02x02 - Promise Yourself Part 2

[bunniefuu]

-[indistinct chatter]
-[Kelli] Forty-nine. Fifty, Kirstie.

-Okay, , .
-[woman] You did your best.

-We are almost done.
-[Darah] My hands are clean.

-We love you, Reece.
-[Reece] Love you.

[Charlotte] Good evening, ladies.

We're just about an hour behind schedule,

so without further ado, we will welcome
our candidates into training camp.

When we call your name,

if you will come down this staircase
to the field of dreams,

and we'll build our training camp group
right on the star.

-Please welcome…
-[suspenseful music playing]

Number , Sophy.

[all cheering and clapping]

From Jacksonville, Florida,
number , Reece.

[cheering and clapping continue]

[Kelli] Number , Jada.

And welcome to your sixth year,
number one, Chandi.

Welcome to training camp…

Abby from Toledo, Ohio.

Number , Armani.

Fifty-five, Ava.

Welcome back to training camp
from Weehawken, New Jersey, Kelly V.

Number , Charly.

Number , Dayton from McKinney, Texas.

We have one name left to call.

Again, congratulations to everyone
who's been a part of this audition.

And finally…

welcome home, number , Kayla H.

[all cheering wildly]

[Kelli] Congratulations. Thank you.

[pensive music playing]

[indistinct chatter]

[woman] Can we do this?

[Chandi] Ready?

[all] One, two, three, DCC! Whoo!

[softly intriguing music playing]

Welcome to training camp!

[all] Whoo!

[Bramhall] All right,
so let's make our way down here,

and we will kick across the floor.

-[Judy] Y'all, you take off--
-[woman] Shh!

It's four eight-counts in between
so your lines aren't so close.

So you go through the whole sequence
before the next group joins in.

-Okay, and go.
-[whimsical music playing]

[Kelli] We have
a lot of rookie pink in the room,

which is exciting, and motivating,

and challenging for everyone.

[whimsical music continues]

[Judy] This training camp,
our rookie candidates,

was one of the largest we've had
in a long time.

And when you finally get 'em in the room
and you're trying to remember names,

it's really tough.

This is the first year
I don't know their names. I feel bad.

You know how usually I… I don't.

Here's the last three
that I can't tell anybody apart.

Who's three? Her kicks are beautiful.

-Hadyn? No? Cooper?
-[Kelli] Tyler?

Oh, Cooper.

Hadyn. Missed that, but…

[upbeat music playing on stereo]

[Judy] And this is
our other -year-old, Madie.

[Kelli] So, Clare Marie.

Clare Marie. Clare Marie.
Clare Marie from Missouri.

[Judy] Y'all were going so fast up front.
We couldn't…

That was our first get to see you,

and there are lots of improvements
that need to be made.

Okay, first, y'all grab your poms,

and Chandi's gonna clean just
a little bit of the audition dance.

You're gonna walk.

Two, two, three, four,
five, six, seven, eight.

Three, two, three, four, five.

Turn six, top, seven, eight.

Yeah!

Reslap. I like it. Linger. I love it.

This one lets you
olé
just to make it cleaner.

This is my sixth year.
[laughing] A long time here.

Hello.

Hi, Chandella!

[indistinct]

-Welcome home.
-Thank you.

[Chandi] I was fully prepared
to retire last year.

I went into it thinking it was
gonna be my last year,

and year five was gonna be good.
Kelsey and I were gonna leave together.

So how are you feeling
about re-auditioning?

'Cause five years is no small commitment.

[laughing] I'd love to come back.

For a sixth year?

I think that's great.

I don't think you fizzled out at all,
and I think you have more to give.

This year, it's definitely Chandi's turn.

She's been very quiet
her first five years.

She never was vocal. She always
let everyone else make the big decisions.

But I think being a quiet person

and leading on the team

isn't as hard as some people
would think it is,

because that's exactly
how I would have described myself.

[Chandi] Think of those picture moments.

You want them to capture every photo,

and you're gonna look beautiful
on every move.

I see a lot of myself in Chandi
and being that quiet person.

I was very quiet, very shy.

[Chandi] Questions?

So I know that
you can still be a great leader.

She just has this sweet,

sexy performance quality,

and she just shines out front.

She just really has that "it" factor,

but she craves our approval and attention.

She wants to be the best, and she wants us
to approve of everything she does.

Out of the corner of her eye,

she's always looking at me,
and I can tell.

Any time we cha-cha,
make sure we kiss both our feet together.

-Me too.
-'Cause you are the cha-cha queen.

I am the cha-cha.

[giggling]

[Judy] Since we have
a lot more spots open this year,

there's a lot more people
that you have to mold and shape.

And there's all the choreography

and everything they need to learn
about being a DCC during training camp.

So you wanna make sure that your
four leaders are at the top of their game,

but especially that first group leader.

Quick water break from our water captain.

[indistinct chatter]

[Clare Marie] Shall we study?

[Ava] I don't know! Do a few questions?

[Clare Marie] What's the year?

[both] ", Super Bowl X."

-[Ava] "Gwenda Swearingen."
-"Swearington."

-[Charly] "Swearingen."
-[Ava] "Gen."

[Charly] "Swear-In-Gen." Right?

-Gwenda Swearington. Gwenda.
-[both] Gwenda.

[Ava] Bob Lilly. The first
Cowboys draft pick of the first draft.

[Kelli] Everybody come in.

