03x04 - Americana, Darling

[bunniefuu]

[indistinct chatter]

[Faith crying softly] I hope she's okay.
She's my best friend here.

Why am I upset?
I don't even know what's happening.

It's just such
a crazy environment, isn't it?

- It is. It's intense.
- It's just everything. Stop crying.

No.

[tense music playing]

- [Kelli] Here's… Hey!
- [Emily A] Hello.

[Judy] How are you?

- I am good. How are you?
- [Judy] Good.

[Kelli] Emily,
what was your number at finals?

Twelve.

[Kelli] Well, finals was your jam.

And you captivated the judges,
and you made it into training camp.

Now, we're in training camp.

And you're… Here is 36. You're down here.

We're not seeing the confidence
that we saw at finals,

and I think that is simply
probably a style and what you're used to.

It's troubling 'cause
I think you're, technically,

probably one of the stronger ones,

and then our style
might just be new to you.

You're not veteran-ready or game-ready.

I agree, at this moment,
but I do feel it's the

- newness of it.
- Mm-hmm.

- It's the environment.
- Is this your first time on turf?

- Yes. So it's definitely foreign to me.
- [Kelli] Yeah.

And we haven't even started
doing yard lines yet.

[Emily A] Right.

But we can definitely tell

on our dances when you mess up,
because you just shut down.

- Yes.
- [Kelli] We've talked to you about that.

- You can't be a professional and quit.
- Right. Absolutely.

But we see the potential or we
wouldn't be having this conversation.

We don't want to release you tonight.

We'd like to see
what each night can bring.

I appreciate the honesty,
and I think I can get there for you.

I am one of those people that takes

a bit more than

- everyone else, maybe, I would say.
- Mm-hmm.

But when I get it, I get it.

I, like, feel it. I know it's there.
I just… I need to get there.

- Okay.
- [Judy] Okay.

- So I want to get there for you. Yes.
- [Kelli] Okay.

Well, that's what
training camp's for, so we'll…

we'll give it a little bit more time.

Ooh! Okay! Thank you. Thank you so much.

- [Kelli] Good night.
- Good night.

[laughs]

She'd be fun.

- There's something cool about her.
- Mm-hmm.

- [Kelli] Okay.
- [Judy] Next is Emily R.

[Kelli] Is she a Golden girl?
She's not a Tiger girl.

- She's a Golden girl.
- She's short for a Golden girl.



[Megan] And four. Pom. Change. Step.

Hi.

- I need Emily R.
- [Megan] Yup.

[Faith] I couldn't focus
the whole time you were gone.

I'm gonna cry, seriously.

[exclaims] She's my girl.

Glad you're still here.

- [somber music playing]
- [Faith] It's so hard.

Okay, she's here.

- Metairie. Am I saying that right? Here…
- [Emily R] Yes, ma'am.

- [Judy] There's her accent.
- [laughs] The accent?

- Yeah, you can hear it.
- Really?

Why y'all all have
low voices in Louisiana?

I do have a deep voice.
Everyone says I have a deep voice.

- You do. Um…
- I do.

We've had two weeks with y'all.

- We've seen what we need to see.
- Yes, ma'am.

So here's how y'all are scoring,

and you're down here.

[sighs]

And that unfortunately leaves us with

we've gotta start making
these team releases.

- Yes, ma'am.
- And you're gonna be one of them.

- Okay. Sorry.
- Um…

Do you have any questions?

Is there anything…

Like, would y'all
recommend coming back next year? Or…

[Kelli] I'm not sure.

I have said that to some girls,
and I don't want to mislead you either.

If your frame is built for high kicks,
then I'd say yes.

If your… Like, I mean,
we've had some girls that just can't.

[Emily R] Right.

- Did that answer your question?
- Yes, ma'am.

- Sorry.
- I'm trying to be… Yeah, no, I understand.

[somber music playing]

- [Kelli] I'm sorry to disappoint.
- No, no worries. It's okay. [sniffles]

Thank y'all so much.

- [Judy] We are glad you were a part of it.
- Thank y'all.

[somber music continues]

- [Judy] It's hard when…
- Especially when you're the first.

It's hard for them. It's hard for us.

- [indistinct chatter]
- [expectant music playing]

- [woman] I feel sick.
- [Emily A] Are you okay?

[woman] I'm good.

[Faith] I genuinely
feel more for other people. Like…

Like, if she's gone,
that's gonna be the worst.

- Oh my God. Like, this is so…
- [somber music playing]

Ugh.

It was just like all of a sudden,
boom, training camp started.

The first cut's been made.
Like, that's when it starts getting real.

It's so hard. We all get so close
so quickly, and it's like…

[voice breaking] It's just so sad because
you know how much effort goes into this

and making your dream become a reality,

and it's just taken away
from you like that.

[Michele] Let's get back at it.

[Faith] You have no words.

It's just the worst
feeling in the world, seriously.

Oh my God, I feel sick.

[Kevin, softly] Yes, that's a good girl.

Do you like Parker?

I know.

Mmm.

[gentle music playing]

That's my good girl.

Yeah. What do you think?

What do you think, huh? What do you think?

Ugh, Nix, you are getting hair
all over the place.

All over the place. Mm-hmm.

You are. Ugh.

Hair, actually, it's interesting for me.

Um…

When I was a senior in high school,
I knew I didn't want to go to college.

Uh, I've been obsessed with my hair
since forever, and I was just kinda like,

"Well, I don't want to flip burgers
for the rest of my life,

so I'll give this a try."

Went to hair school,
and I fell in love with it,

and thankfully, I ended up
actually being pretty good at it.

This is my third year
as lead stylist for DCC.

I think we need some wine
for this, for sure.

Okay, it's a tough decision.

It's tough, isn't it?

[Kevin] Tomorrow is our makeover day
for the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders.

It's a big day. It's very long. It's, um…

I mean, we're probably gonna be there for…

God, probably about 12 hours or so.

- [woman 1] Excited?
- [woman 2] Yes.

[Kevin] From what I understood
was there were gonna be two cuts made

uh, before makeovers, and that
was supposed to happen by Friday night.

