Original subtitles

-[single beat echoes] -[ethereal choral vocalizing]

[vocalizations fade]

-[tense music playing] -[hushed chatter]

[Kelli] We have 21 that have perfect scores.

-That's awesome. -Wow.

And then are we hanging on to our vets we love?

[Charlotte] I think you've decided.

This is gonna be hard.

[Kelli] She has been such a rock star dancer.

It's hard to cut a veteran.

[Charlotte] Yeah.

[tense music continues]

-Good? -Mm-hmm.

[Charlotte] Okay.

[Charlotte] Good evening, ladies.

When we call out your name and number,

if you will come join us on the field.

Please welcome

from Weehawken, New Jersey, number 45, Kelly V.

[cheering]

[tense music playing]

Welcome to training camp, number 25, Reece.

[cheering]

Oh my gosh! [indistinct]

[Kelli] Welcome to training camp, number 26, Kaylin.

Number 36, Charly.

[cheering]

Welcome back, number 9, KayDianna.

[cheering]

Number 1, Kelcey.

[cheering]

[murmurs indistinctly]

[Kelli] Also welcome back...

number 49, Victoria, from Coppell, Texas.

[cheering]

She's gonna fall down those steps if anybody is.

Please welcome number 30, Darian.

[cheering]

[cheerleader] Yes, Darian!

[Kelli] Welcome back, from Round Rock, Texas,

number 54, Madeline.

[cheering]

[Kelli] Number 41, Anisha.

[cheering]

Last... Last one.

Twenty eight. Columbia.

Mm.

Ladies, we have one more name to invite into training camp.

And on behalf of our entire organization,

we thank you for participating in this audition,

and we applaud your talent and your expertise.

Thank you very much.

[music intensifies]

[Kelli] Our last person

invited into the 2023 training camp...

from Columbia, Missouri, number 28, Anna Kate.

[cheering]

[solemn music playing]

[Kelli] Congratulations, ladies.

All of you on the field, congratulations and good night.

[Judy] The hardest thing about our job is having to cut veterans.

But when it comes down to it, and the scores are added up,

if those veterans aren't at the right place,

then they will get cut.

[Kelli] The best-case scenario is that your veterans are the top scorers,

as they should be.

And then...

You know, in this case, they weren't, and it's disappointing for everybody.

You're all looking right here. One, two, three, three, four, five.

Everybody looking this way.

[camera shutter snapping]

[Kelcey] We're angry, and we're emotional, and mad, and sad

for our friends that are sitting on the other side

and having to get their stuff and go home for the last time.

[Brooke] This has been a hard day, y'all. I'm not gonna lie to you.

There's a squad that has been broken up, and then there's a new squad here.

I encourage you veterans... You're veterans for a reason, okay?

I understand it hurts. I had people cut when I cheered.

But you have a bunch of new faces in here that are looking up to y'all.

They're looking to y'all to be strong, to be leaders,

to teach them what the sisterhood is all about.

So use what you're feeling to bring this team together.

[cheerleader] It was a good run.

-[chatter] -[sobbing]

[Kelcey] I apologize if we're not in the best of spirits tonight.

Like, I don't want this to take away from this amazing moment in your guys' lives,

that you get to come to training camp. We're so proud of you.

But obviously, this is a really hard moment for us.

[solemn music playing]

[women sobbing]

It's okay. It's okay.

[overlapping wails]

We love you so much.

[sobbing]

[tearfully] I'm okay. I'm okay.

I love you guys so much.

I wouldn't have given it up for the world, like anything.

[sniffles] I wouldn't have changed anything.

You're so incredible.

["Vill du Låna en Man" by Anni-Frid Lyngstad playing]

[Brooke] New girls, not quite rookies just yet.

You're in training camp. You're training camp candidates.

If anybody asks, you're not a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader yet.

You gotta earn that status. You gotta earn the boots, earn the poms,

and you're going to do that over the next few weeks.

That's all I'm gonna say about that.

If y'all can start passing these around, we're gonna talk about your first meeting

and/or your first rehearsal. Can you believe?

No time. No rest for the weary, girls.

["Vill du Låna en Man" continues]

[song echoes, fades]

[grand, dramatic music playing]

[music fades]

[Kelly] Could I do a grande iced shaken espresso with almond milk,

two pumps of sugar-free vanilla,

one scoop of vanilla bean powder, and one packet of stevia?

-Sorry. -[barista] No, you're good.

-This is such a long order. -[Charly] I wanna see yours. What is it?

Apparently, it's like 60 calories.

Wait, I get the sugar-free vanilla syrup too normally.

Okay, that's... I've seen it on...

-Did you find that on TikTok? -Yeah, it was on TikTok.

I'm gonna get a tall Strawberry Açaí Refresher.

And that is it.

-I got the Strawberry Açaí yesterday. -Was it good?

-Yes, it's so good. -I've never...

That's so funny.

