02x07 - Saturn Returns

[bunniefuu]

[Tina] Here we are, Victoria.

-[Victoria] Oh my gosh. It's so cute.
-[Tina laughs]

[gasps] Mom! They have the call… caller.

Uh, beep, hello, Victoria,
will you let me in, please?

-[Victoria] No.
-[laughing]

[laughing]

This one is a dead body in here.

Oh my goodness.

Victoria, this is adorable.
This is so you.

-[Victoria] I know.
-You just walked into you.

-It's so cute.
-[Victoria] It's so cute!

Today Victoria is moving to the city.

[Tina] She has dance goals,
so they're not just gonna end at DCC.

This city will make her grow up.

You know, she's lived
with me all her life.

-She's kind of been in a cage.
-So cute.

[Tina] And now she is ready to fly.

-And…
-[whimsical music playing]

We walk!

-Oh sh**t. I think I messed this up.
-Okay.

Well, back it up.

-I think we keep going.
-Okay, figure it out.

Okay, this way.

-Are you sure?
-Yes.

All right.

-Let's go.
-[laughs]

[Tina] Hello.

Hello!

Mama, you don't need to say hi
to everybody, okay? This isn't Texas.

-[Tina] Maybe they need a little Texas.
-Maybe so, but…

That just makes you look very touristy
and out of… out of place.

-[Tina] I don't really care.
-Okay! You do you, boo-boo.

[beeping]

[Tina] This is insane.

[subway chiming]

[subway rattles]

Whoa, son of a run.
You need a seatbelt for this thing.

-[yelps]
-Subway ride! Whoo!

[playing classical music]

-Like, there's so much going on in here.
-I know.

[band playing upbeat music]

[Victoria] Okay.

-Here it is.
-[Tina] Times Square!

-[Tina] There's the-- Oh God!
-Hey!

-[Victoria exclaiming] Oh my gosh!
-[gentle music playing]

-Oh my goodness. Me and you were on there.
-Yeah!

Anyhoo.

[Tina] I love it.

[Victoria] It was very eye-opening
to know that there's life outside of DCC.

[woman] Hello.

-Can we take a picture with you?
-Of course! Yes!

[woman] We're huge fans.

-Are y'all visiting New York?
-It's our first day today.

-I just moved here.
-[woman] Yeah.

Yeah. Like, today.
So y'all's first trip is today.

I just moved here.

[gentle music continues]

[Victoria] I didn't go off to college,
so this is my first time away from Dallas,

away from home, away from my family.

Of course, my love for Dallas Cowboys
will always be there.

[laughs] But I don't miss too much there.

-[Tina] Keep your Texas roots. Hello!
-I am.

[sighs] You don't have to do that.

[Victoria chuckling]

-I think he gave you a wink.
-He wasn't giving me the wink.

He was giving you the wink, honey.

[Victoria] It's bad for me to say,
but I love it here, and I feel like I'm…

I've found my place,
I've found what I'm supposed to do, and…

I think when you know that and…

you don't need to…

You don't miss what was less than.

[Victoria] I'm grateful
for my experience there,

but I'm just ready for something else.

-[gentle music fading]
-[teacher clears throat]

-Okay, let's continue.
-[upbeat music playing on stereo]

[teacher] On the elbows. Here we go.

[Victoria] I'm really focusing on whether
or not I should just train all year

and try out for Rockettes in the spring.

[teacher continues in background]

[Victoria] My mom and I, like,
lived and breathed DCC.

So it's definitely gonna be a different
lifestyle change for both of us.

[introspective music playing]

[Victoria] Back then, I took being
a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader

into that self-worth.

Just having to exceed
all of these expectations.

And I always questioned
if I was good enough.

That's what eats your self-esteem.

And what I truly want for this next step

is what I think is best for me.

Physically and mentally… and all the ways.

-[fireworks popping]
-[introspective music continues]

[Tina] Sometimes what makes me sad…

[Victoria] Mmm.

[Tina] …is, um…

What?

Just thinking that you might be, you know,
scared or by yourself or whatever.

-But I know that's part of growing up.
-No, I know.

[Tina] You're so ready.

You're ready to set sail.

[bittersweet music playing]

[Victoria exhales]

I don't know if this is gonna fit in here.

[Victoria] Love you.

-I'll call you after, okay?
-Okay. You got this.

-Yes. Love you.
-Okay. Love you.

[bittersweet music continues]

[cheerleaders chatting indistinctlyl]

-[chatter continues]
-[cheerleader] Everyone stretch.

[cheerleader] One more.

[indistinct chatter continues]

[Jada] The atmosphere
is very uncomfortable.

Chandi did something
she shouldn't have done

on the trip to the Bahamas.

[pensive music playing]

[KayDianna] In the Bahamas,
we were having a great old time.

We were doing all the team things.

There were certain nights
that she wouldn't come and hang out.

It was like,
"Maybe she's not feeling good. It's fine."

It was just like little,
small things that were weird,

but you would never pick up on
that something big is going down.

[pensive music continues]

[Jada] Chandi had brought somebody
into the room that no one had known,

and a lot of people were
worried for their safety

'cause they didn't know
who this individual was.

If that was me, I probably wouldn't want
to be in a room with a stranger either.

In our contract,
it specifically even states

that we are not allowed
to give out information like that.

Specific information like location,
the hotel…

That would put anyone in harm's way.

We still don't know who this guy is.

There's just so many unknowns.

To other people, it came off as,
"Oh my gosh, you put me in danger,"

or, "You weren't worried about my safety."

But I don't think she thought of that
in an almost just naive way.

She wasn't thinking about that.
She was thinking about what she needed.

[cheerleader] All right, let's go!

