2019 Auditions, Finals, and Training Camp Spoilers

[Jess14]

FWIW, Kat may just like the straight, long hair look. While I certainly think there’s an effort to push all women into looking like barbies, which leads to all of the weaves and wigs on the team, it shouldn’t be assumed that all of the black women want to wear their natural curls or wear braids, etc. Some do, some don’t. It’s possible Kat would still opt for the same wig she has now no matter what DCC encouraged. That may just be what she likes - doesn’t mean she’s trying to “look white.” 

Edited October 22, 2019 by Jess14

[Lona]

5 hours ago, SmpIsimon said:

I's a growing concern that the team is too white.

And yet they got rid of Gabby ...

[kerrieway]

This years squad has Latina girls on the squad and they already had 2 black vets before adding Kat. The squad also would have had Gabby had they not dismissed her at finals.

Last year when Keyra was booted off at finals weren't there like 5 or 6 (including over the top Malena) black women in contention for TCC. 

Has DCC really been so lacking in diversity over the years that they feel panicked about this now? I don't have a problem with DCC choosing girls based on looks, arguably they already do that because traditionally one is supposed to be "DCC pretty" to make the squad but DCC has had black women on the squad since the late 60s /early 70s so I don't think anyone could reasonably accuse them of bias. 

[Sparty99alum]

It's obvious why Kat and Meredith were excited Charlotte was at that almost last rehearsal.  If you see in recent seasons, when Charlotte shows up at end of training camp, she usually announces that they made the team.  So Katand Meredith were thinking she was announcing the team that night!

[kerrieway]

I'm going to assume that some of these comments are coming from a lack of familiarity with black Americans and not from callousness. black Americans are just as, if not in some instances, more genetically diverse than our fellow white Americans. While white Americans might have sets of grandparents who are from various European countries (Irish, Dutch, German etc) the average Black American is of 70 % - 80% African Descent, our skin tone and hair textures therefore vary. 

Kat is no different than Beyonce or Vanessa Williams or any number of Black Americans. There are redheaded and dark blond Black Americans who have those hair colors because of white ancestors. 

Instead of wearing extensions like several other black and white DCCs, Kat is wearing a wig which has ash brown highlights that Kelli and the staff picked out for her look. 

I'd encourage anyone who wants to know more about this topic to do an internet search.

Edited October 23, 2019 by kerrieway

[DanceProf]

7 hours ago, SmpIsimon said:

Kat "made it" because they needed more diversity.  I's a growing concern that the team is too white.

However, Kat has a beautiful face, a gorgeous figure that looks great in the uniform, is photogenic, has a high energy, and is personable.  She has improved over training camp and looks powerful on the field.  By contrast, Meredith has a beautiful face but a boxy figure that does NOT look good in the uniform, was surprisingly stiff and unphotogenic during her cameo shoot, and does not have a powerful presence on the field.  I can understand keeping Kat, but not Meredith.  So the whole speculation about Meredith having some prior connection to the Jones family, or the Bush family, or comes from money or whatever makes more and more sense because I don't get how they'd keep her.  The whole understudy thing is bogus because that's what the All Starts are for--last year Jinelle danced several times, particularly when Yuko was in her car accident at the beginning of the season.  

[blairwaldorf]

Is Meredith an alternate? If so, that’s going to be a disaster. How is she going to fill in for anyone when she can’t pick up new choreography, can’t adapt choreography for any position in the formation, and panics/screws up when she has to make yard line changes on the fly... 

[UnicornKicksBack]

10 minutes ago, kerrieway said:

I'm going to assume that some of these comments are coming from a lack of familiarity with Black Americans and not from callousness. Black Americans are just as, if not in some instances more, genetically diverse than our fellow White Americans. While White Americans might have sets of grandparents who are from various European countries (Irish, Dutch, German etc) the average Black American is 75 % - 85% of African Descent, our skin tone and hair textures therefore vary. 

Kat is no different then Beyonce or Vanessa Williams or any number of Black Americans. There are redheaded and dark blond Black Americans who have those hair colors because of white ancestors. 

