DCC Audition Advice - from Kalli Fullerton 2012 (from season 1 and season 6)

Even though there was a six-year gap between the two times I went through the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders training camp, what they say is true; some things never change. I will write a few advice blogs for those auditioning for DCC in 2012. These tips and insights will not be what you find on the DCC website or be outlining the obvious. After auditioning twice and staying in training camp until days before the Squad Photo both times, I want to share the critical lessons I learned that might help other women in their endeavors.

Preparing for preliminaries can be overwhelming simply because the situation is so unpredictable. You will dance in small groups to one of the four or five songs the judges have picked. In my experience, the choices included at least one hip-hop/rap song and one bubbly (girl “Katy Perry-ish”) song, along with other top 40s songs.  Therefore, I would suggest listening to Pandora’s Rihanna Playlist and having a freestyle in your living room. In both years, I prepared three eight-counts worth of choreography. In 2011, to prepare for this round, I danced this small piece of choreography over and over to the top 20s. Of course, for the first 15 seconds of my “performance,” I asked myself, “Are you serious? You can’t remember that simple dance you have practiced for three months!” And it never came to me… Oh well.  Regardless, practice a variety of music, both slow and fast. 

You Do Not Have to Follow the Crowd
Make sure you are comfortable in the shoes, but keep in mind, especially for the last two rounds, a lightweight, white sneaker (the DCC preferred) will help you be more stable and get that foot higher in the air for the kick lines. If you make it to training camp, you will also want to wear white sneakers. I had a Puma pair that worked out great. This leads me to important advice: You Do Not Have to Follow the Crowd!!! Just because everyone else bought the expensive Air Nike doesn’t mean you have to. Just because everyone got their audition outfits handmaid and ornamented with Schwartzki crystals does not mean you have to.  Just because everyone else gets a Brazilian Blowout or Eye eyelash extensions does not mean you have to. And believe me, the DCC audition process is plagued with these temptations from beginning to end. The reason these things do not matter is the greatest advice of all…. 

You are not competing against anyone except yourself. 

That might seem strange since you are technically at Texas Stadium by 7am, looking better than you did for prom, to compete against hundreds of girls. But honestly, you are there to make yourself stand out and let Kelli and Judy decide if you fit. There is no perfect number. Throughout my first time at training camp, I counted down the girls and prayed to be the 36^th girl. I was 37^th, and they took a squad of 35. That is because I WAS NOT RIGHT for the squad, not because someone else beat me out.  The squad is not built on a number. It is built on the women with the skill to be DCCs who attend auditions. You either are, or you are not. That can change from year to year, of course.  So forget all the fluff, avoid rivalries, and focus on yourself and your strengths. If you make it to training camp, help each other and be there to support one another because no one is your enemy; it is all up to you. Everyone is fighting their own battle. If it is to be a better dancer, have a better memory, gain more maturity, or get in better shape, that is your battle and what you need to focus on. 

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