Weddign Season Replaces Football Season When “Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Brides” Premieres Friday, June 2 on CMT.
New One-Hour Special Follows Three DCC Cheerleaders As They Plan Their Weddings
CMTPress.com
NASHVILLE – May 25, 2012 – It may be off-season for football, but wedding season is in full swing and three Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are trading in their pom-poms for veils when DALLAS COWBOYS CHEERLEADERS: BRIDES premieres Friday, June 2 at 8:00 p.m., ET/PT on CMT. The one-hour special features current cheerleaders Cassie Trammell and Sunni Cranfill and former cheerleader Trisha Trevino as they juggle work, school and practice all while planning their dream wedding.
If there’s one similarity among Texas brides-to-be, it’s the person standing beside them throughout the entire wedding planning process – their mother. This is no exception for DCC cheerleader Cassie Trammell, daughter of DCC choreographer Judy Trammell. In the weeks leading up to Cassie’s big day, Judy is right by her side, whether it’s for dress fittings, cake tastings or her bachelorette party.
The same goes for third-year cheerleader Sunni Cranfill, also featured in the special, as she plans for her June wedding. Because her mother lives farther away, Cranfill enlists the help of DCC director Kelli McGonagill Finglass in picking out her reception dress and the white cowboy boots that will go with it. Trisha Trevino, who retired from cheerleading in 2010 after six years, also turns to Finglass for guidance as she begins preparations for her 2013 Dallas wedding. Trevino makes a special trip back to Valley Ranch to surprise her former coach and see what motherly wedding advice she can offer. Throughout the one-hour special, each bride demonstrates how the DCC organization has become such an integral part of their lives, providing love and support leading up to their memorable day.
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DALLAS COWBOYS CHEERLEADERS: BRIDES is produced by Triage Entertainment with executive producers Stu Schreiberg, Stephen Kroopnick, Eugene Pack, Jeff Cvengros and Kelli McGonagill Finglass. Melanie Moreau and Jayson Dinsmore are executive producers for CMT.
One Denver Broncos fan ventured out to Pueblo, Colorado to check out the team’s 3rd annual tour around the state. Broncos Cheerleaders Katie, Patricia, Toni, and Jenna were on board for this stop on the tour. The ladies signed autographs, performed for the crowd, and took lots of pictures with fans. Click here to check out the photos.
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders 2012 Finals Auditions at Cowboys Stadium
By JAY BETSILL
Special to DFW.com
May 22, 2012
What began with more than 400 women from all over the world at Cowboys Stadium for the DCC preliminary and semifinal auditions culminated in the Finals Auditions on May 19 at the home of America’s Team. It would be a day of dreams come true for some and heartache for others.
Seventy-nine ladies, including 25 who returned from last year’s squad and were exempt from the first two rounds of auditions, began the day inside the AT&T Star Club on the South concourse of the stadium. The finals started with an individual talent presentation that could include singing, dancing or even dramatic interpretation. It seemed like a hybrid of America’s Got Talent and a Broadway production. The ladies danced to musical choices ranging in diversity from the B 52’s Love Shack, to Prince’s Kiss, Single Ladies by Beyonce and multiple Michael Jackson songs to If My Friends Could See Me Now from Sweet Charity and God Bless America.
Following a short break to change into Cowboys audition attire, the contestants reconvened on the field to perform the dance routine they learned at call-backs and the legendary DCC kickline in groups of five. The judges were seated in the stands directly under the owner’s suite for a fan’s perspective as well as the perfect view of the 160-ft wide and 72-ft high HD video board.
When the clock struck 3:30 p.m., the judges began deliberations while the ladies hung out inside the stadium. The results were expected around 6 p.m., and with every passing minute, the anxiety in the room grew.
“It is actually more relaxing after last year because you are in good company with all of your friends that you have grown close with on the team and you have a support system,” said Brittney Schram, who returns following her rookie season. “They are like my family and you almost get territorial for them. We really do have each others’ backs.”