You're just gonna pull a card,

and read the question out loud,
and answer it.

Who wants to come?

Kelli every year
gets stuck on one little thing,

and this year it's trivia.

Jenna.

I know that they did interviews
in years past,

and they had,
I believe it was a -question test.

[Suzanne] The reason the test was done
in the first place is because

the personal connections
now that we're doing…

there are every question imaginable
that people ask you.

Why didn't Coach Landry

bring Danny White in
when we were doing so bad?

What's the matter with Tony Dorsett?

Do you know the party of our president,
the political party?

No.

Do you know what a political party is?

No.

[Suzanne] Part of that is the growing
image we're trying to make of you all,

that you are more than face and figure,

that you have a head on your shoulders.

They have to represent us a certain way.

[Kelli] Rookie Madie.

[Chandi] Madie!

[all] Whoo!

[Madie K] "What is DCC's
first home preseason game performance?"

Um, I'm not sure of that right now,
but I can get back to you.

You want to know
if you want to make this team.

-[Madie K] Okay.
-Okay?

Paris.

[woman] Yes, Paris!

[Camille] You got it, Paris.

[Kelli] Take a card,
read the question out loud.

"What is the proper title of Jerry Jones?"

He's the CEO and founder of the Cowboys.

[Kelli] Okay, almost.

Yes, ma'am.

The owner, general manager,
and president of the Cowboys.

Yes! Yes.

[all cheer]

[Ava] I don't wanna interrupt,
but I have a question.

Um…

What do you do differently
in Michelle's dance?

Weren't you, like, center?

Um, I was on the side, on the right side.

-[Ava] Okay. Did you stay up?
-Yes.

[Ava] 'Cause I was down, and now
I feel like I need to learn the up part.

I was about to say, like, for Monday,

we're gonna go over it in groups
with your group,

and we're gonna switch parts.

-So we don't have to learn that now?
-You're gonna be up now.

It'll be good. Breathe. Breathe tonight.

-Yeah.
-[Ava] Awesome. Noted.

I feel like there's
a lot of unspoken rules,

so it may not be written down on paper,

but it's an expectation
or a rule that I'm constantly,

like, learning new things every day.

So that scares me a lot,
'cause I don't wanna mess anything up.

Pull!

[Camille] Dance and specifically Cowboys
is so subjective. Like, it's…

I'm numerical,
so I like "one plus one is two,"

but one plus one could equal
in Cowboys land.

You never know what their decision is,
what they're looking for,

what they do like about you,
what they don't.

You just go and give it your best.

They could say,
"You're too tall, too short, you're too…"

Whatever, you know, their decision is.

[Ava] I auditioned in ,

and I was the last cut of the season.

This side is never cooperating with me.

I remember Ava when she tried out.

She was one of our younger candidates.

She had posted some…
provocative pictures, if you will.

Probably didn't think a thing about 'em.

Just seemed a little self-promoting,
and not the character

of humility and grace
that I was looking for.

[Kelli] Tell me who you are there.

If I'd seen these
in the online application,

I wouldn't have brought you to camp.

Now I have seen it.

I can't unsee it,
so I'm trying to figure out…

We had told her about it,
and she had continued to post.

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.

[Ava] It didn't seem
as if I took it serious enough,

and I was kinda like,
I feel like misunderstood.

It felt like my dance career
was completely over,

and I didn't know what to do
for that year after at all.

Even though it's a dream to dance here,
it's also a job

that you have to take
really seriously and professionally

and portray yourself very maturely.

You have to think about,
"Am I acting okay?"

"Am I talking okay? Am I dancing okay?"

I just don't wanna mess anything up.

[newscaster ]
The Dallas Cowboys
Cheerleaders are back in the spotlight.

[newscaster ] The sideline icons
are getting a new docuseries.

-Okay, here we go! Auditions part one!
-[all cheering]

Okay, here we go.

[man on TV]
Why do you think
you want so badly

to be a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader?

-[Victoria]
I love it.
-[Darah] Yeah, we do!

-Whoo!
-[all cheering]

[Caroline] Oh, not the bed!

[laughing] Oh my God!

I'm the girl who had the surgery,
who's done, whose sister's on it.

Okay, so be it. Put me out there.
Because I love the Cowboys anyways.

[Judy] We're just so busy.

We're going to more TV shows.

[Madie K] This is crazy.

[Judy] And they want you there
in two days,

and it just becomes
very chaotic really fast.

You guys are the baddest b*tches in Texas.

-I mean…
-[Kelli] Whoo!

[inspiring music playing]

[Judy] So many people attempt
"Thunderstruck" now.

And of course it's flattering.
It's hugely fun.

[indistinct chatter on video]

[Will] Today, we had
the first person recognize her.

He was like, "Are you Reece?"
And I'm like, "Well, it depends."

"Do you like Reece
or do you think she's crazy?"

[woman] What's it like to see
a vulnerable version of you

captured on camera?

[Kelli on video]
We have outpaced you
this year.

We're making cuts.

[Kelly V] I mean, I would be lying
if I said that it wasn't overwhelming.

[woman] There was reports saying
that you guys make a game.

Is that hard for you?

Y'all are professional dancers.

-And y'all deserve to get paid a lot more.
-[woman] Thank you!

[all cheering]

And, coach, you said there was something…

you found things
you would do differently watching.

What would you do differently as a coach?

