Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team Episode Rating Graph

Criscilla Anderson teaches LA style choreography and gives some hard-learned life lessons. Then Emmy winning choreographer Travis Wall, comes to help Kelli & Judy make some tough decisions.

We Have a Team

The hopefuls hit the field in their DCC boots for the first time, Melissa Rycroft stops by for showmanship coaching, and Kelli and Judy make one of the final four cuts.

Famed celebrity choreographer Travis Wall arrives and realizes the new candidates are tough competition for the veterans.

A Day at the Stadium

The final rehearsal - to cut or not to cut, that is the question; dreams come true as the squad photo is taken; the ladies hit the field for their first game, but first they must prove the moment isn't too big for them.

With the final full squad announced, Kelli leads the team into the pressures of Game Day, including a first-time ever performance.

The DCC candidates tryout for coveted positions on the elite Show Group. And with five cuts left to make for the top 36, some candidates standout in a bad way.

As 51 rookies and veterans arrive to chase their dreams, the candidates hope to prove their talent with a standout solo performance and take on the kick line in the Judges' Showcase.

Upstaged

Judy teaches the DCC entrance and the candidates must do jump splits for the first time, though not everyone is successful. A rookie rehearsal reveals the weaker candidates.

In the finals audition, the competition really heats up.  Now, surviving candidates must go head-to-head against experienced veteran cheerleaders for a coveted spot in the DCC Training Camp. All trying out are interviewed by judges, have their backgrounds checked and are asked to perform solo dance routines.  Which candidates can handle the stress and “WOW” the judges to prove they are the total package?  Only 45 have what it takes and in a dramatic DCC upset, returning veteran cheerleaders are not invited back to the squad.

Denise DiCharry teaches high level choreography to see who learns quickly. Kelli gets to know the rookie candidates better during uniform fittings. And will an inappropriate post on social media lead to one of the ladies being cut?

Emmy-winning choreographer Tyce Diorio teaches the ladies to bring the magic as he puts them though a tough routine; Evan Miller challenges the DCC's power and musicality.

The 101 remaining hopefuls must master tough choreography, learn the famous DCC kickline and impress judges Melissa Rycroft and Charm La'Donna. Melissa Rycroft and Charm LaDonna are featured.

Kelli and Judy have to make a very tough cut. Show Group performs for the first time this season. Charlotte Jones visits rehearsal to help the squad get to 36.

The candidates are taught techniques to get their kicks even higher. Evan Miller teaches his fast-paced choreography that has Kelli concerned for one of the candidates.

Celebrity choreographer Charm LaDonna challenges the candidates; the vets arrive and the stakes go up; choreographer Denise Dicharry pushes them out of their comfort zone; and Mickey Guyton and Denise Dicharry arrive to join Charm.

The squad goes on an appearance to support pop music star, Demi Lovato. The ladies learn the entrance to the famed pre-game dance. It’s a make or break moment. If a woman can’t learn it quickly it might be her last night.

Melissa Rycroft comes to the first rehearsal to look for showmanship mentoring candidates. Then Brittany Perry-Russell shakes up the candidates with her choreography.

36 hours after making Training Camp the candidates are thrust into a new level of pressure. Some break down.

After the most effective makeovers ever, both Kelli and Judy have big announcements.A veteran gives a sudden and emotional farewell.

It’s Finals! The new rookie candidates face off against the re-auditioning veterans.

After an unusual online audition process, the rookie candidates for the 2020 squad move into an isolated training camp bubble amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The candidates audition for show group, an honorary contingent of 18 cheerleaders who represent the DCC on USO tours and TV, in front of guest judge Cheryl Burke.

It’s a make or break moment when the candidates take their cameo photos. The team has some bonding time during a cooking challenge. Someone goes down during rehearsal and a candidate goes home.

With two suspended vets, the team must re-block their formations for their Hall Of Fame performance. New vets step up as a new point of the triangle is named. The rookie candidates try to get their footing during this never seen before rehearsal.