The wait continued longer than expected. As the end of the exhausting journey grew near, many of the ladies seized the opportunity to relax and take a nap; others paced around the concourse, pausing only to glance at their phones.
Melissa Kellerman has been a Cowboys cheerleader for four seasons, meaning not only did she perform at Texas Stadium prior to the team’s move to Arlington, she is a veteran of the auditions rollercoaster ride. She says her most special experience as a Cowboys cheerleaders, which includes Super Bowl XLV and the 2010 NBA All-Star Game, involved the USO tours. “For me it is extremely special,” Kellerman said. “My dad was in the Marine Corps and he was deployed when I was little and a few of the bases we visited this winter were ones he was stationed at in Japan and South Korea.”
The anxious ladies were back in their seats just after 7:15 p.m. for the big announcement. The CMT cameras filming for the seventh season of Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team, were in place as DCC Director Kelli Finglass returned along with Judy Trammell and Charlotte Jones-Anderson.
“This has been the most highly debated group I have been a part of,” Finglass said. “When we call out these numbers, some of your lives will be changed forever.”
Forty-five women were selected to move on to DCC Training Camp, with six returning veterans not making the cut. When the final number was called, tears of joy collided with the overwhelming sadness that several members of the tight-knit group were saying goodbye. For those who make it through the training camp, they will perform in front of 100,000 fans at the greatest sports venue in the world.
The ladies who have advanced are Melissa Kellerman, Brittney Schram, Whitney Isleib, Sydney Durso, Meagan McVay, Cassie Trammell, Mia Greenhouse, Jackie Bob, Nicole Bulcher, Lauren Williams, Mackenzie Lee, Courtney Cook, Alexandra Caroline, Veronica Ann, Katie Marie, Emma Mary, Colleen Meghan, Holly Arielle, Angela Rene, Jessica Marie, Carisa Rose, Chelsea Elizabeth, Kelsey Lauren, Alex Hermes, Kinzie Ryanne, Jacie Veronica, Rachel Le-Ann, Jennifer Alexis, Emily Claire, Kim Nicole, Jordan Elizabeth, Olivia Rene, Sintia Jimmy, Megan Marie, Teri Lynn, Danielle Marie, Jasmine Raphella, Kelly Jeannelle, Kali Nicole, Jenna Lene, Ashley Marie, Colin Julia, Carla Ann and Amy Caroline
Vikings.com: The 2012 Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders Swimsuit Calendar will be our best ever! Now we just need to decide which MVC should grace the cover…….so we are asking Vikings fans to help us with the selection process! We have paired the TOP 8 finalists, selected during our audition process for the 2012 team, and now we need you to vote each week and let us know who you think the MVC representative should be on our cover. Over the next four weeks, fans will narrow the field of women from eight down to four. Then, for a ten-day stretch in late June, the final round of voting will commence with this year’s version of the calendar being unveiled during the week of July 4.
The dance team for MLS Chivas USA is in midseason form! Click here to check out photos from their home game on 4/21. For this game, they wore their brand new promo dresses, which are stinkin’ adorable and were a big hit with the fans.
Click here for more photos from the game!
Sandie Newton
CBS DFW
May 21, 2012
DALLAS (CBS 11 NEWS) – They have been America’s Sweethearts since 1972, when they first graced the field at Texas Stadium. Now the iconic cheerleading squad has picked their 2012 candidates to attend training camp. For the next month and a half candidates will compete to win a coveted spot on the official Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader roster!
Two weeks ago, hundreds turned out for the first day of the 3-day audition process. In all, 79 finalists, representing five countries and 19 states, were whittled down. This past weekend they took to the Cowboys Stadium field, to dance, kick and shake their poms.
Fourteen judges (I was honored to be a judge once again – this my 10th year!) deliberated long and hard, as competition was especially tough this year. There were 25 veterans returning to try out, along with the super talented newbies.