There was one conversation
in one of the episodes

where you can tell the cheerleader
is shocked at what we're saying,

and it's disappointing her,
and kind of crushing her.

And I thought, "I could be better
at giving them constructive feedback

earlier on to be a better coach for them."

[contemplative music playing]

[Victoria] I feel like I'm going away
for a lifetime dance intensive.

[Tina] Isn't that great?

-Everybody in New York wears black.
-[Victoria] I'm gonna always wear pink.

I might have too many leotards.

[Tina] Yeah, we're gonna need a U-Haul.

I have only seen the one episode,

and that was hard.

And, like, walked out of the second one
that we watched as a team together.

I don't know. It was just a lot.

I was crying in my seat,

and I just didn't wanna…

[laughing] …keep crying
in front of everybody.

Right now, I'm still trying
to process so much stuff. It's just…

It's just hard.

And I'm trying to keep a smiling face.

-Those would be fun walking shoes.
-[Victoria] Yeah.

[Tina] I mean,
she's the walking image of a DCC.

And you have these goals
you make when you're, what, ?

Then all of a sudden,
they're just chopped off at the neck.

And I'm just trying to, um…

get over it.

Should I bring any Cowboys things?

[Tina] I wouldn't bring a whole lot.

It's hard for me to let go of DCC because…

Mommy…

Mommy!

[wistful music playing]

What? It's okay.

[stifling tears] It's just hard for me
to kind of say goodbye to it, in a sense.

I know it's just a cheerleader squad,
blah, blah, blah,

but I really did love the Cowboys.

And I really wanted that for you,
but it just didn't happen.

Now you just gotta make a new chapter.
This chapter's done.

-Yeah.
-It's over.

It was good. You learned a lot of things.

You learned about people.

I don't mean to be calling out
your rookie sisters,

but they didn't do their job.

-[Victoria] Mmm-mmm. No.
-[Tina] They didn't.

I don't know. I think it's training camp
that really destroys people.

Being supportive of one another.

Because you feel competitive
with one another?

Yes, you're a teammate,

but, like, you're also competing
for your spot to be safe.

-Good point.
-Whereas Rockettes, they audition.

Then they get the call if they made it.
They don't have to keep competing.

[Tina] Yeah, but the Rockettes
are very hard to make.

-[Victoria] Mm-hmm.
-Not just a couple hundred try out.

-Thousands try out.
-I know. I know.

If your dreams don't scare you,
they're not big enough.

That's true.

[pensive music playing]

-Right, you want to talk group leaders?
-[Judy] I do.

Do you mind if I flip them over?
'Cause I wrote the scores.

We did the survey.

-Let 'em all… vote on four group leaders.
-Put in their opinion.

[suspenseful music playing]

[Judy] Good?

[Kelli] Okay.

We asked the girls,
"Who would you like to follow?"

And all that feedback helps us come
to the best decision

for that season's group leaders.

Chandi got all .

[Judy] Aww.

[Chandi] I'm very organized,

but I'm not that commander
who can kind of go into your room

and talk to anyone and everyone.

-[Kelli] Megan. All .
-[Judy] Megan.

[Megan] We have to be one unit, one team,
all on the same page.

And I'm gonna try my best
to actually use my voice for good.

[Kelli] Armani.

[Armani] Everyone's not going to like you,

but as long as you instill
those values in yourself,

that's just the healthiest
way to go throughout life.

[Jada] Anyone would love to be a leader.

I've put those expectations on myself

to have shown
that I am honestly good enough

and deserving of being a first leader.

So, it's something that I…

would really, really hope for.

I've always been someone
who's had no problem speaking up.

And so allowing us to have more of a voice

in some certain situations
is something that

I wish would change, and not feeling like,

"It's just the way it is,
so I have to accept it."

Kelli and Judy,
if we don't speak to them and say,

"Hey, how do you feel about this?
This is how we feel as a team,"

nothing's gonna change. [laughs]

Jada has definitely grown as a dancer.

I know she tries to represent
groups in conversations, but…

if she… listens more,

I think that might enhance her leadership.

So we'll see.

[Judy] Armani, honestly I liked her.

Kaydianna will be fun.

Jada will be chatty.

Yeah.

She's the one I think the most
about being sure it's the right fit.

And last year…
one of our leaders was saying,

"Kelli and Judy this
or Kelli and Judy that."

No.

It was, again, just kind of like…

working against us
instead of working with.

Mm-hmm.

Why am I hot?

You wanna sleep on it
and do this tomorrow night?

[pensive music playing]

[indistinct chatter]

[Ava] I think the field's
making me more nervous.

I feel like I wasn't yesterday
until today.

[indistinct chatter continues]

[Ava] I feel like it's an unspoken thing
that these are called "rehearsals," but…

[Ariel] You could get cut at any moment.

You show up
and it's not to learn the dance.

Like, it's to perform.

And I hate using the word "compete,"

but, like, it is an audition
every single day.

-["Thunderstruck" playing on stereo]
-[woman] Whoo!

[Kelli] Y'all got it!

-[woman ] Five, ten! Go!
-[woman ] Whoo!

Clare Marie early on leg lift.

["Thunderstruck" continues on stereo]

[Darah] The process is brutal.
but at the same time,

it makes complete sense,
because to do what they have to do,

you have to be prepared for everything.

And Madie's catching on
by the eight count.

-She's rushing.
-[Judy] She's rushing so bad.

[Chandi] Hey, let's go!

[music stops]

Madie, have I told you before
that you rush?