Instead of wearing extensions like several other black and white DCCs, Kat is wearing a wig which has ash brown highlights that Kelli and the staff picked out for her look. 

I'd encourage anyone who wants to know more about this topic to do an internet search.

Thank you and this is why I don’t say much on DCC and lack of natural hair. Yes, they could use more WOC, definitely. However I think if DCC hair as part of their costume and that is part of a brand that likes the fake Barbie look. All of these girls have way enhanced hair, nails, makeup, half of them have implants/botox/fillers etc. maybe more lately with the botox and fillers to ‘tighten and lift’ jaws and eyes. But with the hair I personally see it as part of the costume, which is to make them all look the same with very little diversity. 
 

[kalibean]

7 hours ago, veronicamers said:

As it should be (a growing concern, that is). I just read this article about the diversity of the new crop of Rockettes (multiple women of color and a dancer born without a left hand). It is really striking when you compare a group like this to the homogenous DCC. I have to imagine representation is on their minds (again, as it should be).

https://nypost.com/2019/10/19/meet-the-new-diverse-faces-of-the-rockettes/?fbclid=IwAR2YB5rjNrD6Sx5A9qTT2wSRwX-2XthlNeiiqPck_o8b0yCdoA8ENYcgZ_A

Thank you for posting that article! Of note, it mentions that a few of the Rockettes are into their 40’s, and seven are moms. That’s so awesome IMO. Was it this year that a former TCC in her 40’s tried out? I wish her dancing was stronger, bc she looked incredible. The squad has gotten so slim I don’t know many 30++ that would make it on the HD screen. As Kelli and my grandma always said, five pounds on the waist takes five years off the face. 
 

As for the Rockettes, good on them for expanding their casting calls and having a more diverse team. Jacie was only one of two (visibly) black women on the team last year when I saw their performance live. (Can highly recommend btw!)

[PhillyFan]

1 hour ago, kerrieway said:

This years squad has Latina girls on the squad and they already had 2 black vets before adding Kat. The squad also would have had Gabby had they not dismissed her at finals.

Last year when Keyra was booted off at finals weren't there like 5 or 6 (including over the top Malena) black women in contention for TCC. 

Has DCC really been so lacking in diversity over the years that they feel panicked about this now? I don't have a problem with DCC choosing girls based on looks, arguably they already do that because traditionally one is supposed to be "DCC pretty" to make the squad but DCC has had black women on the squad since the late 60s /early 70s so I don't think anyone could reasonably accuse them of bias. 

Is this an argument saying that DCC IS diverse because of a couple of Latinas and 3 black women and a history of a few other black women?? Because I don’t think it’s making the point you think it is. It’s showing how woefully behind they are in diversity. There are TONS of WOC with the DCC look/style out there, no reason more shouldn’t be on the team. 

[Bellisima08]

22 hours ago, ATLGirl said:

I find it interesting that up until now, they’ve had All Stars fill in when they get injuries. Why have they now invented this alternate set up? So they could keep Meredith when they know she’s a train wreck? As Kitty would say, did her uncle buy the studio floor?

I've wondered about that as well. The only reason that's come to my mind is that maybe they didn't want to have to pay an All-Star extra for appearing in a game in addition to what they pay her for All-Star duties? I don't think I've ever heard what All-Stars get paid for their appearances. Or maybe TPTB just want to keep the All-Stars as a separate thing.

[Bellisima08]

On 10/21/2019 at 11:14 AM, MelissaB326 said:

One of my Instagram friends was at the game last night and her view showed a very crooked line during the kick line, all I could think of was Judy yelling “Lines!”

K&J must have been inwardly screaming when they saw this on the big screen. What is going on with the middle section that is causing such a snafu? Are all the Rookies in the middle? Is VK so off balance that she's pulling everyone out of alignment with her? We need answers!

[TUOwl84]

Chandi isn’t white either. She is part Trinidad and Tobago if I recall correctly, which is Caribbean. 
 

[DCCobsessed]

I just saw on Instagram that it’s Meredith and Lily that Kelli calls into her office together!!! Does that mean they are the alternates?