[Jada] Have a great game. Love you guys.

[KayDianna] Judy, at this point,
told the team they don't know

what's gonna happen with Chandi.

They said that she was taking her break.
And she might come back.

She might not.

-[Kleine] I need a hug today.
-It's a hug today.

I need a hug.

[faint chatter on PA]

[announcer on PA]
Ladies and gentlemen,
here are your Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders!

[crowd cheering]

[somber music playing]

[Kleine] Judy comes out. She says,
KayDianna will now be the first leader,

and that I would be the second.

[somber music continues]

-[dog barks]
-[Jalyn] Calm down.

[phone chiming]

[Jalyn] I got a text from Ryan.

I think the last thing I really said
to him was, "I deserve better."

Like, "I deserve to be treated better
and so do you."

Like, "We're both not doing
each other any service, like…"

"Both hurting, both going through it."

[Jalyn] So your relationship
with Ryan's over?

-[Chandi] Mmm-hmm.
-I'm never gonna say "I told you so."

I'm just gonna say you had
to figure it out for yourself.

Yeah.

So when we took the trip to the Bahamas,
I met someone.

And we shared, like, similar things
that have happened in our past.

I was just kind of crumbling down.

And I was like, "Dang. I feel like I have
no one here to talk to."

And so it's nice to have
someone to confide in.

And… I broke a DCC rule, and…

had time with my friend,

and it was, like,
the first time I feel like I

mental-dumped everything,
and everything that was happening,

and everything I've gone through,
and everything that was making me

feel and think certain things.

-[soft music playing]
-It helped me in the moment, and I…

I get it. It was probably
the wrong place and time to do that,

but, like… selfishly, like,
I had to do it for me

because I feel like I was just, like…

I was losing it.

It wasn't like, "Hey, I'm feeling lonely.
I just got out of a breakup."

"And there's this cute guy,
and I'm gonna go sleep with him."

[sniffling] No. I mean,
everyone will think it happened, but…

No, I'm respectful of everything, so…

I hope that the girls maybe

can start to realize…
where you're coming from in the situation,

but how are they feeling right now?

Where, as a team, do you guys go from now?

[crying] I don't really know.

Honestly, I've kind of checked myself out
and like put a wall up.

KayDianna took my spot.

They're probably mad at me.

That's what I don't think
people understand on the team

is it's really hard to like have
all that pressure on you all the time.

Like, I don't really know who I am.

[hoarsely] DCC is not even happy for me
anymore because I don't know myself.

And I feel like
I reached that point where it's like…

I feel like I'm making mistakes
in my own life…

They expect you to wake up
and be perfect every day.

I can't do it anymore.

I really just wanted to dance,
and to be happy, and I just haven't been.

[somber music playing]

There are some people
who are still on the side of, like,

"I can't believe she would do that."

It affected some people more than others.

But the way that those people
didn't feel like they were being heard

then affected the group more.

Because a lot of people have
kind of walked away from her.

And that's not something you want,
especially on a team this big.

[crowd cheering in background]

[commentator]
Third and nine.
Ball's batted. Knocked out of his hands.

Cowboy lineman, Football Follies.

And maybe Philadelphia has it.

My goodness. The Keystone Cops
just broke out here on the field.

-The Cowboys have yet another lowlight.
-[crowd fades into background]

[Jada] The Cowboys are having
a pretty rough season,

and it's unfortunate,
because the better they do,

I think the more exciting it is for us.

[somber music playing]

[fan yelling] You suck! You suck!

[Jada] All right, let's get out of here.

Another L.

[woman] Ugh. You lose all.

♪ God, please bless the Cowboys ♪

-[woman] Sing it.
-♪ 'Cause we're tired of losing ♪

Seriously though, I'm so sorry,
rookies, that this like kinda sucked.

-[cheerleader] Not "kinda."
-It does suck.

[Armani] It does.

[Jada] I think the Cowboys go in waves.

Sometimes they're good,
sometimes they're horrible.

Next year, you guys might
go to the Super Bowl. You never know.

It was pretty bleak, ladies.
I don't have anything positive to say.

This was bad.

[Judy] It's hard to see the Cowboys
not having a great season this year.

But these girls,
they pull it out no matter what.

[somber music continues]

[Kelli] She's going to end
downstage of y'all.

So we would enter behind the instruments.

-And then exit behind the instruments.
-[Judy] Behind.

Keep your entrance and exit the same,
then we won't get confused.

[indistinct chatter]

[Kelli] Looks like it's not gonna be a
winning season from a football standpoint.

But the request for performances
and appearances

has accelerated.

My body is feeling it.

[Kelli] The cheerleaders have had
incredible performance opportunities.

And that speaks
to how strong their brand is,

independent of the sport.

I love the cheerleaders being able to see
other artists at the top of their game

and how the hard work pays off.

They've seen that with Queen.

They've seen that with Dolly Parton.

Where I've had them perform
with some artists who are legends.

Kacey's of the girl's generation.

-Kacey.
-Kacey!

The girls have grown up
with Kacey Musgraves songs.

[indistinct excited chatter]

Guys, I'm gonna do so many hair flips.
You have no idea.

Kacey is a hometown girl of Kelli's,

and she DMed her one day,

and said, "I'd really like you
to perform with me."

Kelli jumps all over that. She's a huge…

We all are huge Kacey fans,

but Kelli feel… has that tie with her.

And it's kind of funny,
their little relationship.

We're a little wound up, I'll admit.

And I need me some Kacey Musgraves
to mellow my a*s out.

-Calm me down.
-[Kacey on video]
I love you.

-I'll be your Xanax.
-You are my Xanax.

In fact, Kacey Musgraves
is quickly becoming my therapist.