-You gotta get on the beat of the music.
-Yes, ma'am.

Tempo's gonna be your best friend
or your worst enemy, so you've gotta just…

really, really listen to your music.

Yes, ma'am.

-[woman] Let's go, team!
-["Thunderstruck" resumes playing]

[Kelli] Does Dayton
have a weird style match to this?

Yes, and it's… she does weird heads.

[woman] Here we go, girls! Finish it!

[Judy] Dayton,
you need to get with a veteran.

You're doing lots of little things.

You're doing weird heads.

There's some style match moments
that don't seem…

textured, rock music…

-"Thunderstruck."
-Okay.

Yes, ma'am.

-["Thunderstruck" continues playing]
-[woman ] Love you, Charly!

[woman ] You're almost there! Keep it up!

[Judy] Man, she just doesn't know it.

-[women cheering]
-["Thunderstruck" continues playing]

-[woman] All right, ladies!
-[music stops]

[Judy] Okay, we will move this fast.

Abby, you have to come back
knowing what you learned the night before.

Every night, you've gotta be able
to come back and perform.

Kelly, I think you could smile more.

And, Kelly, there's a few moments
where you could clean up the choreography.

And I think you did something weird
on that circle, circle down.

Don't scoop back first.

Yeah, sometimes y'all
add more than you need,

and it's gonna wear you out.

[laughing] Okay, next group.

[all cheering]

[Kelly V] Last year, they told me
that I look very nervous.

I just let that take over.

Couldn't even believe that I was standing
next to Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders.

So, trying to dance
at the same level as them,

I drove myself… like, crazy.

I'm a lot harder on myself because I know

there's already
an expectation lined up for Kelly.

I hope every day I go in there,
and I go to practice, and I'm like,

I just want them to tell me, like…

"You look good," or…

"You look better," or… anything.

It's not for the weak.

[bright music playing]

[Judy] We always have our rehearsals
at the stadium,

which is in Arlington, Texas.

Or we go to the studio,

and they're in opposite directions
of where I live.

So I have an hour drive every day,
each way.

I love the long drive. I can think a lot.

I listen to music.

So I kind of enjoy
that time alone to reset.

In the past, the girls would laugh,
and they'd call it "car-eography,"

because they knew
I was doing it in my car.

I would listen to the music on full blast.

I would just be dancing down the street.

I would get weird looks, but it was okay.

That's when I got in my car, and I could…

really concentrate.

Back then, they would have people
make up different routines.

I was working on
new formations, new music.

And then when
"Thunderstruck" first came about,

it was the first year at AT&T Stadium.

It was when we did it for a pregame.

And Charlotte loved the music.

So the next season, she said,

"Let's use 'Thunder' every game."

"And then that way,
it feels like people know

when they hear 'Thunder,'
the game is starting."

It was brilliant because
now it's kind of become its own little…

monster.

Everyone wants to learn "Thunder."

Lift, four. Yep. Flat.

First of all, let me start off by saying,
"Thunderstruck" is not normal.

Like, it's not a normal routine.

-It's literally a jam-packed, like…
-Right.

…six-minute, like, performance.

It should be, like,
a halftime special for other teams,

but for us, it's every single pregame,
we're doing "Thunderstruck."

So you're gonna go one…

Vets will come to you,
and they truly are your cheerleaders,

even though you're not on the team.

They want to see everyone succeed,
which is really heartwarming.

[Abby] In general, all of them
are so willing to help,

and to help us grow and learn.

[Camille] Is there anything specific
in "Thunder" you wanna go over?

[Abby] Maybe just mark with music,

and then maybe certain places
where I can add in some pizzazz.

-[Camille] Some Abby? Yeah.
-Yes.

[Camille] When you watch "Thunderstruck,"

there's an individuality to it
that's not taught.

But you have to absorb it correctly first
before you can add

that extra layer on top.

[Kleine] They're gonna look at you like,
"Sweet, cute Madie."

Like, "She's so cute."

But you want them to think, like,
"Damn, she's hot."

-Okay.
-So that's where this part comes in.

-You wanna really dig into that hip.
-Hips up.

[Reece] You said more, like,
styling points for "Thunder?"

Yes, more hips. More kind of twisting?

Yes. Sometimes the less,
you know, big, the better.

That way you're actually
showing the shape, and you're moving.

-[laughs] You can get through "Thunder."
-Yes, right.

Really sit into that seven, eight.
Five, six, seven, eight.

-A little more. Can you do any more?
-[grunts] Yeah.

-Yeah.
-[both laughing]

When we walked in day one,
we're bright-eyed, happy to be there,

and they're throwing the dance at us.

We get so much to digest, and it's
so iconic, you don't wanna mess it up.

-It's a big responsibility.
-It is.

-[Kleine] Slap it. No, slap it harder.
-[Ava] Slap it.

One! Yes, Ava! That was cute!

On a team, like, it's up to you
to do your job for your team.

And if you mess up, you let the team down.

-It is a lot more pressure.
-["Thunderstruck" resumes playing]

[Madie K] It's like,
you know, this iconic dance,

and so you gotta do it
to what they expect.

-[Sophy] Three, four, five…
-Six, seven.

[Sophy] This is our breather.

"Thunder" is too long of a dance
to go %.

We have to run to the kick line.

You have to save your energy, or…
you're just gonna gas out.

-You've got the energy.
-["Thunderstruck" continues]

Nail it. Make it beautiful.

