Kelli Finglass cheered for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders from 1984 to 1989. After Finglass hung up her star-spangled vest, Jerry Jones hired her as the team’s assistant director. Then she was promoted to director in 1991 and has held the role since. Though the DCC has been cheering on “America’s Team” in various forms since the early ’60s, its current status as an iconic and highly profitable brand is largely owed to Finglass. And she didn’t achieve this without holding all the athletes who come through the program to the highest standards in all areas. This leader demands excellence, so when she speaks, be sure you respond with a “Yes, ma’am.”

Also a DCC alum, Judy Trammell cheered for the squad from 1980 to 1984. Upon retirement, she became an assistant choreographer and was then promoted to head choreographer in 1991. Her leadership style may be a bit more reserved and she’s even joked about hiding behind her long and luscious blonde locks, but don’t let that fool you. Trammell is the brain behind the team’s signature routines, including “Thunderstruck,” and has held the head choreographer position for over 40 years, longer than anyone else in DCC history.

The Dallas Cowboys aren’t the only pro ball players Amanda has cheered for. In 2019, she became a member of the Golden State Warriors Dance Team. After moving to Texas during the pandemic, Amanda decided to try out for DCCs. On her first attempt, she was cut during training camp but, with hard work and commitment to the craft, she made the team in 2022. Though she would describe herself as “driven” and is seemingly always on the go, Amanda’s ideal day starts with a slow morning, enjoying coffee with her husband and their two golden doodles, Cooper and Ralph.

You may remember her as Caroline’s little sis, but with her rookie year under her belt, Anna Kate is now the family’s seasoned vet. Growing up, she always wanted to differentiate herself from her sister, but seeing the love Caroline had for this organization and the girls within it made Anna Kate want to become a member of the iconic squad as well. As a graduate of the Texas Christian University business school and a former TCU Showgirl, she’s exactly the kind of well-rounded individual that fits right in among the DCCs.

Armani was drawn to the team for the opportunity it provides to “advocate for personal issues” and “influence little girls around the world.” Over the course of her five years on the squad, Armani has been open about her alopecia areata diagnosis, using DCC’s massive platform to raise awareness for the autoimmune disorder. Making the team during the COVID-19 pandemic is one of her proudest accomplishments, and she plans to continue reaching for her dreams. Her next great ambition is attending law school.

As the longest-running DCC veteran trying out this year, Chandi has managed to remain in competitive shape by keeping her head down and staying extremely busy. In addition to her DCC position and her role managing social media for a local pediatric dentistry practice, she works three(!) other jobs. She is a licensed pharmacy technician for her family’s business, works at a Pilates studio most mornings, and does contract work for a DCC sponsor. She’s quiet and extraordinarily hardworking, which, according to Judy, makes her a natural leader.

Jada is known as one of the team’s highest kickers, but her hamstrings are far from the strongest thing about her. Spunky and compassionate, this veteran is driven to advocate for others, including her teammates. Though she isn’t exactly the DCC’s typical “yes, ma’am” girl, as she puts it, Jada was inspired by her dad’s love for the Dallas Cowboys to try out for the squad, and thanks to her years of dance experience — including two years on the UC Davis Dance Team — and determination, she’s found great success. If all goes to plan, Jada will retire from the DCC after this upcoming season.

KayDianna, or KD as her friends call her, has a 12-year background in studio dance, three World Championship dance titles, and two years of experience as the captain of the Texas Christian University Showgirls. Still, KayDianna never truly believed she was a great performer until she made the team. With the enduring support of her family, including her husband Eric and their three dogs Duggie, Maizi, and Joey Joy, she hopes to continue proving her talents to herself with another year on the squad.

Technically, Kayla is coming in to auditions as a veteran candidate, but fans will notice she wasn’t on the squad last year. After making the team in 2023, Kayla was cut before training camp last season. She’s a St. Louis native, and she attended Butler University in Indianapolis, where she served as captain of the dance team for two years. But, even with her Midwest roots, Kayla’s heart is in Dallas. It’s been her dream to be a DCC since she was in middle school and her exciting rookie year lived up to all her expectations. Now, she’s ready to return home.

Fans of America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Season 1 may know Kleine as the cheerleader who got called out by Kelli over a Christmas ornament. But her friends, fellow DCCs, and family, including her husband Luc, know her as fearless. Seriously, this University of Kentucky alum loves a thrilling experience. Her ideal day involves traveling to a new place, skydiving, and scuba diving. As with all the other adventures she’s taken, Kleine dove head-first into her time as a DCC when she made the team in 2021, and she’s still got plenty of jumpsplits left in her.

Megan first joined the DCC sisterhood back in 2021, but she’s had years of experience dancing alongside a sibling. Throughout elementary and high school in Oceanside, California, Megan and her brother were both on a dance team, so they often performed duets together and even competed against one another in solo divisions. Entering auditions this time around, she’s hoping for a family reunion with her fellow DCCs.