I heard from DCC
that only one cut was made,

so that just makes our day
a little bit longer for makeover day,

but there's usually one hair girl
that Kelli fixates on.

["Thunderstruck" playing on speakers]

[Kelli] That hair,
it covers up her pretty face.

[Judy] Okay, y'all come center.

Faith, your hair was covering
your beautiful face.

- So just pay attention to that.
- Yeah.

- And maybe you can kind of…
- Stylize, yeah.

- Yeah.
- Exactly. Thank you so much, ma'am. Yep.

And that's not a hairstyle thing.
That's just the way you use it.

- Yeah.
- It's the hairography.

[pounding synth music playing]

[Kevin] Hairography
can make a huge difference.

You have to know how to move it

and whip it, and I think honestly

that can be just
as hard as throwing a high kick.

'Cause it will stand out,
make a difference.

[Emily A] That is definitely a thing,
hairography.

There's, like, specific hair whips,
and if you're not practicing it, boom!

Hair in the face. Hair in the eyelashes.

Don't think about lip gloss.

Don't even think about it
'cause the… matte lip only.

And those are things
that you wouldn't know.

Karley does this hair flip really well,
so I'm gonna try and do that part.

[Shelly] Do you see what she did there?

And you just find
those moments when it clicks.

Come up sooner,
so it's kind of, like, hotter.

- Yeah. That looks good.
- Oh!

Their hair is almost a prop
and an accent to the choreography.

I mean, I'll be dated here,
but even you can think back

to Dorothy Hamill skating in the Olympics

and just remember
the movement of her hair.

Certainly back then, '70s and '80s,

the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders,
and even Texas,

and just women in entertainment
in general,

hair is the way of getting attention.

Again, in a stadium,
you have to have these big elements.

Everything's bigger here in Texas.
We want big hair. We want big cars.

We want big houses.

I would say it's the true Southern way.

[Kelli] Hairography, it's precision
and projection at its finest

with the motion and movement of hair.

It is definitely
a part of performance now.

[Kevin] Saw a couple hair flips in there.
Oh yeah!

[Kelli] There's been great cases

of someone's hair is way off,
and we can fix that.

- I think she really needs a Texas tease.
- Yes.

[man] Something big in there.

I've been on the judging panel before,

and I'm like, "I don't see her messing up,
but something doesn't look right."

- And it's usually the hair.
- [whimsical music playing]

[Faith] I didn't know how to whip my hair
as well as some of the other girls.

I feel like I'm a bit of a head sweater.

Like when I get hot,
my sweat just comes from my head,

and it instantly just looks gross.

Um, and I was always looking
at the girls at practice, and I was like,

"You all look great and don't look sweaty
like me. I look like a drowned rat."

It's just adding the style now.
I've got the choreo. It's just stylizing.

[Shelly] You do have
your hair in your face.

Like, work your hair more.

You're a victim of your hair.
So work it a little bit more.

[Kevin] Hair is such a part
of your personality.

It's an extension of that girl.

I think I like Faith's hair a lot.
Like, it's very pretty.

All I think I want to do with her
is just give her a brighter money piece

- right here in the front.
- Yeah.

- With Bri…
- [Rosemary] Yeah.

I feel like she's too dark.

For my first year, Kelli probably
pushed back a little bit more

on some of the suggestions I made.

Her face is beautiful.
I wanted to take it left,

and I said like a short, curly cut.

Like, see how mine's, like, short?
But keep it curly.

- See? I told you that face was coming.
- Or taper it…

[Kevin] Just like anybody
sitting down in my chair,

you know, there's always
gonna be a little bit of a hesitation.

But now I feel like,
after working with her for so long,

I feel like she does trust me more.

And I think she also knows that I'm
not gonna do anything that's going to

go astray from the traditional DCC look.

Can I tell you what I want to do so bad?

[stylists laughing]

I want to take her to strawberry blonde.

[Kelli] Okay, maybe.

[Kevin] My favorite color
to work with is reds.

Reds, reds, reds all day. I love them.

Um…

I know that every year
I bring up turning someone to a red.

Kelli and Judy definitely both get very,
a little nervous.

They get a little angsty.

Um, but I think Savanna would just be
an absolute beautiful strawberry blonde.

So it'll be interesting to see
if Kelli's on board with that.

Okay.

Will you help me tell Kelli

that Savanna needs to be
a strawberry blonde?

Will you come with me tomorrow, please?
Mmm? [kisses]

I'm determined.
She's gonna be a redhead. Yeah.

[Parker exclaims]

- That is hot.
- [Savanna] Yeah.

I'm so excited for uniform.

- But I'm also nervous of putting it on.
- Like, "Please, can I make it that far?"

I think it'd be like
worse getting to that point.

- Putting it on--
- And then getting cut.

- Yeah, and then getting cut.
- It's hard.

I just think it's what they feel
when they feel.

- Which is scary, you know?
- It is really scary.

My guess is that there will be cuts
the night before uniform fitting.

[exclaims]

That is so spooky.

I still felt caught off guard
by Emily being released.

I didn't feel like she would have been…

if in that little rank that they have,
at the bottom.

Um, but so it kind of just goes to show
it's not always gonna be clear.

And there's so many reasons
why they can make those decisions.

It could be something like height.

I feel like there's
no rhyme or reason to anything.

- Yeah.
- I keep trying to look for a pattern…

or I keep trying to be like, this or that.

And I think it always changes.

Yeah.

Like, I walk off, and I'm like,
I feel like I did good.

- But, like, am I good enough?
- Yeah.

Like, I just think that's what you ask.

- Was it enough? Was it enough?
- Yeah. Yeah.

[Savanna] DCC has been
years and years of a goal.

Ten years working every single day for it.

This is my whole life.
I… I don't have, like, a job right now.

I'm not teaching right now, and…

definitely, like, it's all I think about.

Do I need to take care of my body,
take care of my mental state?

Or do I need to be in the studio
practicing, practicing, practicing,

till it's perfect?

I just… I don't know the right answer
'cause you're in it, you know?

- I'm washing my hair after this.
- I don't know what to do.

My hair is disgusting, but do I wash it?
Because… Yeah, probably.