Week nine of training camp intensifies when Kelli and Judy confront Alora-Rose and deliberate squad dismissal decisions one week before the first game of the season.

The Rookie candidates must show Kelli & Judy they can learn choreography quickly; the ladies try on the fabric of the DCC; things take an unexpected turn for some; Melissa Rycroft and Evan Miller are featured.

The recruits do media training with NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth lead news anchor Meredith Land, Kelli and Judy name two triangle points, and guest judge Melissa Rycroft sits in.

With more cuts looming, and only two rehearsals left, the girls struggle into their famous white cowboy boots for the first time. Then, Judy and Megan Fox dish out the critiques as they run through their final dance routines. In the blistering heat of Texas Stadium, Jay puts the girls' endurance to the test with an event he calls Pom Pom Punishment. Later, Kelli and Judy make their final decisions as the girls dance their hearts out on the practice field. Suddenly, a veteran is on the bubble. Amid tears of disappointment, Kelli makes the very last cuts. Relief fills the hearts of all as the 08-09 squad is announced. It's off to the team photo and some poolside sun bathing, as the girls bond at the DCC annual campout. Join 65,000 screaming Cowboys fans as the cheerleaders hit the turf and wow the entire stadium and themselves during their first Dallas Cowboys football game of the season.

The entire squad needs a wake up call and guest choreographer Kitty Carter gives it to them. She takes the group through a grueling dance rehearsal only to leave a few girls emotional wrecks. Then it's time for a lesson in DCC etiquette. The fashion dos and don'ts put the squad on notice that they must perform off the field in the perfect DCC style.  When Jay shows up with Dallas Cowboys football players, the game is on, in the 1st annual Vets vs. Rookies football game. The night's rehearsal is a challenge as the pace quickens and missteps on the dance floor lead to more girls falling short of the mark. Kelli continues cutting as she looks for the best 36 in the room!

To make their final cut, Kelli and her team try to find one hopeful of the remaining 37 who isn't ready to perform at the Cowboys' home opener.

Emmy-award winning choreographer, Travis Wall, comes to rehearsal to shake things up. The physical rigors of training camp begin with the kickline and the fear of the jumpsplits.

With three girls left to cut and the first game around the corner, the pressure is intense as the girls return to the Dallas Cowboys' stadium to take the field for the first time since auditions.

The candidates feel the pressure to look the part as they enter the sixth week of training camp, and Melissa Rycroft and Tina Kalina sit in for Judy and give Kelli some fresh eyes.

The squad is announced and it's bittersweet as some favorites go home. Later, the team makes its first appearance at the Star Ribbon cutting, and game day is when dreams really come true.

In just the second week of rehearsals, the first cuts of a training camp loom. Before the arduous rehearsals begin, a few select veterans in training camp are sent to film a segment for Good Morning America and they help to make a life-long dream come true for one lucky lady. Then, the rookie candidates are fitted for their DCC uniforms. It's a process that is tinged with excitement and optimism as these girls hope to one day wear the iconic blue blouse and belted white shorts on the field at Cowboys Stadium. To date, the training camp candidates have learned four routines and this week's rehearsals are important for all. The evaluation of the candidates' mastery of these dances will be meticulous under the watchful eye of DCC Director Kelli McGonagill Finglass and DCC Choreographer Judy Trammell. Four candidates are called into the office for a meeting with Kelli and Judy. Who will be warned and who will be told, "This will be your last night"?

23 veterans travel to Canton, Ohio to perform at Jerry Jones’ induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. All eyes are watching as the DCC perform for the NFL elite.

Katy Perry’s choreographer, Nick Florez, stops by to offer some performance advice to the ladies. A day that each cheerleader never forgets. The first time they wear the DCC uniform to pose for their cameo photos.

The veterans finally enter the audition process. Now all 83 women are judged head to head during a panel interview, a solo dance performance and on their appearance on the football field as seen and the big screen.

Tensions run high for the 69 new hopefuls as 18 returning DCC veterans join the competition by way of coveted invitations to training camp.

