03x02 - Yes/No/Maybe, Part 2

[bunniefuu]

[indistinct chatter]

[woman] I'm nervous. Like, good nervous.

Dude, my bra popped open last night.

[woman] Yes! Do you have it taped?

[Kelli on mic] Good morning!

Before we get this morning started…

Are my pants zipped? Yes.

- How are we?
- [all] Good.

Welcome to the Dallas Cowboys
Cheerleaders Auditions.

[applauding]

[Kelli] This year, we started again
with hundreds of applications online.

And we are now going into
our final auditions with 81 soloists.

[expectant music playing]

The audition process itself
makes a lot of sense to my brain.

We watch beautiful solos,

and that establishes,
"How good is this dancer technically?"

But the real part of the audition
that speaks to our football games

is when we go to the field,
and we do our combination and kick line.

[majestic music playing]

Our celebrity judge this year

is an eight-time Grammy award-winning
singer-songwriter.

She is my musical therapist, my friend,
a friend of the Dallas Cowboys.

- Please welcome Miss Kacey Musgraves.
- [all cheering]

[Kelli] I have a variety of judges
to reflect our variety of fans.

And I… I made out a point system.

- You ready to start? We'll talk all day.
- Are you guys ready?

- I don't know if I'm ready.
- [all cheering]

[Kelli] All I really want my judges
to have to think about is,

"Yes, I see this person
as a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader."

Or, "No, not for me."

And then if they're undecided,
that's a maybe.

I attach some numerical values
so that each judge had an equal vote.

[dramatic music playing]

[Kelli] We lean on our instincts
and our experiences.

And then when you pair that
with all the other judges' impressions

is where things start to make sense
and get solidified.

Yeah, this is the hill
I'm gonna die on today. [laughs]

I'm looking at technique
and showmanship and skill and stamina.

It's very competitive this year.

The odds of making it
are a lower selection ratio

than an Ivy League school application.

The maybes are not gonna make the team.
There's no way. It's not possible.

Not possible.

It's gonna take pretty much all yeses
from the judges to make this team.

[expectant music playing]

[indistinct chatter]

[indistinct chatter continues]

- You guys like gummy worms?
- Yes.

[upbeat music playing in background]

[Kacey] I guess it doesn't matter,
but I'll recognize some of the veterans,

but it really doesn't matter.

- You don't want me to--
- No. I want your lens to be…

- Performance. Yes. "It" factor.
- Very consistent. Yeah.

- [Kelli on mic] All right, are we ready?
- [all cheering]

[inaudible]

Okay, please welcome,

trying out for her fifth season,

from Oceanside, California,
number one, Megan!

[all cheering]

- ["My Way" playing on stereo]
- Aww! It's Frank Sinatra.

[on mic] Hi, everyone. My name is Megan.

I'm 25 years old, and I'm born
and raised in Oceanside, California.

I attended San Diego State University,

where I got my bachelor's degree
in communication.

And I currently work
as a marketing specialist

and a bridal makeup artist
for a makeup and hair company.

Thank you so much.

[Kelli] Traditionally,
veterans have always reauditioned,

and it is absolutely
to discourage complacency.

With the great new talent coming in,

if a veteran's not better
than her last year's self,

that's a risky place to be.

Megan is a very crisp, clean dancer.

She's very prepared,
and she's a great example.

So number one, Megan from California,
how many yeses?

Reece's solo was flawless.

Almost religious.

She is, technically,
one of the best dancers we have.

[woman] Let's go, Reecey!

- [Kelli] How many yeses for Reece?
- [man] Easy money.

- [woman 1] Well done.
- [woman 2] That was so good, Reece.

[Kelli exclaims] That's a first.

Charly has become a fan favorite.

[judge] Kelli, what happened
to our sweet little Charly?

She turned all Fifty Shades of Grey on us.

[Kelli] She ain't messing around.

She's a great dancer.

And just kind of fun and authentic.

[Kacey] Love Charly.

[judge] That was so powerful.

[Kelli] And she was fierce today.

Our sweet little girl. She's all grown up.

This is our largest
returning veteran class in history,

and it's the veterans
that know what's at stake.

[woman] Come on, Ari!

[Kelli] They are strong.
They are contenders.

And they blew me away.

[all cheering]

We want them
to be better and better every year,

and then we hope they make the decision

to retire when it's time to retire.

I'd rather them make
that decision for themselves

than a panel of judges
make that decision for them.

That's the kind of thing
that keeps you up at night.

[enticing music playing]

All right,
this next one should be feisty for you.

- Okay.
- She should be.

Okay, please welcome,
from Richmond, Kentucky, number 22!

- Give it up for Kleine!
- [all cheering]

[recording on stereo] Hi, Kleine.
It's Mom.

Have you picked a genre for your solo yet?

[Kleine] Hey, Mom. Not yet.

But I have to let you go,
'cause I'm kind of busy right now.

[enticing synth beat playing on stereo]

[Kleine] Honestly, as soon as
I stepped on the stage, I was just like,

"This is about to be so fun," and it was.

