We are so thrilled to welcome you to the brand new Junior Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders program at KJ Dance! We have so many fun things ahead this year. Please carefully read through the information below...there is a lot to share! We have had incredible response to this program and have been working with the DCC to get the year planned out to our best of our ability for the dancers currently enrolled in this program. We plan to make it the best year ever for these performers as we launch into our first year as a Junior DCC host studio!

ACTION STEPS:

1. Download the Remind ap and join the Junior DCC class by July 28th! (instructions below)

**UPDATE**

This is the very first year that the Junior Dallas Cowboys cheerleader studios have been invited to the official "MEET THE TEAM" performance at AT&T stadium! This is a very big honor considering it is only open to the Junior DCC families, DCC alumni and current DCC families. This event is the final run through for this seasons DCC team. They will go through all of their game day choreography and flow. There will be a lot of media and cameras there as well. It is closed to the public and a very exclusive event! This serves as final prep for the DCC's first game, so it’s a lot of fun!! The information listed below is not to be shared with anyone outside of your family. You can bring your immediate family or close family to the event. We need to know if you will attend below but we do not need a headcount.

Audrea & Rachel will meet you in front of Entry gate E to gather as a KJ family! We ask that all of our KJ Junior DCC members wear their pink Junior DCC shirt, blue bow, white skirt/shorts and bring their silver poms!! Please respond below if you plan to attend the event!

Game Day Rehearsal

Thursday, August 22nd

AT&T Stadium

Doors Open: 5:00pm

CLEAR BAG POLICY: SEE ATTACHMENT

Rehearsal Begins: 6:00pm

Parking: Lot 5

Entry: E

**JDCC Sections: 107 & 108**

Please exit following the conclusion of rehearsal. The current DCC take photos with their families who’ve gathered from across the country and on rotation, take them in to see their locker room. This is their annual opportunity to share this space with their own families, so we ask that the staircase to the field, not be used by our other wonderful guests…and it’s a school night.

**UPDATE**

Here are two links to all of the photos from tonight! An icloud photo stream link and a facebook link for you to choose from! Please tag KJ if you post any pics from tonight! We can't wait to get started with choreography next week!

Signing day icloud photo stream link:

https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B1z5rLvyZGqJg

Signing day Facebook album link:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=kjdancedesigns&set=a.998078318993458

We are so excited to have our very first class next Tuesday, August 13th! We have planned an exciting first class including a fantastic "signing day" back drop where we will have pictures taken of the students signing their "certificate." We will also be measuring for uniforms on this day as well as dancing as time allows with the other activities on the 13th. We will be handing out the required t-shirt on the first day as well for pictures to be taken in. Please have your dancer wear their white shorts or white skirt and white tennis shoes for this day!

Born and raised in Plano, Rachel has been a member of the KJ family since she was 3 years old. After growing up at the studio, she attended Texas Tech University and was a three year member of the Pom Squad dance team. Rachel led her team to their first National Championship in school history during her senior year. After college, she moved back home to Dallas to pursue her dreams of becoming a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. She cheered on the sidelines for 4 seasons and then did 2 additional seasons as an All-Star cheerleader. She has been training KJ’s youngest dancers since 2017 and is so excited to be leading the Junior DCC program this year!

Claire Wolford is a Lincoln, Nebraska native. She spent four years cheering for the Dallas Cowboys and is a current Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader all-star. In her time as a cheerleader, she was a leader, traveled to South Korea to perform for the USO, and performed with artists like Dolly Parton, Jonas Brothers, Luke Combs, Queen and Kane Brown. She was also featured on Netflix’s America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders as well as CMT’s DCC Making The Team. Prior to cheering, Claire competed and won Bronze 2x with the Arizona State University Dance Team and danced for the University of Nebraska Scarlets. Aside from dance, she is a pilates instructor and the host of her own podcast, Sweet As Honey. Claire has an incredible passion for teaching and building up the next generation of dancers!

On Wednesday, August 7th at 7:30pm we had a very important ZOOM meeting for parents and dancers. We went over the plans for the year and all of the details regarding the Junior DCC program this year. If you were unable to make the ZOOM meeting the link to the recording is below!

KJ will communicate to dancers and parents through the "REMIND" app. We need all parents to download the remind app and join the "Junior DCC" class through the app. Instructions on how to join can be found below. Please download this app and join the class by this Sunday, July 28th.