-She's not a big Starbucks girl. -Yeah, I'm not a big Starbucks girl. I...

I'm not really cultured in that area.

-Taste test. -What do you think?

-Good, right? I know. -It's good.

-This is very smooth. -[Kelly] Okay.

-I like it. -[Charly laughs]

That's my go-to drink.

Maybe by the end of this, we'll turn you into a coffee lover.

-Yes. -Totally.

Baby steps. Tall steps.

-[gentle piano music playing] -[humming softly]

-Oh my God! This is so pretty. -I know, right?

-Are you serious? -So pretty.

[Reece] So, um, I'm staying at the Gaylord Texan,

which is the most beautiful hotel I've ever seen.

Just here in this temporary home,

but it is a beautiful home, so I am not complaining.

[Kelly] One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.

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

[vocalizing rhythmically]

...six, seven, eight. A one, two, three, four...

[Charly] Double, yes!

[Kelly] ...eight. One, two, three...

-[Reece] Kelly is from New Jersey. -[Charly] A good one!

[Reece] Becca is from Mississippi, and Charly is from California.

Which is so cool to me,

because I have never been to California.

I have only been to New Jersey once.

[laughter]

[Kelly] It's so crazy, guys.

The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, even in Jersey, are such a big...

And that is so far from Texas.

Like, since I was little, I was like, "That's what I wanna do."

Kelly was so looking forward to coming to the South

because we have plastic bags.

In New Jersey, she has to carry everything with a paper bag or just with her items.

I have plastic bags in my room,

and I'm like, "I need to take these back home."

I could sell that for money in Jersey.

-So funny. -That is so funny.

Learning little things like that have been so funny and just so awesome,

because we are all in this together. We are all in the same boat.

And we can just kind of laugh and go through this process together,

because we're all rookies at this. We don't really know what to expect.

-I'm so excited to get all glammed up. -I know.

-Our first, like, official thing. -I know!

[Reece] They all offer something different which I think is so cool and unique.

You kind of can feed off of each other with that.

[Kelly] I'm excited to see everyone's dresses.

[Charly] Send what you're wearing.

-Yes. -'Cause I can't wait to see it.

-[Reece] Y'all, I'm so excited. -[Kelly] I know!

[Reece exclaims]

[gentle, airy instrumentals playing]

So we're gonna do what we normally do.

We're gonna line up on either one of those doors.

So if we can go by decade, and let's have our '70s out here.

Let's do '80s. Let's do '90s. My '00s and my '10s.

I can't believe it! Wow!

You stay there.

-And where's my '70s? -Right here.

Okay, that's Cindy.

Guide off of Kat, please. Straight line. Set...

Y'all figure... They'll figure it out.

-[interviewer] What is this? -What is this?

[bright, upbeat music playing]

[Brooke] We call it the welcome clap-in line.

It's very similar to a player intro line at a football game.

So the alumni, we have kind of taken that to this level

to welcome our new training camp candidates

to their very first meeting.

-Yay! -Great job, girls.

-We're so proud of y'all. -So proud!

[woman] Good luck!

[Brooke] At this meeting, the training camp candidates will learn

what to expect over the next few weeks in training camp.

[alumna] Good luck. We love you so much. You're gonna do amazing!

All right, love y'all now.

See you girls. [puckering lips]

Y'all, look at me and wave.

-[Tina] What time's the reservation? -[Suzy] 7:15. We need to go now.

[Tina] It's already 7:35. They've cancelled us.

[Suzy] No, they haven't. They haven't.

[Kelli] Are they all in?

Hello!

[women] Hi!

Welcome to the official classroom of the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.

And welcome to training camp.

[cheering]

So there's 44 in the room.

Facts are our team is 36.

Everybody, at this point, is in the game at the same starting line.

We will be announcing the final team by July 19.

So for those of you that are jobless, and homeless, and relocating,

if you make it through July 19, you'll have clarity about your future.

Tomorrow, we will start getting to see you as dancers with our choreography

in our studio.

My advice to you is to bring your best every minute you get here,

but don't overanalyze our expressions.

Um...

Well, you may not get much from me 'cause I got Botox.

[laughter]

But... [laughs]

If I could...

Judy will frown at you.

[laughter]

[soft jazz music playing]

Be dressed and ready at 7:00, because we always start promptly at 7:00.

We should be finished by ten o'clock every night. That's our goal.

No food or drink in the studio, but of course, you may bring dinner in,

because I know some of you are running in from work,

and you have to have something to eat before rehearsal.

[alumna] Tina, Tina, get in.

I'm always the giant amongst y'all.

And I'm always the brunette.

How are you?

-Hi. -How are you?

-Livin' the dream, sister. -You look beautiful.

-Thank you. -Beautiful!

-Thank you. How are you? -Good to see you.

I know. It feels weird being on the other side. I'm like, "Okay."

I saw Judy, and I was like, "Go, Anna Kate,"

and she smiled so big. I'm like, "I love you."

