Danielle Marie

* [Joint biography with Jasmine Raphaella] Jasmine says cheering for the New York Jets was an amazing experience. But they always talk about the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, how exciting they look when they perform, and how they really want to be on that team. Danielle says they’ve been saying “2012, we’re trying out for the team,” and here they are. Danielle says it’s the best of the best, and if they go for another team, they might as well go for the big time, and Jasmine agrees. Jasmine says they’ve been preparing for auditions for a while. They’ve been practicing every day, doing workouts, taking hot yoga; a lot of work goes into this. Danielle says if one of them makes the team and the other doesn’t, it would be hard, but one would be happy for the other.

## **Confessionals**

Total: 48

Season 7: 37 (T3rd most)

Season 8: 10 (T16th most)

Season 9: 0

Season 10: 1

Season 11: 0

### **Season 7**

**(7.1)**

* I was very starstruck. To be a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader would mean everything to me.
* Joint biography with Jasmine Raphaella
* I’m having so much fun right now. I’m smiling, taking it all in, ‘cause this could be my last time out here, so I’m trying to enjoy it.
* I feel like my audition went well, and I have nothing left. I’m so exhausted right now. I left it all on the floor, and that was my plan.
* I know as soon as they walk with the names and the numbers of the girls that made it to finals, I’m going to be so sick to my stomach.
* I think everybody’s afraid of the jumbotron, because everything is out there to be seen.
* I don’t know if I did enough for them, but I know that I did enough for me.

**(7.2)**

* Kelli can be intimidating. I don’t know her at all yet, but just her being and, you know, she’s so pretty in person.
* The routine at first when you learn it, it’s hard. It’s a lot to remember in a very short time. So, once we get comfortable with it, I think it’ll be easier, but right now, it’s not easy.
* Being a DCC means I have to move my whole life from New York to here, but I’ve had to sacrifice a lot. I have many jobs I had to leave. I was a babysitter. I was a dance teacher, was an instructor. I left a lot of classes. I’m stressing a lot. My rent is actually due tomorrow, and I’m not in a comfortable position, right now. So, until I get a job, I’m gonna be very stressed. It’s important to find a way to relieve stress and escape a so [*showing a drawing*] this is definitely my escape.
* I’m so thankful that I have Jasmine with me. She’s one of my best friends. I’ve known here for years.
* [With Jasmine] Danielle: We’re both very determined, because we both want it really bad, and as much as we want it as individuals, we want the other one to have it also, so… Jasmine: We came here with one goal and that was to make the team.
* I do know the routine. It’s just when I get out in front of Kelli and Judy, I fall apart. I just completely fall apart. My nerves get the best of me.

**(7.3)**

* [Jump split] I was nervous. I didn’t want to hurt somebody else. I didn’t want someone else to hurt me, so it’s all about trust, honestly. It literally is a leap of faith.
* [Jasmine gets pulled out of the jump split] It broke my heart to see her upset, but you don’t want to be the one that hesitated and hurt somebody.
* I actually liked being one-on-one with Kelli. I tried to show a little bit of my personality. You really get to look her in the eye and relax a little, and I think it went well.

**(7.4)**

* [Makeovers] Right now, I’m feeling a little nervous. If I sit down in the chair and they tell me, “We want all this gone, I think I might have a heart attack.
* I love my makeover. I’m so happy that they kept the length, and they really, they just made it a little bit more rich in color. It’s a little bit darker. I definitely see a difference, so I’m really happy with it.
* [Before office] I got called into the office. I’m not really sure what’s going on. I felt like I had a good rehearsal. I know I have a lot of work to do, but I know that I have what it takes, so I just hope that they see that potential.

