{"id":9618,"date":"2025-06-19T23:15:22","date_gmt":"2025-06-19T23:15:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/umyonews.site\/index.php\/2025\/06\/19\/dallas-cowboys-cheerleaders-rules-guidelines-for-dcc-dancers\/"},"modified":"2025-06-19T23:15:22","modified_gmt":"2025-06-19T23:15:22","slug":"dallas-cowboys-cheerleaders-rules-guidelines-for-dcc-dancers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/umyonews.site\/index.php\/2025\/06\/19\/dallas-cowboys-cheerleaders-rules-guidelines-for-dcc-dancers\/","title":{"rendered":"Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Rules: Guidelines for DCC Dancers"},"content":{"rendered":"


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The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are a legacy institution in the world of NFL cheerleading<\/a>, and there are certain expectations for how potential athletes must behave if they want to join the ranks.<\/p>\n

The DCC\u2019s talent \u2014 under Kelli Finglass<\/strong> and Judy Trammell<\/strong>\u2019s direction \u2014 has captivated public interest since 2006 during the inaugural run of CMT\u2019s Making the Team <\/i>series. <\/i>Nearly two years after the reality series ended in 2021, a Netflix docuseries, America\u2019s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders,<\/i> followed the newest squad during the duration of the 2023-2024 season.<\/p>\n

America\u2019s Sweethearts <\/i>introduced viewers to the latest team, including Victoria Kalina<\/strong>, a fourth-year legacy vet who failed to make the roster on Making the Team.<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like my experience with CMT [brought up] PTSD [of] being called into the office so many times. I was like, \u2018[deep breaths] \u2026 This is gonna be questionable,\u2019\u201d Victoria exclusively told Us Weekly <\/i><\/a>in July 2024. \u201cWe didn\u2019t really know exactly what route they were gonna take and what the story line was gonna be. If it was gonna be like CMT where it was very drama [focused].\u201d<\/p>\n

Victoria later made the team<\/a> in 2019, going on to cheer for the DCC three more years after a brief hiatus for mental health treatment. On America\u2019s Sweethearts<\/i>, she got candid about following the team\u2019s high standards year after year.<\/p>\n

Kelli, meanwhile, is unapologetic about making specific rules for DCC dancers, telling People <\/i><\/a>in June 2024, \u201cI don\u2019t make excuses for our standards. \u201cIt is a highly visible organization with very elite dancers and the uniform is amazing and beautiful and custom-tailored to each individual figure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Keep scrolling for a comprehensive breakdown of the guidelines that all DCC hopefuls and members of the team must follow:<\/p>\n

What It Takes to Audition<\/b><\/h3>\n
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According to an explanation on the DCC website, all prospective dancers must be at least 18 years old at the time of the first of three audition rounds. At each in-person round, recruits are given uniforms to wear as they perform live for a group of judges, including Kelli and Judy. The judges specifically look at a dancer\u2019s technique, high kicks, splits, showmanship, personal appearance, energy, enthusiasm, poise, figure and personality.<\/p>\n

Once recruits make it through successive rounds, there are a minimum of two rehearsals each week.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce the season begins, there will be a set schedule of rehearsals,\u201d the DCC website reads. \u201cAll rehearsals are scheduled in the evenings; extra weekend rehearsals for Show Group and Rookies. Candidates who do not feel they can attend all rehearsals should don\u2019t can attend all rehearsals should not contemplate being a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader.\u201d<\/p>\n

The audition rounds have remained mostly similar throughout the years.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had literally put in our application, and at that time, there wasn\u2019t [a video submission requirement],\u201d four-time vet Jenni Croft<\/strong>, who later appeared on Brad Womack<\/strong>\u2019s season of The Bachelor<\/i>, said on the \u201cBen and Ashley I Almost Famous\u201d podcast<\/a> in July 2024. \u201cYou could take a class \u2026 but there was no prepping for auditions. When we got there, there were 1,500 women standing in a little zigzag line and around Texas Stadium [with] hair done, suitcase mirror in your hand, curling irons ready to go, like, standing in line.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jenni added, \u201cYou learn the kickline and more choreography, and you do an interview. All kinds of questions, but we also took a 10-page written exam \u2026 [on] history of the Dallas Cowboys, history of the NFL, current events, current players, information about the owners [and] stuff like that. But you also had to write the national anthem word-for-word on paper.\u201d<\/p>\n

Physical Specifications<\/b><\/h3>\n
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The DCCs always are dressed and groomed to the nines, in part due to the squad\u2019s regulations. According to the team website, all performers must be \u201cwell-proportioned in dancewear\u201d and follow certain hair and makeup guidance. (Kelli also hosts a makeover day, where she instructs local stylists to tweak recruits\u2019 appearances to better fit her vision for the team.)<\/p>\n