The dancers endure an intense rehearsal schedule as Kelli and Judy prepare for their first regular home game performance, and one hopeful's tardiness creates stress for everyone.

With 55 high-calibre girls making it to finals, the 30 veterans join the audition process and must fight to keep their place on the team; Kitty Carter takes no prisoners as she prepares the girls for their solos.

Training camp gets underway as the women are introduced to a grueling schedule of dance rehearsals with choreographer Judy Trammell and workout sessions with fitness instructor Jay Johnson.

The training camp candidates get major makeovers ahead of their first solo publicity stills, and the veteran cheerleaders visit with members of the armed forces before deployment.

The candidates find themselves in front of the camera for a crash course in dealing with the media, and the judges from the open call return to give their final say on the official lineup.

With 36 Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders hopefuls poised to become America's sweethearts, Kelli and Judy are concerned the team is not ready and more cuts may be needed.

Hundreds of hopefuls arrive for preliminary auditions, where less than half will move on after Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Director Kelli Finglass observes their freestyle dance routines.

Competition heats up in the final audition as surviving candidates go head-to-head against experienced veteran cheerleaders to secure one of the coveted spots at the DCC Training Camp.

The group of 43 hopefuls celebrate moving on in the selection process and adjust to the physical demands of Training Camp, and DCC Director Kelli Finglass reminds them there will be cuts.

Two weeks into training camp, veteran cheerleaders choose their wardrobe for the swimsuit calendar shoot, rookies audition for a spot in Show Group, and Kelli and Judy make the first cut.

As reality sets in for the remaining candidates, the rookies are fitted for their skimpy DCC uniforms, then they must pass a strict etiquette test and prove they have mastered the kick line.

After brutally honest guest choreographer Kitty Carter puts them through the wringer, the training camp candidates get stunning makeovers, and Kelli and Judy make another heartbreaking cut.

The rookies don the iconic Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders uniform for a modeling shoot, and they have a life-changing experience when they go skydiving with a legendary Army parachute team.

The last rehearsals and the final cuts for the 2007 squad; the ladies pose for their Squad Photo; the squad performs in front of 65,000 fans at Texas Stadium.

There's a buzz of nervous energy and excitement when over 500 hopefuls arrive for the preliminary auditions, each performing a freestyle dance routine to stand out and impress the judges.

In the final audition, the new candidates compete with returning veterans for a spot in training camp, and the hopefuls answer questions from the judges during panel interviews.

Training camp kicks off at Valley Ranch with the candidates learning how they scored with the judges, and Kelli and Judy determine which hopefuls will survive the first week.

Week three of training camp starts with cuts and uniform fittings, where each candidate gets to try on the famous blue and white star-studded outfit.

The rookies are left in the dark about what Kelli and salon director Rainer Schneck have planned for them when they get their dramatic hair and beauty makeovers.

When Kelli gives a former contestant a once-in-a-lifetime second chance to join training camp three weeks late, there is a lot of catching up the hopeful must do to get up to speed.

The notoriously demanding and intimidating Kitty Carter returns to Valley Ranch to teach the candidates a technique class, and the hopefuls tour the new Dallas Cowboys stadium.

It's now or never for the remaining training camp candidates as there are only two rehearsals left before final cuts, and Kelli and Judy are forced to make tough decisions.

Super Bowl XXX MVP Larry Brown and Dallas Cowboys player Ryan Fowler test the training camp candidates on their NFL knowledge and athletic skills on the field.

The women receive DCC-approved makeovers before rehearsing their routines, and Kelli and Judy get to know some of the out-of-state candidates a little better.

As training camp winds down, the hopefuls are on their best behavior after Kelli's annual etiquette luncheon, and a tough choreographer pushes the women with new dance techniques.

Only a small number of Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders hopefuls will be chosen from a crowd of hundreds after performing freestyle dance routines in the preliminary auditions at Texas Stadium.

Six hundred hopeful candidates arrive at Cowboys Stadium for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders preliminary auditions.