-[Jada] This is so cool.
-[indistinct chatter]

[Kleine] Hello, band.

[expectant music playing]

[Kelli] That would be funny, Judy,
if we took boots off.

-[Judy] Ugh! No!
-[Kelli] Aw, come on.

[Judy] Somebody might not
have had their toes done.

What?

Three, five, seven, eight, one.

I cannot believe
she runs up this thing singing.

[man] Oh yeah.

[Kelli] Oh my God!

-She's crazy.
-[woman] Yeah.

-Hi! Aw! You're here!
-[Kelli] Oh my God!

-How the hell do you get up on that stage?
-No shoes.

-I've tried it with no shoes three times.
-Really? I get a running start.

[Kelli laughing]

-[Kacey] That's what I do.
-[Kelli] No! I'm gonna break something.

[cheerleaders] Get set, go!

[all clamoring and laughing]

[Kacey] Oh my God!

-Tie!
-It was neck and neck there for a second.

She's scooting down!

You're my therapist now.
Y'all gotta really listen to her words.

I have no business
being anyone's therapist.

I have a good one myself.

-You're very inspirational.
-Thank you.

[Kelli] She is a brilliant poet,
songwriter.

I mean, I love the lyrics to her songs.

Are you ready? One, two, three…

[Kelli] Her song "A Deeper Well"
starts with, "My Saturn has turned."

Read about Saturn
'cause it's got some interesting qualities

about when your Saturn turns,
usually when you're years old,

and Saturn goes back
to where it was when you were born.

It's a lot of deep stuff.

[indistinct chatter]

-[all] Yeah!
-[cheerleader] There you go!

-[Kelli] Funny thing.
-[Kacey] Okay.

Two nights ago, we came out,
and we saw this bright star in the sky.

We saw the moon
and this really bright star.

-[Jada] Put your phone back up.
-[Kelli] Look, Jada
.

-Wait! I see it!
-[Kleine] Right there.

-Wait, it's right there.
-[Megan] The big bright star.

-[Kelli] We look up, it's Saturn.
-[Kleine] Saturn!

It's above Dallas right now.

-That gives me chills.
-And it's Saturn.

Holy crap.

Now we're gonna go dance under Saturn.

-[cheerleader] All right!
-Yeah.

-[Kelli] It is Saturn. I promise.
-[Kacey] That's insane.

It just made a little pit stop
over Dallas for us.

-That's wild.
-[Kelli] It did.

When you're Saturn returns,
it's associated with defining moments,

dedication, discipline, excellence.

I know that's kind of crazy, but it is,
and it just kept popping up.

And when we walked into Kacey's set

and there's this massive Saturn,
I'm like, "This can't be true."

I love finding symbolism.

Good symbolism in things.

You know, okay, let's get philosophical.

I think things are in orbit.

I think things… change.

And I think things
can return to a state of…

of gravity.

All right, Dallas,
I have a bit of a surprise for you.

["High Horse" by Kacey Musgraves playing]

-I'm gonna bring out some friends.
-[crowd cheering]

[Kacey] Where you at, ladies?

[Kacey]
♪ Oh, I bet
You think you're John Wayne ♪

♪ Showing up and sh**ting down everybody ♪

♪ You're classic in the wrong way ♪

♪ And we all know the end of the story ♪

♪ I think we've seen enough
Seen enough ♪

♪ To know
You ain't never gonna come down ♪

♪ So why don't you giddy up, giddy up ♪

♪ And ride straight out of this town ♪

♪ You and your high horse ♪

♪ You and your high horse ♪

-[band continues playing]
-[crowd cheering]

♪ You ain't never gonna come down ♪

-[music stops]
-[crowd cheering wildly]

[Kacey on mic] I love these girls so much.

How about it
for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders?

[crowd cheering]

[Kacey] I hope you feel like your wells
have been deepened tonight.

Here in Dallas, Texas.

[acoustic version
of "Deeper Well" playing]

[guitar continues]

[Kacey]
♪ My Saturn has returned ♪

[woman] It's the song!

[Kacey]
♪ When I turned ♪

♪ Everything started to change ♪

♪ Took a long time, but I learned ♪

♪ There's two kinds of people ♪

-♪ One is a giver, one's always trying… ♪
-[music fading]

[Kelli] Change is scary.

But change can also be motivating too.

Each year for one home football game,

each cheerleader designs
a custom pair of boots.

-I'm excited.
-[Jada] Yeah.

And it's called "My Cause, My Boots."

The color of the star represents

an organization or a cause
that's important to the cheerleaders.

And the causes that they come up with
are as diverse as they are as individuals.

[gentle music playing]

[Armani] My cause is alopecia awareness.

I wanted to show people

that you don't have to have hair
to be beautiful.

And I just knew I wanted to do it
for the My Cause, My Boots game.

It's just another day.

It's just a day without my wig.

[Kleine] Once you get out there
and start doing
Thunder,
you're gonna be…

-I think I might shed a tear.
-No. I think you're gonna be empowered.

-Okay. I hope so.
-People are gonna see you in the stands…

-I'm gonna be empowered.
-They're gonna be like…

-Yeah.
-It's gonna be cool.

[Kleine] I already have chills
thinking about it.

-Aww! I love you.
-I love ya.

Do you want to say something, or you…

-Okay.
-[laughs] I'll cry.

[Megan] KayDianna, would you like
to say something?

-[Armani laughing] Thank you!
-[woman] I love you.

-[Armani] I love you.
-I'm so proud of you.

-[Armani] Thank you.
-[woman] I'm really, really proud.

Thank you.

[both screaming]

[Judy] Countdown!

[announcer on PA]
Cowboys fans,
are you ready for some football?