**(7.5)**

* Training camp is coming to an end. It’s getting more real that it’s within reach, and who knows what’s going to happen?
* You’re dancing for a spot still, so it’s hard. You don’t know if you’re safe or not, and you just got to do your best.
* [About being called into the office] I wish I did better. You don’t want to come this far to go home.
* [Before office, with Jasmine Raphaella] If today was our last day, I know we both would feel like we failed, because we… – Jasmine/ I don’t want to think. – Danielle/ …gave it our all. We don’t want to think like that. But there are going to be girls that are cut, so it could possibly be us. – Jasmine
* [After office, with Danielle Marie] Kitty and Judy called us in the office. They just, I think, expect more from us, because we are coming from another professional team. And so they just wanted us to know that they’re rooting for us, but we just need to turn it on. – Jasmine/ I’m going to fight, because we made it this far together, and we’re gonna be fine. We have to just believe it. – Danielle/ Yes. – Jasmine

**(7.6)**

* Mistakes are very obvious, even in a stadium this big. It’s all about formations and when your entire team is so in sync with each other, and you make one mistake, you are that much more noticeable.

**(7.7)**

* It’s the last night, and I don’t know if they’re going to keep us all or if they’re going to let somebody go.
* I would say they took, maybe, like a hundred pictures today? It wasn’t really hard for me to smile that much because I literally smile all day long, so I have, like, enormous muscles in my cheeks.
* [Readjusting for Lauren’s injury] It puts a lot of pressure on us, especially as rookies, to be able to prove we can handle any situation thrown at us, even if it’s on game day, a couple hours of hours before kickoff. So, it’s a lot of stress, and we’re ready for it.
* [With Jasmine Raphaella] The fact that we got to share this dream and chasing it together and achieve it, means the world to me.

**(7.8)**

* I think to be a dancer in general, especially in the limelight, you have to have thick skin. When I get a correction or when I get called out, I take it for what it is, I fix it, and I work on it. And it’s just to make us better as a whole.

**(7.10)**

* The game is around the corner, and we have to adjust accordingly, so I have to change yard lines. And it’s a lot of pressure on me, a lot of pressure on the girls that change to make sure that we can handle it.
* I was just praying, “don’t do anything that makes Kelli want to rewind it and show everybody again.”
* [Squad photo revealed] That’s our team, and that’s forever in the history of DCC, and that’s such a huge honor. I was speechless.
* I am so excited. We are minutes away from going out on the field. Ah! I’m so nervous.

**(7.11)**

* [With Jasmine Raphaella] Today’s been a nice break from the normal routine, but this for us is like a little mini-vacation.
* [With Jasmine Raphaella] Today was so much fun. It was a chance for us to relax, celebrate, get to know each other better. Great team-bonding experience.
* People are shouting things, like “Don’t forget this and that!” And you just want to make sure you have all of your pieces on, and you don’t want to go out there and forget something.

### **Season 8**

**(8.2)**

* Literally, two weeks ago, I was practicing my solo, and I was using a chair. I went to do one trick too many, fell through the chair and massacred my foot. [*Bloody photo of injury shown*] When I go out there for my solo, I’ll be wearing sneakers for the first time on this foot.
* [Solo] All was a blur. I don’t even remember if I did everything right, but, Jordan and Jasmine, they just attacked me with hugs. I moved my entire life from New York to Texas to be here, to be a part of this team, and it means everything to me to be here.
* I had a great season last year and they know what I can do, and I just hope that they remember that.
* [Makes team again] I thought that it was over. Two weeks ago, I was in the emergency room getting stitches. So, I’m the luckiest girl in the world.

**(8.3)**

* After rehearsal last night, Kelli had mentioned something about my foot, but I try and grin and bear it, and I did it at finals, so I can absolutely do it again.
* [Before office] Just when I thought that my training camp nightmares were kind of over, I heard my name called. I don’t really know what to think. I’m hoping, assuming it’s about my foot, but it could be anything.
* [After office, crying] It was hard to hear that I wasn’t in the stack of names that they had for the new squad. That was really hard to hear. I’m glad that they believed in me and they put me back in there, because I belong here.

**(8.6)**

* When Kitty walked into the room, I just put my head down and said, “All right, here we go, let’s do it.”
* [About being called into the office] It’s never fun when you hear your name called, and I had a feeling that I was gonna be called, because Kitty was on me tonight.
* [After office, with Chelsea Elizabeth] Chelsea: That weight is not maintainable, so if that’s what they’re expecting of us, then I might as well just take myself out right now. Danielle (crying): It is what it is, so… Chelsea: Hey, we’re still on the team and we still have our uniforms. Fat or not, whether we fit in them or not, which we do…

### **Season 10**

**(10.2)**

* [After Jasmine’s cut, crying] It’s not the same without her. We came here together and… I can hardly talk about it.