Bam!

I don't think it gets easier from here.

-[Kelli] Again. Five, six, seven, eight.
-[woman] Yes, ma'am.

[music stops]

[Sophy] Show me your sexy hip at the end.

-[Madie K] The last one?
-Yeah, something is…

I'm trying to figure out,
something angle-wise is… off.

Do it from one, two, three.

One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven, eight, one.

I feel like the dancing,
I think sometimes, because she's ,

same thing with me
when I was , my rookie year…

it's almost like… if something's wrong,
then it goes to a maturity thing.

When sometimes it's like,
"Well, maybe no."

"It's just her stance needs to be wider."

-I think you're bending too much.
-Okay.

I think think more like, up.

Then kind of bend-- Yes.

It's the up going into it.

I think you're just going straight side,

but there's a little bit of an up.

Eight and one. Yes.

-Isn't Tori, like, ?
-Yes.

So she's ten years older than me,
so I'm like, "How can I look like that?"

But also not look like I'm trying
too hard to look like a grown…

-[Sophy] Mm-hmm.
-It's a hard balance.

-But slowly trying to figure it out.
-Yeah.

Your first whip up
is like a crack of the back and neck.

-And then you can slowly…
-Uh-huh. Snake up.

-Yes. Exactly.
-Okay.

Honestly, that's what happened
with me at first in the beginning,

was if I seemed too almost excited,

then it would go back to, like,

"You're this super powerful,
energetic -year-old."

And then we need
to tone it down a little bit.

So it's almost like that,
'cause sometimes you're just like…

Don't know how to handle yourself.

[Madie K] Learning it in the two days,
it's like…

I'm trying to get through it,
know the movement,

so I'm not really thinking
about wide stance, bigger hips.

It's like, "Okay, what's next?"

[Sophy] Four, five, six…

My biggest piece of advice
would probably just…

for her to stay confident in herself.

[Madie K] My first day of training camp,
I was so in my head.

-I have to let that go or it's not gonna…
-Exactly.

[Madie K] It's not gonna get me far.

[Sophy] Try to keep your mindset positive

and just take everything you can.

-You want to mark through it with music?
-[Madie K] Yeah.

-Then do it with me, so I can video it?
-Yes.

["Thunderstruck" playing on phone]

-[Sophy] It's like instant anxiety…
-I know!

[Sophy] …when I hear the song.

["Thunderstruck" continues on phone]

[Abby] I did not know what to expect.

I definitely needed more time to learn it.

They walked through it really quickly,
and then they said "groups."

And…

[laughing] Boy,
I did not know what I was doing.

Which was embarrassing,
but I definitely am happy

that I came home and practiced it.

I have a full-time job,
so that's been a tough balance too.

I have to wake up at : a.m. every day
and get on my computer.

I work till :.

And then practice is at :,
and we have to be there at :.

So that only gives me
like an hour and a half of get-ready time,

and I really wanna be practicing
the routines before,

so I'll do that on my lunch break.

[chuckling]

I'm really just gonna take this time
to just get my confidence up, and…

I've done all that I could to prepare,
and just believe in my training.

[pensive music playing]

[Abby] I've been in Ohio my whole life.
I'm ready for some change.

I mean, first the "Yes, ma'am."
Never said that in my life.

From Ohio, that's almost rude to say,
'cause that just means you're older,

but I do understand
that's respect for them, so…

I'll try and start doing it.

Not to toot my own horn,
I was on the best team.

Ohio State, we won
six national championships.

I have a reputation.

And then come here,
and then I don't know the dance,

and that was quite embarrassing.

It's harder for me
to pick up choreography.

That's what my struggle is.

Like, we had one dance
that we practiced for six months.

So that's the difference here too.

I feel like the style and the technique,
they're all different.

Ohio State, we had lifting
three times a week, so we were jacked.

We were not doing cardio.
We were lifting heavy weights.

Let's go, mack daddy!

[cheerleaders shouting on video]

[Abby] We were very low to the ground.
We were aggressive.

[laughs] We would bark during our dances.

-[man] You would bark?
-We'd bark.

[barking on video]

[Abby] This is more like sassy,
sexy, happy,

and then you have to find
your avenue that you're good at.

So it's a balance between
looking cute and remembering.

So yeah, finding the balance.

["Thunderstruck"
continues faintly on phone]

[music stops]

I know it.

[Kelli] Okay!

So we're going to do kicks first,

and we wanna see the kicks
in small groups,

and then I think Judy
has some exciting news.

I do. If y'all could come sit down
over here, please, a second.

Okay, these are not temporary groups.

They're real groups rehearsing right now,
but changes can be made.

So, group one, your first leader

is Chandi.

[all cheering]

[Armani] Yay, Chandi, girl!

Okay, group two,
your first leader is Megan.

[all cheering]

Group three, your first leader is Jada.

[all cheering]

[Judy] Okay, group four,
your first leader is Armani.

[all cheering]

[woman] Yay, Armani girl! Whoo-whoo!

[Kelly V laughing] Wait, I'm ecstatic.
I'm so excited.

-Do we need to thank--
-I was gonna say thank you. I don't know.

I don't know how to be a leader yet.

I was just gonna say thank you,
but I don't know how to, like… [whoops]

[expectant music playing]

[Kelli] Training camp is busy.

The leaders are right there
by me at all times.

Although it's a title,
and it's prestigious,

it's a lot of work.