-You're the sweetest sister ever. -Aw.

She's awesome. Her and Victoria would have so much fun.

-Victoria will take care of her. -Yeah, she would. She will.

[Kelli] So I would like to have you guys introduce yourselves.

Anisha.

Hi, everyone. My name is Anisha.

I'm originally from Porter Ranch, California.

I am currently an orthodontist.

It's been fun.

And something fun I did today, or I guess not so fun.

But I was trying to take a bracket off of a tooth,

and I accidentally extracted the tooth.

[all exclaim]

But it was a baby tooth, so we're good.

There's another permanent tooth coming, so we're solid. So, yeah, it's okay.

[scattered applause]

I just recently graduated from Texas Christian University

with a degree in finance.

And I will begin my job in August with 49 Financial

as an investment advisor representative.

Um, so today, what I did was study all day.

So I read three chapters and took about three tests

to get my license. Yeah.

I got my animal science degree

and continue to work as a veterinary technician.

Currently, I'm actually a fitness instructor as well.

So that has been fun.

I do not like coffee, so I never know what to order or what to get,

but I tried a Strawberry Açaí for the first time, so...

My job is not always so glamorous, so I'll spare you a lot of details.

But today one of the things I did was changed a trach tube.

Um, it's something she breathes out of, a little hole in her neck.

I have to change that every few days to make sure she can breathe well.

That's one thing I did today. Yes.

I'm from Coppell, Texas.

And I'm currently a fitness instructor, a dance instructor,

and a student at the ballet... at the Joffrey Ballet School.

-[crowd chattering] -[Tina] I would like a margarita, please.

[waiter] The Mambo Taxi or a margarita on the rocks?

-Just regular. -You like the Mambo Taxi.

You know what actually? I want a Skinny Margarita.

-Okay. -On ice.

I got you.

You still drink Skinny Margaritas?

-I have to. -Lord, no.

-You're not a mama. -No, not yet.

I gotta watch it. And I live with... Victoria.

-She's tiny, but she works out a lot. -She does.

She's healthy.

She does, but I mean, she doesn't think she is.

She looks like a million bucks. I'm like, "Girl..."

Because one year, it's, "You're too heavy."

-The next year is, "You're too thin." -I know. It's a hard world. Like...

-I had hip surgery in April. -Yes.

Obviously, I gained a little weight after that.

I really went through a few weeks

where I was like, "I don't like what I look like."

-You look great. -Thank you.

-Guess what? It's Barbie time. -[crowd] Aw!

-You want blonde or brunette? -[Judy] I'll help.

[Kelli] You pick.

-I'll take a brunette, maybe. -Brunette? Okay.

-Thank you so much. Thank you. -Barbie.

[applause, cheering]

I wanted one more second with the hug.

Yay.

[dreamy, gentle music playing]

Does everybody know Madeline's mama was a cheerleader too?

And Victoria.

Both of whose moms shared a locker room with me.

-Congratulations. -Thank you.

[applause, cheers]

[Kelcey] It's really exciting and awesome to make it into training camp.

But there's still a lot of cuts to be made.

And we never know when cuts are gonna happen.

Not knowing if you're gonna get to the finish line,

and get the trophy, get the uniform is really scary.

I mean, you put your whole life on hold to come here.

So it's... it's a lot of pressure.

[music fades]

[bright, sprightly orchestral music playing]

Well, let's hope today's word is "purpose."

It is. It's just gonna have to be.

[chatter]

I just want to, like, start it.

[Anna Kate] I'm anxious.

How are you?

You look cute. How are you?

You look cute too.

-Thanks. -Really cute outfit.

Where'd you get that?

You look cute too. You look cute too.

-Where'd you get the outfit? -Ladies, come on in!

Oh. Oh. Oh.

All right.

Welcome to your first rehearsal.

[cheering]

I wanna remind you tonight that we are here to choose our team.

Cheat word at the board.

We know you're great dancers, or you wouldn't be in this room.

So we really wanna encourage you to start showing us your personality,

your authentic personality and also your dancer's personality,

who you are as a showman.

I've seen, especially rookies under pressure,

kind of crawl in their heads and freak themselves out,

and we don't get to see who you really are.

So I wanna encourage you to show us your personality.

-Okay? -Yes, ma'am.

[cheering, applause]

[McKenzie] Five, six, seven, down on eight.

Step out, one, look, two, three, four.

Pick, five, six, seven, eight.

[Judy] Are they getting faster as they go?

Kaylin, you're right here, so you're gonna get a lot of me tonight.

I watched you a lot.

And you chopped off the moment I just told you about.

-Hesitate on it. -What was the last move?

[Kelli] McKenzie, help her on that passé.

[McKenzie] You just went for salsa. Seven, eight. One...

Stay higher longer.

Boom. Up. Relevé. Can you get higher?

[Kelli] Once someone makes it into training camp,

they first start learning all of our game choreography,

which is about 50 routines.

It's just... It's a lot.