[Holly85]

12 minutes ago, DCCobsessed said:

I just saw on Instagram that it’s Meredith and Lily that Kelli calls into her office together!!! Does that mean they are the alternates?

That’s what I think 

[DCCobsessed]

And Lily’s face looked really sad. 

[Holly85]

1 minute ago, DCCobsessed said:

And Lily’s face looked really sad. 

Yes she did look sad for sure 

[JarlenaFan2023]

14 minutes ago, DCCobsessed said:

I just saw on Instagram that it’s Meredith and Lily that Kelli calls into her office together!!! Does that mean they are the alternates?

Can you provide a link please? I can't find it (which doesn't mean it's not there....)

[Holly85]

1 minute ago, BluegrassDCCFan said:

Can you provide a link please? I can't find it (which doesn't mean it's not there....)

It’s on their ig story 

[JarlenaFan2023]

1 minute ago, Holly85 said:

It’s on their ig story 

the regular DCC insta or MTT's?

[Holly85]

Just now, BluegrassDCCFan said:

the regular DCC insta or MTT's?

Mtt 

[JarlenaFan2023]

Just now, Holly85 said:

Mtt 

Still not even finding a MTT insta.  Just the team's.  I'm technologically challenged tonight

1 minute ago, BluegrassDCCFan said:

Still not even finding a MTT insta.  Just the team's.  I'm technologically challenged tonight

I found it

https://www.instagram.com/dccmakingtheteam/

[Holly85]

1 minute ago, BluegrassDCCFan said:

Still not even finding a MTT insta.  Just the team's.  I'm technologically challenged tonight

Dccmaking the team they have a blue pink picture on their story 

[DCCobsessed]

Try dccmtt.  I don’t know how to post links. 

[kerrieway]

1 hour ago, PhillyFan said:

Is this an argument saying that DCC IS diverse because of a couple of Latinas and 3 black women and a history of a few other black women?? Because I don’t think it’s making the point you think it is. It’s showing how woefully behind they are in diversity. There are TONS of WOC with the DCC look/style out there, no reason more shouldn’t be on the team. 

My point is why now? Is DCC concerned that they don't appear representative of America's team? Is DCC concerned that they appear biased. IMO the biggest factor as to why more women of different race/ethnicities aren't on the the team is because less have tried out.  2017 squad had what 5 or 6 black women on the squad as well as Yuko and whoever else was a latina on the team like Selina? IMO black women and women of other races are welcome if they have what DCC is looking for.  

Edited October 23, 2019 by kerrieway

[JarlenaFan2023]

Just now, DCCobsessed said:

Try dccmtt.  I don’t know how to post links. 

I got it. https://www.instagram.com/dccmakingtheteam/

1 minute ago, Holly85 said:

Dccmaking the team they have a blue pink picture on their story 

I finally got it https://www.instagram.com/dccmakingtheteam/

[FutureDCC]

Everything about this thumbnail, title, and everything just sums up what this show has become to me.  Nothing more than an attempt to manufacture drama instead of a true documentary style insight to cuts and choosing girls based on dance ability.  I miss the old days 😞 ELIMINATED ‼️❌

[5678Pixie]

Everywhere on social media they have "eliminated" her.  The comments on here do not sound good if she plans to come back.  

[PhillyFan]

1 hour ago, kerrieway said:

My point is why now? Is DCC concerned that they don't appear representative of America's team? Is DCC concerned that they appear biased. IMO the biggest factor as to why more women of different race/ethnicities aren't on the the team is because less have tried out.  2017 squad had what 5 or 6 black women on the squad as well as Yuko and whoever else was a latina on the team like Selina? IMO black women and women of other races are welcome if they have what DCC is looking for.  

I don’t think it is just now that it’s a concern for many people. You say 5-6 like that’s a lot...if they were truly equally welcome, the squad would be made up of more than 16% black women (even less right now). It’s absolutely a problem even if it’s not consciously intentional by TPTB. 