They help Judy with choreography.

They help us with communication.

They're mentors.
They're guidance counselors.

And they're…

critical to the seamless performances
that the cheerleaders do.

[Judy] The group leaders,
they're so good at it.

-It's amazing.
-[woman] Break it right here.

[Judy] It's hard for them
because they have to have another job.

But I'm proud of their occupations
and their degrees.

[expectant music continues]

[Darah] And it's so crazy
'cause we get there at :,

but the vets
will trickle in from work at : too.

Practice doesn't start till :.

You know the dances. You're ready.
You guys know what to expect. We don't.

Then they're offering to help us?

And it's like they literally
have a nine-to-five job.

Some of them are married.

The last thing they're probably worried
about is us, but genuinely, they care.

[Kelli] All of their degrees
and their careers

are actually what make them
really impressive,

that there are so many layers to them.

They're not just dancers.

I think that makes them
really interesting.

[Armani] Right now
I'm working at a law firm.

I'm actually the billing director.

These attorneys
are constantly losing their bills.

Career-wise,
I do want to go to law school.

I do need to take the LSAT.

And then after that,
start applying to law schools,

which is the scary part.

["No Time For Crying"
by Mavis Staples playing]

-♪ No time for tears… ♪
-[phone ringing]

[Armani laughing] I live a busy life.

It's very hard.

Um, you just have to have
really great time management.

♪ We've got work to do… ♪

I'm a cosmetic associate. I just basically
assist the estheticians at our practice.

There's no way I would be able
to survive off of just DCC.

The professional dance world,
it's just not a sustainable lifestyle.

I'd say DCC is the most stable
dance job that there is,

but still you're gonna need two jobs
as a dancer.

It's just how it is.

♪ We've got work to do ♪

[Jada] We're all working
so many hours outside of this,

trying to compensate financially.

It's really hard to work two jobs

but also give your full commitment
to DCC while you're here.

[Chandi] I have three jobs.

Well… four if you count DCC.

Usually, in the mornings,

I come and work at a Pilates studio.

I also work for my mom
and aunt's company back home.

We have a drug repackaging
mail-order pharmacy.

So… I do that.

I am a licensed pharmacy technician.
So I kind of help them out from afar.

Um, that is something
I wanna do long-term.

Um, and then in addition to all that,

I do some contract work
for one of our sponsors.

I just help her

as she's in need of a receptionist

or someone to answer her phone calls.

Um, and then I also do social media

for a pediatric dentistry.

And then I printed out formations

so that Judy doesn't have to worry
too much about everyone's yard line.

And I kind of
wrote my calendar for the week

and all the meetings I have to do
and where I have to be before DCC.

[soft music playing]

[Chandi] One, two, three, four.

We're gonna stop in T.

Pivot, six.

Back seven, eight. Yeah.

It is sometimes like a lonely time
'cause you do want help

and you do wanna ask for help.

But it's also so hard when you're
so overwhelmed trying to do all your jobs,

and go to DCC, and know everything, and…

help Judy to have that time
to even ask for help,

and explain to someone,
like, what you need.

-[Chandi] One, one, two, two…
-One, one…

[Chandi] Kaydianna and I are really close.

She always knows when I'm stressed,
and I always know when she's stressed.

We kind of just tell each other,
"Shut up, it's fine."

"You're gonna be fine."

It's just a moment of your life
where you're gonna be stressed,

and the rest of it,
you're doing what you love.

-[Chandi] Break it down. Cowboy kick.
-[Ryan] Yep. Yep.

-[Chandi] Cowboy wave.
-[Ryan] Yep.

-[Chandi] Fiesta.
-[Ryan] Yep.

Sexy hips, elbow out.

Sexy hips or sexy mamas?

-Both.
-[Ryan chuckles]

Since you're the longest-tenured person
this year, like…

who do you go to for advice?

-On the team? Or like…
-Yeah.

Um, well, hopefully, I know everything.

[Chandi] In this role,
you're the one that everyone goes to,

and the one that
everyone asks all the questions, and…

you want to have the answer for them,

and sometimes
you get frustrated with yourself,

or you feel lonely
because you don't have those answers,

and all you wanna do is provide the team
and provide these girls with

the best version of you possible.

I do get overwhelmed,
but I lean on Ryan a lot.

He's learned me so well

where I can ask for something

or vent about something.

He's like, "I already did that"
Or, "I've already thought that far ahead."

So it's like, "Oh."

He puts me at ease.

We matched on Hinge a long time ago,

actually pre-COVID, right when it hit.

And I told him, "Yeah, I'm going
to the bubble for our training camp."

-He's like, "Nice knowing you," and then…
-[both laughing]

So he kind of ghosted me-ish.

And we, like,
didn't talk for a whole year.

And one random day,

it was after one of my practices,
my friend and I were walking out.

I was looking in the gym, and I was like,
"I think I follow that guy."

And so I looked him up, and I DM'd him,
and now he's stuck with me.

-[Ryan chuckling]
-So it was me!

[peaceful music playing]

I know I don't need a man, but, um…
it is nice to have that.

He's like my rock.

He's someone I always turn to,
I always vent to,

and he's someone I can always count on.

I feel like I go nonstop.

I feel like I tell Ryan all the time
I stress so much,

and I feel like
I have so much on my plate,

I don't really know what to do,
but I have to stay busy.

It's kind of what keeps me sane.

[Bramhall] All right.

Tell me what's going on.