- I know we have makeovers and stuff, but…
- Yeah.

I want them to see my hair washed

because it's shorter when it's clean.

It, like, shrinks up more.

So then maybe they won't cut off as much.

- You think they're gonna cut it?
- Yeah.

- What?
- Yeah.

Tori said something about,
"I want to give you a heads-up,

so that when you see it,
you can be like, 'Oh, I love it.'"

And I was like, "If I hate it, I can't.
I'm not pretending like I like it."

- [laughing] Parker!
- I can't. I can't do it.

I'm sorry, it's my hair. My hair is like…
I don't play about my hair.

That's so funny because my hair
is my biggest insecurity.

Is it? Your hair suits you so well.

- Well, that's 'cause half of it's fake.
- Well…

And you don't see it natural,
and you don't see it normal, like…

- That's fine.
- They're gonna see it raw tomorrow. Jeez!

[intriguing music playing]

[indistinct chatter]

[Kevin] Walking into a makeover day is…

It's exciting, but, I mean, it can be,
I'm assuming, pretty terrifying.

[Kelli] Emily, Faith, Parker.

Savanna.

[echoing] Tatum.

[Kevin] These girls, they come in,

they're already
all so beautiful and gorgeous,

but, you know, some of them
need just a little tweak here and there.

Some of them need
a little bit of a bigger makeover.

Have you ever dyed your hair?

Your hair's a virgin?
Your hair's a virgin?

- [Parker] Oh yeah.
- We have some virgin hair.

[woman] That's wild!

[Parker] I want to keep virgin hair.

[Kevin] In the past nine years
that I've been working with them,

I've never had a girl say no
to anything that

DCC or Kelli wanted them to do.

There have been times
I think there's a little hesitation

that you can kind of see
behind their eyes.

I think a lot of the girls know
that it's kind of like a…

"Whatever they say is what I'm gonna get,
even if I don't like it,"

and I can understand how
there would be a lot of pressure there.

Yeah. [laughs]

I've literally never done anything
to my hair ever.

- It's so exciting.
- [Parker] That terrifies me.

I don't know how much better I can get.

I'm like, "I think my hair's
pretty great the way it is."

[Kevin] All right!
Have a seat, Miss Parker.

[Parker] There was a long time
where part of me

didn't want to be a DCC
because I wouldn't change my hair.

And it's really
difficult to grow curly hair long

and keep it really healthy.

It's like worth its weight in gold to me.
So I do have my boundaries.

- We feel like your face is so beautiful.
- Yeah.

- And it's so hidden.
- It's gotten really long, yeah.

You're hiding behind this hair.

Yeah, I definitely agree
that it's gotten really, really long,

and I've gotten very hesitant
to cut too much.

So I do notice sometimes
when I dance that it does feel very heavy.

But some of it,
I definitely would want to keep.

- [Rosemary] I love the length of it here…
- [Kevin] You want it tapered in more?

[Rosemary] A bit in, but still keep it.
But it is heavy right here.

Did she need some dimension in there
so you could see more of the curl pattern?

I think it would only concern me
if it was bleached,

and it was gonna be blonde,

but some little flecks of brown,
I think, are like…

I trust you guys. I know you guys
are not gonna make all my hair fall out.

[laughs]

- [Kevin] All right. You ready?
- [Kelli] Okay! Ooh!

- Drum roll.
- All right. She's a big one.

My roots are coming in.

[Kelli] Emily A!

You've been on a cruise ship dancing.

- Correct?
- I sure have.

- Look at these roots.
- And you've been coloring it black.

- Yes.
- Black, black, black. Okay.

And you've been
doing this yourself as well.

- Yes. It's like box-dyed.
- It's in… I mean, at least it's shiny.

- You're naturally very light.
- Blonde!

- [Emily A] Blonde.
- [Kevin] Blonde.

We do have limitations
on what we can do.

I think our goal for today

is really trying to get you
to more of like a dark brown.

- Yeah!
- Okay? Kind of that chocolatey tone.

Oh definitely.

- Mm-hmm. Yeah.
- And that's just so much softer.

- Perfect.
- [Kelli] Okay. I agree.

- Yeah. You agree?
- Do you? You feel good?

- I love it! I'm open to whatever.
- Yeah?

[Emily A] So excited.

Yay!

[expectant music playing]

[Kevin] Kelli might fight me on this one,

but I want to make you
a strawberry blonde.

The second I hold this up to her,
those eyes just pop.

We do have another option.

We can do this,
which is a little less… strawberry.

I like her as she is.

If I had to meet you halfway,
some of this.

- Can you trust me on this one?
- [laughs]

[Kelli] Okay.

- Hi, Charlotte! Oh my God!
- [Charlotte] Hi, darling. Oh my God.

- We're so excited to have you!
- I'm excited to be here!

Look at you, gorgeous.

- Well, I have on my Tilbury.
- She's got the Tilbury touch.

- Kevin, darling, how are you?
- Hi! It's lovely meeting you.

- Lovely to meet you.
- You look gorgeous!

- You're a surprise celebrity for them.
- Oh God! You're so sweet and adorable.

We just started hair,
and then y'all have got a whole station.

- [Charlotte] Okay, great.
- We have, let's see, 13 rookie candidates.

- They are all in training camp.
- I know. Very excited.

They're all trying to make the team,

and part of that is this…
today's transformation.

Great. We're here for that, darling.

We're going to do it.
We're going to give you the Tilbury touch!

[Kelli] Yes, yay.

Do you understand
the power of makeup and beauty?

We love makeup!

- Hair and makeup. Fluff and puff, darling.
- [all laughing]

[enticing music playing]

[Charlotte] Okay, so we want
that America's sweetheart look.

We're gonna do the rosy, pink cheeks.

I want to sculpt your eyes.
We'll give you the Bambi-eyed look.

- Perfect. I love it.
- Which will look amazing.

This, darling, I used
on Celine Dion at the Olympics, okay?

In the rain! In the rain,
at the top of the Eiffel Tower.

And her makeup did not budge, okay?
[laughing]

We'll bring out those cheeks,
and lips, and sculpt.