## **Commentary**

### **Season 7**

**(7.1)**

* [Preliminaries judging] She’s also a Jets. – K/ I have a maybe. – Charlotte/ Really? – K/ Mmhmm. – Charlotte
* That’s the Jets girl, isn’t it? – K/ Yes. – J
* [Semifinals judging] This was one of the Jets girls. – K/ I think she could use a little help with maybe a slight makeover, but I thought she had a great very sweet, wholesome look./ She was really clumsy, but I think she’s teachable. – J/ Yeah, I didn’t see any energy or anything from it./ Now the kicks were good, but not the routine.
* She is dancing, man. – K
* [Finals judging] Her legs just looked soft to me in the shorts. The shorts aren’t going to get any longer when she gets into a uniform./ She was great on her kicks and splits. I liked her solo routine. I thought she was good.

**(7.2)**

* Your arms on this were a little big. So, if you just keep them small. – Sydney Durso
* Lots of detail mistakes. – J

**(7.4)**

* Danielle is puzzling us because she has really pretty hair, but we all want something more exciting and vibrant out of it. We’re trying to come up with the best answer. – K
* [After Kelli and Rainer feud] Danielle’s a great example of why we do makeovers and why we need a drink after makeovers. – K
* You seemed more confident tonight. I’m hoping it’s a little bit hair. Did y’all see that? – K
* [Confessional before office visit] Danielle, I just was calling her in because I wanted to find out, is she making the transition from New York to Texas okay? – K

**(7.5)**

* Stop! Oh, my God, go back! – Kitty Carter
* You keep watching everybody, not because you’re off, but you have this tendency to look to your right, and it bugs me, because I’m like, “Hello, leave them alone.” – Kitty Carter/ I was trying to get in line. – Danielle/ But you can’t turn your head. It’s called peripheral vision. It’s part of being a team. Maybe it’s all that hair on that one side of your shoulder. – Kitty Carter
* That hair of hers, she’s more interested in the way it’s flipping instead of doing choreography right. She’s cute, but cute doesn’t do it here. – Kitty Carter
* Ohhh. Danielle just got down. – K

**(7.6)**

* What are you doing, Danielle? – J

**(7.7)**

* Danielle looks great. – K

**(7.8)**

* Emily missed it again! No but, who was… oh, Danielle was way in front. -  J
* You’re not going to the right yard line. Could you tell that time still weren’t there? – J/ Yeah. I’m trying my best to get there. – Danielle/ This side’s making it. And we’ve always made it. So you can make it. You’re on the 42 and you need to be on the 43. – J

**(7.10)**

* Look at Danielle’s posture.
* Who’s behind Kali? – K/ [*Danielle raises hand*]/ Your balls aren’t on the line. It’s almost like your heel is right there. Your heels are on the line, not your balls? That’s not such a big deal to normal people, but it reads a crooked line. – K
* Danielle was maybe two inches off from the rest of her line. And for her to actually see that, it helped her. – J

### **Season 8**

**(8.2)**

* She’s limping. – K
* Now we are running out of steam. – K
* [Finals deliberations] Mine’s a really strong no./ I felt she didn’t have the eye of the tiger./ She didn’t want it, to me./ She was dancing with an injury./ Of course, we are on the far left, so I could see the reception that she got from her teammates. That helped sway me./ When I saw her on the field, I still feel she’s not totally bringing it.
* Danielle’s not going to make this team. And some of that had to do with an injury, but not all of it. – K
* [Confessional as TCC's are being called] As I’m looking out, I see Danielle and I see her face, and I’m not feeling good about our decision. I kind of turned to Charlotte, and she and I both had the same feeling. [*Charlotte is shown asking her if she wants to revisit Danielle, and then they try to figure out her number*] Judy, Charlotte, and I know the value she brings to the team. This is the first that that we’ve ever reversed our decision, but the heart, the passion, the person is right for this team. – K

