The challenge and sheer competition behind the process needed to become a member of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders is chronicled in Netflix's America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.
Created by Greg Whiteley, the seven-part docuseries follows a rigorous audition process led by longtime director Kelli Finglass and head choreographer Judy Trammell as they try to find the next cast of cheerleaders to become part of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders team for 2023.
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders premiered on Netflix on June 20.
Every Main Interviewee in America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
Kelli Finglass
Instagram: @kellifinglass
Kelli Finglass is the director of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (DCC) responsible for leading the team through the ups and downs since 1991.
Finglass is shown in the Netflix docuseries as a tenacious leader who will not mince words during the audition process to choose the perfect candidates for the 36-woman Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders team for the upcoming season.
Kelli, who is a former DCC member, shares the rigorous process of the auditions, ranging from online videos to live performances in front of the judges.
Judy Trammell
Instagram: @dcc_judy
Judy Trammell, the head choreographer of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, teams up with Kelli Finglass every year to search for the next members of the 2023 squad.
Judy, a former DCC in the 1980s, talked about her experience as a member while also explaining how today's squad has far more superior talent than those in the past.
Kelcey
Instagram: @kelcey_w
"We create such a close-knit family every year... It's just a community that you really can't find anywhere else."
As a fifth-year veteran member and considered as one of the team's leaders, Kelcey has probably seen it all in the world of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.
Kelcey, who also works as a pediatric nurse, has juggled the difficult task of balancing his stressful full-time job and being a cheerleader in a fast-paced environment.
Kleine
Instagram: @kleinepowell
Kleine is a second-year veteran of the DCC who gets real about the complexities of auditioning again to regain her spot in the 2023 team.
Kleine says that it is hard for the veterans because they know what they will lose if they end up being eliminated from contention.
McKenzie
Instagram: @dcc_mckenzie
"You don't put yourself in this situation if you didn't earn to be here."
McKenzie, a fourth-year veteran, embraces the challenges of yearly auditions for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, noting, "Pressure is [a] privilege."
Victoria
Instagram: @victoriakalina
"Making the team was absolutely the best moment of my life."
As a second-generation DCC member, Victoria knows what it takes to be part of the team and she already gained worthwhile experience after being a member of the DCC for four years.
Victoria works with her mother, Tina, to help her stay fit and healthy throughout the season. Victoria and Tina's close mother-daughter bond is showcased in America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.
Tina
"These Millennials... They do look at it as a job, where us old timers look at it as more of a privilege."
Victoria's mother, Tina, was a DCC member in the 1980s and she helps her daughter navigate what it's like to carry the responsibility of being one of America's Sweethearts.
Tina also became an apartment roommate with now-DCC director, Kelli Finglass, in the '80s.
Michelle "Sharpie" Sharp
"[The veterans] know that their spot is not a given, and they know they have to work for it."
Serving as the audition administrator is perhaps one of the most difficult jobs in the world. However, Michelle "Sharpie" Sharp appears to be used to all the pressure and the emotions.
Michelle joins the cast of America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders to let fans know about the live audition process, the veterans' turn-in of their costumes and equipment, and the bittersweet reality of not making the final cut.
Sarah Hepola
Instagram: @thesarahhepolaexperience
"Nobody else has cheerleaders like [the DCC.]"
Sarah Hepola, the host and creator of America's Girls podcast, appears in the docuseries to give her thoughts about the financial growth of cheerleaders across America and how the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders helped the Dallas Cowboys become the biggest brand in the world of sports.
Kat
Instagram: @katpurr
Kat is a retired member of the DCC who was under the class of 2022.
Kat joins the conversation in the docuseries to talk about her previous salary with the DCC and her past working experience with the team.
Charlotte Jones
Instagram: @cjonescowboys
"[Joining the DCC] is about being a part of something bigger than themselves."
Charlotte Jones is the owner, the executive vice president, and the chief brand officer of the Dallas Cowboys. She is also the daughter of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
Charlotte talks about the cheerleaders' low salary while also being blunt about the fact that the DCC members do not join the team for the money. Instead, they join the team for something bigger than that to them, which is their passion for dance.
Kristi Scales
Instagram: @kristicowboy
Dallas Cowboys sideline reporter Kristi Scales is part of the main cast of interviewees who appear in America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.
Kristi talks about how the DCC earned the reputation of being a strong band through the years. She also serves as one of the judges during the live auditions.
Reece
Instagram: @reece_christinee
One of the rookie candidates for the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders who appear in the docuseries is Reece.
While Reece admits that she feels a lot of pressure ahead of the auditions, she believes that she has what it takes to become a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader due to her strong faith in God.
Anna Kate
Instagram: @annakatesundvold
Anna Kate is a rookie candidate for the DCC and Caroline Sundvold's younger sister.
Anna Kate strives to be the best with the help of her sister and the pair worked hand-in-hand together to showcase an impressive solo routine for the live auditions.
Caroline
Instagram: @carolinesundvold
"[Being part of the DCC] was the best job you could ever have."
Caroline is Anna Kate's sister and a past member of the DCC as part of the class of 2022.
As a newly retired member of DCC, Caroline is still grappling with this big change in her career. Caroline helps her sister practice before the live auditions.
Kelly V
Instagram: @kellyvillares
"I have wanted to be a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader my whole life."
New Jersey native Kelly V is one of the auditionees who made it to training camp after impressing the judges with her solo and field performances.
Madeline
Instagram: @_madelineggrace
Madeline, a 3rd year veteran candidate, admits that all she ever wanted was to be part of the DCC ever since seeing "Thunderstruck" for the first time.
Madeline wants her talent in dancing to be used as a launchpad for her career and a great way to start that journey is with the DCC.
Lina Londono
Lina Londono, Kelly's mom, is part of the cast of interviewees in America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.
Lina shares how Kelly's passion for dancing developed through the years.
Onel Villares
Onel Villares is Kelly's dad who admits that his daughter wanted the spotlight ever since she was a kid.
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders is now streaming on Netflix.
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