- Look at this facial architecture.
- I know!

Facial architecture is heaven, darling.

- Thank you.
- [Charlotte] Gorgeous.

I'm so glad you've got a heel on, darling.

- Girl after my own heart.
- Thank you.

Yes, we always say the higher the heel,
the closer to heaven.

- [Emily A] That's right!
- And also the higher the camera.

[both laughing]

What is going on right now?
What is going on?

Do we like it sitting
or do we prefer it standing?

- [man] That's cute.
- Cute?

- [man] Yeah! That's very cute.
- We love cute, darling.

[laughing]

[Charlotte] The DCC have always
understood the power of makeup.

We will develop their special qualities,

highlight things that make them
a little bit better.

[Charlotte] If I look back,

since the 1970s,
I've been very inspired by the DCC.

They have to kind of be developed
for our purposes.

[Charlotte] It's a soft, dreamy look.

Pink, kind of, like, sweetheart lips.

Dreamy, soft cheeks.

Yes, Bri, you look stunning!

[Suzanne on TV] They have
to represent us a certain way.

Almost as if they're walking around
with a pink light on them

that makes them look like they're
in a bit of a dream world.

Americana, darling.

This whole look is meant
to be soft and dreamy.

That's what Kelli and I wanted.
Like, soft, dreamy, America's sweethearts.

Yeah. Love.

I always say, flawless is a feeling.
And I want them to feel that feeling.

That whole thing of,
"If you look good, you feel good."

"If you feel good, you look good."
Which is what's so great about it.

[Emily A] Mom, do you love it?
Can you see my face right now?

[mom on phone] I love…
Oh my gosh, Emily. You look so pretty.

No, stop it! It's all due to her.
She's incredible.

[mom] Oh my goodness!
You've done a great job!

[laughing] Hi, Mummy!

It's like a golden-y,
honey brown-y kinda… I like it.

Right, darling.
Let's have a look, darling.

Now they've put highlights in your hair.

We're just using this palette to bring out
those golden lights in your eyes.

With the stadium lights,

this is gonna literally
give you mesmeric eyes. Gorgeous!

- All right, Miss Jenna. You feel pretty?
- I feel so beautiful. I love it.

Y'all have to go to a party
or something now.

[Kevin] I think that we've done
a pretty good job with the makeovers.

But if it's not right,

then it's not going
to benefit that girl, right?

- Wow!
- Perfect.

This is crazy!

[laughing] Oh my gosh.

[woman] I love it.

I don't even know what to say.

Wow!

[laughing] Is this for real? It's crazy.

- Yeah, this is like, strawberry.
- [ethereal music playing]

I know that Kevin likes it.

And I think it's really cute.
It's different.

I do like it.
But I hope that Kelli likes it.

- [Kevin] You like it?
- [Kelli] Love.

[Kevin] It's so pretty.

- It's gorgeous.
- [Kevin] Yes.

Okay, let me take a picture.

And I hope that
if I get to uniform fittings,

it like makes my blue eyes pop even more.

Like, the blue, the red,
the blue eye contrast.

I mean, you just hope that it helps.

- Look at her eyes. Man, they really…
- [Kevin] Pop.

- Do you feel fun and sexy?
- I feel like I could do a great dance.

- Yeah, you ready?
- Like, hello! Yes!

Good, good, good.
I can't wait for Kelli to see it.

- I hope she likes it.
- I hope so.

- Let's all knock on wood.
- Yeah.

I can see her compact,
darling, just for you.

- That's what's on her eyes?
- That and Magic Vanish. This…

[Savanna] Like, where is she?
Is she coming back?

- [ethereal music continues]
- [indistinct chatter in background]

- [Faith] Let's go, girlies.
- [cheerleader] We got this.

[Judy] First group back up.
Okay, here we go.

- [dance music playing on stereo]
- [Brenley] Let's go, girls.

[Kelli] Jenna's rushing.

[dance music continues on stereo]

[Judy] Faith's mouth…

- [music stops]
- [cheerleaders whoop]

Jenna, you're rushing.

Just a little bit.
Like, you were ahead on a lot of it.

Um, Savanna, you were really

messy on the choreography.

And you rushed

that time on that dance.

Emily, a little out of control.

I don't even think you're aware of it.

We know you can do it.
I don't think you're just understanding.

So, don't think we're trying
to break your spirit. Same with Faith.

It's arm things that you're just not
really sure what to do with your poms yet.

And don't make too many faces.

Where you should…
I'd like to see you just smile more.

And, Faith, if I asked you
to wear your ponytail tomorrow,

is that just your natural hair,
and you wrap it?

- Can we try that?
- Of course we can.

- I just… I'm curious.
- Yes.

- [laughing]
- [cheerleaders clapping]

Okay, water break
and then we'll do some more.

[Parker] Good job, you guys.

Yeah.

- Good job, you guys.
- [Savanna] Yeah, good job.

[Parker] There's only, like, a few more,
and so far so good.

[Faith] Anyone bring a tail comb?

I might just try and wing it.

[tense music playing]

[Faith] I'm in need of some hairspray,
if anyone has any.

- [Jenna] Are you coming?
- Yeah.

[Kelli] Faith's losing me.

[Judy] But we'll see her pony tomorrow.

[Kelli] She's beautiful,
but she's not matching the style now.

[Judy] She's one of the worst tonight.

- [Kelli whispers] Just has bad posture.
- A lot of mistakes.

[Kelli] I don't know how on her audition…
I want to go back and look.

- [Judy] Because she was showing tricks.
- Yeah.

[Kelli] All this kind of stuff
just doesn't look cute on her.

How do I look? Up here. Close enough?

[laughs nervously]

- It's a bit longer, but…
- [Jenna] No, it looks good.

- Is it fine?
- [Jenna] Yeah.

I normally have a whole slick hair
routine, but we're making do tonight.

You know, you just…
You gotta go out there and sell them.

You are so confident
and know exactly what you're doing.

Even though deep down you're like,
"I have no idea what I'm doing."

But I've gotta chuck a smile on my face

and act like I'm so cool,
calm and collected.

[tense music continues]

[Faith] If you want it enough,
you will make it work.