**(8.3)**

* Are you supposed to have a boot or something on your foot? – K/ I don’t need a boot anymore. – Danielle/ You don’t have to force these shoes right now. We’ll put pressure on you when we need to. – K

**(8.6)**

* Does your foot still hurt, because your head looks like it’s hurt, because you can’t do the footwork? – Kitty Carter
* I think Danielle’s body looks horrible. – Kitty Carter
* You’re not putting 100% at all into it. You’re sloppy and lazy. – Kitty Carter
* [*Kitty calls her name (among others) to step forward*] Every one of you either need to tighten it up or tone it up. Just, you look heavy. And that means not fat, obviously, but you look heavy. And I think you need to do something about it. – Kitty Carter
* [About veterans called out for weight] I think Kitty’s concern is valid, and this is, are you guys getting lazy or complacent just because you’re veterans? Because if Kitty had been the only judge in the room, several of those veterans wouldn’t have made the team. – K
* [Confessional before office visit] I’m disappointed, because the veterans know what the expectations are, and they need a wake-up call. – K
* It’s very difficult to pull four veterans from our cameos. I knew it would be an emotional decision. My bigger concern is that they make the necessary adjustments in nutrition and fitness to be ready for our squad photo and our first game. – K

**(8.8)**

* I think Danielle looks better. – K
* Welcome back! – K

## **Office Visits**

### **Season 7**

**(7.4)**

* [Mid episode, first of three, takes place at Gilley’s] Kelli asks Danielle if she’s found a job in Texas. Danielle responds that she’s trying to find a job, and she’s applied a few places. She got a call back from a waitressing job, and she’s excited about that. Kelli says they’re cautious about waitressing. Danielle asks what kind of jobs she should stay away from? Kelli lists off gentleman’s clubs and Hooters, and Danielle asks if bartending is a “no?” Kelli says she doesn’t want her pinched or slapped on the rear when she’s working, and Danielle says that wouldn’t fly with her. Judy says waitressing would be better than bartending. Danielle agrees and isn’t sure if she’s even going to go with it, but she does need something for the rent and moving expenses. Kelli asks if her real expertise is teaching dance, and Danielle says that would’ve been her dream job, but she doesn’t know any of the studios here. Judy adds that it’s had a hard market to get into here. Danielle concurs, and feels like you have to know somebody. Kelli tells her to make a dance resume and e-mail it to her. [*Danielle leaves*] Kelli and Judy agree that they like her.

**(7.5)**

* [Mid episode, first of three, joint visit with Jasmine Raphaella, Kitty Carter and Judy] Kitty tells them that she’s sitting in with Judy today, and tells them that they struggled a little bit today. Kitty tells Jasmine that when she’s up against the other girls, she seems to falter as far as her movements being strong and having pop. Them being Jets cheerleaders surprises her that they don’t have more pop than that. Kitty tells Danielle that her hair worries her. It almost seems like she’s preoccupied with it; she’s trying to make it move, and she’s not completing the choreography. Judy adds that it becomes distracting. Kitty adds that she was a little bit worried when Danielle kept looking to the side. She needs to learn to perform forward and just kind of see what’s going on, on each side of her, because Kitty would expect her to be pro. But what she saw tonight did not lead her in that direction. She tells Jasmine that she appears stressed, and asks what she’s thinking. Jasmine says she just gets stressed out sometimes. Jasmine mentions that when Kitty mentioned the “turn-out thing”, Jasmine was born with a club foot that naturally turns in. She’s been fighting it her whole life, and knows it’s a big issue, and she’s been trying to stop it. Kitty gives her credit, and says a lot of them have deficiencies, and that’s not going to keep her off the team. So, she shouldn’t let that be a distraction to her. Kitty says she respects Jasmine so much just to know what she’s come through. Kitty tells Jasmine to try those tears. Jasmine and Danielle are dismissed from the office, and Danielle tells Jasmine that she’s going to make her cry, as Jasmine jokes she’s a crybaby. Kitty tells them she’s here for them. [*Danielle and Jasmine leave*] Kitty confirms with Judy that Jasmine’s been called out several times. Judy says Jasmine’s really likeable. Kitty agrees, and says Danielle is, too, though she’s preoccupied with her hair. Kitty jokes that they should cut it off.

