Paula Tabares

* 18 years old from Colombia. She moved here about four years ago. She didn’t speak the language; she couldn’t make friends. She loves dancing; it has been her entire life. When she came here, she felt like she wasn’t really doing as much as she was doing in Colombia. She heard about the drill team at her high school. She made the team and made some of her best friends from the drill team in senior high. It was the best year of her life. Then at a national competition, she saw the Cowboys Cheerleaders and thought they were the hottest girls ever. She wants to be one of them. She wants to be a role model to someone.

### **Season 5**

**(5.2)**

* Biography
* I cannot believe it. I’m here and I’m going to training camp.

**(5.5)**

* [Office visits announced] They know what girls they want on the team, and right now, it doesn’t feel like I’m one of them.
* [After office] This is a point where I just need to focus more, especially if I’ve been called into the office twice because of the same thing.

**(5.7)**

* Tonight was by far the worse night of my life in training camp.
* Tonight, I need to show Kelli and Judy how powerful I am, so they can forget about last night’s practice on the field.
* I knew the dance that we were doing. I just couldn’t do it. I was so nervous about just looking at the wall.
* [*Teary*] If tonight’s my last night… I’m just proud that I made it this far.
* [After cut] I kind of had the feeling this was going to happen. They did ask me to come back next year, but I don’t know where I’m going to be next year, so…

## **Commentary**

### **Season 5**

**(5.2)**

* These kids are killing it around you, yeah? Relax, yeah? Get to where you need to be. Show me what you’re gonna do. – Kitty Carter
* Yes. And you’ve got gorgeous teeth. Use ‘em, yeah? – Kitty Carter
* Full, come on. Work and move forward. Come on! – Kitty Carter
* [Finals deliberation] I had her as a yes until she got on the field and got lost in the combo, but I really like her. She’s hot./ I think that she could learn from this audition and come back next year and do a lot better./ I think she’s sexy. – K/ I think’s got a whole different look that we don’t have. – Charlotte
* Paula Tabares is one of the underdogs today that I think everyone is rooting for, but she’s going to struggle. – J

**(5.4)**

* Paula has some moments. – K

**(5.5)**

* [About makeover] Very elegant. – K
* Your kicks are low, Paula, and you’re really still being real stiff with your upper body, and it looks like you’re afraid to mess up your hair. Your neck’s still doing the same thing. Okay? So, you need to loosen up. – J
* Paula is one of the training camp candidates that I think Kelli and I are really wanting her to succeed. But these dances are very, very hard for her. She’s probably one of the slowest learners we’ve ever had. – J

**(5.7)**

* Sometimes you turn your feet out when they shouldn’t be. [*She has Brooke do a move with her*] Yes. And you’ll have that right leg. Now turn your foot out. That’s what you were doing earlier. Your knee’s turned out. – J
* I see Paula slowly and slowly becoming defeated because she’s letting every mistake get to her and it makes her do worse and worse and sometimes that can make or break a girl. – J
* Poor Paula, doesn’t know it at all. That’s bad. Oh my God, Paula.
* Poor Paula. She’s a train wreck at this point, and is doing it, almost killing herself because she is so nervous. – J/ She is killing herself. – K

## **Office Visits**

### **Season 5**

**(5.5)**

* [Second of three] Kelli says Paula got picked on tonight, and asks how she feels. Paula says a little scared. She knows she has a lot to work on [*She gets emotional and apologizes*]. Kelli says their biggest concern at this point in training camp is she sometimes appears lost. But she thinks she’s beautiful, sexy, and trying hard. She asks what’s the worst thing that could happen to her tonight? Paula says get cut. Kelli says she might get cut; she’s at the bottom of the list as a performer. But she’s in training camp – she has a chance. She has a very small amount of time to work on that. Paula says she’ll work on it.

**(5.7)**

* [Second of five] Kelli tells Paula she is the hardest decision they’ve made this season. They really like her. The facts are that her dance is just a year or two behind the other girls. They just think she needs dance classes. She asks if Paula would be willing to take dance classes and re-audition? Paula says she guesses she’ll have to. Kelli apologizes.

## **End of Journey**

### **Season 5**

**(5.7)**

* Cut from training camp on the final night of cuts (8th out of 10, 36 left after cut)

## **Other**

### **Season 5**

**(5.2)**

* Shown performing her solo for Kitty Carter.
* She is shown looking slightly off while Kelli gives a confessional about candidates looking lost in choreography being exaggerated by the jumbotron.

* Third-to-last person shown being invited to finals.

## Misc.

* Dallas Mavericks Dancer post-training camp