[Kelli] Kleine, Kleine, Kleine.
She's everything.

She's extremely photogenic.

She's got the big, bold personality,
and has great power.

She's funny.

[mom on recording] Hi, honey.
Happy finals day.

Mom, I'm in the middle of something!

- [laughing]
- [mom] Oops! All right!

Call me later.

Yet she's not perfect.
She and I have had our moments.

I freakin' loved the…
like, she broke the fourth wall. Brought…

You know what I mean? It was so good!

[Kelli] She's also always in my office…

getting called
to the principal's office for something.

- Really?
- [Kelli] We have a love-love.

In what way?
Like, what's her deal? What's she do?

- [Kelli] She's bold.
- Yeah.

Just sometimes we, we, we, um…
have different, uh, timing.

Kleine is just her own force,
and she's not afraid to speak.

And sometimes she speaks
when she's not asked to speak.

The air is off!

It ain't ever been on, and it's not gonna
be turned on until December,

and then I'm gonna be cold.

[woman] Then it's cold.

[Kleine] And I'm sorry for the aggression,
but you know what?

It is what it is.
It's the boots. They bring it out of me.

Okay, anybody else have anything
y'all need to unload?

- Kleine, you always something to say.
- [woman laughs]

She just seems
to sometimes be the target of…

of, uh…

little nuances that might come
from me unexpected.

She's just sometimes…

[laughs]
…in the wrong place at the wrong time.

[gentle music playing]

[Kelli] What I love about you
is your boldness and your ba*ls.

And that's what makes you great performer.
I don't want you to be perfect.

But it's all about timing.

My only advice to you is…
it's just your timing.

[Kleine] I've heard Kelli and Judy
say that, like, my timing isn't great.

But in all honesty,
I think my timing is perfect.

I just say things
when they need to be said.

It just isn't received well, maybe.

[Kleine] All right, y'all ready?
Bring it in!

[Judy] Oh my gosh, and Kleine always
has to say we're done.

- [gentle music playing]
- [imitating hen clucking]

Sounds like… squabbling hens back there.

What?

- Is that Kleine?
- [Kleine laughing]

[Kleine] I want to leave a legacy of,

"You gotta have fun
if you're on a dance team."

That's the reason
why people come and watch you.

- There we go.
- [all cheering]

Always makes us smile.
That was Kleine, number 22.

We say this every year, so it's starting
to sound like rinse and repeat.

But this year is more competitive.

And one no is not gonna k*ll
somebody's chances from making the team.

But if you've got half the room
saying maybe and yes,

and half the room saying no,
that's not gonna make the team.

All right, please welcome,
from Lubbock, Texas,

number ten, Cambree.

["Whine Up" by Kat DeLuna
playing on stereo]

Now see, she's pretty,
but for some reason, my mind wanders.

I get bored.

Look, there might be showmanship…

[Kelli] How many yeses for Cambree?

- [judge 1] Wow!
- [judge 2] One.

[judge 1] She has three yeses.

- [Kelli] How many maybes for Cambree?
- [judge exclaims] Oh.

[Kelli] How many noes for her?
Then we'll argue.

- [judge] How many noes?
- [Judy] I don't think there's any arguing.

[Kelli] Do y'all have the numbers?

Number 35 from Aubrey, Texas, Paige.

How many yeses?

Zero.

How many maybes?

How many noes?

- From Aubrey, Texas, that was 35, Paige.
- [crowd cheers]

[Charlotte] Was she a live audition?

No.

How'd that happen?

I don't know.

[Kelli] Number 73, Dylan.

- [judge] I'm always down for a bang, but…
- [Kelli] Yeah.

[judge] They don't work well
when you're dancing.

They get sweaty,
and they stick to your forehead.

But let's be honest.
Is it just about the bangs?

- No.
- Okay. Okay, so let's carry on.

How many noes?

She had boring showmanship,
couldn't do splits.

I wrote "compact."

"I got bored" and "average."

Her hair does… it keeps going
into soccer mom hair.

I don't know what it is.

I put "plain and mousy," and then
I put check minus on her kicks.

I mean, I went for a hard no.

It's a shame,
'cause she just kind of faded.

[cheering in background]

Okay, so we met Miss Emily
in Midland at our live audition.

Please welcome,
from Medford, Oregon, number 12, Emily.

- [crowd cheering]
- [Emily A] To be honest, I am a bit of a…

head case, and if I let it get too far,
it's just gonna stress me out.

So I like to become a different person.

Someone who's not scared,
someone who's not shy.

I'm just, like, ready to go.

- [Kelli] Okay!
- [judge 1] Wow!

- [judge 2] Okay.
- [enticing music playing on stereo]

[judge 1] Amazing.

Oh my God. Holy smokes.

[judge 2] Wow.

[Kelli] I found Emily interesting
at hello.

I think her personality is very authentic.

She, technically, is a brilliant dancer.

Her look is a makeover waiting to happen,

but she probably was one of the strongest
dance technicians in the entire audition.