After making the team last year, Reece is back trying out as a veteran. This time, though, she’s a married woman. She tied the knot with her college sweetheart — and first-ever boyfriend — Will in April 2024, and the wedding reception, of course, included a performance of “Thunderstruck” alongside her fellow DCCs. Reece no longer works at the flower shop and is instead trying to build a career on her social media following.

Sophy moved from California to Texas all by herself at the age of 18 to chase her dreams of becoming a DCC. Taking that big leap of faith is her proudest accomplishment, and it’s made all the more sweet by the fact that she was actually successful. Now, she’s no longer all alone in Dallas. In addition to her fellow DCCs, she keeps the company of two dogs, a cat, and two bunnies. 

Hailing from Toledo, Ohio, Abby’s dance experience and accolades speak for themselves. During her junior year of high school, she was recruited to The Ohio State Dance Team, and over her 4 years at OSU, the team won six Universal Dance Association National Championships. But can this Buckeye buck the athletic and aggressive cheer style she’s developed over years of competing in favor of the more sassy and sexy DCC style?

After dancing as a Tiger Girl through all four years of college at Louisiana State University, Ariel first tried out to be a DCC because she wants to be part of an organization that represents a larger purpose beyond dancing. Unfortunately, she was cut before training camp last season. Since then, though, she’s been working hard on her flexibility so she can keep up with those iconic high kicks. By returning for another round of brutal auditions, she’s already proven she’s got a resilient spirit, but can she show her body is just as agile?

Ava has come extremely close to making the team once before. In 2021, she was the very last cut before the squad was finalized. Because she was so young at the time — and because she had a habit of posting provocative photos on Instagram — Kelli ultimately thought she had some maturing to do before officially signing on as a DCC. Since then, she’s graduated from the University of Kentucky, where she was a member of the dance team. Ava started dancing when she was just two years old, and now she hopes to make a career at it on DCC. Seems like a goal she may be able to reach since she’s already spun her knack for garnering Instagram likes into a job in social media for a local beauty school.

A fan-favorite rookie candidate last season, Charly was the 2023-2024 squad’s very last cut. After her dreams of becoming a DCC were put on pause, Charly doubled down on her ambitions and moved to Dallas to commit all her time to training. She made great strides in developing her personal dance style, but shortly before this season’s tryouts, she suffered a pulmonary embolism. Now, Charly hopes to tackle that challenge with the same grace and perseverance she met last season’s setback.

This former Miss Missouri knows how to make a good first impression. And with four years dancing as a Golden Girl at The University of Missouri and serving as the team’s co-captain for the 2021-2022 season, she’s got the experience to back it up. She hopes to represent the Dallas Cowboys with the same poise she brought to her time in the Miss America Organization, but she’ll have to make sure her pageant training hasn’t made her too demure on the dance floor. 

After cheering for four years on the University of Arizona Pomline, Cooper has come to Dallas in hopes of trading in her red pom-poms for the iconic blue and silver ones. In high school, she was a National Dance Team semifinalist in two categories, and she was a part-time dance instructor in college. Being an athlete has influenced every aspect of Cooper’s life. Last year, she even graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sports and Society Management.

According to her mother, Shelly Bramhall, Dayton was “born to dance.” Shelly is now an associate choreographer, and found out she was pregnant with Dayton just before she retired from dancing with the team in 1989. Dayton –– in addition to her mother’s expectations, her own ambitions of being on the squad, and her close personal ties to both Kelli and Judy ––   is also entering this season’s tryouts with the added pressure of having already unsuccessfully auditioned twice. She’s returning for the first time in six years, and aims to break out of the limitations of her ballet and contemporary dance background so she can join the team and carry on her family legacy.

Jenna hopes that Kelli and Judy will get a kick out of her high kicks as well as her soft and pretty dance style. This San Diego native recently graduated from Oklahoma University, where she earned a sociology degree and cheered on the OU Pom squad throughout the four years. The sooner Jenna makes it onto the team, the better. 

Fans of America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders will remember Kelly V from Season 1. Throughout the audition process, she stood out thanks to her years of dedication to dance, her close relationship with her supportive parents, and Finglass’ enduring struggle to correctly pronounce the name of her hometown: Weehawken, New Jersey. After being cut from the squad just nine days before their first pre-season game, Kelly is determined to be a “comeback girl,” especially now that she has a better idea of what the decision-makers are looking for: more confidence, and brown hair.

One of the youngest rookie candidates, Madie K only recently graduated from high school and has a lot of brand new experiences ahead of her. Coming to Dallas for the DCC tryouts will be her first time living away from home, and she’ll soon be entering as a freshman at Texas Woman’s University. She has never once eaten a raw vegetable — how’s that for a fun fact? Madie isn’t just leaving behind family in her hometown of La Porte, Texas –– she’ll also be navigating a long-distance relationship with her boyfriend Bryant, whom she met at the gym.