Video of the Week

Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders performing "Shake It" at DCC Camp 2008 at Valley Ranch

'Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders' third season to debut Oct. 4 on CMT

CMT has announced Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team's third season will premiere Saturday, October 4 at 9:30PM ET/PT.

Like the show's prior seasons, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team's third season will give viewers a behind-the-scenes look at cheerleading try-outs for one of the NFL's most storied franchises. It will begin with thousands of cheerleading hopefuls auditioning for a role with the Dallas Cowboys at the team's Texas Stadium. Cheerleaders will then be cut throughout the course of the season as they compete in various challenges at the try-outs -- from mastering the team's signature kick-line to memorizing dance routines. Dallas Cowboys cheerleading director Kelli Finglass, fitness instructor Jay Johnson, and team choreographer Judy Trammell will all be reprising their roles to help test the physical and mental strength of the hopefuls.

Local girl hits the big time

Pearl resident Brittnay Thornton Evans had danced and cheered all of her life.

Growing up she was member off a group called the Showstoppers. She was a Pearl Pirate cheerleader, beginning in junior high and continued through high school. She studied ballet, jazz and danced as a member of the Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet Company.

So when she graduated from the University of Mississippi, where she danced as a Rebellette, she wasn't ready to stop.

"I wanted to follow my dream and pursue my passion for dance," Evans said.
With the encouragement of her family, friends and fellow Rebellettes, Evans decided to try-out for a spot with the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders.

Evans had been a Cowboys fan from birth, she even has a picture from Halloween when she was young in a Dallas cheerleader uniform.

She was one of about 1,000 who decided to try-out. With the odds already stacked against her, Evans had a setback. She had to start the try-outs with a knee injury.

"The hardest part was going into the audition process with a knee injury, knowing I wouldn't be performing to my very best ability," Evans said. "Thoughts and prayers from family and friends definitely helped get me through it."

In her toughest times, Evans often found strength in her faith.

"I have always been strong in my faith, but going through a process like this taught me even more to totally rely on God for everything and every need," Evans said.

Even with the injury, Evans made it through the first round. From there the potential cheerleaders were narrowed down to 150 girls.

Evans again made the cut, down to 88 girls, and had to perform a solo routine and compete against the veteran Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.

In total Evans progressed through four different try-outs, often spending weeks away from her family and her husband.

"My family was here with me for the weekends off auditions but after making it to training camp, I didn't even have time to drive back to Mississippi," Evans said. "I stayed in Dallas with my one suitcase and was fortunate to have a family to stay with whom I consider my Texas family."

The time away was worth it in the end though as Evans earned a spot as a Cowboys cheerleader, a member of Show Group.

"I feel so blessed, happy and grateful," Evans said. "This process was definitely the most challenging experience I've ever been through, but also the most rewarding."
Along with being on one of the most well known cheerleading squads in the nation, Evans has also made a new set of friends.

"The staff and all of the girls are just so amazing and I have enjoyed getting to know them and spend time with them," Evans said. "I am so excited to cheer on the Cowboys this season and dance with these girls who already seem like my sisters and family."

via: RankinLedger.com

DCC Alumni Starr Spangler on The Amazing Race

Former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Starr Spangler is going to be on The Amazing Race 13 with her brother Nick! The show premieres Sunday, September 28th on CBS.

Biography from the official website:

This brother/sister team will stop at nothing to win the Race. Both are extremely driven and competitive, especially with one another. They admit to being over-zealous when a prize is involved – even if it’s only bragging rights. They’re excited to use this to their advantage on the Race.

Nick and Starr could practically be twins, and consider each other best friends, even though they rarely see each other due to distance. They hope to strengthen their relationship on this adventure, but do worry that since they haven’t spent much time together in several years that they could get on one another’s nerves. After all, in high-school they were bitter enemies.

