to her lack of dance skill.

I'm kind of charmed by her because if it weren't for her and Chandra, every girl in this show would look exactly the same.  In fact, sometimes when I'm watching, I expect someone to scream, "The cloning experiment worked!"

[Law Mom]

1 minute ago, Neurochick said:

I'm kind of charmed by her because if it weren't for her and Chandra, every girl in this show would look exactly the same.  In fact, sometimes when I'm watching, I expect someone to scream, "The cloning experiment worked!"

You think Maddie, Christina, and Rachel W look exactly the same? I don't think they look anything alike at all.

[Neurochick]

23 minutes ago, Law Mom said:

You think Maddie, Christina, and Rachel W look exactly the same? I don't think they look anything alike at all.

Not look the same, but the same.  How many black/Latina/Asian girls in the squad again?

[Peanutflutter33]

I noticed Victoria’s outfit during uniform fittings was the exact same outfit Alexandria wore during the first training camp meeting. Do the rookies share outfits or does the organization provide some? I’ve always wondered how these girls who seem to be on a tight budget always have such great clothes. 

[pinkandsparkly13]

1 minute ago, Peanutflutter33 said:

I noticed Victoria’s outfit during uniform fittings was the exact same outfit Alexandria wore during the first training camp meeting. Do the rookies share outfits or does the organization provide some? I’ve always wondered how these girls who seem to be on a tight budget always have such great clothes. 

Maybe. There is this one dress in particular that many of the vets have worn in the past to different events. First meeting, panel interviews, banquets. Lol

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I was out of town WITHOUT CABLE (the horror!) so I am finally just now catching up!

I was surprised that Kelli cut Gina Marie and Ashley so early. Has she cut people in the second week of training camp before? Although I understand her logic (kicks/flexibility take time), all I could think was LONI.

The thing that bugged me about Ashley's cut is that her kicks are the same as they were doing auditions so if kicks are a deal breaker, then why bring her into training camp at all? Oh, right, because that's only a deal breaker for some TCCs.

And why were Ashley and Gina Marie cut in the middle of rehearsal and spirited away without all the hugs and tears that other TCCs get after they're cut?

A lot of the rookies had pretty good jump splits right away. Meredith said she'd never done them before, but I thought she made it to training camp last year? Was she cut before they got to the jump splits?

I had to laugh at Kat being SO EXCITED that she's 4% Asian. Girl, calm down. And what was up with that rando at the nail salon offering to let a complete stranger with a camera crew come live with her AND HER YOUNG DAUGHTER?

I get that it's frustrating not to have your living situation settled, and as someone who loves animals I understood when she said that she'd rather live in her car than give up her pet. That being said, if you are bringing a pet with you then it seems pretty important to make sure you're matched with a host family/roommate who is okay with a cat (I'm allergic to cats so I always check before I go to someone's house for the first time).

I still don't understand the point of having a contemporary choreographer like Travis come in and waste an entire rehearsal with a routine that's not in the DCC style (and I'm not just saying that because Travis has clearly drunk the Victoria Kool-Aid - I noticed that she was not on the music during his routine). To me, that's like going to an audition for concert pianists and then saying, "Okay, and now we're going to pass out trombones and see how well you can play them." It's related in that it's still playing an instrument, but it's not what you're here to do.

I'm fine with guests coming in, watching the dancers, and giving feedback. Sometimes they see things that Kelli and Judy don't see, which I think is helpful. I disagree that you need a breakdown in order to have a breakthrough though.

I disagreed with Kelli about Meredith though. She's often a hair behind everyone else but I don't think it's because she's fluid. I think she's just behind.

On 9/7/2019 at 3:09 PM, Neurochick said:

Not look the same, but the same.  How many black/Latina/Asian girls in the squad again?

I think this is one of the reasons they're keeping Kat around. The fact that they referred to her as "exotic looking" in one of the earlier episodes shows the extreme lack of diversity on the team.

Edited September 10, 2019 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

On 8/31/2019 at 6:13 PM, Stephieg84 said:

Travis Wall. I’m a huge SYTYCD fan but have never really liked him. Was probably in the minority celebrating Benji winning season 2.

Same here! I thought Travis was overrated and I was so happy when Benji won!

On 9/1/2019 at 1:27 PM, EricaShadows said:

Their selection process has been highly debated for years and it's been shown that Kelli has a penchant for the pretty girls who can't dance while Judy just wants the girls who can dance (and it doesn't hurt if they're attractive).  If Kelli listened to Judy more often, they'd have a highly talented group who could perform.  Instead, they have a bunch of pretty girls that often have to have extra lessons to get where they need to be (even throughout the season) or do just one year before getting cut. 

In addition, the "only rookie with a perfect score" likely had nothing of the sort if objectively scored, but I feel that the "perfect" score was due entirely (or mostly so) to nepotism, favoritism and pressure from Charlotte and Kelli and NOT due to Victoria's skills, abilities and talents.  Victoria has shown absolutely NO growth in her dancing (as evidenced by her turning abilities), she seemed to have not only been given advanced notice of what questions she was going to be asked in the interview, but those questions were easy compared to what the other girls were given, and has been given a great (and highly selective) edit this year compared to the hot mess she was last year.  I highly doubt she could improve THAT much over a year unless something significant outside the control of Tina, Kelli and Victoria happened to change her and that would have touched her in all SORTS of ways including physically.

The second highest-rated girl had a LOT of things going for her, but I doubt that low kicks were the reason she was cut.  If her kicks were truly that bad (and they didn't think Training Camp would give her enough time to fix them), they shouldn't have brought her into camp.  If it were just kicks, they should have given her more time to fix them as they have with other girls brought into camp.  There has to be other reasons she was cut so quickly and clinically and kicks were just the reason. 

I've questioned Kelli's judgement about girls for YEARS and the past three years have just cemented the fact that Kelli should really be replaced and soon because she's losing the touch that made the team so great.

I wish I could like your post more than once because ITA with all of this. While I understand that Kelli wants the girls to be pretty, she can't keep up that whole "we're the best of the best" schtick if she's keeping girls whose faces are pretty but whose dance skills are noticeably less than the others.