In terms of makeup, the DCCs are advised to wear makeup shades that \u201ccomplement [their] natural beauty.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cChoose mostly mattes for eye shadows. A little shimmer is OK but avoid a very glittery look,\u201d the website reads. \u201cAlso avoid false eyelashes that are very solid or very long, as they can make eyes appear heavy and too dark. Cheek and lip colors should be vibrant neutral tones, avoid shades that are loud\/bright. Also avoid too much contrast with contouring and highlighting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Girls are also advised that spray tans should be completed \u201cwithout orange tones\u201d in the same color between face and body because \u201cfacial features are \u2018lost\u2019 when a spray tan is too dark.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

With DCCs\u2019 hair, girls are required to wear their locks down in a \u201ccurrent hairstyle that compliments [their] features.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMake sure your hair does not hide your face,\u201d the website explainer says, referring trainees to the Dallas-based Tangerine Salon for further instructions.<\/p>\n

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\n Related: <\/span>Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Share 2024 Squad: Did Your Faves Make It?<\/span><\/a>
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\n\t\t\tNetflix (2) Get ready to blast \u201cThunderstruck,\u201d because the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders\u2019 2024 team has officially been announced. \u201cWE MADE THE TEAM! \ud83d\udc98\ud83d\udc98\ud83d\udc98,\u201d the DCC Instagram page read on Monday, July 22, alongside a photo of the squad in their training camp gear. In the snap, the rookies held up their official uniforms. While the [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Hiding Tattoos<\/b><\/h3>\n

While the DCC powers-that-be won\u2019t reject dancers for tattoos, they must be covered when on the clock.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur policy is that even the smallest of tattoos may not be visible in the uniform or in rehearsal attire,\u201d the website reads. \u201cFor tattoo coverage, there are many effective products available at stores or online. Additionally, concealer, followed by setting powder, then bronzer to match color, can also be effective.\u201d<\/p>\n

Re-Auditioning Each Season<\/b><\/h3>\n
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Just because a DCC makes the team one year, doesn\u2019t mean they are guaranteed a spot in successive years. At the end of a season, girls hand in their uniforms and reveal to Finglass and Trammell whether they plan to try out the next year.<\/p>\n

On America\u2019s Sweethearts, <\/i>Victoria confirmed her intentions to audition for a fifth-year slot. She later changed her mind after speaking with Kelli and Judy.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a fifth-year going into auditions, I felt like my place on the team was threatened,\u201d Victoria told <\/a>Us<\/a>.<\/i> \u201cAs a fifth year \u2014 I know leadership is not guaranteed \u2014 but you wanna go in like feeling cloud nine [so] you can lead these other teammates.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n Related: <\/span>Celebs Who Were Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, Made NFL Squads Before Fame<\/span><\/a>
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\n\t\t\tSarah Shahi, Teri Hatcher and Phyllis Smith are among the few celebrities who were professional cheerleaders before making it big in Hollywood. Shahi made the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders roster in the late 1990s. \u201cIt was very competitive I will say that, it was a great learning experience at the same time,\u201d she told Fox411 in [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

1 Uniform for a Cheerleader\u2019s Entire Career and Body Management<\/b><\/h3>\n

For vets that make the team in back-to-back years, new uniforms aren\u2019t provided every time. As a result, there is a certain standard about their bodies that they are expected to maintain.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t get a new uniform. Like, once you\u2019re fitted for that uniform, that size is the size that you get,\u201d Victoria said in America\u2019s Sweethearts<\/i>. \u201cYou don\u2019t get to go up. If you go up, they\u2019re like, \u2018Why does this not fit you?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Barred From Dating Cowboys Athletes<\/b><\/h3>\n
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One of the most notable rules for the DCC is that they are prohibited from dating<\/a> any of the Cowboys football players. On Making the Team<\/i>, several dancers had been reprimanded by Kelli and Judy for speaking with one of the athletes.<\/p>\n

The NFL stars, however, do not have a similar policy in place.<\/p>\n

Contract Stipulations<\/b><\/h3>\n

DCC cheerleaders are specifically barred from sharing confidential information about their whereabouts. In a season 2 episode of America\u2019s Sweetheart<\/i>s, KayDianna MacKenzie<\/strong> claimed that their contract<\/span><\/a> \u201cspecifically states that we are not allowed to give out information that would put anyone in harm\u2019s way,\u201d such as details about hotel locations and room assignments.<\/p>\n

KayDianna and her fellow 2024-2025 cheerleaders had claimed that Chandi Dayle<\/strong>, who retired at the end of that season, broke the rule when she invited a stranger to her room on their team retreat to the Bahamas. (Chandi alleged that she confided in the individual about her past experience with domestic violence. She took a leave of absence from the team following the vacation.)<\/p>\n

Unspoken: Don\u2019t Get Pregnant During NFL Season<\/b><\/h3>\n

While not a written rule, DCCs know there\u2019s an understanding about getting pregnant<\/a> during the NFL season.<\/p>\n

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