I'm just trying to dance and have fun.

-[Bramhall] Yeah.
-Not…

Not stress myself out.

What's your feedback been?

Um, I need a little bit more power
behind every step,

but I feel good doing this style.

I think it used to be scary for me,
but now it feels comfortable.

I thought you looked good.

Of course, you could probably get lower
in your plié, you know.

-[Dayton] Yeah, I think that's--
-That's a comfort zone.

I think 'cause I'm used to ballet
and contemporary…

-Right.
-…where my choices can be smooth and soft.

I need to take away from that
and add in a little bit more power.

I think with them it's seeing you
be really comfortable in the room

and owning this is how you dance.

Mm-hmm. They know me so well
that they know the second

that I lose confidence in myself.

Yeah.

I can't get it in my head at all
or they will know.

Well, I'm proud of you.

You've grown a lot.

[chuckles] Don't cry.

[crying] No, I am.

I've done a complete this year.

You are…

You are the girl that you were
when you graduated high school.

Like, going out, trying things.

-[Dayton]Yeah.
-We're glad you're back.

[Dayton sniffles]

I just wanna be better
than what I was six years ago.

[Dayton] Back then, everything
I was telling myself was just,

"You need to be perfect.
You need to be this. You need to do that."

So far, training camp
is a little bit stressful

just because we are learning
so many dances at a time very fast.

That's making me very nervous.

Getting cut did kind of…
leave some scar tissue there.

I don't think it'd be fair to you
or anybody else

if you just made this team just because.

I wouldn't wanna make it just because.

I wanna earn it.

[Bramhall] She kind of sunk
into a depression.

So, she had a lot of soul-searching to do.

[pensive music playing]

[Dayton] For a long time, I felt stuck

and not as happy as I could have been.

I recently got out
of a five-year relationship,

and I did struggle with eating disorder
for a long time.

But I think recovering from that

and just feeling happy
about what I was doing,

finding new activities
that were healthy for me,

working on myself,
that's when it started to get better.

I think I was doing it
for all the wrong reasons the first time.

This time around
is a time where I really want to do this,

and I want to be here,
and I want to prove myself,

and I want to be better.

I am a different person than I was
six years ago, seven years ago.

They see that I'm stronger,
so I need to be stronger.

Back then,
not only did I disappoint myself,

I felt like I disappointed my mom.

She's very hard on me sometimes.

When it really gets hard
is when I'm feeling negative about myself

or when I'm not feeling my best,

and she gets upset with me.

'Cause she's like,
"I think you're standing in your own way."

[Bramhall] It's totally attainable
and achievable,

and I think your flexibility,
and strength, and stamina,

you've had it.

It was just…

-I don't think I pushed myself enough.
-Enough.

I think now I have the mindset
where I'm like,

"I have to keep going
or else I will fall behind."

[bright music playing]

[Ava] Velveeta!

-[woman] I ordered ahead of time.
-[Ava] You ordered?

-[woman] Yup.
-[Ava] I have my Chipotle bowl…

-[woman] I ordered a Jersey Mike's sub.
-[Ava] It's the corn salsa…

[woman] What room number is Ava?

Omni girls have a special relationship
because we're literally together -.

We couldn't imagine going to practice
and then coming back to nothing.

Having each other,
it really makes or breaks it.

[Darah] You're eating cold peas? Ew!

[woman] I'm sick, Ava!

Peas is my favorite vegetable, actually.

[Darah] I didn't know
peas were a vegetable.

That was my fun fact,
I don't like any fruits or vegetables.

-[Darah] Oh yeah.
-Not one.

-[Ava] Wait, do you eat fish at all? Ugh!
-No.

I eat fish sticks.

[Ava] Fish sticks?

[Ava] If you're not close
with the people around you, you're just…

it's gonna be miserable.

-You're done.
-[Ava] Fish sticks!

You're gonna go home alone
at night after a practice

and not have anyone to,
like, debrief to or talk to.

[Abby] She said I got a tight neck.

-[Darah] I'm for real.
-[Ava] What a great problem to have.

[Ava] We get so close so fast,

especially 'cause this year
in training camp,

for the first two weeks, no one was cut.

I couldn't move my body, so…

[all laughing]

Taking maybe a little bit longer
than usual to make that first cut.

I'm not kidding. I need help.

So it is really weird
because you are rooting for each other,

and you kind of plan into the future like,

"Okay, when we make this team,

we're gonna make it together
'cause we're such good friends."

But it doesn't always end up like that.

It adds a lot of pressure once
the cuts start getting made, for sure.

-[yelping]
-[all laughing]

[bright music playing]

[gentle music playing]

[Clare Marie] Today we're going
to get our uniforms fitted.

We get all measured and fit everything
perfectly to our bodies.

And, yeah, I'm really excited.

[upbeat music playing]

[woman laughing]

[Kelli] Did you leave your vest in there?
Is your vest still in there?

-You need one more piece! Almost.
-[woman] Take two.

-[woman laughing]
-[Sophia] Sorry, guys.

[Meagan] Charly, how have you been?

-I've been good! How have you been?
-Good!

[Charly] It's just so nice
to see it back on.

I was in the mirror doing, like…

One of the tags, seeing,
like, what it would look like on,

but yeah, I'm so excited.

-Thank you so much!
-[Meagan] It was good seeing you.

-Good luck.
-[Charly] Yes, you as well. Thank you.

[Kelli] Good Lord, are those your abs?