We have worked hard with the Dallas Cowboys to get some great performance and appearance opportunities on the calendar for you. We will not know exact dates and times for the Cowboys associated performances until closer to the date but here are the events they have given us:

**UPDATE** 1. Dallas Cowboy’s Rally Day at AT&T Stadium - October 12th - Time TBD

Rally Days

• There are three Rally days this year, the first will be too soon for uniforms and the latter is the same day as DCC Alum Rehearsal will have too many conflicts with DCC.
• Cowboys are trying to have each studio attend at separate times, during October 12th Rally Day.
• Rally Days are fun, family experiences at AT&T Stadium.
• Participants will receive a pass for JDCC member and 2 family members (with more available for purchase) for self-guided tour involving stops that include the DCC Locker Room. Each group is also invited to dance on an area of the field for their family/friends.

**UPDATE** 2. Cowboys Christmas Extravaganza at The Star - November 29th

Cowboys Christmas Extravaganza

• Performances are at 5:40pm, preceding DCC’s 6pm start.
• Location/diagrams and timelines will be shared.
• Show cancellations due to rain have occurred every year. Therefore, DCC will have us double up performances other studios when rescheduling as needed.
• KJ assigned date is November 29th for this event! Yay, bring your family that is in town for Thanksgiving to watch!

**UPDATE** 3. Dallas Holiday Parade in downtown Dallas - December 7th

• Saturday, December 7th
• DCC and a few JDCC reps will be on a small float with JDCC and chaperones walking alongside.

4. NFL Draft weekend

The KJ organized events will also be performances and appearances that our Junior DCC will attend! These events (as of now) are:

CONFIRMED:

1. Lights on The Farm @ Heritage Farmstead Museum. 6:30 or 7:00pm performance. Performers will each receive 2 admission tickets (one for dancer + parent/guest) to enjoy the lights post performance - December 14

2. Rough Riders SPRING GAME!! Date not confirmed but we have moved our performance date to the second half of the year!

3. KJ Dance 12th Annual Giving Gala - Allen Performing Arts Center - April 6, 2025

4. Plano International Festival - October 19

5. KJ Dance Annual End of year Concert (Dress Rehearsals May 27 - 30, 2025 & Concert Performances May 31 - June 1, 2025)

**Attendance is not mandatory at all events but highly encouraged and desired. Staging for each event will be adjusted for the dancers who can attend. We have large groups for each age group, so please be patient with us as we launch into these events for the first time with a program following this model.

There will be a $25 admin fee charged to your online account for each performance that your dancer participates in. There are many hours spent organizing and planning these events outside of the studio and that is what the admin cost will cover.

Your monthly tuition for the Junior DCC program will be $135.

We will be measuring for uniforms on August 13th at our first class! We will need to size each dancer for their required uniform. The uniform is made by Rebel and you will pay the vendor directly for the uniform once the link is open and sizes have been established. The uniform is $235.

The required poms are $35 each and the required bow is $6. More information to be shared on this during our zoom.

**UPDATE** The charges for your required t-shirt ($25), required poms ($35) and required bow ($6) will be posted to your online account on Thursday, August 8th so that we can have them in time for the first class on August 13th!

All KJ Junior DCC will have a couple of required items for important rehearsals and possible performances depending on when uniforms are ready. Everyone will need the t-shirt below, please submit your child's size by July 28th!! Everyone will also need a white athletic skirt, white socks and ALL white tennis shoes!

**UPDATE** The charges for your required t-shirt ($25), required poms ($35) and required bow ($6) will be posted to your online account on Thursday, August 8th so that we can have them in time for the first class on August 13th!

Here is the spreadsheet of the t-shirts that have been ordered from parent responses.

Rebel, a partner of the DCC, has some really cute Junior DCC merchandise for sale. Please see the items below, you will place your order directly through the Rebel website. This merchandise is only offered to participants of the program. These items are optional and not required to participate in the KJ JrDCC program. ONLINE SALES WILL CLOSE AUGUST 1st!! CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR ORDER! When placing your order please enter: Please enter: A-00000000 as your gym account and Ruth Hosier as your rep.

Please contact the KJ Dance Artistic Director, Audrea Cowan will all Junior DCC questions at kjdancedesigns@gmail.com