Edited October 23, 2019 by PhillyFan

[forumborum]

On 10/19/2019 at 4:45 PM, Jess14 said:

I don't see how Julia was treated that badly, compared to everyone else (the training camp process is ridiculous). I like her just fine and would've been fine with her making it, but her cut does not even come to being one of the more egregious examples or unfairness or politics in the DCC world through the years. Even this season, Shaina has more reason to be mad than Julia, and Kelli was meaner to both Jalyn and Madeline, IMO.

I gather that Julia is a lovely person and well-liked among people who know her, but as someone who doesn't know her, she didn't come off like she is the sharpest tool in the shed on the show, and the conspiracy theories (Lisa got her cut; the NBC anchor set her up at media day) have not panned out. Beyond the absurdity of cutting girls at the eleventh hour, which they need to stop, Julia's cut seemed fairly standard to me. Meredith is basically the only one who I definitely would've cut over her.  

My response is everyone that EVERYONE available From the DCC when  Julia was cut went together to iHop in support of her regardless of if we think she should have been cut.  THE ONLY rookie missing is Lisa.  Supports the tension between the two .

Regarding ethnicity :  Lisa doesn’t speak a word of Spanish, the organization hired someone within the organization to teach her to say a “ethnically  promotional comments “ they think with give them more supporters 

[kerrieway]

14 minutes ago, PhillyFan said:

I don’t think it is just now that it’s a concern for many people. You say 5-6 like that’s a lot...

I said black women, Yuko, and whoever else is latina. For all I know that could be 10 women of color (as some like to say, I don't personally use WOC because I don't like lumping a bunch of women together just because they happen to be non-white but whatever). 10 women out of 36 would be proportionate to the US population which is like 67% white. 

But even if it wasn't proportionate to US pop, I really think DCC is pulling from whoever is trying out. Heck I'd love to see a bunch of pretty women of all backgrounds trying out for the squad but where are they? 

The Miami Dolphins squad is packed with lots of latinas and blacks and only a few white women because those are Miami's demographics. 

[Matilda]

4 minutes ago, kerrieway said:

I said black women, Yuko, and whoever else is latina. For all I know that could be 10 women of color (as some like to say, I don't personally use WOC because I don't like lumping a bunch of women together just because they happen to be non-white but whatever). 10 women out of 36 would be proportionate to the US population which is like 67% white. 

But even if it wasn't proportionate to US pop, I really think DCC is pulling from whoever is trying out. Heck I'd love to see a bunch of pretty women of all backgrounds trying out for the squad but where are they? 

The Miami Dolphins squad is packed with lots of latinas and blacks and only a few white women because those are Miami's demographics. 

Uh, this is Texas we're talking about - Dallas in particular. If we go by demographics over a third of the team should be Latina. I actually don't think that they're consciously discriminating, though. I just think that they pay so little and don't seem very welcoming to diversity, so non-white dancers don't even apply. Not to mention that you have to sign up to sell your soul to CMT and the Dallas Cowboys organization so that they can follow you around with cameras your whole life. Who wants that when you can go to Broadway or tour with Hamilton? 

[kalibean]

Dallas Cowboys are “America’s Team and all, but Dallas itself is super diverse. Almost a quarter of residents are foreign born, and it’s 42% Hispanic...tho many Hispanic people are considered white, and white folks are around 60%. Black Dallasites are 25%. 
 

I do think the emphasis on technical dancers as well as the sheer numbers game has caused some decline for WOC. Would someone as amazing as Nicole Hamilton make it now?  But I also feel like every year we see a lot of women that don’t make camp even though they’re in the final round. I’m still sad about Seattle Miranda 😂 

I also feel like the vast majority of black women that make it into camp are AMAZING dancers, and we rarely get a WOC that’s a “blender.” Sure, there’s Alexandra and Amy that couldn’t make it through, and Kat has her issues, but I think about Jacie and Jenna and Kirsten and Robyn and oodles more. IMO, they seem to be held to a higher standard than some others. I don’t know that it’s purposeful, but until Kat, I can’t really think of an average black DCC. And Kat is stunning and full of personality, and looks like she’s doing great with the dancing too. 