[judge] Wow, she's powerful.

Is everybody a yes with the makeover?

I, like, love her.

Strong yes.

[Kelli] Please welcome number 21
from San Diego, California, Jenna.

Jenna's proven to be dedicated
to this team.

She came back more powerful,
and that's what we asked of her.

So she's got a chance.

How many yeses for Jenna?

- She is the Comeback Girl.
- [crowd cheering]

[Faith] Hi, everyone. My name's Faith.

I'm 22 and originally
from Wellington, New Zealand.

But as you can tell, I've lost my accent,
because I live in Perth, Australia.

I'd never get
anything like this in Australia.

- These opportunities don't come.
- Wow.

[Faith] You see it all over social media.

Who doesn't want to be
a Cowboys cheerleader? So…

I was always like,
"I would love to do that."

So we're reaching past the stars now,
but it's worth a hot shot, isn't it?

That was phenomenal.

She looks like she's been here before.

Faith?

[Charlotte] Yeah. She didn't have
any problems picking up our style.

[Kelli] No, not at all.

- Faith. How many yeses?
- [judge] Yes.

[judge] She looked like a vet out there.

[judge 1] Yeah, she did.

[judge 2] Love her, love that look.

Well, hello.

Savanna was very bright
and has a presence about her.

She has showmanship. She absolutely does.

I called her a firecracker.

Okay, I think I just found my favorite.

She's short.

But does she read short to you?

[Judy] Very.

[Kelli] Savanna, how many yeses?

Kelli wants her haircut.

[Kelli] Yeah, I want her hair.

And that is Savanna,
representing the state of Utah.

Okay, please welcome,
from College Station, Texas,

number 65, Parker.

[all cheering]

My mom told me if something is both
terrifying and exciting at the same time,

you should probably do it.

It is super intimidating,
and it's scary, but in the best way.

And it would be an honor

if this is what's in my path,
if this is what's meant for me.

[beat playing on speakers]

[Kelli] Parker actually tried out in '23.
She did not make it.

But Parker left
a strong impression on Judy.

And now Judy's almost hardheaded
about wanting Parker.

[Judy] I love her look.
I like Parker a lot.

She's strong. She's confident.

She doesn't seem to have that fear.

I think being a part
of our Cowboys family for a while…

She came from Rhythm and Blue,
which is a coed team that we have.

It's given her a lot more confidence.

[Kelli] That's kinda rare
for Judy to go all rah-rah for somebody.

I didn't have the same impression,
so I needed to see more of her.

[introspective music playing]

[Kelli] How many yeses?

[judge] So cute.

[Kelli] And is there one no?

One no.

[song finishes playing on stereo]

[all cheering]

- [Kelli] Number 65, Parker.
- [Parker] Thank you.

- [indistinct chatter]
- [Dayton exclaims nervously]

- [upbeat music playing on speakers]
- [Dayton] Aww!

I mean, the vets just did not come
to play this year. They looked so good.

- All these solos are so incredible.
- Yeah.

[Kelli] When Dayton applied, you know,

there's hope that Dayton is stronger

and better and more competitive.

And then there's a little bit of dread of,

"Oh my gosh.
I've seen these applications."

"I know how competitive the field is."

[Shelly] Going through training camp,
being in training camp twice,

being released twice, takes a toll on you.

[bittersweet music playing]

[Shelly] She decided last year that

she was gonna take some time
after being released

to try to figure out if she wanted
to put herself through it again.

And when she made up her mind,

our entire family
just kind of got behind her,

and we've just been
encouraging her the entire time.

Please welcome, from McKinney, Texas,
number 61, Dayton.

[crowd cheering]

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

["I Didn't Know My Own Strength"
by Whitney Houston playing on stereo]

[Dayton] This past year,
I've been working my booty off.

I've been in class every single week.

Maybe three times a week,

working on style,
working on confidence, and performance.

And I feel more confident this year.

I feel more myself.

More grown up,
so I don't feel like I'm trying

to cut and paste into a different mold.

I'm just being me,
and that's making it a whole lot easier

to get through this round.

I'm so happy to be here
and happy to get another chance.

[song continues on stereo]

Just knowing her journey since she was
released from training camp last year,

and applying herself,

and doing all the things
that they asked her to do, um,

just hope that they see her growth

and that she wants this
more than I think she ever has.

["I Didn't Know My Own Strength"
continues on stereo]

- [woman] Whoo!
- [crowd cheering and clapping]

[Kelli] Number 61, Dayton.

[pensive music playing]

[Kelli] Sixty-one, Dayton. How many yeses?

[judge] Four yeses.

[Kelli] How many maybes?

[judge] Eleven maybes.

[Kelli] And how many noes?

- [judge 1] One no.
- [judge 2] Hmm.

[Kelli] Okay.

[Judy] I knew
that she wanted to try again,

but I also knew that she had to come

with some extra fire under her
for her to get through.

[pensive music continues]

People know what Dayton can do,
and they know that she's been cut before,

so it was almost even more pressure on her

and on us to make the right decision.