-[all cheering]
-[announcer continues on PA]

[Judy] You're gonna be awesome.

-[crying] Thank you.
-[Judy] Be proud of yourself.

-[upbeat music on speakers]
-[both cheering]

[announcer on PA]
Now,
ladies and gentlemen,

here they are, America's Sweethearts.

["Thunderstruck"
by AC/DC playing on speakers]

[crowd cheering wildly]

[Armani] It's hard
trying to figure out your version

of what a beauty standard is

when you look around,
and your best friends,

they have hair, and you don't.

But… being surrounded by them

and having them encourage me
every single day

really built up my confidence.

[Kelli] This year,
Armani decided, "To heck with it."

"I'm not fighting this anymore,
not hiding anymore."

She decided to take it off and dance.

[uplifting music playing]

[crying softly] And I told Armani,
I said, "You know, you made me proud."

"I told you you would inspire people,
and you have, and you have beautifully."

[introspective music continues]

[Kelli] You inspire people
all over the world.

["Thunderstruck"
finishes playing on speakers]

[crowd cheering]

-So dang beautiful.
-Thank you.

Reecie!

[exhales]

[woman] Where's your family?

Up there.

[uplifting music continues]

Super proud of her. Proud daddy.

[Armani] They always say
that God gives His toughest battles

to His strongest soldiers.

And, boy, have I had some tough battles.

So I guess I'm a pretty strong soldier.

[uplifting music continues]

So you're gonna walk four counts.
One, two, three, four.

You're sparkling.
Five, six, seven, break on eight.

[indistinct chatter]

[Jada] Do a little bit…
Shoulders a little more squared.

To the front. So it was one, two, three.

Swing. Now you break it down.

[Kelli] Jada, show 'em your five
'cause that's pretty too.

-No, the one you just did.
-[Judy] The next one.

[Jada] You're here…

[gentle music playing]

[Ava] A lot of people ask,

"Is it everything you hoped for
and expected and stuff like that?"

But I don't even know
if I had an expectation

of what it would
really be like to make the team.

My rookie season…

There was definitely a lot going on,
but we don't know any different either.

Group one did have a lot of changes.

And although
it didn't affect me personally,

it did obviously kind of

sometimes put, like, a weird…

vibe on things.

Five, six, seven, eight.

[Jada] One, two, three, four,

five, six, seven, eight.

One, two…

[Ava] And some girls are like,
"It's not normally like this."

"Blah, blah, blah."

I'm like, "We don't really
know what it's normally like, so…"

Yeah, it was definitely a lot,
but I don't think I let that

hinder my experience at all on the team.

I think I made the best of it

and still had the most amazing year
I've ever had, yeah.

Eight, cross, one, two…

[Ava] The team is, like,
the most iconic team, so,

I'm still feeling, like, good vibes,

just in the fact that I'm here.

[Jada] Two, three, four,
up, five, six, seven.

-♪ We wish you a merry Christmas ♪
-[Judy] One, two, two, three, three, two…

Reach a little bit more, Abby. Yeah.

-[Jada] One more time.
-[Judy] Reach.

-With your body, with your legs.
-[Abby] Okay. Yes, ma'am.

I think I have a lot of anxiety,
but I just don't show it.

I kind of either go quiet
or I overcompensate.

I'm the only rookie that's,
like, getting told,

"You don't know the routines."

It feels like I was the only one
getting told that.

I feel like I've gotten
a bit better at it.

But then each week we learn a new dance.

So… I don't know if I have or not.

It's also, like, scary, 'cause we don't
even know how many girls are retiring.

So everyone's like, "We gotta
start learning our final solo soon."

And our class is so big
that everyone's like,

"They're gonna cut girls."

So that's scary.

But, like, on the back.

[Abby] I didn't know
I'd be as close with a lot of the vets.

Taylor's one of my besties.

Same with Jada.

-Now go loud!
-[rock music playing on stereo]

You're leading your body,
like, away from your foot.

And your shoulder's kind of up.

You lift it…

[Abby] She would
go to bat for all the rookies

and say, like, "We're not gonna do
four new routines each game."

"I don't want my rookies to be stressed."

It's gonna be so weird without her.

[Madie K] I feel like I got thrown
into like a ,-feet pool

and was like trying to swim out of it.

It was like, okay, here's a new city,
new college, new friends.

Thirty-six amazing people
thrown in your face.

Like, you know, a professional job…

[woman] There's a lot of wisdom
on that team within all those women.

It's like having big sisters.

-[Madie K] No, it is. Yeah. Mmm-hmm.
-[woman] It's amazing.

I'm gonna miss Jada.
I'm really, really sad about that.

I could text her in training camp,
like, "Did I look good tonight?"

She's like, "You looked awkward.
You need to work on this."

I'm like, "Okay, good."
It wasn't like, "Yes, you did amazing."

'Cause I'd rather someone tell me
that I was really bad, and me be prepared.

Instead of like, "You looked great."
And be like, "Why did I get cut if I did?"

She was like, "No, you looked awkward."

There's some girls that'll tell you,
"It's okay. You got it."

"It's fine.
It's not as bad as you think it is."

-I want to tell the girls--
-[man] "No, you suck."

-No, to tell them it is bad, stressful.
-[man] "You're not gonna make it."

[woman] Bryant!

It's okay not to be okay.
You're stressed. You're gonna be.

[Jan] I like that.
"It's okay not to be okay."

-Same with Jada.
-[Jan] It's a good one.

That's why me and Jada were close.
She'd say the same.

She's like, "If you don't know it now,
you don't know it."

"Go out there
and do the moves you do know."

"And cross your fingers that you
don't get cut." And I was like, "Okay."