They don't want someone
that looks terrified.

I think you often see them
talk to the girls and say,

"Are you scared of us?"

They've never said that to me because
I feel I just come off quite strong.

You sometimes just have to put on a mask

and off you go
if you want to make it happen.

[Megan] She's got a pony.

Got a po-- Oh, she did a pony!

- [Megan] It looks so good.
- [Kelli] Your New Zealand pony was longer.

Yes. Well, I used to have long extensions.

This is my real hair length.

But we could put a ponytail extension in

if you want more volume,
or we could go back to longer extensions.

- It's quite thick.
- Do you always dance…

"It's quite thick."
She's got all the answers.

Up to you, obviously.

[Kelli] The New Zealander with a ponytail.

Okay, yeah, I do. I want to watch it.
I want to see you use it.

[Judy] Okay. Next group.

[cheerleaders exclaiming]

[Judy] Okay.

Here we go.

- [cheerleader] Here we go.
- [dance music playing on stereo]

- [Kelli] Savanna is off-tempo on this.
- [Judy] Yeah.

I think she got excited and rushed.

- [Kelli] The hair…
- [Judy whispers] It looks like a wig now.

It's the texture and everything.

[Kelli] Next time Kevin says
"strawberry blonde," I'm telling him no.

He wants to do someone every year.

- [song fades]
- [women clapping]

Um, at the very beginning,
Savanna, you're out.

Now do your first step to the front.

I think you just rushed it.

And then on "cheerleader,"
it's tap and tap, and you went…

See how you're at more of an angle?

- It's more to the side.
- Oh. Yes, ma'am.

[Judy] Okay! Um, we're going backwards
to the group that went before them.

[Kelli] And, Faith, humor us
with your ponytail if you've got… Ooh!

[laughing]

Is that what y'all do in parties down
in Southern Hemisphere?

[Faith laughing]

Does it go a different direction
when you're on the Southern Hemisphere?

- Like toilet water?
- Absolutely.

[Judy laughing]

Okay. Next group up.

[upbeat song playing on stereo]

[cheerleader] Go, girlies! Whoo!

[Kelli] I do think Faith is prettier
with her ponytail. I don't know why.

Especially if you did
a really cool fashion pony.

And then everybody would know
the girl from New Zealand in the ponytail.

I mean, it made Tami Barber famous.

- [song fades]
- [women cheer]

[Kelli] Faith, you look like
you're having more fun now on the…

- [Faith] I just need to…
- [Kelli laughing]

And we want you…
that's the name of this game

is y'all being fun performers.

You know what I mean?

- Absolutely. Yes, ma'am.
- [Kelli] We want you to be… just fun.

Fun to watch.

People ask me all the time,
what's that wow factor? And sometimes…

Let me… Let me think. Who did we give
the Fun to Watch Barbie this year?

- [woman] Ariel.
- Ariel!

- Right! Y'all remember her at auditions?
- [woman] Yes.

I couldn't write down what it was.

But you want to be fun to watch.

And there was something about her
in the entire training camp

that made us want to watch her,
and you just wanted to laugh with her.

And she's probably not
the most technical dancer.

But she has such an enthusiasm
that she brings you in,

and you want to watch her.

That's kind of what we're asking.

How do you do it? I don't know.

That's the magic you have to bring.

[anxious music plays]

[Charly] How was the rookie practice?
What did you guys all do?

- [Jenna] What did we do?
- Did you do "Thunder" in groups and stuff?

Yes. We did "Thunder"
and then… still no "Baby."

- Really? Oh, that's interesting!
- [Kelly V] We did "Baby" all the time.

- [Ava] Every day, yeah.
- [Charly] That's crazy.

Wow, that's really nice.

I remember we learned it
while they were cutting the first round.

And we could not focus,
because you were like,

"Oh my God! What is happening?"

Oh…

Spooky.

I feel like they might cut tonight
just because we're running out of time.

- [Ava] Yeah, we have…
- But…

It's never a guarantee
just because you are a comeback girl.

- Yeah.
- [Jenna] I've been thinking about that.

Feeling how confident I feel right now.

[Ava] You have this sense of confidence
when you come in.

- [Jenna] You feel good. Know the dances.
- Yeah.

I've actually always wondered about
your cut because it was controversial.

[Ava] Very controversial and weird. Yeah.

- When I tried out for DCC the first year…
- [pensive music playing]

I didn't really know how you're supposed

to, like, portray or advertise yourself
on social media.

[Kelli on video] Tell me
who you are there.

If I'd seen these
in the online application,

I wouldn't have brought you to camp.

And now I have seen it
and can't unsee it. I'm trying to figure…

I think being in, like,

the generation that I'm in,

influencers or celebrities will create
these dances to sounds on TikTok.

And I partook in some
of these dancing trends

that had bad words in them.

That's ultimately one
of the reasons why I got cut.

There's just a maturity that
doesn't exist yet on your social media.

And that is something we can influence,
but we can't and don't want to control.

Yes. I think I need to, um,
really reevaluate that

and step up my professionalism.

I just came off as immature
for doing those dances on TikTok.

Part of it I have confusion with,
and there's part not.

The TikToks, I understand. Like…

You shouldn't post TikToks
with bad words in them.

That stuff, totally get it.

Posting a bikini picture
on my Instagram, that…

I guess today is just a different world.

[Charly] I didn't know that, actually.
I thought it was just the TikTok.

I guess I don't know where
they're gonna decide that fine line is on

if people are posting
for the right reasons or not nowadays.

[Kelly V] It's harder to tell.
It's weird now, you know, with all that.

I don't even like going on TikTok anymore.

- Because for somehow, some reason, all…
- I don't scroll. I post and get out.

But now there's a crossover.

The same people on Reddit
are also now making TikToks.

- There used to not be that.
- Yeah, and capitalizing on it.

Making thousands on a TikTok
'cause it goes viral about you, you know?

It's funny 'cause when you go home,
you're like, "Let me mindlessly scroll."

It's about you. And you're like,
"What? People are talking about us?"

- Yeah. It's really weird.
- [Charly] Like, that's crazy.