### **Season 8**

**(8.3)**

* [End of episode, first of three] Kelli comments on her limping, and Danielle jokes that it’s not a limp, but a stylized walk. Kelli tells her that the audition wasn’t her best presentation. She adds that maybe she hasn’t been able to do heavy cardio, so she’s a little fluffy. The judges thought she looked heavy and didn’t think she looked on top of her game. Kelli reveals that the judges didn’t pick her for the squad, and tells Danielle how they made a last-second decision as they were calling names to bring her back. Kelli tells her that as she heals, she needs to be aware that she needs to bust her ass. They want her on the team, and now she needs to be one of the best on the team. She needs healing time for her and to be smart about it. Judy says if she needs to take off her shoe doing rehearsal, to do so. Danielle agrees and says she’s been working on it and will get to where they want her to be, and she’ll be the best veteran that she can be.

**(8.6)**

* [Mid episode, second of two, with Chelsea Elizabeth, Jennifer Alexis, and Kim Nicole] Kelli tells them it’s quality control time: all of them have gained weight from last year. All the judges noticed it at auditions. They’re starting to notice it more here. They have made the decision not to photograph them for cameos. They’d be wasting everybody’s time. Chelsea asks if they don’t want them to show up for cameos at all, and Kelli confirms this, saying they have last year’s pictures. Some of them are 8 pounds heavier than last year, so while this conversation may be shocking, Kelli’s tired of hearing about this from other people. She adds the next conversation would be that they’re like a rookie and not making the team. They should take this seriously, and until they hear otherwise, they won’t be doing appearances in uniform.

## **Other**

### **Season 7**

**(7.1)**

* Shown introducing herself to the judges at preliminaries: she’s from Long Island, and a former Jets cheerleader
* Her semifinals judging deliberation is the first one shown
* Third-to-last shown being invited to finals
* While walking to finals with Jasmine Raphaella, they discuss how today they will know if they are staying in Texas
* Shown being invited to training camp

**(7.2)**

* Has a scene of home life with Jasmine Raphaella prior to the second rehearsal
* She’s one of the rookies at the Verandah Club practice

**(7.3)**

* Her conversation with Kelli at uniform fittings is shown: she tells Kelli that she and Jasmine live together very close to Valley Ranch. Danielle jokes about the others not being able to understand her when her New York accent comes out, such as how she says “mascara”

**(7.4)**

* Has a long segment at makeovers where they try to figure out what to do with her, and Kelli and Rainer get into a little feud
* Makeover glamour shot: hair is a little bit darker

**(7.6)**

* She’s one of the rookie TCC’s that meet up at a coffee shop before rehearsal

### **Season 8**

**(8.2)**

* She tells the camera she’s trying not to think about her foot (as she recently injured it), while she is waiting to come out to perform her solo
* Kelli, Judy, and Charlotte initially plan to cut her, but Kelli changes her mind as they are announcing the training camp candidates, and announce her as the fourth-to-last one to make training camp

**(8.3)**

* Introduces herself at the opening meeting: When she was 12 or 13, she played ice hockey.

**(8.6)**

* Despite being involved in the office visit that directly leads to Chelsea Elizabeth’s eventual cut, the show makes an effort to clear her of any insubordination by showing her as contrite about being called in for weight

### **Season 9**

**(9.2)**

* At panel interviews she’s asked what an “audible” means, and correctly responds that the quarterback changed the play

### **Season 10**

**(10.2)**

* She’s shown
* She’s the first one shown being invited back to training camp

**(10.7)**

* If you pause, you can see a list of the scores she received at auditions: she was ranked #9 and received 15 yeses and 1 maybe

### **Season 11**

**(11.4)**

* Announced as group leader for Group 2

### **Season 12**

**(12.2)**

* Mentioned as a retiree by Kelli

### **Season 14**

**(14.9)**

* She reappears in a scene with Christina (she had helped get Christina hired at their company), and gives her advice on balancing work and being a DCC.

## Misc.

* Former New York Jets Flight Crew cheerleader