[Jan] I feel like DCC has been
the exact thing you needed.

I think it was the perfect timing.

I don't think it could have
worked out any better than it did.

We're really proud of you.

-Yeah. Who makes it all possible?
-God.

Amen. That's exactly what it is.

Keep God in the middle of everything.
He'll work a… He'll work it out for you.

Just put your trust in Him.

[John] He's got plans for you.
Just keep driving.

[indistinct chatter and laughter]

[all exclaiming]

See? And it's cold!

[woman ] Oh my God, wait!

[woman ] My eyelashes are gonna fly away!

[all yelping and exclaiming]

Happy game day, everybody! Happy game day!

[laughing]

I just don't want you to look inside
of them either.

[Jada] Chandi
needed to take some time off.

You know, I think she needed
to take time for herself,

and I respected it,

and regardless of how people felt

or what people were speculating,
she was doing what was best for her.

Aww.

"Happy retirement." [laughing]

♪ Walk a mile in these Louboutins ♪

That's cute!

[Chandi] I kind of like
not being in charge. It's really nice.

Like, I'm so happy
just, like, dancing now.

I don't have to think about
what I'm doing or what I'm calling

or anything like that.

I don't have to think
about anything anymore.

[Judy] She's…
just become a part of that group and…

I think Chandi's done a great job
for the situation she's in.

[Jada] We've all done things
that we shouldn't have done

or been in situations
that we shouldn't have been in.

There's no time to sit
and dwell in the past.

We can sit here in this
or we can move forward.

-[Chandi] We've had good years.
-[Jada] Had fun.

I'm sad I wasn't ending on a Super Bowl,
but it's okay. I'll get over it.

If they look promising, I might come out
of retirement and try out again.

Just for one year. [laughing]

-[Kristi] Happy game day.
-[all] Whoo!

Hey, a lot on the line, I know not
for the Cowboys in terms of playoffs,

but a lot on the line
for the Washington Commanders.

[voice fading] They have wins
and they're going to the playoffs.

If they win…

[contemplative music playing]

I refuse to believe this is the last one.

I don't know how it went by so fast.

[Darah] It was slow in the beginning,
and then…

All of a sudden, I blinked,
and we're like, "It's done."

-[Charly] November, it was done.
-Yeah.

You're trying to survive most of the year.
When you feel comfortable, it's over.

I feel like we just
went through the process.

[Darah] Yeah.

I'm wearing my rookie-year socks.
They got holes all over.

But wearing 'em. They're special.

Feels perfect!

All right.

[Kelli] This football season
just hadn't been ideal, right?

but y'all had… definitely
you guys had a winning season.

[crying] And your leaders stepped up
and led through some tough times.

And we're very proud of y'all.

I want you all
to feel proud when you leave.

[Jada] I'm ready. Happy.

-[woman ] Last one, best one.
-[woman ] Last one, best one.

[excited chatter]

[Jada] Ooh…

I don't want to cry before I start!

[exclaims]

-[Armani] No tears. We cry after.
-I can cry after.

Plenty of time after to cry.
The next couple months.

-[both laughing]
-Aww! Jada.

-Love ya.
-I love you.

-Proud of you.
-Thank you.

-Just soak it in.
-Ahh!

[bittersweet music playing]

[Jada] Love you, girl.

Love you.

So proud of you.

[man] Let's go!

[Kleine] I'll hug you later.
I'll hug you later.

-Happy last game!
-[laughs]

Oh no!

[voice breaking] I love you.

-Proud of you.
-[Kleine] I'm proud of you.

-You're gonna make me cry. Stop.
-Okay, sorry.

I heard your voice crack. I was like…
[groans]

[Judy] It was very hard for me
to see Chandi go through a low point.

She just took a little dip.

-Love you, Judy.
-Love you too.

-[Judy] Last…
-Don't make me cry.

-[Chandi] I love you.
-Love you too.

As much as, like, I would love
to live up to Judy's expectation,

sometimes you just can't,
and that's just not you.

[Judy] I feel very motherly to her.

She needs hugs and she needs… love.

And she needs forgiveness.

We're not gonna leave
any of our children out in the cold.

[Chandi, tearfully] I'm kind of excited
to figure out who I really am

and, like, work on me, finding my voice.

So I hope she's proud of that.

-Last "Thunder"!
-[Jada] Oh no.

[Chandi] I know. I gotta go.

[Jada] Okay, we got it. No more crying.

All right, ladies, love you guys! Whoo!

Five, six, seven, eight.

[announcer on PA]
Ladies and gentlemen,
here they are…

[majestic music playing]

[majestic music continues]

-[crowd cheering]
-[majestic music continues]

Let's go for it.

[Jada] I love you guys so much.

I don't want it to be over.

I love you guys so much.

[Megan] It goes by too fast.

Too, too fast.

[Jada] What makes us who we are
is our flaws and our differences

and how we grow from situations.

I can sit here all day

and say all the things
everyone's done wrong.

But who am I to do that
when I have plenty of mistakes of my own?

Be there for that person.

Love on that person.

Forgive them the way God's forgiven you
and move forward.

[indistinct chatter]

[Chandi] I don't know what boys
and boys' friendships are like, um…

But the girls you meet through dance

are the most genuine people,

and they are so loyal.

You know that they always have your back,
and you always have theirs.

It's probably the same with boys,
I don't know, but girls rule.

[Jada] Hey, Chandi,
remember when you were a leader?

[laughing] Yeah, I knew…

[majestic music continues]

[music fades]

[whimsical expectant music playing]

[Kelli vocalizing]

I think Jada, 'cause she's been
pretty honest about it. Armani.

Chandi.

Who else am I missing?

It's a tough decision to make,
to try out or not.