If I was a 19-year-old rookie, this would scare me.

Does this make you nervous, being in here?

-Just a little, but it's okay. -[laughter]

-[Judy] So are y'all ready for kicks? -[all] Yes, ma'am.

[bright, slightly whimsical music playing]

[Judy] Regardless of what kind of background they've come from,

I think the biggest challenge a lot of them have is our kickline.

[Kelli] Precision is a must. Exactness is a must.

Formations are a part of our effectiveness.

When they all come together, they need to dance like one person.

Darian, sorry, but your kicks need to be higher.

A blonde with a not-pointed left foot.

Madeline, almost looks like a stamina thing.

[Madeline] Yes, ma'am.

[Judy] When you hook up in a line,

and you've got the weight of 35 other girls next to you,

and you all have to kick in unison,

sometimes the best dancer just doesn't get it.

[Kelli] Anisha, you look...

honestly, in the kick category, untrained.

But you have beautiful, long legs, so there's potential.

The reality is we're famous for kicks, so it's a must.

[all] Yes, ma'am.

-Rookie candidates, forward. -[Kelcey] Rookie candidates, come forward.

We'll split into rookies and vets on this part.

We're all gonna go one, tap on two.

Rookies are gonna wait. Vets are gonna go three...

[Kelcey] This year, I'm the only returning first leader.

The other three retired.

Hair flip on seven, eight.

[Kelcey] The first leader is basically one of our head captains.

Taking a world-class organization

and making sure that we are delivering every year.

[Judy] Watch Kelcey when she's teaching.

She uses her curves a lot and makes the step look... sexier.

Kelcey I depend on so much.

She's a star.

[Kelli] You can already see Kelcey starting to take a leadership role.

We can see, through the years, who people start following,

and it's not always necessarily the best dancer.

We try to pick the best people leaders.

And we want a leader that the girls respect.

[Victoria] Group leaders, they kinda go by seniority.

So you'll see more of a fourth year up there.

Fifth year, definitely.

Would I want it? Yes.

[Judy] Having great chemistry on our team is really important.

They can all be great dancers, but they all have to get along also.

That's, I think, the biggest part in having a successful team.

But sometimes, someone just might not have the personality

that gets along with the rest of the girls.

For Victoria to be put in a group leader position,

she has to connect more with her teammates.

[Victoria] I wanted to ask...

just what y'all think of me.

You know you're talented. You know you're beautiful.

In a broad stroke,

I don't think you had the same stamina as 18, 19-year-old Victoria.

-Really? -[Kelli] Mm-hmm.

Okay.

-Just strength. I mean, we're used to... -Yeah.

...you could leap and go to heaven and back.

-Even in the kicks. I would say stamina. -Okay.

-If you're working on that, great. -Yes.

Let's make sure you have enough fuel and enough energy.

[Victoria] Okay.

-[interviewer] You grew up with Kelli. -Yes. Mm-hmm.

Besides my mom, Kelli was the first person that held me.

There's just a different obstacle that you're having to maneuver around

with me being a part of DCC.

[gentle, tense music playing]

When I walked into the audition,

seeing her, like, have that professional front was like...

[gasps] ...took me a second to get used to.

[Kelli] She is not at her trimmest state.

[Victoria] We were weighing in, like, every week.

Sometimes, it would be at 11:00 p.m.

You did have some judges say they wanted you to tone up your tummy.

[Victoria] I didn't know how to handle that.

And I just want to always show them that I am

either better than they last saw me or the best.

I want them to think, "Damn, that's Victoria."

May I ask if there's a possibility

of seeing me in a different role?

[Kelli] Like having a formal leadership role and title? Is that what you're...

Yes. As a...

[cell phone vibrating]

Sorry. I have too many people trying to interrupt our peace of mind, don't I?

I appreciate that you are always a very helpful spirit.

So I would say keep that

as a natural space that you're good at.

[Victoria] Mm-hmm.

You know, I don't know.

She's very hard to read, to me.

-All right. You feel good? -[Victoria] I feel good.

-Good. You sure? -[Victoria] Yes, I'm positive.

-Okay. -[Kelli] Okay.

-Noted. -Okay.

-Thank you. -Bye.

[Kelli] I just don't see Victoria as...

-18-year-old Victoria. -[Kelli] Yes. And that's not fair.

-You've known her all her life. -I know.

-With the big bow on her head. -True.

I remember this season there were times where I thought

she was not the young,

physically strongest dancer she used to be.

-She seemed tired. -I didn't feel that this year.

But the year before, she definitely had a stamina problem.

That's when she was...

getting healthy again.

-As long as she's fueling herself... -[Judy] Mm-hmm.

...'cause there was a time where I think she probably wasn't.

[soft, thoughtful music playing]

[music fades]

[birds chirping]

-[woman] Dr. Anisha? I'm ready for you. -[Anisha] Yes. Ready? Okay.

Hello! Are you excited?

I'm excited for you. All right.