[indistinct chatter]

[Anna Kate] I think from a social media
standpoint, things are heavier this year.

A rookie comes in camp,
they haven't even made the team,

and they're reading Reddit already.

It's these people
who haven't even seen them dance.

And they're just
saying nasty things about them.

No one should see that about themselves.

[introspective music playing]

It's a big problem
that we have on our team right now.

My only hope for that
is staff isn't on there

reading these sort of
hateful comments towards us.

Because if they read it,
and then they believe it,

and they internalize it,
that's an even bigger issue.

[Judy] Fans are gonna really like her.

[Kelli] Because?

[Judy] Read some comments.
They do like her.

[both laughing]

[Kelli] Good old Miss Reddit.
Reddit's done read it.

I have read some Reddit because it gets…
sometimes people send it to me.

I try not to.
I don't want to live my life reading it.

But I know… I know a lot.

[laughing]

[Judy] Anna Kate's
getting more hate than anybody.

- [Kelli] Why?
- Dumb… I don't even… I can't even tell.

What in God's name has Anna Kate done
that offends anybody?

I don't know. I'll have to do my homework
and tell you. I don't like to.

But she's had…
She's had a lot of hate lately.

Comments start coming in, or…
after any event.

I guess it's natural curiosity
to wonder what people are saying.

[Kelli] That's it. Oh, before y'all leave,
I want to talk to Faith.

- Yes, ma'am.
- Yes, ma'am.

- [woman] Do you want to call her over?
- [Kelli] Yeah.

- [Kelli sighs] Have a seat.
- Hi, ladies. [laughs]

- Feedback.
- Yes.

- Advice.
- Absolutely.

This is something that's not…
anything to do with dance.

But you are going to be very visible
in this audition process,

- whether you want to be or not.
- Of course.

Things have been sent to us
that are unflattering pictures.

- [Faith] Of course.
- Don't just say, "Of course."

Do you have any idea what
I'm talking about? Or is this a shock?

- Um…
- [Judy] I want you to come closer.

I mean, we're just looking out for you.

- Just you have to…
- Yeah.

[Faith] Oh.

My friend must have posted that
and tagged me.

"Every dude has a zipper and a chugger."

Splits. Yeah.

- [Faith] Oh jeez. People are crazy.
- [Judy] I mean--

Young. Not gonna lie, I was 18 in that.
I have matured and grown up.

- [Kelli] How old are you now?
- I'm 22. It's been a couple years.

[Judy] This one is a little much.

I've gone through
and archived all of those already.

- They've cleared everything.
- But they're never gonna go away.

Once they screenshot them, they're gone.
But that's really upsetting--

- 'Cause they get sent to me.
- It's a behind-the-scenes shot.

I completely understand.
I'm so sorry that you have been sent that.

The upsetting thing about that is that I'm
in the middle of doing a dance in a video.

So, someone's zoomed in on my crotch area,

which is actually extremely uncomfortable.

That's a video, guys, that's not a photo.
I would never post that.

- But who posted it?
- I have no idea.

The Reddit people are crazy!

People just take things
out of context so quickly.

[laughing] I would never post a photo
with my, like… That's terrible!

As America's Sweethearts, you need
to post pictures little girls look up to.

You guys are so right. I agree.

- I don't want this to k*ll your spirit.
- No. It hasn't k*lled my spirit at all.

No. I really appreciate the honesty
in the chat. It means a lot to me.

I completely understand
and agree with you guys. Thank you.

- I really appreciate it.
- [Kelli] All right. Good night tonight.

Thank you so much. I'll see you guys soon.
Thank you! Bye!

- [Kelli] Does she ever take a breath?
- [Judy laughing] Breathe! Take a breath!

We Kiwis speak 100 miles an hour.
It's like, get it out. Go. Done.

[Judy] You can't even get a thought out.

- She's still talking, right?
- [speaking gibberish]

[Judy] You can't finish the sentence.
Let me help you. No?

[Judy laughing]

I trust her. Do you?

[Faith] Oh! It's so nice
to get out of the hotel, girl.

I don't know how you do yours so long.
I have to go really short.

Otherwise, when I'm holding the poms,
you can feel them.

- Yeah. Not everyone's cut out for it, but…
- Yeah. But then I do feel… [laughing]

She's a different breed, literally.

It feels weird doing a normal activity.

- I feel I should be practicing.
- It feels ill*gal.

Even when I wake up in the morning,
I'm like, "I'll just chill for a second."

Then I'm like, "Wait, no,
I feel guilty I'm not practicing."

For me, it's going to bed.
I'm going to sleep, they're in my head.

- I can hear "party like a cowboy, bring…"
- Yeah.

I cannot believe that we are
in the last week of training camp.

[Emily A] This is so funny.

[Faith laughing]

I will never recover from Emo-ly.

- [Emily A] Emo-ly!
- [Faith laughing]

- [Emily A] Oh my gosh!
- Emo-ly.

"Manifesting Emo-ly claiming her rookie
spot and becoming our first goth DCC."

I will never recover. I think it is just…

["Bring Me to Life"
by Evanescence playing on video]

No! Okay.

I've got tears in my eyes.

"Emolescence" is another one they call me.
That's good. They're clever.

- Girl!
- I'll give 'em that.

[Faith] Having something different
that makes you stand out

to make it in this industry
is definitely needed.

Otherwise, you just are a blender.

But then also in DCC,

you kind of do want to blend
and not stand out in the wrong ways.

You want to be a standout,
but you gotta look correct.

Can't be doing your own thing.

- It's a fine line. Yeah.
- Add your own flavor and keep it you.

[Faith laughs]

I've been hiding my tattoo from Kelli.

- [Faith] Yeah.
- So far, so good.

But I feel like
you don't need to hide it. Like…

- Girls have tattoos. They just cover them.
- Ahh!

- Pretty sure--
- People already think I'm emo.

I don't think this will help the case.

I think rock the emo, girl.

[laughing] I think…

I will never recover.

Em, I love it. I think it's great.

[Emily A] Emo and the Aussie. Let us in!

- Emo and the Aussie. Let's go.
- Let me in! Come on!