It's hard to leave.

If they've been here literally
five or six years, or even three years…

It's a huge chapter in their life,
and it's not easy to walk away

when they literally have been
with each other almost every night.

[whimsical music continues]

[Kelli] If today is gonna conclude
like I think it is,

we're gonna have six not re-auditioning,
which means are re-auditioning.

And we will have hundreds,
potentially thousands apply.

That's tougher odds
than Ivy League admissions.

[Kelli] Hi!
Okay, you do have your new nickname.

-What is it?
-[Kelli] Pickle!

"Pickle"?

[Kelli] Last night
you wanted to play pickleball.

[laughing] Oh yeah!

Okay, which is the "yes" rack?

[Kelli] The left, because left
has an "e" in it like the word "yes."

[Madie K] Okay.

-The hanger's the right way this time.
-[Kelli laughing]

[Kelli] Do you want to talk about
re-auditioning or just tell us?

-Um, I could just tell you.
-[Kelli] Sure!

-I would love to. [laughing]
-[Kelli] Okay.

-Put it on the "love to" rack on the left.
-Will do. Yes, ma'am.

-Hello. Hi!
-[Kelli] Hello, Kelly from Weehawken.

-How are you?
-[laughing] I'm good. How are you guys?

[Kelli] Good.

Are you more famous now
in Weehawken than before?

[laughing] We, um,
definitely put Weehawken on the map.

[Kelli] Was gonna say,
when am I gonna get a key to the city?

Who's the most famous person
from Weehawken, New Jersey?

[Siri]
Weehawken, New Jersey is known
for its historic dueling grounds

where Alexander Hamilton
and Aaron Burr famously dueled.

[Judy] I'm excited, if things go well,

to see what Ava will do as a veteran

because I think
you're really gonna bust out.

[laughing] Thank you guys.

-[Kelli] Okay.
-[Judy] Thank you.

[Kelli] What are you thinking?

Definitely want to re-audition.

[wistful music playing]

-Yay!
-[Judy] Yay!

[Kelli] Our racks are getting full.

Left is yes, right is no.

All right.

[Kelli] With so much visibility,
you've remained humble.

I'm proud that
you haven't let it affect you.

'Cause it could.

-Thank you.
-You've really represented yourself.

More than anything, yourself, your faith,

your person, beautifully.

Thank you. That means a lot.

Well, I mean, I know what my decision is.

I just…
I didn't know if you guys wanted to chat.

We're here for you.

Okay. Well, I mean, I love you guys,
and I love this team.

Oh my God!

[Kelli] It's okay.

[crying] Well,
I told myself I wasn't gonna cry.

Oh gosh.

-[Kelli] Armani.
-Are you getting a closeup?

-[Kelli] I don't have a tissue, though.
-Kelli!

[Kelli laughing] I have a tablecloth.
Let me get you some tissue.

[Judy] I can get somebody to get it.

-I guess I could use this tablecloth now.
-[Kelli] We have a .

-Anybody got any tissue?
-Well, there goes all my makeup.

[Armani] Yeah,
I think it's time for a new chapter.

There's a lot of things
happening on the outside.

-[Judy] There's an outside?
-Yeah!

-[Judy laughs] To all this? Well…
-Yeah. There's an outside, Judy.

[Armani] If you want to retire with me,
then…

-Oh!
-[laughing] …we can do that together.

-You could teach me what to do.
-Yeah.

[Armani sniffling] I don't want to be
the first one.

[Judy] It's okay. You've left your mark.

-Thanks, Judy.
-[Judy] It's been a good one.

[Armani sniffling and exclaiming]

[crying] Oh, Kelli, don't cry!

[Kelli] I'm not crying.

-[crying] Yes, you are!
-It's allergy season.

[Armani] Then both of our allergies
are really acting up.

-[laughing]
-[Armani] At the exact same time…

Well, you've done… you done good.

[Armani] Thank you.

Mmm! A Judy hug.

[Judy] Yeah! Always free.

-[Kelli muffled] We love you.
-I love you.

-[Kelli] Hello!
-Hi! How are y'all?

-[Judy] We are…
-Good!

How are you feeling?
What are you thinking?

-I'm good.
-[Kelli] What's your heart and head…

Yeah! Um…

I… prepared my solo already.
I actually finished it last Thursday.

And then right after that I got home.

And an hour later, I got the notification

that I wasn't booked
on Draft Day or TITAS.

And I think it just hit me,
not because I wasn't booked.

Because I don't expect to be booked
on everything, but I think it hit me.

Just because the way some things
were handled throughout the year, I just…

I was really disappointed by some things.

And, like, honestly,
after the whole contract situation

in the beginning of the year, our…

The dynamic of our relationship
changed a lot.

[voice breaking] It…
It broke my heart because I…

I just want to feel worth and value.
And I feel like I…

I don't feel that here, unfortunately.

[crying softly] So it's time
for the next chapter.

[Amanda exhales]

[sniffling]

-See you at banquet.
-[Kelli] Yes!

[door closes]

[Kelli] Hmm.

-Well, that was a curveball.
-We weren't prepared for her…

I mean, I wasn't
prepared for her to question that…

[laughing] Hi!

-[Judy] Hopalong.
-Hopping along.

-Hi! How are y'all?
-[Kelli] Hi!

-[Kelli] We're good.
-[Chandi] Good!

[Judy] The contraption around your waist
and your leg, that's like a brace?

Yes, it just keeps it from turning out.

-[Judy] Oh! Uh-huh.
-So my hip doesn't detach again.

-It's okay. It feels great. No pain.
-[Kelli] Does it?

-[Judy] You love the brace?
-Yes. And my hip. That feels good too.