[Kelli] If we were to give
that locker and that uniform to…

someone… who do we not pick?

[indistinct chatter]

- [softly] It gets so quiet in here.
- [Judy whispers] I know! It's so quiet.

[Charlotte on mic] Good evening, ladies.

This certainly is the most intense
competition that we've ever had.

As you know, there were only
six spots beyond the veterans.

It was neck and neck for everybody.

So thank you. Thank you for your talent.

Thank you for all you have invested in
yourselves to get yourself to this level.

And we encourage you all to please…

please come back and see us
if it's not your night tonight.

So with that,
I'm gonna turn it over to Kelli,

and we will announce
the candidates into training camp.

Thank you again.

So…

the first person we would like
to welcome into training camp,

please welcome,

number 78, Savanna from Orem, Utah.

- [crowd cheering]
- [gentle music playing]

- Yes, congratulations!
- Thank you.

[Kelli] Please welcome back,
number 72, Kelly from Longview.

- [cheering continues]
- [gentle music continues]

Number 22, Kleine.

Welcome back to training camp,
number 21, Jenna W.

Welcome to training camp,

number 12, Emily A.

[Kelli] I think she's gonna be fun.

[Kelli on mic] Welcome back,
number 1, Megan.

Charly.

Reece.

- [cheering continues]
- [gentle music continues]

Welcome to training camp,

number 48, Journi.

Number 80, Tatum.

Welcome back, number 62, Darah.

[all cheering]

[tense music playing]

Welcome to training camp,

number 58, Faith.

[tense music continues]

Okay, we have one name left to call.

Ladies, on behalf
of our entire organization,

thank you to everyone

for auditioning for this team.

And with that, we'd like
to announce our last person

invited into training camp.

Please welcome…

number 65, Parker.

- [women cheering]
- [pensive music playing]

[Shelly sobbing]

- [Kelli] And congratulations to everybody.
- [sobbing continues]

- [indistinct chatter]
- [pensive music continues]

- [sobbing continues muted]
- [pensive music continues]

No, I'm not okay.

She did everything they asked her to do.

You take strangers that you don't know

and you can't even give someone
you held in the hospital a chance.

Yeah, it's complicated,
but the judges were consistent.

I can sleep at night 'cause I know
that we gave her every opportunity,

and she did herself too.

She's worked hard.

Um, it's just sad that it didn't…

didn't work out.

Dayton is a beautiful girl,
and she's a beautiful dancer.

The power and the ability to…

captivate, and excite, and ignite
the space in which she's dancing, it's…

it's just not…

I don't think that's her style of dance.

[Shelly] Being a legacy is tainted.

Dayton's situation has probably been…

one of the hardest things in my career.

[pensive music continues]

I would not have wanted Dayton to

have had to go through
another training camp and be cut again.

I think that…

letting her go at finals
was probably the best thing for her.

She's just stressed over this so much,
and I hate that for her

that we couldn't make her dream come true.

We… we couldn't help her fulfill it.

But Dayton's…

grown up a lot this year,
and I think she's gonna find her path.

["If You Love Me" by Brenda Lee playing]

♪ If the sun should tumble from the sky… ♪

[woman yelling] Congratulations! Whoo!

We are gonna do a group picture.

One, two, three.

[all] We made it to training camp! Whoo!

["If You Love Me" continues playing]

[Shelly] Come here, baby.

Come here. Come here. It's okay.

[Dayton crying]

No, it's okay.

It's fine.

[woman] I love you.

As though you were my own.

[Dayton] Just…

I'll do something else.

Think I'm done.

- That's fair.
- Yeah.

- ["If You Love Me" continues playing]
- ♪ If you love me ♪

- ♪ Really love me, let it happen… ♪
- [women screaming and laughing]

[woman] Oh my God, I made it!

[women cheering]

- [Jeff] You did your best.
- [crying]

You trained hard.
You did everything you could do.

God has other plans for you.

- So happy? I am so happy.
- I am so happy.

[woman] Whoo! Yeah!

♪ I won't care ♪

[song fading]

[Megan] I'm excited for this year.
It's gonna be a really good one.

I just feel it.

You know, I think last year
was kind of all about proving

that I'm a teammate first

and that I would do anything
for these girls.

And this year,

I want to do the same, but also,

give those girls
other opportunities to shine.

For this new season,

there are 30 vets returning
and currently 14 training camp candidates.

So a very competitive year.

Only six spots,
so they gotta make eight cuts,

which is no easy feat.

It's gonna be a hard training camp.

I don't even doubt that at all.

And Kelli and Judy are gonna need
to see excellence.

[introspective music playing]

[Megan] These girls, there's gonna be
change that they have to adapt to.

But they're smart dancers,

and they'll figure it out.

But it's just gonna be a matter
of who adapts the quickest

and if you sink or swim.

Last one, best one.

It's gonna be a good year. I'm excited.

[music fading]

- [man] Luc, what are you doing there?
- Uh…

[laughs] We…

never told our apartment that we had cats.

