DCC Candidate vows to keep chasing her dream

A few weeks ago, the Kilgore Herald began reported about Ally Honeycutt in a “local girl pursues big dreams” article. Ally, an alum of the Kilgore Rangerettes (a prestigious drill team in Texas) made it to finals, but wasn’t chosen for training camp this year. She plans to audition again next year. Click here to watch her dance video from this year’s DCC fan vote.

Honeycutt chases dreams in Dallas
By CHELSEA KATZ
Kilgore News Herald
May 2014

When one dream is put on hold, another dream begins for Kilgore native Ally Honeycutt.

After advancing to become one of the final 55 Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader hopefuls, Honeycutt will have to wait until next year to try out again for the squad.

While she is not giving up on her lifelong dream of becoming Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, Honeycutt said she will be working toward her other goal of eventually returning home to open her own hair salon.

After she found out she had not being invited to DCC training camp, Honeycutt said she called the Toni & Guy Hairdressing Academy in Dallas and confirmed that she would like to attend.

With classes beginning July 8, Honeycutt will move to Dallas and continue to advance toward both of her dreams. While attending the academy, she said she will continue to dance and stay in shape to prepare for next year’s DCC tryouts.

“That’s my dream as well, but I’m a dancer, so I don’t want to just give up,” she said about looking to next year’s DCC tryouts.

The final round of the 2014 tryouts brought the veteran cheerleaders to compete against the hopefuls for the 2014-2015 team. In groups of five to present a DCC dance, Honeycutt said some had one veteran, but she had two.

“It made me dance really hard because I knew I had to look as good as them, or at least try to look as good as them,” she said.

Her mother, Lisa, said she held her own against the returning dancers.

“She was just like one of them,” Lisa Honeycutt said.

When it came to her solo, Honeycutt said it was the best she had ever performed it.

“I left it totally out on the floor that day,” she said about May 17’s finals.

An interview was included in the process, and Honeycutt said she believes that is what could have cost her. Throughout the year, as she prepares for the 2015 tryouts, Honeycutt said she will be working to gain the experience she lacked this year in the interview.

The extra time will also allow her to improve her knowledge about the Dallas Cowboys current team and history.

“I have all the time in the world,” she said about being able to learn the information without cramming.

Although she believes the interview was a factor into the end result, she said she will never get feedback from DCC Director Kelli Finglass, any judges or anyone else connected with the process.

“I just know that’s the hardest part is walking away, and you don’t know what you could have done more,” she said. She added that she did everything she could, so 2014 simply was not her year to become a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader.

For the first time, family and friends were allowed to watch part of the process on AT&T Stadium’s massive screen spanning nearly the entire length of the football field.

Lisa Honeycutt was there to watch as Finglass and the other judges looked at each of the woman’s “HD face,” Ally Honeycutt explained.

“She was so good,” Lisa Honeycutt said. “I was so proud of her.”

“That was really fun to know that she was there supporting me,” Ally Honeycutt said.

When the tryout’s final list was called, though, it was behind closed doors as the dancers, family members and friends waited many grueling hours for the announcement. As the time kept getting pushed back, Lisa Honeycutt said it was originally set to be announced at 6 p.m., but it was after 9 p.m. before she received a text from Ally.

Although Lisa Honeycutt anticipated the last day of tryouts to be an all-day process, she said, “It was the most nerve-wracking thing I’ve ever experienced.”

The community and the nation can follow Ally Honeycutt’s through the process when “Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team 9” premieres on CMT – Country Music Television – in August.

“It’ll be cool to see my journey on TV,” she said. She understands, though, the need for drama in the show and said she hopes she does not fall victim to the producer’s dicing and splicing to be perceived as something she’s not.

While Honeycutt prepares for her move to Dallas, she said she is thankful for the support she has received from the Kilgore community – both friends and strangers.

“I can honestly say that it was the best experience,” she said.

Now, Honeycutt will look toward developing her skills as a hairdresser while continuing to follow her Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader dream.

“I’m really glad I had another dream like that,” she said. “I still have so much to look forward to.”

“Recent ‘Rette rises through ranks of Cowboy Cheerleader hopefuls “