In the end – a great group of 45 were chosen and thrilled to start the training camp process.
For the past seven years, as a part of their top rated reality show Making the Team, CMT has been on board filming the entire audition process. Each year the show consisted of just eight episodes but this year – due to popular demand – they will film 13 weeks of segments.
Apparently, producers know the world watches not only America’s Team but the Sweethearts as well!
Also making Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders news this week – Men in Black 3 opens and the stars, Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, invited all the top American cities to donate an item, representing their state, to be placed in a time capsule that will be sent to Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
CBS 11 decided DCC poms would be a perfect choice, so three of the cheerleaders donated poms and they were sent to Hollywood for official placement inside the time capsule. Both stars of the movie loved the bright and shiny poms, but Will Smith did mention it was hard to hold them as he is a proud native Philadelphian and his Eagle Pride hurt just a little with all that silver and blue!
Movie executives promise the capsule will not be opened for 43 years!
The new 2012 DCC squad will debut on the field in August at the first pre-season home game and Men in Black 3 opens this week citywide.
It’s all a win/win in my book!
Lots of great photos have been posted on the Cincinnati Bengals website. Click here and check ’em out!
Watch the opening number:
From the “Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team” page on Facebook:
Save the date for this CMT special on Saturday, June 2 at 8/7c! Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Brides follows three DCC brides-to-be as they juggle their performance schedules with the rush to plan their weddings. Who do you think will be on the show?!
A new dance team photo and individual bios have been posted on the San Jose Sabercats website. Click here to learn all about the Saberkittens!
By JoAnne Killeen
Holmen Onalaska Courier-Life
5/19/2012
ONALASKA — Alayna Halverson was just 6 years old, but she already knew what she wanted to be when she grew up: a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader.
Now 18 and a senior at Onalaska High School, Halverson chased her dream all the way to the Big D last month and tried out for the storied squad.
No, she didn’t make the team. But the experience, she said, taught her some lessons she’ll remember the rest of her life, namely to never let self-doubt get in the way of a dream.
“I would have regretted not doing it when I had the chance,” Halverson said.
Halverson has been dancing since she was 2 years old. She watched the show “Making the Team” on the CMT network — a program that chronicles the drama of the tryout process — and pictured herself among the hundreds of girls trying out.
With her mother and grandmother’s support and efforts to build her confidence, Halverson overcame the thought of not being good enough.
“Mom sat me down and said it would be the coolest thing she had ever known anyone to do and that she had never done anything that cool,” said Halverson, an all-state dancer.
The tryouts were nothing like she imagined, and she found out the “reality” show “Making the Team” isn’t very real. She and her fellow applicants had to redo several scenes, such as entering the room several times before the camera people approved it all. “The cameras dictated what went on,” Halverson said.
Sixteen years of practicing for the moment evaporated in one single minute of tryout time. Halverson and other applicants had one minute to do a freestyle dance to a musical piece randomly picked by the judges.
She was No. 15 out of 513 girls trying out that day, so there wasn’t much time to worry. There were girls from all over the world, including Japan and North Korea. There were also two grandmothers among those trying out.
Unfortunately, the former Miss Onalaska contestant wasn’t “cute” enough for the Dallas Cowboys. Turns out appearance counted a lot more than performance, Halverson said. “How cute you looked when you were dancing counted for so much more than I thought it would. Here, it’s much more about technique as well as performance.”
Also, she said, it seemed contestants scored bonus points for each glittering rhinestone.
“I was trying to hold back my tears while I left,” she said. “I hardly made it out of the gate. It was very overwhelming and emotional and exhausting.”
For consolation, she remembered a coach once telling her that even if you are the prettiest shade of purple, if they are looking for blue, you’re never going to get it.
The Cowboys were looking for blue, it seems.
She saw a camera focused on her as she left. Halverson lifted her head up.
“As disappointing as it was not to make it, I feel better,” she said. “I thought I would feel like a huge failure. It’s just the opposite.”