So our cats have done a little
damage to our door,

and I am making a little homemade,
uh, solution to that.

It's not going very well.

So I don't think,
uh, we'll get away with it,

but we're still gonna make the attempt.

- [phone chimes]
- [cat meows]

We are moving… and it's been a nightmare.

[laughs]

But with the help of Vince on the Move…
Wait, is it Vin or Vince?

- I think it's Vin.
- Let me check.

Some of the other girls on the team
have reached out to this moving company,

and Kleine just reached out, like,

"Hey! Could we…"

[laughs] "Could we get in
on that same action?"

And they were like, "Yeah, for sure."

She got us the movers
through a collaboration.

So it took a lot of financial stress
off of the situation, for sure.

- [Kleine] I think that's good.
- Perfect.

- [Kleine] Okay.
- I can see Luc in the reflection!

- [Kleine] Luca!
- [Lea] Who got Chipotle?

[Kleine] Me yesterday.
It's all I can afford right now. Hey.

Luc and I split the Chipotle bowl.

- [Lea clears throat] Want me to dive in?
- [Kleine] Yeah, dive in. It's crazy.

[sighs] Okay, okay, okay.
My clarinet. Should I put it together?

- It's me in band class.
- [Lea] Come on, Squidward.

[Kleine] I'll never
grow out of being a nerd.

[playing simple melody]

Dang, I still got it! [laughs]

She's still got it.

[Kleine] Thanks for helping me move,
by the way!

- [Lea] You're welcome!
- Ooh! I'm stressed!

- I'm stressed about it, but…
- I know.

I feel like me moving right now is
a metaphor for how my life feels right now

because it's so messy.

And just, like,
training camp right now is…

It's just that time of year
when everything's happening at once.

- [Kleine] It's giving messy.
- [both laugh]

It's giving full mess,
and then it, like, all calms down.

[Kleine] I will say they are being
more nice this year

than I have seen
in my previous five years.

Yeah, it's almost like more motivating,

especially for a training camp candidate
that's coming here for the first time.

- Our training camp was terrifying.
- Mmm-hmm.

But now we thrive off of just knowing
when we're doing something right for once,

rather than living in fear
of doing something wrong.

You just like to be told
"good job" sometimes.

Yeah, definitely.

Going into this year,
I think it would be phenomenal

to be able to lead in my own way,
which I do,

and I have been doing that
for probably the past two years now.

Last year, I kind of fell into leadership.

It was so abrupt.

[introspective music playing]

[Kleine] Chandi,
who was group leader, stepped down.

Judy comes in. She says,
"KayDianna will now be the first leader."

And that I would be the second.

Ending up where I was, I have to lead in…
in the way that I know how.

Now it's my last year.

How can I make a difference?
How can I use my voice?

And how can I navigate
being a team member,

but also trying
to make a difference on this team?

I'm still working on that.
That's where I'm at now. [chuckles]

This year,
I think there's still more to be done.

There's always something to be done,
especially with the culture

and just enjoying the moment.

And I think being outspoken,

being the one that people
can rely on to say the hard things,

to step up when somebody needs them
or even to show them a dance thing.

- Mm-hmm.
- I want Kelli and Judy to see that too.

- [Lea] Yeah.
- Oof!

I'm excited. It's gonna be a good year.
I need to get through this stupid move!

[Lea] Okay, what else can we move?
What is that hat?

[Kleine] I…

[laughs] I can't!

This is what moving does.

You find stuff that
you don't even know that you have.

- [Kimberly] Turn it on, Emily.
- [Emily A] I got her on.

- [Kimberly] You got her on.
- Four hundred degrees.

- Can I get your brush?
- Should I get a chair?

- You're a little shrimpy.
- I know.

She's my tall girl. She's my tall girl.

Yeah, so take-- I don't do that much.

I just do, like, this top layer.

The fact that I'm here
and about to begin training camp is, like…

What? Like, I don't… it's crazy.

Right before I auditioned,

I was working on a cruise ship
as a professional dancer

for nearly a year.

[gentle music playing]

The cruise ship life is like no other.

It's been the craziest experience ever.

- Hello.
- [both laughing]

On the cruise ship, I leaned into darker,

heavier eyeliner, big eyelashes.

Spicy, saucy, kind of fierce.

It's not necessarily
what they might be looking for here.

That's more girl next door.

[Kimberly] Yeah, behind.

Behind. Oh gosh. This way?

- [Kimberly] Yeah. Yeah.
- This way.

- [Kimberly] Yeah. Yeah.
- This way. That way.

- Ahh! Okay. Just a little burned.
- [laughs] Emily.

Just a bit.

Ahh! It's hot!

I mean, I just learned
how to curl my hair myself.

[Kimberly] She did. She just learned.

[Kimberly gasps] Ooh! Oh! Oh!

[Kimberly] And you can pull it down.
There you go. Good girl!

- That goes back.
- Okay!

- [Kimberly] Try this one right here.
- Okay.

- That looks good, Emily!
- [laughs] Thank you.

