Ashley Burandt

* 21 years old from Texas. Last year, she tried out for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, and at that point she had only been dancing for two months. [*Scenes from last year’s tryout shown*] But she still made the semifinals. In the kick line, she ended up doing it backwards, so she thinks that’s where she messed up. She’s been dancing exactly a year and a half now, and she feels completely prepared. She wants to become a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader because she’s excited to be involved in all their outreach programs. [*Shot of her and her boyfriend talking about auditions*] She’s been dating her boyfriend for about a year and a half. He has cystic fibrosis, so his outlook on life is completely different. He’s encouraged her to take it one day at a time and live life to the complete fullest.

### **Season 5**

**(5.1)**

* While we were watching Kelli speak, I just was looking at the field behind her and imagining myself dancing on the field. And I can’t wait, and I really hope I make it.
* [Waiting for preliminaries results] I feel confident in my performance today. I think I did really well.
* Biography

**(5.2)**

* I come to Kitty, because I know she will tell me the truth.
* [Kitty Carter criticizes her outfit] I knew she was gonna be calling me out on something. I just didn’t know what it was gonna be.

**(5.3)**

* I’m not quite sure what we’re gonna be talking about during the meeting. I don’t know if I should be nervous or not, so…
* [The screen says “home footage” and she is talking into her camera] All right, I just got back from Valley Ranch from my first day at training camp, and I am hitting the books. I am gonna be pulling an all-nighter tonight, studying in the big book, the DCC bible, basically. And it’ll be a fun night.
* Vets are amazing. They’re all perfectly in sync with the music and looked like a little team traveling across.
* There were us rookies that were all over the place. Just like little chickens with their heads cut off.
* Double pirouette – that’s not my specialty.
* I want to show Kelli and Judy that I can dance and that I can also keep up with the veterans, and that I’m just not some dumb blonde.
* This is a very intense experience. If they see that they can have improvement, they’ll call you out on it.
* [Office visits announced] I felt, like, a sinking feeling when I heard my name. I was critiqued a lot by Judy today.
* [Before office] I really don’t know what to expect, you know. I’m an optimistic person, so, you know, whatever happens, happens.
* [After office] I’m overwhelmed and I have a lot to work on, so I’m just gonna give it my best.

**(5.4)**

* [Uniform fitting] I’m basically wearing underwear in public right now. It’s super-revealing.
* [Office visits announced] I don’t even know what to think; I don’t know what to expect. I’m just performing my best and trying my hardest, so that’s all I can do.
* [Waiting for office visit] I don’t know whether to be nervous, scared, excited, happy. I don’t know, I’m just going in with my head high, and whatever happens happens. I tried my best, and that’s all I can offer.
* [After cut, flashbacks shown] I came into this thing not knowing what to expect. I’m happy that I got to try on the uniform. I’ve been able to dance on the field. It’s been a journey. It’s been fun.

## **Commentary**

### **Season 5**

**(5.1)**

* [Semifinals judging] Pretty girl. Great figure. She had short legs./ And her kicks were very low.

**(5.2)**

* Is this your outfit you’re wearing? Because to me, this is not putting any effort into it. – Kitty Carter
* Cute costume. – K/ Yeah. – J
* Cute but clumsy. – K

**(5.3)**

* [*Judy comes up to her during a dance and tries to correct her as they are moving across the room*]
* Stop! Just stop! – J [*Judy then pulls her out as the rookies are dancing to try to correct her again*]
* She can’t count. – J

**(5.4)**

* No, Ashley, do it again. That was wrong. Straight legs. Wider legs. There you go. – J
* Ashley’s really just all over the place. She’s beautiful, but I can’t force her to learn the dances correctly. She has to do it on her own. And right now, she just doesn’t have what it takes. – J
* Counts at the beginning were just really off, Ashley. – J/ I know I messed up. Instead of going up, I went out. – Ashley/ Oh, it was more than that but… – J
* Courtney, you and Ashley have the same problem: you cannot count. – J

## **Office Visits**

### **Season 5**

**(5.3)**

* [First of three] Kelli tells her that she got picked on tonight. She’s got to learn to count. Kelli thinks she has flexibility issues and just basic dance presentation. What is evident, which will take time – and they don’t have much time – is, can she gain the flexibility? Judy opines that her flexibility is the only thing that’s going to keep her back, so she has to work really hard. Kelli says attitude and effort mean a lot here. Ashley says she’ll give it all she has. Kelli tells her to really focus on the couple of things they’ve talked about. [*Ashley leaves*] Kelli says she’s pretty. Judy says very pretty and has the tightest kicks – Kelli adds “in the room”.

**(5.4)**

* [Fourth of four] Kelli asks how she feels, and Ashley says she feels overwhelmed right now. Judy says she’s probably one of the least trained dancers in the room – she started way late. Kelli says they wanted to see her in training camp, and now that they have their observations are that her kicks are way low. Her dance technique is not developed enough, and she’s fighting the music. They don’t need to spend any more time evaluating her. TWBYLN. They don’t think she’s ready for this season’s squad. Judy knows that it’s something she can work on and then come back and audition again. Ashley thanks them for having her there and trying her out.

## **End of Journey**

### **Season 4**

**(4.1)**

* Makes it to semifinals and is then cut

### **Season 5**

**(5.4)**

* First cut of training camp during week 2 (1st out of 10, 43 left after cut)

## **Other**

### **Season 5**

**(5.1)**

* After she makes semifinals, she runs up to and kisses her boyfriend – this leads into her biography
* Shown being invited to finals
* Shown hugging her boyfriend after she makes finals

**(5.2)**

* Shown performing her solo for Kitty Carter
* Last person shown being invited to training camp

**(5.3)**

* She is shown making a mistake while Judy gives a confessional saying they don’t have time for mistakes