Nick claims that the biggest difference between them is that Starr can be a bit reckless – she leaps into a situation without thinking about the repercussions - while Nick thinks everything through before acting. Starr claims that she is simply more spontaneous and figures everything will work out in the end. Nick and Starr have both accomplished their life-long dreams. Nick performs on the New York stage in an Off-Broadway musical called The Fantasticks, while Starr was a cheerleader for the Dallas Cowboys for the past three seasons. They’re anxious to bring a new approach to the game and are motivated to strengthen their relationship. They believe that their charisma, wit and relentless spirit will make for a dangerous combination.

via: cbs.com

Cheers for "Ears"

Cheers for "Ears" By Pamela Jagger Purcel

IRVING, Texas - You know those rare moments when it seems the planets are aligned just so perfectly that something magical has the opportunity to take place? I saw it myself when the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders made a very special visit to a children's summer camp in the countryside of Celina, Texas. At first glance the camp is typical. The usual stuff, really - fishing, waterslides, games, camp songs. Upon closer inspection, however, you see the camp counselors are actually graduate students at the UTD Callier Center for Communication Disorders and the children wearingt-shirts, shorts and various summer hats share a common accessory, cochlear implant processors.

Cochlear implants, in simple terms, are high-tech hearing devices that allow,with a lot of audio and verbal therapy, profoundly deaf individuals the ability to hear and speak. The internal part of the device is surgically implanted behind the ear, while the processor that transmits the sound to the internal implant is usually hooked over the ear. While this is all very high-tech kind of stuff, the kids using them often just refer to wearing their cochlear implant processors as, "putting on my ears."

Why was I there? Well, I share a deep appreciation for both groups as a former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader myself and now mom to a little cochlear implant-wearing four-year old son, Benjamin. The cheerleaders visited the Camp last year, and I was so proud of their innate ability to connect to the small children with their trademark DCC smiles, bear hugs and captivating personalities. Plus, frankly these ladies know how to access any situation and have fun. It was no surprise that the children were eager to share an afternoon with the Cheerleaders again this year.

As I drove into the camp to greet the six cheerleaders,it occurred to me that these two groups, the world famous, iconic NFL cheerleaders and the little, profoundly deaf children, shared a few things in common. For instance, there isn't a cheerleader on the team that would tell you becoming a member of the Organization was easy or that it happened over-night. They'd tell you there was a lot of workinvolved both physically and mentally. I personally remember there were many gut-checks on the road to wearing the famous uniform.Will I make it through this training camp? Can I possibly rehearse that pregame performance again? How many more kicks?!
Similarly, the children attending the summer camp share the same drive to succeed. No deaf child learns how to speak and hear overnight. There are years of work behind the children's success as well. As a mom to a child with cochlear implants, I see first-hand how hard my son works to achieve the goal of effortless spoken communication through hours of audio and verbal exercises.It can take months for a child to even make sense of the first sound they ever hear with the use of cochlear implants. It's certainly not a quick process. Yet, both groups are passionate about their work.

The other remarkable thing these two groups share is their ability to inspire. When a group needs extra inspiration, the DCC are often called upon. Troops who have been away from home for a long time, children in hospitals, andlonely senior citizens living in nursing homes have been touched by the magic of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. And so, too, are the inspiring qualities of the children making their way in the world every day with cochlear implants. After all, when I find myself overwhelmed with responsibilities, I look over at my son who, though profoundly deaf, is speaking English without the need for sign language andhas recently begun singing Spanish songs too. It's hard to believe anything is impossible anymore with this "can-do" kid around.

During the cheerleaders' visit to camp, Justine, Makenzi, Abigail, Deryn, Christina and Crystal, helped the children to focus on the different qualities of musical sound, such as rhythm, volume and pitch through dance activities. Then after spending the afternoon dancing, the groups shared hugs, took photos together and each child was given a personally autographed Cheerleader squad-photo to remind them of the special time they spent together.

Justine Phillips, a four-year DCC veteran, explained the significance of being at the camp. "We are so happy to be here dancing with these children. It's so neat because many of them have just begun to hear music for the first time."