[kerrieway]

Ok you all have taught me about Dallas demographics and I appreciate it. If it's 50% white and 15% black then the rest truly would seem to be hispanic and other. 

I'm still not convinced that DCC would exclude women of different backgrounds if they met the standard.

Your point about blenders is interesting and I think it's a good point. I'm actually going back and forth in my mind because I'm not sure where to land on this one.

I remember that Keyra tried out for 3 years prior and the judges didn't even remember her until the year she made the team so that could support overlooking diverse talent. They were surprised they had missed her and said she was a firecracker. I think K & J used to call Jasmine Goode clunky but kept her for 4 years anyway, she's the only black girl I can think of that made the team and wasn't absolutely amazing. Auto Amy was a bit stiff but I adored her and thought she was pretty and they kept her to the end of TCC. Dance wise Malena was worse than a blender and they kept her until the end of TCC, if she hadn't freaked out when they cut her I think they might have brought her back to TCC this year. 

Edited October 23, 2019 by kerrieway

[Tuxcat]

Can anyone confirm that it's in fact Lily who is an alternate? Has she been sitting out games this season? I thought it was already confirmed to be Kat and Meredith.

When Charlotte was observing she said "this one surprises me." The show made it seem like she was talking about Meredith but in fact, she circled Lily on her picture sheet right after she said that. 

[Holly85]

28 minutes ago, Tuxcat said:

Can anyone confirm that it's in fact Lily who is an alternate? Has she been sitting out games this season? I thought it was already confirmed to be Kat and Meredith.

When Charlotte was observing she said "this one surprises me." The show made it seem like she was talking about Meredith but in fact, she circled Lily on her picture sheet right after she said that. 

She has danced in all games so far only ladies that have sat out has been veterans 

Edited October 23, 2019 by Holly85

[dccmttfan]

On 10/20/2019 at 9:12 PM, Holly85 said:

I’m at the game Meredith is no good I’m sorry 

How did Kat, Lily and the other rookies do?

[Holly85]

8 minutes ago, dccmttfan said:

How did Kat, Lily and the other rookies do?

They did good Meredith is sloppy from what little bit I saw of her 

[OK Lucy]

7 hours ago, Jess14 said:

FWIW, Kat may just like the straight, long hair look. While I certainly think there’s an effort to push all women into looking like barbies, which leads to all of the weaves and wigs on the team, it shouldn’t be assumed that all of the black women want to wear their natural curls or wear braids, etc. Some do, some don’t. It’s possible Kat would still opt for the same wig she has now no matter what DCC encouraged. That may just be what she likes - doesn’t mean she’s trying to “look white.” 

Kat has had a media presence for many years, since at least 2012 when she was Miss North Carolina in the Miss teen USA pageant. There are many pics of her on the internet, and in most of them she has long, straight hair. In some she has long wavy or soft curly hair, but long and straight seems to be her favorite look.

The wigs she currently wears are lighter in color than her hair in past pics, but she isn’t the first woman to lighter her hair color for the DCC. While she may have chosen, or had a lighter hair color chosen for her by TPTB, her current style is one she frequently wears. 

[kalibean]

1 hour ago, kerrieway said:

Ok you all have taught me about Dallas demographics and I appreciate it. If it's 50% white and 15% black then the rest truly would seem to be hispanic and other. 

I'm still not convinced that DCC would exclude women of different backgrounds if they met the standard.

Your point about blenders is interesting and I think it's a good point. I'm actually going back and forth in my mind because I'm not sure where to land on this one.

I remember that Keyra tried out for 3 years prior and the judges didn't even remember her until the year she made the team so that could support overlooking diverse talent. They were surprised they had missed her and said she was a firecracker. I think K & J used to call Jasmine Goode clunky but kept her for 4 years anyway, she's the only black girl I can think of that made the team and wasn't absolutely amazing. Auto Amy was a bit stiff but I adored her and thought she was pretty and they kept her to the end of TCC. Dance wise Malena was worse than a blender and they kept her until the end of TCC, if she hadn't freaked out when they cut her I think they might have brought her back to TCC this year. 