-You've got a new hip?
-That does feel good.

-Well, how do you want to conclude this?
-Um…

I told myself I wouldn't cry,
but I'll probably cry. Um…

[voice breaking] I love you both so much.
And I love this organization.

And I appreciate
you both being there for me

through a lot of ups and a lot of downs.

[crying softly]
It really means a lot that…

no matter what was happening
in the outside world,

I can always come here, and…

Even though I never said it
or did anything about it,

it was a real safe place for me.

Um…

[hoarsely] I'm excited to watch you all
from the sidelines and cheer you on.

-Well, I…
-[Chandi sniffles] I'm excited.

I don't have a way
of making this any easier, Chandi.

It's tough. It's a huge transition.

[Chandi] Yes.

[hoarsely] I think this year
I found who I really am.

I lost it for sure…

was lost in who I really was.

And there was a long time I was scared

to just not be without dance.

[Kelli] Mmm-hmm.

Because that was just me,
and that was my safe place,

but I feel good.

And I feel like I'll know myself,
and I'll be confident.

[softly] Yeah. Just keep going up.

Yeah.

[sniffles]

-There we go.
-[sweeping music playing]

[Kelli] All right, Chandella.

[Chandi] Okay.

Thank you.

Thank y'all both.

I would do this forever if I could.
I think we all would. That's the dream.

But we have to be realistic. This is only…

a short part of our lives, and…

Yeah.

And I'm sad, but it's a…

bittersweet sadness.

It's just… sad that it all is over.

But I'm very happy with…
how the last five years have gone.

And I'm at a place where I'm like I need…

I need to see what's next in life and…

Yeah.
I feel like I want to leave on a high.

-Don't be sad.
-[Kelli] I'm not sad, I've got allergies.

-Okay.
-[Judy] She's blaming it on allergies.

[Jada] You'll make me cry.
[laughs] Don't do that. Yeah.

-I have your phone numbers. I'll call.
-That's the scary part.

[Jada laughing]

Jada, when I met you in the parking lot,

I wouldn't have thought I'd be
sitting here five years later in tears.

-[voice breaking] I'm very proud of you.
-Thank you.

Okay, we'll hang her up.

-[Kelli] Okay.
-Or you could let me keep her.

-[Kelli] No.
-Okay.

[both laughing]

Okay, add me to it.

With the long arms.

-[Kelli] I know!
-There's mine with the longest arms.

-[Judy laughing]
-[Jada] It's fine.

Can't miss my uniform.

-Love you guys. Appreciate you.
-[Kelli] All right. Okay.

-Sayonara.
-Adios.

[introspective music playing]

[producer] KayDianna is not here today.

And as we understand it,
may not any longer be on the team.

Was that her choice
or was she asked to leave?

It ultimately became KayDianna's choice.

We had one conversation of honest…

[laughs] …feedback, and I think, um…

Maybe she didn't like that conversation,
and then…

It was her choice.

And it was sudden.

[KayDianna] Okay, Ro-Ro, are you ready?
Do a nice little trot. Come on.

-[Eric] Come on, girls.
-Come on.

[KayDianna] I am no longer a member
of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.

[laughing] You're a trouble child.

Come on. You're silly.

Okay.

Bahamas happened.
I stepped into leadership.

I definitely didn't feel supported.

I felt like I was just a body.

It was as if Chandi
got the perks of being a first leader

and I got the responsibility part of it.

And when all this went down,
I was confused.

My teammates were confused.

We just didn't know what was gonna happen.

What happened was I was on TikTok Live.

People ask about the Bahamas.
People ask about Chandi.

I'm gonna make a video on that one day.

One day I will talk about the whole thing.

So the story can come--
Stop with the breaths.

[KayDianna] Of course, someone
screen-recorded it, put it on Reddit.

They blew it up.

[voice breaking] I didn't even talk
about Chandi. Never said Chandi's name.

And then… I got a call… from staff.

[crying] They said
that I was under investigation

for being a bully and harassing.

And, um…

I was officially suspended at that point.

I just told myself that I needed
to take myself out of the organization

and that I needed to respect myself.

[KayDianna] It feels like
a hundred degrees after all that.

[somber music playing]

[producer] There's a banquet Sunday night.

-And you won't be in attendance.
-[KayDianna] No.

[producer] How do you feel?

[laughs] Um…

[sputters]

Sad.

[laughs] I'm sad.

Um, because I was there.

I mean, there wasn't girls.
There was .

And even though it was a tough year,

I still wanted to be there for my rookies.

I still wanted to celebrate this year.

Put the staff aside,
put everything that went down aside.

Like, we're there for each other,

and I just wish I could be there
to celebrate with them.

[Megan] How do I…

Ooh, it's on. Okay.

She's on!

It's leaking.

[Megan] We're just getting ready
for banquet tonight.

I don't know which dress I'm gonna wear,
but I'm so excited

to conclude the end
of the year with everyone.

It's been a wild ride, but this'll be,
like, the perfect cherry on top

after kind of the year we had.

Perfect. Switch that. Yeah.

[Megan] I was not at uniform returns.

I was home. I really didn't know
if I was gonna come back at that point.

But with the new changes,

I do plan on returning for a fifth season.

On Tuesday, I heard from Kelli,

that she wanted to kind of reconvene,
have another conversation, um,

about our pay.

[Jada] Myself, Armani, and Megan,

we got an email,
and they asked if they can meet with us.

And they basically just, you know,

thanked us
for everything that we told them

and for being very open and honest.

Our efforts were heard,

and they wanted to give us a raise,

and we ended up getting

a % increase,
which is, like, life-changing.

[Jada] "Happy"
isn't even the right word for it.

I think I was just…

Kind of felt like a relief,
like everything had paid off.