- [thunder booming]
- That thunder. Is that thunder?

- ♪ Thunder! ♪
- [singing along to "Thunderstruck"]

Sorry.

You guys are probably
so sick of us already.

[Emily A] Oh my goodness.

["Thunderstruck"
playing faintly in background]

["Thunderstruck" building in background]

[Judy] Who's your rookies, Megan?
Move them to the ten.

Y'all, the entrance is pretty
and everything's elegant.

And it's all about
body posture and looking pretty.

Seven, eight.

- And three, two, three, four, five…
- ["Thunderstruck" playing on speakers]

[Megan] The tough part about
our formations and the routines we do

is that we have a 360 view.

So, if you're in the stadium,
you can tell if we're out of line.

- You can tell if our diagonals are off.
- ["Thunderstruck" continues]

So, there's no hiding,
and there's no room for error.

- [Megan] Three, five, seven, one, two…
- [Judy] Watch your yard line!

- [Megan] Three, five, seven.
- [Judy] Move ahead!

Pom-poms and white boots, they stand out
if they're not in the exact place.

Y'all ready? Y'all can count it out.

- Wait. So good. Yep. Watch your lines.
- ["Thunderstruck" continues]

[Judy] If you can't be precise
with what you're doing,

you won't make the team.

The more you can look at your lines,
the better.

You don't want to be that one girl
that's just a little over.

Okay, Journi, did you
feel yourself being back a little bit?

Yes, ma'am.

[Kelli] Emily?
You're overshooting your line.

I think the yard lines
are affecting your choreo.

["Thunderstruck" continues playing loudly]

[Faith] I'm gonna count it in my head
and track it for dear life.

[Judy] Three!
And five, six, seven, eight. One.

[Faith] They were saying the numbers on
the field, I was like, "What is going on?"

I was so confused.
She was like, "The 50, the 20, the 40."

I was like, "What the hell is going on?"

- ["Thunderstruck" continues loudly]
- [laughs] Ooh! Knee down.

I've gotta remember who I'm next to
and hope they're in the right spot.

And then maybe I'll be there too.

["Thunderstruck" continues playing loudly]

[Judy] Jenna, you have great moments,
and then there's some in-between places

where I would like you to fire that more.

Yes, ma'am.

[Judy] Make every count
in this dance a moment.

- ["Thunderstruck" continues]
- ♪ I was shakin' at the knees… ♪

I get these, like, sudden feelings
of literal impending doom,

and my mind goes blank.

[Judy] Emily, do you know what you did?

- [Emily A] Yes.
- Okay.

- Sorry, ma'am.
- [Judy] If you mess up, pick it up faster.

Yes, ma'am.

I want to see hair popping.
Hair stuck in your lip gloss.

[Faith] When I make a little mistake,
I keep a smile on. I don't show it.

The saying I like is "strong and wrong."
If you make a mistake, strong and wrong.

[woman] Faith, you have, like, no fear.
You looked at me straight in the eye.

And then winked at me.
I was like, "Okay, that was fantastic."

Way to go.

You didn't look above me.
You looked at me.



What's gonna be hard
is we have so many good girls

that are going to be cut
that I think could be on the team.

I feel like it's now gonna happen
all really quick.

The next three or four days,

we're potentially gonna know
what we're doing with our lives.

- [song continues] ♪ You've been… ♪
- ♪ Thunderstruck ♪

[laughing] I just need seven Red Bulls
right now and then I'll be good.

[Emily A] Kelli and Judy,
they believe in me.

They see something in me.

I know I have all this potential,
so I hope they can hone in on me

and mold me into DCC Emily.

[Kelli] It's interesting when you see it
be effortless on an Emily,

and you see the others… hunching.

[Judy] Savanna, did you notice
one time you did out-in

when there wasn't an out-in
in the choreography?

- [Savanna] Yes, ma'am.
- You sure?

- [Savanna] Yes.
- Okay.

[Kelli] This is just under four minutes
of a three-hour game

with 350 musical pieces played.
So, reality check.

Whether I get constructive feedback,
good feedback, or none,

I just try and like smile and nod,
like, "Okay."

Well, I'm gonna show up better tomorrow
and try to not make a mistake. [laughs]

[Judy] Savanna, you know you did
one too many kicks.

Jenna, there was a few mistakes.

Journi's a little late.
Whoa, that was really late.

Journi, sharper on that very ending,
'cause your kicks are beautiful, but boom.

Can you hear the guitar? Can you hear…
[imitates guitar]

Yes, ma'am.

It's not Journey the band.
It's AC/DC, but…

- [both imitating guitar riff]
- ["Thunderstruck" finishes playing]

[Megan] Go one, and two, three…

[Kelli] Y'all want to yes, no, maybe,
and then…

I don't think I need a calculator to…
We've gotta do…

Tomorrow we go to fittings.

I don't want to fit a uniform on somebody
we're not gonna see earning it.

[expectant music playing]

Amaya.

- [Judy] I think she was a no tonight.
- She's a no for me.

[Kelli] Brenley?

- [Judy] Yes.
- She's a yes plus.

Emily, I'm giving her a yes
because she may be my project.

- And she's better tonight.
- [Judy] She's a maybe minus.

[Kelli] Savanna?

She was a no tonight,
but normally, she's more of a maybe.

She seems to be flustering herself.

Lack of filling her space.

Tempo.

Maybe nerves. I don't know what it is.

And then Cooper,
I just am not watching her.

It's not getting better.

- And she's trying her hardest.
- [Shelly] You can tell she's trying hard.

[Judy] The pack is still going strong,
and they're kind of staying the same.

[expectant music continues]

[Judy] We all know we hate to bring
somebody back and cut 'em a second time.

[Kelli] That's why if we don't see it,
I don't want to drag it out for her.

[indistinct chatter]

[Kelli] Cooper.

[Kelli] I mean, there's nobody
more than me that loves a comeback girl,

but they have to come back stronger.

In Cooper's case,
having made training camp last year,

was someone I was excited
to see back in the audition process

and equally nervous for her
because I didn't want to cut her again

from training camp.

But she was continuing
to just kind of blend.

And I don't want to extend

anybody's emotional bandwidth here.