According to camp director Melissa Sweeney of the UTD Callier Center, many of the grinning children dancing front and center alongside the cheerleaders were the very same children who up to that moment had been timid and hesitant to participate in some activities.

The DCC and the small children attending the CI summer camp seemed to share a mutual appreciation for each other. After meeting the children at the CI summer camp, two-year DCC veteran Abigail Klein beamed.

"I love this. I really do love this," said Klein as she gestured around her to the children dancing. It's not every day that you get to enjoy a room full of profoundly deaf children happily listening to music.

The feeling of appreciation was truly mutual; just days after the camp ended, Ben told me he really liked the cheerleaders. I agreed, "Me too, Ben." Then he added,"I really, really like Abigail...the cheerleader." To further prove his point,in a grand gesture Ben has recently named his favorite toy truck "Abigail" and has since mastered the pronunciation. Now that's true admiration.

via: DallasCowboys.com

Cheerleaders Pay Visit to Troops

Christina Parker and Deryn Derbigny take part in record 66th USO tour.

IRVING, Texas - War is Hell, but occasionally angels visit.

Veteran Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Christina Parker and Deryn Derbigny recently completed the group's record 66th USO tour. Guests of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, they visited military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The cheerleaders joined Adm. Mullen, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Saints quarterback Drew Brees and Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora, touching down on Air Force Two in Kuwait earlier this month to begin their seven-day stay. Also on the tour were Milo Ventimiglia of NBC's "Heroes" and Jack Lengyel, former coach of Marshall University and rebuilder of the school's football program following the tragic 1970 plane crash.

The group was able to access remote Forward Operating Bases rarely visited by the USO, greeting troops, signing autographs and lending a grateful ear to America's fighting men and women.

"To see our troops all over the world truly is an honor," Parker, a fifth-year cheerleader, said. "To just be there to see what it is they're doing to keep us safe at home, and knowing what they're sacrificing - USO tours are definitely one of the biggest highlights of being a cheerleader. Being able to give back is the greatest honor."

The trip marked the seventh USO tour for Parker and second for Derbigny, a two-year veteran of America's Sweethearts. Derbigny completed a USO holiday tour in South Korea last winter, while Parker has visited South Korea three times, and Guantanamo Bay and the Middle East twice each.

"The outlook that I have on the United States military is completely different now," Derbigny said. "I have a huge amount of respect for what they do. It's a job that not everybody can do and not everybody is willing to do. With the sacrifices that they make day-in and day-out and being away from their families as long as they are - they work 16 hours a day, everyday - to me the job is amazing."

After three days in Iraq the traveling party moved to Afghanistan to visit, among other bases, FOB Tillman, named in honor of former Arizona Cardinal and Army Ranger Pat Tillman, who was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan in 2004.

Shortly after the USO group left for home, nine American soldiers were killed in action near a base the tour visited, giving the guests a somber reminder of why they went, and why their hosts fight.

"The difference in going from Iraq to Afghanistan is stark," Derbigny said. "Driving through Kabul, we saw more clearly just how much a reality the war is. Having to ride in a convoy in a Humvee with guards protecting us made me concerned for the first time on this trip. It was my first time going to a war zone. I was anxious and nervous at the same time. I was really excited about going, but also there was the fear of the unknown."

Derbigny and Parker said they were proud to be part of an organization so instrumental in the USO's support of our soldiers.

"Even if they're not Cowboys fans, they're Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders fans," Parker said. "To be able to just bring them an hour of not having to worry about the war, as little as that may seem, it's a huge part of their day. It's something that's a memory they keep with them a very long time."

via: DallasCowboys.com

DCC 2008-2009 Rookies

(Click the photo for a slightly larger version)

Jordan Baum, Sydney Durso, Crystal Trevino, Lauren Castillo, Jordan Chanley
Brittany Thornton Evans, Kelsi Reich, Kaitlin Ilseng, Whitney Isleib, Melissa Kellerman

Jordan Ketchum, Michelle Keys, Jennifer McMahon, Stefani Peterson, Amy Reese, Cassie Trammell