Yesterday, she saw some of the blogs,
and she's like…

- "I don't think they're that bad."
- Yeah, stay off the internet.

"They said I look like Elvira."

She goes, "That's good, right?"
And I go, "Well, Emily."

- I didn't even know that was.
- She didn't know who Elvira was.

I don't know. They're like,
"Emily's gonna be the first goth DCC."

- I'm like…
- [laughing]

It's just black hair, you guys.

[Emily A] Not too shabby.

- [Kimberly] Yeah.
- If I do say so myself.

Yay!

This organization
is, like, the top of the top.

And the fact that Emily Aubrey
from Medford, Oregon,

is plopped right there in it is,
like, "Are you sure? Like, what?"

I am very anxious. Um…

I pick. I still have my baby blanket.

It is upstairs in my hotel room right now.

This is the spot right here.
This is the good stuff.

So I take this,

and I wrap it, and then I dig it.

Yeah, she's got her little quirks. Yeah.

[Emily A sighs]

Whatever works.

[Kimberly] Oh, Blankie.

This is how I fold it.

Bang.

- Back to bed for you.
- [Kimberly laughs]

- [Kimberly] Ready?
- Yeah.

- [Faith] Got an American phone number now.
- [Emily A] No way.

- [Faith] Yeah. Gonna go buy a SIM card.
- [Emily A] Oh my gosh.

[Faith] I think it's in here. Yeah.

- Hi, my love! How are you?
- [Taylor] Hi!

I can walk today.
I'm not as sore now, thank God.

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

- Sorry we're a little bit late.
- No, you're good.

Hi!

- [Kimberly] Taylor!
- I'm so proud of Emmie.

Yeah, I know.

I am good friends with Taylor.

I've known her since I was 9 years old.

We actually used to compete
against each other.

Keeping your head down. [shouts]

[Emily A] I've always looked up to her.

When she made the team,
it sprouted something in me.

I was like, "Oh my gosh."

"Here's Taylor,
who is classically trained."

"You know, never really did pom before,

and here she is,
dancing for the Dallas Cowboys."

"Wow."

She's been super supportive,
and it's incredible to have her here.

When they called my name,
I was like, "Are you sure?"

- Are you sure it wasn't the other Emily?
- Gosh. I was second-guessing myself.

When they said your number, they said 50,
and I was like, "It's Faith! It's Faith!"

Guys, I wasn't even really listening.
I didn't hear the number called.

"It's not gonna be me."
The odds of it being me right now.

Then she was like, "Faith."
And I was like, "Wait a damn minute!"

"I think she said me."

Me and Emily crossed paths
working on cruise ships, which was crazy.

We weren't that close on the cruise,

because I was leaving,
and she was taking over from my cast.

We happened to get buddied up together,
which is just insane.

I showed her all around the cruise ship.
We followed each other on Instagram.

Never really spoke after that.

[laughing]

Before we knew it, I was like,

"We're getting breakfast morning of finals
and walking over together."

[woman on mic] Let's hear it
for our beautiful ladies of the cast.

[Faith] Em has a very
similar mindset to me.

We've been trained in a similar way

of cruise ship dancing,
competition, theater.

You know, technically-trained dancers.

So coming into this experience,
having someone that

has had a similar upbringing
to me is really nice.

- Okay, let's just start from the walks.
- Yeah.

Six, seven, eight.

Cross, cross, around.

- Then cross together.
- Oh you pop?

- Yes.
- Pop! Bevel that foot.

[laughing]

I think as technical dancers,
we go into pom thinking, like,

"What's pom?" Like…

"I can be thrown into pom
just fine, whatever."

And then you do it, and you're like, "Oh.
No, I can't. I don't know what this is."

- Do you want to do a marking together?
- Yeah, that would be amazing. Thanks.

Perfect. All right, let's do it.

[Faith] Obviously, the NFL power pom kind
of style is definitely very foreign to me.

I've grown up being a theater comp kid

who did acrobatics, jazz, lyrical ballet.

[Taylor] Pull.

[Emily A] I was noticing, um,
in just, like, everybody,

I think that's, like, a level moment too.

[Faith] That was very different
coming into this environment, but…

growing up in a dance culture where,
you know, I was learning different genres,

different styles all the time,

I feel like I can definitely pick up
those changes and amend quickly.

Faking it till we make it,
quite literally.

[laughing]

- [Taylor] Okay, you guys look great.
- [Emily A] Really?

- Go!
- Go! You're doing amazing, sweetie.

Yeah.

[Kelli] Okay. Standby.

Here's our 44.

And the only way I could contain it was
with my table card.

[Judy laughing]

Okay, let me see
if any of these rookies are top scorers.

So top scoring rookie candidates
are Savanna, Faith, and Journi.

- [Judy] Mmm-hmm.
- [suspenseful music playing]

Faith just I put,
"Just excites me." She just…

She seemed real bright
and bubbly and excited.

Right.

There was an artistic
and almost intensity about her

that I thought, "I don't know
if this is the place for her or not."

[Judy] Right.