-How are we feeling about your teeth? -It's okay.

Is there anything you don't like about it before we plan to take it off?

-[woman] Everything's good. -No? All right!

What'd you do this weekend? Anything fun?

Open as wide as you can. There we go. Good job.

-You're doing great. Almost done, okay? -[girl] Okay.

[gentle music playing]

[Anisha] If I have five minutes between patients,

I'll try to run one or two routines.

Some people have a full day off and are able to practice the whole day,

and I'm thinking, "I don't have the most practice time,

so I just use what I can."

Yeah, it's rough but worth it.

Okay, yeah, let's go ahead and do an 18 NiTi.

I'm obviously getting older.

I'm probably not gonna have this opportunity in a few years.

So I'd rather live life to the fullest

and try to take advantage of every hour I have in a day.

Home stretch.

When I was in dental school, I was on the Golden State Warriors.

Warriors is very hip-hop. And it's on a court,

so the things we do on there is different from what you'd do on a football field.

DCC is very up on your toes, and it's very technical,

whereas my background is different in terms of my dance training.

It's harder for me to implement that immediately.

I have to think about all those things as I'm dancing,

whereas another dancer who's trained in that,

it just might come naturally.

I'm gonna check on this patient real quick.

[upbeat percussive music playing]

Nope, that was a bad one.

[laughs]

That was a bad one too.

Technique and ballet are pretty much the base of dance.

Then from technique,

you can go into style, and genre, and everything.

I've been doing ballet since I was two years old.

Ballet is a great base to have

because it just teaches you how to stand on both feet,

like, turns, and jumps,

the way you stretch your legs, and the way that you point your feet,

all things that have a right answer.

There's a right and wrong to technique,

and that's what I like to strive, to always get the right.

[instructor on video] And seven, and...

[interviewer] If you're a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader,

what style of dance is that?

I don't know if I would put it in a genre because I feel like it's its own style.

[instructor] ...eight. We go one...

[Charly] Pom, game day.

Sassy, mature style.

[laughs] I don't know. Something like that.

I've never done anything like it before, so I don't know what to compare it to.

I feel like that's the hardest part for me.

Since I'm in a hotel, and this is my whole...

my whole life right now is centered around this audition,

it just makes me think a lot about

what if the outcome isn't what I want?

Which is very possible, but...

Yeah. I just get in my head sometimes. [laughs]

["Yeah!" by Usher playing]

♪ Next thing I knew She was all up on me, screaming ♪

-♪ Yeah ♪ -♪ Yeah, yeah ♪

[song fades]

[Reece] I've experienced so many different auditions,

but this one is definitely the hardest.

I'm in a new state.

I am away from family and from friends.

Now, granted I am making a ton of friends through this process.

But every day is an audition.

And you're trying to continue to showcase your best

but also try not to get in your head.

It is challenging.

[interviewer] Tell me about your fiancé.

How did you meet him?

Yes! So, my fiancé's name is Will, and we met in college.

He's from Alabama.

And, um, we actually met at an Ala...

Whoa! That was so country!

Please cut that out. That was not funny. Do not put that in there.

So Will and I met at, um, the University of Alabama,

and I was cheering at, um, a basketball game.

And Will is the biggest Alabama basketball fan I have ever met.

[man] Yeah! Yeah! Let's go!

Ever.

He saw me, and we connected through social media.

And he was in a freshman Bible study with the church I attended at the time.

Just seeing his social media too,

I was like, "Okay, well, I'll give it a try."

But I had never dated anyone before.

I was scared of boys. I didn't have time for boys.

I was scared. I didn't know what to do.

Now we are getting married, which is crazy.

The first boy I met is now gonna be my husband.

It's a lot, being engaged, and him just kind of waiting

for what my life could potentially look like.

But wherever the Lord takes me, wherever the Lord takes him,

we're gonna be together, whatever that might look like.

So he is prepared to come to Texas, or Florida, wherever we are.

[tender, sentimental music playing]

[music fades]

[music playing faintly in distance]

[woman] It's always my IT bands that get really sore.

-[woman 2] On the side? -[woman 1] I have tight IT bands.

My hamstrings are way more flexible than my IT bands.

[woman 2] Interesting.

What do you need your IT bands for? I guess when we kick to the side.

And kicking like this in front of my nose, I'm not used to that.

-Does that hurt? -A little bit.

[Kelli] We have 44 ladies now that are in official training camp.

And eventually, our perfect geometric team is 36.

That's what we put on the field.

-Hopefully, we'll make it through tonight. -Thanks.

Does anybody, Judy, want to remember who is bottom tier coming out of finals?

Anisha.

Charly.

Reece.

Anna Kate.

After tomorrow night, rookie night only, we go into uniform fittings,

and I don't want to take anybody into uniform fittings unnecessarily

'cause it's too heartbreaking.

[woman] Real quick. Anybody not get a fitting time on Saturday morning?

I mean... Yeah, Saturday.