And it was, you know…
finally we were done fighting.

We pushed and we got back good results.

I get emotional knowing
that I was a part of that.

-Should we hug? Okay.
-Yeah.

-I don't know how to hug three people.
-It's okay.

-Yeah, just put your hand…
-Hand in.

Ah! I'm gonna cry!

[emotional music playing]

[Megan crying] Dancers are athletes.

They have so much value.

That's all I could ever want.

So… I'm excited to come back.

I love the fact that I made change

for the girls
that are coming up behind me,

even if I'm not getting
a chance to benefit.

[Kelli on mic] Good evening, ladies.

Welcome to your -plus-plus

end-of-year banquet.

[all cheering]

[Kelli] We cultivate and then we elevate.

And this year of all years in my career

has been a year of elevation.

[voice breaking] Um, number one,
I want to first thank our group leaders.

Jada, Armani, Megan.

Also, Chandi, Lea.

Kleine, Tori, and Kelee.

We couldn't do this without you.

This year especially,
where sometimes it was fun to lead,

and sometimes it was a challenge to lead,
but you did it.

Thank you from the bottoms of our hearts.

You guys have moved some mountains
this year that will forever change

our organization and, hopefully,
dancers organizations across the world.

So, thank you to you all
for your leadership, your passion.

-Thank you.
-[women exclaiming and cheering]

[sweet music playing]

[Kelli] It's just amazing

'cause that has been
-plus years long overdue.

Y'all, you know I find inspiration
in plants, dogs, and trees.

-[scattered laughter]
-[Kelli] But when I got in my car today…

I'm gonna steal the words,
but hear me out.

"May the good Lord be with you
down every road you roam."

"And may sunshine
and happiness surround you

when you're far from home."

"And may you be proud,
dignified, and true."

"And do unto others
as you would have done to you."

"Be courageous and be brave."

"And in our hearts, you will always stay…"

"Forever young."

"And when you finally fly away…"

Thank you.

[Kelli] "…we'll be
hoping that we served you well."

"For all the wisdom of a lifetime,
no one can ever tell."

"We are right behind you, win or lose."

"Forever young,
forever young, forever young."

Not my words. Sir Rod Stewart's words.

[all laughing]

[Kelli] We love y'all.
We're very proud of y'all.

-Congratulations.
-[all cheering]

Now, it's time to celebrate,
and to do that we need DJ B…

[all cheering]

…to cue it up.

-[cheering continues]
-[Kelli] Cue it up.

Here we go. You are on.

[all cheering]

[Jada] Go, girl!

-[woman] Let's go, B!
-[Kelli] Come on!

Come on, B.

[wistful music playing]

[music fades]

[Chandi] DCC has taught me
a lot about myself,

and a lot about life, and I'm…

ready to move on.

I know I wasn't always
sold on a sixth year.

I talked to my therapist, and she's like,
"You thrive in anxious environments."

And I'm kind of excited
to get out of that environment,

and actually… be calm.

Finding my voice,
and not kind of just following the pack.

[Jada] Chandi, do you need help?

-[Chandi] See you in the morning.
-Love you.

-[Chandi] Love you. Go dance.
-Proud of you. Thank you.

Let me know when you're home.
Love you, Chandi.

[inaudible]

[Chandi] My twenties is where
I'm supposed to learn a lot,

to go experience
a lot of different things.

And now I can kind of
start doing that, as me.

["Deeper Well" by Kacey Musgraves playing]

[heartwarming song continues]

♪ My Saturn has returned ♪

♪ When I turned
Everything started to change ♪

♪ Took a long time, but I learned ♪

♪ There's two kinds of people
One is a giver ♪

♪ And one's always trying to take… ♪

[Armani] I was
a completely different human.

Hi! I am Armani!

I'm years old, born and raised
in Anderson, South Carolina.

You could tell me something
about my dancing, and I would get so upset

that I'd want
to change myself to make you…

[laughs] …feel better.

♪ I just think that maybe
You go your way and I'll go mine… ♪

[Armani] But now
I'm % confident in myself.

-[Jada]
♪ Yeah, she did it ♪
-[all]
♪ She did it, she did it ♪

[Armani] I wanted to make sure
that I left the team

better than the way that I found it.

And I feel like I've done that.

[laughs]

-["Deeper Well" continues playing]
-♪ I've found a deeper well… ♪

Oh! I'm so glad I don't have on makeup.
[laughing]

-[Judy] I love you.
-I love you too.

[crying]

[Jada] The friendships that you
create on this team are unlike any other,

and I think I'm gonna miss
the constant support.

My name is Jada. I am years old,
from Palm Springs, California.

♪ I just think that maybe ♪

♪ It's natural
When things lose their shine… ♪

[Jada] I'm just looking forward
to what's next for me in life.

And give it my all
like I did while I was here.

♪ Gotten older, now I know… ♪

Hi, my name is Megan. I'm years old,
and I'm from Oceanside, California.

I've seen myself change, which is wild.

[laughing] I grew a pair.

[both laughing]

[Megan] I just notice that
I've just become a different person,

and I'm really proud of her.

Hi, Jada.

[Megan] I've had to put myself
in so many uncomfortable positions,

but I knew it was worth it
because the girls are worth it.

-[song continues]
-♪ The things I was taught ♪

♪ Only took me so far
Had to figure the rest out myself… ♪

[Jada] I won't get to experience
the higher pay.

But I'm proud of those of us
who sparked the fire.

♪ I found a deeper well… ♪

[Jada] It's my time to go.

It's my time to open up a spot
for someone else to live out their dreams,

and me cheer them on from the sidelines.

["Deeper Well" finishes playing]

[reflective music playing]