It… It's too much pressure.

Hello!

[Kelli] Well…

I can read you some of my notes.

Nice extensions.
You're absolutely beautiful.

Good, not great.

Didn't wow me.

Wanted more.

You're just blending.
You're just not standing out in the room.

My last note was, um,

"Better but not as great as you might
need to be to make this team."

At this point,
it's just honestly the competition field.

Yes, ma'am.

It's a tougher year
to make this team than I've ever seen.

Yes, ma'am.

[Kelli] I think
you're giving us 100% effort.

[voice breaking] Yeah, I don't really know
if there's much more I can give.

[Kelli] Yeah, right.

So…

- I'm sorry.
- [softly] That's okay.

- Thank you for giving us your all.
- That's all you can do, huh?

I'm so sorry.
I think I just stepped on your foot.

- [Kelli] It's okay.
- Thank you so much.

- [Judy] Sorry.
- Thank you.

- You guys have a good evening.
- Thank you.

[expectant music playing]

[Kelli] Who's not getting better
every night?

[Judy] Mm-hmm.

[Kelli] Faith seemed happier
with her ponytail,

and if we put a real fashion pony on her,
I'm curious.

Still don't like her hunching.

She doesn't dance like everyone else,
but then that's her charm too, so…

Journi, tonight's my first night I'm a no.

[Judy] Yeah.

I think Jenna's still a little soft with
her movements, but she's much better.

Savanna's not getting better each night.

I think she's adorable.
I think she's a firecracker.

I just feel bad about her hair.

[Judy] Are you having second thoughts?

She's good.
Honestly, we've just got too many.

I mean, I love every veteran here,
but it makes it harder when there's…

- [Kelli] We need a bigger team. Hello.
- Hello!

- Hi.
- [Kelli] Hi! I'm still…

- I'm still studying your hair color.
- [laughing]

I don't know. It kind of changes.
I think that's what throws me off.

I'll be like, "Oh, cute. Blonde.
Oh, fluorescent orange."

It's not fluorescent.
I think it's interesting.

It actually is pretty with your skin.

I think there's a happy medium.

I'd probably go back in and add some
bright blonde highlights like you came.

Yeah. Yes, ma'am.

You're adorable, so this conversation
is gonna be disappointing for both of us.

All three of us.

Um…

I think you have great potential
as a performer,

and this is just
a very competitive room of dancers.

It is. Everyone is so good.

But we're making… I mean, we're…

You're not in the top 36.

Yes, ma'am.

Let me just see.

To me, you were stronger
at the beginning of training camp.

- Your solo…
- I think you got nervous in here.

- [Savanna] Yeah.
- You let your nerves get to you.

And that's when you started rushing
with the music.

And you're not doing anything wrong.

- [Kelli] Here's a maybe…
- Sorry.

- [Judy] It's a big group.
- [Kelli] It's okay.

- Judy, you've got Kleenex?
- [Judy] I do. I'm sorry.

- [crying] No, it's okay. I'm fine.
- [Judy] Yeah, you do need one.

[sniffles]

Do you think if I came back next year,
I would have a chance?

- [Kelli] I do.
- Okay.

I mean, you might just chalk this up
to timing and experience,

and the pressure, and…

But, no, I think you've got the skills
to make this team or another team.

[crying softly] This has
been my dream for a long time, so…

I'll keep working on it.

When was the first time you said,
"I want to be a cheerleader"?

- Probably when I was, like, five.
- [Kelli] Aww!

You've had a long journey.

[chuckles] Yeah.

[Kelli] I don't think
you could have any regrets.

[Savanna] Thank you.

You're… This is just a very,
very competitive field.

And it's a room full of veterans
that have a lot of experience.

You've got dancers from
literally now all over the world.

[Savanna softly] Yeah.

- You know?
- Yeah.

- I'm proud of myself.
- You should be.

Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you.

I will be back next year, and…

I'm just so grateful for this experience,
so thank you.

[Kelli] You've done a great job.
You should be very proud.

We're sorry to disappoint you,

but we want to congratulate you
for making it this far.

You've made yourself proud.

- Thank you so much.
- [Judy] Yes. Brightest smile in the room.

Thank you!

[Kelli] Okay.

- I will see you next year.
- [Kelli] Okay!

[pensive music playing]

[Faith] Oh, baby girl…

- We're so proud of you.
- [Savanna softly] Thank you.

- [cheerleaders consoling indistinctly]
- [Savanna sniffling]

[pensive music continues]

- [Savanna] Love you, girls!
- [cheerleaders] Love you!

- [cheerleader] Bye, Savanna! We love you.
- [Faith] Yes!

[Emily A] We love you!

[stifling tears] Thank you. I love y'all.

Bye, y'all.

[inaudible]

[Savanna crying] It's just hard
when it's one of your biggest dreams,

and then you feel like you've done
everything you possibly could,

and it's just not enough.

And you deserve to be on this team.

[crying] I just feel like I did
everything I could, which is a good thing.

I don't have regrets.
I feel like I did the best.

[crying] I just don't…

I don't understand, like…

what more I could have done.

I just wanted… to be, like, enough.

Yeah. Yeah.

[Savanna exhales]

- ["Super Trouper" by ABBA playing]
- ♪ Super trouper ♪

♪ Beams are gonna blind me ♪

♪ But I won't feel blue ♪

♪ Like I always do ♪

♪ 'Cause somewhere
In the crowd there's you… ♪

[uplifting pop song continues]

[Kelli] You know, I didn't know
the lifelong dream of Savanna.

And, yeah, it makes it harder,
it hurts more because

that's the heartbreaking part
of someone's dream.

But we're going to be releasing girls

that could make this team

if we had more spots on the roster.

["Super Trouper" continues playing]

[Kelli] So, who do we not pick?

Somebody that's traveled here
from New Zealand who's a brilliant dancer,

or the captain
of their dance team in university?

It's hard to turn away great talent.

- ♪ Smiling, having fun… ♪
- [song fading]

[Kelli] Five of them
are not going to make the team.

I have to put my game face on and tell 'em

this is end of your season.

[darkly enticing music playing]