I used to analyze demographics as part of building knowledge on our customer base, so I love that kind of stuff!

I completely forgot about Jasmine!! Absolutely a blender, but still always a surprise when a multi year vet gets cut. I don’t feel like we’ve seen that happen often since the show began. Raylee had two years when she was cut, right? No one else is coming to mind. 
 

Keyra had a lot of really good friends on the team, so that might have helped get her a second look...and she was so powerful for her rookie class. I remember thinking that was a weaker group, with little heather (sorry, I know she’s popular here), Allie, Milan, etc. I think in other years she would have been passed over for a taller girl with a slimmer build vs her gymnast build. Bc that’s what Kelli seems to prefer. Even her shorties have long, slim legs for their size. 

[forumborum]

2 hours ago, Tuxcat said:

Can anyone confirm that it's in fact Lily who is an alternate? Has she been sitting out games this season? I thought it was already confirmed to be Kat and Meredith.

When Charlotte was observing she said "this one surprises me." The show made it seem like she was talking about Meredith but in fact, she circled Lily on her picture sheet right after she said that. 

Let’s be clear.  In the years past: they “made the team” and rotated.  You all need to not get hung up on alternates”.  In DCC world they”rotate” the position based on who needs to step out and who has the potential to step into a Certain spot and lol good doing it 

Edited October 23, 2019 by forumborum

[parrotfeathers]

Has Kelli, Judy, Shelley or Charlotte ever said the word "alternate?"

If not, where did that rumor start?

If it isn't a rumor, shouldn't the last episode reveal the fact there will be 2 alternates?

[UnicornKicksBack]

5 hours ago, forumborum said:

Let’s be clear.  In the years past: they “made the team” and rotated.  You all need to not get hung up on alternates”.  In DCC world they”rotate” the position based on who needs to step out and who has the potential to step into a Certain spot and lol good doing it 

Thank you I feel like sometimes things that are said one time get set in stone not considering that just because it happened once doesn’t mean it’s a hard fast rule and also that rules can change. 

[PattiD4DCC]

21 hours ago, veronicamers said:

As it should be (a growing concern, that is). I just read this article about the diversity of the new crop of Rockettes (multiple women of color and a dancer born without a left hand). It is really striking when you compare a group like this to the homogenous DCC. I have to imagine representation is on their minds (again, as it should be).

https://nypost.com/2019/10/19/meet-the-new-diverse-faces-of-the-rockettes/?fbclid=IwAR2YB5rjNrD6Sx5A9qTT2wSRwX-2XthlNeiiqPck_o8b0yCdoA8ENYcgZ_A

Very interesting article. Thank you for sharing! Wouldn't the "best of the best" love to have this many talented dancers from whom to choose?!  Even with the much stricter prerequisites to try out for Rockettes they had about 800 more candidates than DCC (which I realize they said was an anomaly this year). With the rapidly shrinking pool of candidates for DCC -- whether caused by the show, irrelevancy or some other factor -- TPTB are lucky to form a decent squad of any color (and have they this year?)  much less a diverse one. 

From the article: "Of nearly 950 wannabes who tried out this year, only 13 newcomers were hired — but that was the most at one time in nearly two decades, a spokeswoman said. Candidates must be proficient in tap, jazz and ballet, 5’6” to 5’10 in height, and at least 18 years old."

[OK Lucy]

1 hour ago, PattiD4DCC said:

Very interesting article. Thank you for sharing! Wouldn't the "best of the best" love to have this many talented dancers from whom to choose?!  Even with the much stricter prerequisites to try out for Rockettes they had about 800 more candidates than DCC (which I realize they said was an anomaly this year). With the rapidly shrinking pool of candidates for DCC -- whether caused by the show, irrelevancy or some other factor -- TPTB are lucky to form a decent squad of any color (and have they this year?)  much less a diverse one. 

From the article: "Of nearly 950 wannabes who tried out this year, only 13 newcomers were hired — but that was the most at one time in nearly two decades, a spokeswoman said. Candidates must be proficient in tap, jazz and ballet, 5’6” to 5’10 in height, and at least 18 years old."