Good. Everybody's available for Monday's makeover?

[tense music playing]

[Kelli] Training camp is a place where we get to see them

in our real performance elements, nightly rehearsals.

They start learning multiple genres and styles of routines.

I'm looking at appearances.

Of course, we have our uniform fitting and our makeovers.

We make cuts throughout training camp really at any step along the way.

We make those decisions when it seems like we've seen enough

and have evaluated them thoroughly.

Five, six, seven, eight.

♪ It goes one by one, even two by two ♪

♪ Everybody in the room Come on, show me how you move, hey! ♪

One more time like that.

♪ It goes one by one, even two by two ♪

♪ Everybody in the room Come on, show me how to move ♪

♪ Hey! ♪

That's what I'm talking about. Let's go!

[Kelli] We have great choreographers from all over the country

that come in and do guest routines and master classes,

and they're in the same industry. They're casting for music videos.

They're casting for tour dancers.

They have an expertise that we respect.

So I always love to hear their opinion of who did you notice, and tell us why.

♪ Mr. DJ, won't you turn the music up? ♪

♪ All the girls on the dance floor Wanting some more ♪

♪ Come, Mr... ♪

Arms up. Dancehall.

♪ Mr. DJ, come pon the replay ♪

Five, back, and up, lasso.

Hey.

♪ Still wanting some more ♪

Wipe, wipe.

[vocalizes]

[bright ambient music playing]

[Evan] Anna Kate, you have an infectious energy.

I feel like you walk around, and people automatically look at you.

Kaylin, don't get in your head.

-It's okay. -I do get in my head. Thank you.

[Evan] Charly, make sure you're dancing in the beat.

Don't try to outperform the music. Let the music perform within you.

Darian, make sure that you're finishing your movements.

You never know who's watching or not watching. You know what I mean?

-Yes, sir. -Great job.

I don't know why, when I look at you, I think, "Disney princess."

But when you dance, it's like a whole different person.

It's something that really makes me want to know more about you.

That performance quality, to me, is affecting this entire group.

Don't let that fade.

-Anisha, right? -Yes.

-Your aura is beautiful. It's so great. -Thank you.

Let it out.

We're like, "You can be very fun to watch."

[crowd cheering]

[woman] Yeah!

Victoria right here stood out to me. Right? Victoria? Yes.

[cheering]

[Evan] Yes.

I just love her energy. And she took time off, yeah?

[Kelli] Mm-hmm.

[Evan] And then these four are not on my radar right now.

-Kaylin... -[Kelli] Kaylin, Kennedy.

-[Evan] Uh-huh. -[Kelli] Becca...

[Evan and Kelli] Becca and Charly.

[Kelli] Evaluations kind of happen every night.

I'm gonna have you put 36 stickers on 36 people that make your team.

It kinda comes down to the sticker.

'Cause I have people pick their top 36.

I believe in my system. I've designed this system

so that we have performance excellence and performance development.

We'll watch them, routine by routine by routine.

And the strugglers who might struggle,

it might just be simply we're moving too fast.

It might be that the others have more training.

And these first initial cuts will definitely be

those that don't have the flexibility

to do what we know they have to be able to do,

which are the high kicks.

[Kelcey] ...four, five, six, seven, eight. One...

[music fades]

["Texas (When I Die)" playing]

♪ When I die, I may not go to heaven ♪

♪ I don't know if they let cowboys in ♪

♪ If they don't, just let me Go to Texas, boy ♪

♪ 'Cause Texas is as close... ♪

-Kaylin, they wanna see you in the office. -[song stops]

Oh. Okay.

[Kelcey] And seven...

Kelli and Judy wanna see you in the office.

[Kelcey] This comes down. It doesn't break down.

Yeah. Yeah.

Yes.

-[Kelli] How are ya? -Good, really good.

-How are you guys? -[Judy] Good.

[Kelli] Sorry to pull you out of practice.

-How are you feeling? -I'm feeling good.

That last one's a little... Getting it still in my head, but...

Your notes... I just want... Some words...

I wanna read some words to you, and you remember these forever.

"Powerful, fierce."

The word that we've written 100 times is you are "adorable."

-Thank you. -[Kelli] You really, really are.

Um...

-Here's our concern. -[Kaylin] Yes.

It's your kicks and your flexibility,

and your flexibility and your kicks, and your kicks and your flexibility.

Yes, ma'am.

[Kelli] We'll be making cuts throughout this very rapid next set of weeks,

and that's where we are.

-Yes, ma'am. -[Kelli] Um...

You're not in our top 36,

and it is in the category of high kicks.

-Our experience... -Mm-hmm.

...is that

there won't be enough time for your kicks to be game-ready for our show.

[Darian] I believe I can get there for you all.

[Kelli] We... We don't know that yet

after three days of training camp, to be honest with you.

We don't think you'll be ready for this team.

-I know I can do it. I know I can. -I think you can do it. I don't think...

I don't think you can do it this year.