But she looked like she was ready
to dive in with "howdy" and "yee-haw."

Mm-hmm, and I think her and Emily
danced on a cruise together.

[Kelli] Faith and…

Emily A.

- [Kelli] Really?
- I heard that today.

Emily A is the one in the black lace
that I keep talking about.

Had a great solo.
It's gonna be different for them.

[Kelli] Jenna did better this year.
She moved up.

I remember having a really long,
hard cut talk with Jenna,

'cause I hated cutting her last year, but…

that being said, I think this year's group
is stronger than last year's group.

[Judy] I do too. A lot stronger.

[Kelli] And as good
as many of our veterans.

[Judy] I do think
there's an added pressure with…

- With how many were returning.
- Mm-hmm.

Until we laid this out, I did not realize
we have six five-year veterans.

Right. Right.

They don't need to be the know-it-alls.
They need to be pushing themselves.

- Not be complacent.
- Yup.

[theatrical drumroll playing]

[muted cheering]

[Kelli on mic] Hi, everybody!

Welcome to training camp!

[applauding]

The truth is that everyone in this room
won't make this team this year.

This is not a dance studio.
It's not a pageant.

- It's not a cruise line.
- [majestic music playing]

[Kelli] We are looking
for stadium arena performers.

We want to see your personality.

We appreciate respect, certainly.

But don't shy away
from who you really are.

[excited chatter]

[Kelli] This training camp's
gonna take a lot out of you.

But if you bring your best,

then you can walk away proud,

no matter if you're walking away
with a uniform

or walking away
with three weeks of training camp.

But you've got to believe

that we are here to see you succeed.

So believe in yourself,

and give it your best,

and you'll walk away proud.

[Judy] Okay. We're gonna
teach you kicking down the floor.

You're gonna get in these lines,
then Megan will tell you what you do.

We'll look at you once you're down there.

- [Megan] Yes! Okay, cool!
- [Judy] Okay.

[Megan] So we're gonna start linked up.

One, bop, ma,
three, four, five, six, seven, eight.

One, two, three, four…

[Kelli] This year, I want to give them
as much honest feedback as I can,

'cause they've all asked for it.

It's like… It's like nourishment for them.

In the past, I may have written it
or taken a note in my phone or something.

Journi, very cute figure, love your curls.

But I guess
I wasn't saying it to the girls.

It feels good for them to hear
that they were noticed and this is why.

Journi, very cute figure, love your curls.

Morgan, good kicks and placement.

Carly, low left kick.

A lot of us have asked for more feedback.

Because in the past, we actually
wouldn't get a ton of feedback.

So if they do give you feedback,

you cling on to that one thing
that they say about you,

and it wasn't healthy.

We are on your side
more than anyone is. We…

are wanting everyone to succeed.

So, we're gonna try hard
to give you everything we have to tell you

so you will be successful.

Overall, I do think that feedback
has become way more positive,

and I'm excited
for that to be continued forward,

so we can keep having
that positive change.

Emily A, I can't believe
I'm even saying this,

but yours are almost too controlled.

They're beautiful,

the height is beautiful,
the technique is beautiful.

- They just need to be in line with the…
- [Kelli] The foot closer.

I can see you have nice control,
even in the warm-up with your arms.

[Kelli] I want them
to hear things I'm seeing good,

because I really think just
one kinda "attaboy," apparently,

I didn't realize this until they told me,
but it goes a long way.

And my goal is to motivate them.

And so if they're doing something well,

let 'em know that
so they'll do more great things.

Feedback's the breakfast of champions.

Ariel, they're much better
than last year--

- [woman] Yeah, Ari!
- [all cheering]

- [Judy] Just keep--
- [woman] Good job! Let's go!

[Judy] Just keep working on 'em to be…
the height of everyone else.

Ariel was the one that was told

all last year
that you gotta get your kicks up.

Gotta get 'em up and you worked hard.

- Thank you.
- [Judy] Much better.

[all applauding and cheering]

[woman] Yeah!

Okay, do y'all need a quick drink of water
before we go on to teaching?

[Megan] Yes, ma'am. Quick sip. All right.

I was gonna tell her
she needed work on her kicks,

but everybody started clapping, so…

I got nervous. They were better.

- Oh! Pretty kicks.
- Thanks.

I'm freaking out a little inside.
I'm like, "I can't believe that."

They said,
"It's a little too good," I think.

- Like, girl.
- Maybe lower it for the rest of the…

- [laughing] Stick the landing maybe less.
- Right, right, too much ballet.

[Megan] All right! Yay!

Can I have the rooks in the middle

in the front so that you can see
what we're learning?

Okay, cool.

We are gonna learn a super-fun sideline,
so turn around. [laughs]

Wiki-wiki. One, two, go, three, four,

five, six, seven, eight.

One, two, three, four,

five, six, go, seven, eight.

Go, one, two, three, four, five, six.

Go, seven, eight.

- There's a look, but like…
- Brown-eyed Brenley, quick learner.

- [Megan] Pull, pick…
- Savanna has a bright smile.