Rockettes are professional dancers and are treated as such. They belong to a union and receive a negotiated salary. Their contracts are seasonal, and they earn around $40K for the September-January season but get benefits year round. In the very competitive NYC dance market, that is a good deal. They can teach or do gig work off season and still have benefits. 

Contrast that with NFL dancers in general, who had to sue to get the teams to offer anything but token pay to their dancers, and it’s still very low. Does anyone know if DCC get benefits? If they do it is certainly not year round. 

The difference might help to explain the difference in number of applicants applying. The Rockettes are professionals, and the DCC are treated as part time hobbyists even though they are held to professional dance standards.

[ATLGirl]

The only time I remember hearing the word "alternate" used on the show (except for Show Group where they have alternates) was when Yuko had to go back to Japan to deal with her visa issues and missed a field rehearsal. They were concerned that being gone would make it hard for her to lean the DCC walk, etc. I recall Kelli saying "we may have to consider her as an alternate."

I've been wrong many times about the show but that's the only time I recall that word being used in context with the team (besides Show Group) until we started hearing it this season.

I guess all will be revealed about that on Friday?

[PattiD4DCC]

28 minutes ago, OK Lucy said:

Rockettes are professional dancers and are treated as such. They belong to a union and receive a negotiated salary. Their contracts are seasonal, and they earn around $40K for the September-January season but get benefits year round. In the very competitive NYC dance market, that is a good deal. They can teach or do gig work off season and still have benefits. 

Contrast that with NFL dancers in general, who had to sue to get the teams to offer anything but token pay to their dancers, and it’s still very low. Does anyone know if DCC get benefits? If they do it is certainly not year round. 

The difference might help to explain the difference in number of applicants applying. The Rockettes are professionals, and the DCC are treated as part time hobbyists even though they are held to professional dance standards.

Well, there is all that -- which are all interesting and strong points - your first paragraph is all news to me and I'm happy to know it.  But I will say during the older seasons of MTT they were drawing 2 to 3 times the number of candidates they are now -- even when the candidates knew there was little to nothing in it payment wise for them. 

[tteek74]

11 hours ago, Kikilovesme said:

Is this confirmed? Did Lisa ever say that she doesn’t speak “a word of Spanish”? She may not be fluent, but I highly doubt that she cannot say a few words. Regardless, not speaking fluent Spanish does not make you any less Latinx or Hispanic. Many American families with latinx or Hispanic heritage elect not to teach their kids Spanish because speaking Spanish in public can be highly frowned upon and lead to discrimination. I have no problem with someone teaching her, who identifies as Latina, to say a few Spanish phrases for Hispanic heritage month.

I will say this. She may understand it, but not speak it fluently. My best friend is Hispanic, and his family spoke English because they were trying to learn it and he never picked up Spanish fluently. He can understand and comprehend as well as speak, but definitely not fluent. So it can happen. I don’t know what Lisa’s situation is. If the Cowboys staff is doing that, that’s a bit misleading. She sounds like she speaks Spanish though or at least knows the language.

[Anduril]

15 hours ago, PhillyFan said:

Is this an argument saying that DCC IS diverse because of a couple of Latinas and 3 black women and a history of a few other black women?? Because I don’t think it’s making the point you think it is. It’s showing how woefully behind they are in diversity. There are TONS of WOC with the DCC look/style out there, no reason more shouldn’t be on the team. 

At what point is there "enough" diversity? Not trying to start an argument, I'm just curious.

[chabelisaywow]

Quote

Thank you for posting that article! 

This is why I call the "world class" moniker bs.  My daughter danced at her home studio with a current Rockette. They did kickline at the studio and my daughter did the Rockette intensive and was encouraged to audition - if she made height - she didn't (5'5 1/2") There is a "corps de Rockette" - as my daughter's friend did a season in Nashville first at the Grand Ole Opry before signing a NYC contract.  Kelli et all can suck a bag of dicks.  They should be honest and say they are filling a team with girls of THEIR choice and their choice only.  Talent, attitude, etc be damned.  At least they'd be honest.