[dramatic music playing]

[Kelli] But you should leave here knowing

that all the judges thought you were beautiful.

There's this kick and split part of the job

that needs to also happen.

I understand. [sniffles] Yes, ma'am.

[Darian] I held my tears this entire time.

-[Judy] It's okay. -Yeah.

-Thank you, though. -[Judy] We get it.

This is the worst part of our job, the very worst.

-Hi, Michele. -Hi, honey.

Come on.

[somber music playing]

It's okay.

We did it.

[sniffling]

I love you.

One of my roles is Mama Bear to my cubs.

I will go down with you 'cause I don't want you to go by yourself.

-Thank you. -Okay, hon.

-Yeah, thank you, Michele. -Of course.

-Thank you. -Of course.

[Michele] When a young lady is cut,

I make sure they never leave on their own.

I will wait with her.

Because it's just... It's that devastating.

[Kelcey] Our first game is a lot earlier this year,

and our training camp started a lot later.

So we don't have a lot of time to nitpick.

Bye, everybody.

[women] Bye!

[Kelcey] They have to put in the work to look clean

and come ready and prepared to look like a vet.

I'm so sad. I wish you had more time, because I know you would've...

-Yeah. -But we'd love to see you back next year.

-You're so sweet. -So grateful. I love you guys.

[Kelcey] You're something special. We'd love to see you back.

-Ready? -[Kaylin] Yes, girl.

Bye, ladies. Have a good night.

Bye, you guys. Love you!

-[woman] We love you! -Love you guys. Bye!

Oh man.

But Anisha, you're so talented.

You can do this.

-[Anisha] I'm barely surviving. -No, girl, you can do it.

I believe in you, seriously. And I'm not just saying that.

Like, you have it.

You really do have it.

Do it for the brown girls.

Yes! That's what I was saying. Yes, girl, represent!

Oh my gosh.

-You got it? -Yeah.

Okay. [laughs]

[woman] What time is your uniform tomorrow?

I'm at 12:40, so I won't see you guys.

-Well, then... -Well, good luck, girls.

See you. Love you. Drive safe.

-See you sometime. -We'll drive together on Monday.

[traffic humming]

[birds chirping]

[Tina] Did you eat lunch?

Good old watermelon.

Yum, yum. Yummy.

The meal of a DCC.

[giggles]

Victoria, where would you like to eat?

-[Victoria] Mom, I'll eat in there. -Okay.

[gentle, thoughtful music playing]

[Victoria] My first year, before my cut, I was called in four or five times.

And one was about my weight.

One was about not being professional enough

and not communicative enough.

I feel like we're at a point where you really need to take

a real mature approach to this as a job.

I did go to a few nutritionists,

but I think I was... not embarrassed at the time,

but unwilling to accept the help.

Let me know your opinions on this little top that I got.

Ooh! I like it. I like all the colors.

[Victoria] Everyone, everyone in the world has accepted curves more,

and not having to be, okay, abs toned, no jiggle.

But it was just a whole different situation

five, six years ago.

Ew!

[music playing in video]

[Tina] Ew what?

[Victoria] I am appalled at myself.

I look disgusting.

You don't look disgusting ever.

-Yes, I do. -No, you don't.

[Victoria] My shorts look three sizes too small.

[Tina] Where?

-It's pinching into my belly rolls. -They're loose and baggy.

It is...

-Okay, that's too critical. I'm sorry. -No.

If you zoomed in on any of the other girls at this angle,

you're gonna get the same stuff.

[announcer] ...the Dallas Cowboys.

[Victoria] There's no way to hide it, like anything.

It's like so mentally challenging to keep that physique up.

Whether it's healthy habits, bad habits, it's hard.

You don't get a new uniform. Once you're fitted for that uniform,

that size is the size that you get. You don't get to go up. If you go up...

they're like, "Why does this not fit you?"

A lot of girls think if you strength train or weight train,

you're gonna bulk up, and nobody wants to bulk up on the team,

because you wanna fit in your shorts that are pretty small.

I think it's harder for girls

not to even just not wanna starve themselves.

I know when I look in the uniform, I'm always like,

"I need to lose at least three pounds."

[gentle, dramatic music playing]

[music brightens]

[Kelli] Oh my God.

This is history. [giggles]

We've recovered a pair of old shorts.

Let's call it 1980-something,

and then, now this is current.

Everybody says we've changed them. All we've done is sparkle them.

The people that keep telling me I've made the uniforms smaller,

here's your proof in the pudding.

When you look at the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders' uniform,

it's instantly recognizable.

There's no doubt when you see someone in that white uniform

with the blue stars, the fringe, the blue blouse, the tie,

that's who they are.

[grand, sweeping orchestral music playing]

[music fades]

Reece, are you ready?

[Reece] Yes, ma'am. Just one second.

[woman laughing]

-[woman] Need help with anything? -Do you need help?

-[Reece] Um... -[laughter]

Uh-oh.