She never stops.

[Megan continues indistinctly]

[Kelli] She's tiny.

[Megan] One, hold two.

- [Judy] But she does draw you in.
- Mmm-hmm.

Parker has a nice confidence
about her delivery.

- [Megan continues indistinctly]
- Tatum is interesting to me.

[Megan] Break, one, two, three, four.

Go, five, six. Hold, seven. Go, eight.

Go, jump, down.

Up, together.

- [Megan continues indistinctly]
- [Kelli] Is that Emily behind?

- Okay. I mean, Faith behind is…
- [Judy] Yes.

[Megan] And three and four.

Slap to the corner.
Seven, eight. Let's do that last bit.

I have one style thing.
Sorry, 'cause I can sit here and if y'all…

sit and do it in front of me,
I'm gonna tell you what you're doing.

- Faith, you gotta come up with it too.
- Okay! So I stay grounded?

- Like, up, up?
- [Judy] Yes. There you go.

Okay, thank you so much.

[Megan] Let's do that again.
A one and two.

A three and four.

Up your body, five, six.

Break, seven, and to the side, eight.
Good.

[softly] I love the way Emily A moves.
Just watch her move!

I think she's struggling a little more
than I thought she would, though.

But she'll come back, yeah.

[Megan] Don't fall down. Open, close,
five, and six, and seven, and eight.

Maybe we pick up poms
and do it all together in a group?

- Then we'll break out into groups?
- [Megan] Poms! That's a great idea.

["Fireball" by Pitbull
playing on speakers]

♪ Mr. Worldwide to infinity
You know the roof on fire ♪

♪ We gon' boogie oogie oogie, jiggle
Wiggle and dance like the roof on fire ♪

♪ We gon' drink drinks and take shots
Until we fall out like the roof on fire… ♪

You can tell who's a college dance team
and who's a cruise-line dancer right now.

[Judy] Right.

["Fireball" continues on speakers]

- [Emily A] Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!
- [Judy] You're good! You're good!

- ♪ I'm on fire ♪
- [song fading]

[Judy] No panicking allowed.

We understand
on the first day you learn things.

Some people have different ways

of learning and processing,

and some people learn it
on the spot really well.

Some people have to take it home.

We're not gonna look at y'all
and make decisions

on a night that you're learning a routine,
if you're a slower learner than others.

The big thing for us
is how you come back the next day.

- Yes, ma'am.
- [woman] Yes.

[Judy] Okay.

- [Emily A] Thank you.
- Okay, y'all get a drink.

And then we will come back
and do it in groups.

[Judy] She is about to cry and lose it.

I don't think she's ever
had to be the one that's flailing.

Yeah.

[Emily A sighs]

I don't know why,
like, I'm not picking it up at all.

- I, like, cannot remember it.
- [Faith] Emily.

- So I'm about to have a breakdown.
- Don't. Why?

- [Emily A] I can't pick it up.
- It's okay.

Just do the parts you know.

[Emily A] I've literally
never had this much trouble.

It's okay.
You just have to come on Friday night.

- You'll be fine.
- [Faith] I don't know.

But I'm just doing this
while everyone's doing their thing.

No, like, this is insane. It's literally
going in one ear and out the other.

- It's just because--
- This like never happened to me.

- Yeah.
- You guys, like…

I can pick up like this normally.

The pressure of them watching
is really intimidating.

Yeah, it's all right.

Remember what I told you.
You just have to know it by Friday.

Yeah! Girl, I'll go home, sleep on it--

- Oh my God, I'm gonna practice so much.
- 'Cause right now, it's like…

- I feel like an idiot. I'm just like…
- It's okay.

Shall we go over it?
Which way are we facing?

[humming]

Here. Down. Up.

No, you're all right. Hips.

Double. Double, open, close.

[Judy] I hope Emily doesn't…

psych herself out like Dayton.

Someone that's a…
can dance, but they psych themselves out.

[tense music playing]

- Okay, let's see y'all do this.
- [Kelli] Yes.

One, two, three, four, five.
One, two, three, four, five.

[tense music continues]

[Judy] Gosh, y'all had great energy.

[all clapping]

[Kelli] Brenley,
very strong projection and power.

- And fast learner. Bri, fast learner.
- [tense music continues]

[Kelli] Savanna,
you're our little firecracker.

[inaudible]

[Judy] Caught my eye the most
on that one was Parker. She looked clean.

Okay.

Let me have Emily A,
Emily R, Faith, Jenna, and Journi.

[pensive music playing]

- [hushed chatter]
- [pensive music continues]

[Kelli] Okay, Emily A.

Don't give up.

- [Emily A] What was that?
- Don't give up.

Ever. You are way too talented
of a dancer to let this get in your head.

I can see the sequence
is kind of fast for you tonight.

That's what going to bed
and coming back the next day is for you.

But do not give up. You're too good.

- Yes, ma'am.
- Okay?

[Kelli] Okay, y'all ready?

Okay, yes, no, maybe on keep 'em in camp.

[tense music playing]

[tense music continues]