[Ariel laughing]

Are you tanning with,
like, a mystic spray or what?

No, it's just this pump one.

The only thing that this really does
is give me that bronzy look.

And muddy.

-Muddy?
-A little.

[Meagan] She has shoulders.

-Mm-hmm.
-[Kelli] Mm-hmm.

[Abby] I was told, "You don't need
the weight room anymore."

"You look good." So I'm like,
"Okay, I don't need to lift anymore."

[man] Who told you
that that's what you should do?

Or is it something
you just sort of figured out?

Just figured out.

-[man] Okay.
-[laughing] I don't wanna say.

[man] Did somebody tell you?

-[Kelli] Okay, Miss Dayton is back.
-[woman] You can pause.

[Meagan] You're gonna need
a medium short, girl.

[woman laughing] Retry. Yeah.

-[Meagan] Madie.
-[Kelli] This fits her great.

These shorts fit her so good.
They're so cute!

It's almost like,
"Do I need to put the belt on that?"

-They fit her so good.
-[woman] Uh-huh.

[Meagan] Tiny shoulders
and tiny torsos always look good.

[woman] Ready for Miss Bramhall.

-[Meagan] Those shorts are much better.
-These are much tighter.

-[Kelli] Yes.
-[woman] Yeah, it was…

[Dayton] I don't think
my body image issues really started

until I graduated from high school,

which is when I started thinking
about auditioning for Cowboys.

[Meagan] She almost is a little bit
like Victoria was when she dropped.

It's kind of the same.

Do you think you're easy,
comfortable, manageable weight?

Yes, I think I've gained

about pounds since my first video.

-Really?
-Yes.

[Meagan laughs] I thought
she looked tinier.

No, she's definitely tinier
than six years ago, but you look good.

But we wanna fit your shorts
to what's manageable.

[Dayton] Yes. Yeah, this is a good weight.

[upbeat music continues]

[Meagan] All right, girl. Awesome.

[music fades]

[Meagan] We're waiting on Kelly.
She's not here yet.

[sighs]

-[Meagan] Hey! Come on in. Good.
-[Kelly V] I am so sorry.

I clicked the wrong link,
and on this link, it said I was at :.

Well, let's ask Courtney, because this
could be a game day bus that you miss.

-[Kelly V] Yes, ma'am.
-[Kelli] Court?

-[Courtney] Yeah.
-Can you explain to Kelly?

She's looking at a link that says :.

No, you're looking at SignUpGenius.

So I wrote, "Update, please check
your correct time in the attached file."

-So go to files.
-This is where…

-And then you'll check it.
-Here.

And then if you scroll down, you'll see.

I'm so sorry.
This is the first time I'm seeing this.

[Kelli] If that was a game day bus,
you'd have missed it.

[Kelly V] Yes, ma'am.

-[tense music playing]
-[Kelly V] It's…

Ugh.

It's just frustrating because, like,
everything I wanna do is perfect.

I just want everything to go perfect,

and everything has been
going really well so far, and then…

[voice breaking]
I just don't want them to, like… Ugh.

[laughs] Sorry. This is like…

I shouldn't be getting emotional
about something like this.

It's something
that could have been avoided if I, like…

I guess quadruple-checked. I don't know.

-[woman] All right.
-[tense music continues]

[woman] Awesome.

[Kelly V crying softly] There's so much
pressure as it is to be perfect.

I just don't want anything to go wrong.

I just want everything
to go as smooth as possible.

I want to put
my best foot forward at all times.

And I just hope she knows,
like, it was a genuine mistake.

[Caroline] A slap on the wrist could mean
you're literally not on the team.

Like, that's a big deal.

You remember every single thing
you messed up in some way,

because you're like,
"That must have been it."

Mmm-hmm. They hold on to things.

[dramatic music playing]

[Ariel] I know
when I'm not where I need to be.

I know what my struggles are.

It's just a matter of getting them
to realize that I know it too,

and that I can fix it.

You hope that you're doing well,

and you hope that Kelli and Judy
see something within you that,

you know, brings them any attention.

I've definitely tried
to be a perfectionist

and be super regimented,

but it doesn't work for me.

If you don't have the mental strength
to get through it,

there's no way
you're gonna make it through.

[dramatic music continues]

[Abby] I'm super nervous. It's scary.

[suspenseful music playing]

[Kelli] Here's the folders.

She's so pretty.

From tonight,
Savannah did not get any better.

Low left kicks, tiny presence
on the field, "Thunder" mistakes.

Kicks aren't gonna make it this year.

Abby, she hunches on her kicks,

mistakes on choreo, low left kick.

[Judy] She has pretty style,
but she can't remember…

-[Kelli] What comes next? Sequence.
-…one step from another.

[Kelli] Clare Marie has three noes.

[Judy] I mean, she could have done it,

but she's not top right now,
ready to go on the field right now.

[Kelli] Okay.

Madie, she's adorable.

I know she could make it some year.
She does seem younger.

-[Judy] Mm-hmm.
-[Kelli] She looks scared.

Okay, Ariel, kicks.

One, two, three… She's bottom five.

[Judy] And Kelly,
she's prettier this year.

I wasn't impressed with the being late.

I told her,
"You would've missed the game-day bus."

[Judy] Mm-hmm.

[intriguing music playing]

[Kelli] We need to start making decisions,

'cause we are really close to out of time.

Are you ready?

[intriguing music continues]