[Kelli] The uniform is beautiful,

and it's also very form-fitting,

and it's definitely not one-size-fits-all.

[whimsical music playing]

[Kelli] Reece.

But confidence, their own internal confidence,

can make them appear better in the uniform.

[assistant] These shorts fit like a glove.

[Caroline] The uniform is literally part of the audition process.

[Kelli] Becca, in person, looks too scrawny

and I want to see if the uniform fattens her up.

[Caroline] You try it on, and you're trying to speak with Kelli.

You're wanting her to fall in love with you, to be like,

"This girl should be on the squad."

You're also hoping that the shorts fit you in the right way they're supposed to fit.

-Hi. -[Kelli] Here's Camille.

I knew this would pop on her.

[woman] Yes! You look great. Come on down, girl.

[Caroline] The nerves are a mix because, one, you have to stand in front of Kelli

and try to keep a conversation going.

That is terrifying.

What's your opinion of artificial intelligence?

What do you think is the best thing for everybody

to eat before practice to sustain practice?

-What's your fiancé's name? -His name is Will.

He's actually my first boyfriend. And...

-[Kelli gasps] Really? -He's the first guy I've ever dated, and...

Good.

So he's Catholic, and you're Buddhist. How are y'all gonna raise children?

So, I converted to Catholicism.

-You did? -Yeah.

-Wow. -Yeah.

[Caroline] I've never been through a process

like becoming a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader,

because the things that come into play, you would never think of before.

-[Kelli] What's average belly-button-to... -About two and a half. Yeah.

[Kelli] It looks a little low to me at the moment.

I think that torso proportion is a big thing.

They don't want it to look disproportionalized, almost.

I'm seeing too many inches here.

-Yeah, we're gonna raise the belt. -Okay.

You don't wanna look too skinny. You don't wanna look too thick.

You don't want your love handles to hang over.

Don't want your legs to look too big.

-[Kelli] Her thighs look a little angular. -[assistant] Okay.

You wanna have some good-looking cleavage,

but not, "Oh my gosh. This is out of control."

-You're so tiny. -She's all in the front.

-But everything's natural? -Yeah.

Got it from my mama. [giggles]

I hear that.

I'm so excited for the Kelli knot.

[delicate orchestral music playing]

-Fits her perfectly. Everything's great. -"Petite and proportionate."

[Caroline] If your God-given body is proportioned a certain way,

you're just lucky.

[Kelli] I was looking, like, "Judy,

she's got perfect dimensions for the uniform."

She's beautiful. She'll look great.

[Caroline] Obviously fitness and eating right is important,

but there are some things you really can't control.

I'm gonna rename this girl "tiny heinie."

-She has no booty, so we can go up higher. -We can give her the illusion.

[Kelli] Becca, is this your normal, maintainable weight, or...?

-This is about normal for me. -Normal.

You're a curvy girl in a great way.

If someone looks like the uniform belongs on them,

it could change the trajectory of training camp.

[music ends with dramatic flourish]

[Kelli] You got 22 days till we're introducing

the world-famous Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders

in a stadium.

There's gonna start being some movement.

["Here I Am" by Dolly Parton playing]

[Judy] Kelly has gone... down some.

[Kelli] Yeah, Kelly dropped down to me last night.

Charly, that... From a dance perspective, it shocks me she's this low.

Anna Kate wasn't everything I'd heard about her.

Anisha.

She's gonna keep moving up.

♪ Here I am ♪

♪ Oh, here I am ♪

-♪ Here, here I am ♪ -♪ Here I am ♪

[Kelly] I can't believe it. I've been dreaming

since I was a little girl to put on this uniform.

When I go to work, I don't have makeup on. I have my scrubs on. That's literally it.

When I'm here, I get to just play a different character.

[Charly] I feel like I'm in a dream. [laughs]

I love it.

It makes it all feel real, in a sense,

and I wanna do it again.

There's a lot of things that run into a young woman's head

of, you know, body image, and being your best,

and feeling your best physically, and mentally, and emotionally.

But putting that uniform on,

I just felt like Wonder Woman.

[Anna Kate] Seeing it on my body and being like,

"This is something that could actually happen,"

it's just nerve-racking to think of that

and think of the process that's still to come.

[Reece] It's so surreal getting to have the uniform on,

but it's also so hard to imagine, like, not making it.

Kelli just reminded me. She was like, "Don't get comfortable."

And I completely agree with her.

I don't wanna get comfortable. I don't wanna be like, "Oh my gosh."

It is the coolest thing I've ever experienced,

but I also don't wanna take that and sit on it too much,

because I know every day is an audition. Every day, I need to keep pushing.

♪ Here I am ♪

[Reece] But it's just in arm's reach, and I just want it so badly.

♪ Here I am ♪

[song ends with echoing note]

[gentle woodblock tapping]

[dramatic percussive music playing]

[music ends]

[gentle, dramatic music playing]

[music fades]