Dreams are on the line as the tryouts for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders 2013-2014 squad begin.

Emotions are supercharged as Kelli and Judy make a lot of tough cuts to keep up the quality of the squad.

A veterinary technician chases her dream, Kelli has an uncomfortable conversation about an applicant’s weight, and the women explore their new city.

Only two weeks into training camp, it's time to start making cuts. Uniform Fittings is the first order of business. It's a bittersweet moment when the rookies are measured for their uniforms because they have yet to really earn them. From the famous knotted blue blouse to the belted white shorts, the rookie candidates hope Kelli confirms that they have the DCC "look." Then the group competes in a grueling army fitness test to try and earn the privilege of being on the elite "Power Squad." At that evening's rehearsal the first cuts will be made.

Another week of training camp kicks off with a rehearsal on the field at the Cowboys' home stadium, and the women start to feel the pressure as Kelli and Judy narrow down their final cuts.

The new candidates' eyes are opened when they get a taste of what it is to be a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. As girls struggle to learn the dances, the reality of being "Big Time" sets in. Melissa Rycroft meets the new ladies for the first time.

For the first time, the magnificent Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, is the venue for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders auditions. Over 600 candidates with dreams of making the 2010-2011 DCC team arrive before sunrise for the preliminaries. Only 96 ladies will be invited to the semifinal round. At semis the following morning, the candidates are expected to learn an intense and intricate DCC combination and the world-renowned DCC kick-line choreography in under an hour -- and then, exhausted and nervous, perform both dances in front of the judges. The intensity of the competition comes to an end when 47 girls are invited to join 27 returning DCC veterans at the finals auditions.

On makeover day, the rookie candidates are given a new look with hair and makeup to transform them in the DCC mold.

It's a tense time for all as the candidates prepare for the first and only field rehearsal on the Cowboys' stadium.

The pressure mounts as 54 new candidates compete with 32 returning veterans for a coveted spot in the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders training camp.

With their futures on the line, the camp candidates need to push through their emotions to prove they deserve to be a part of "America's Sweethearts".

The first-year hopefuls get new looks on Rookie Makeover Day, DCC alumni give the candidates feedback, and Cowboys' Head Coach Jason Garrett stops by during a rehearsal.

Hundreds of beautiful and talented women converge on AT&T Stadium to start the hardest audition process in professional sports, trying out for a coveted spot on the most famous NFL cheerleading squad in the world.

Cameos and Show Group auditions push the new girls and vets to their limits. Meanwhile, Melissa Rycroft tries to save a DCC who is hanging by a thread; and a shocking outcome occurs from a Kelli office visit.

Two weeks into training camp, the dancers are tasked with mastering the world famous DCC kick line and jump split as Kelli and Judy prepare to make their first cuts.

Over 600 excited and anxious Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders hopefuls arrive at Texas Stadium for the preliminary auditions.  After performing their freestyle dance routines for the judges, they anxiously await the reveal of who gets to move on ... only 130 make it to the semi-finals.  At semis, they’re taught the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders’ style of dance, along with the legendary kick line.  Amid tears of joy and disappointment, only 60 girls are called back for the finals, where they’ll compete against the seasoned veterans to earn a spot in the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Training Camp.

Training Camp begins!  The newly elected training camp candidates are excited, even star struck, as they meet the veterans for the first time at Valley Ranch.  At the first team meeting, anxiety ripples through the ranks when DCC director Kelli Finglass announces that a couple of the more seasoned veterans have failed the written test.   Veterans come up short again during the body fat evaluation—some of them have put on weight, while the rookies test lean and mean.  The vets’ experience finally shines through at the first dance rehearsals, while the newbie rookies struggle to learn the choreography.

DCC Technical Director Kitty Carter runs an intense rehearsal while Kelli is out sick, the remaining candidates enjoy a photoshoot, and the groups bond over a bowling night with the veterans.

Training camp kicks off at Valley Ranch, and the first meeting is filled with excitement and energy -- and surprising news for the veterans.