DALLAS COWBOYS CHEERLEADERS: MAKING THE TEAM PHOTOS

Kelli Finglass, the DCC director, has a mandate to have a squad of 36, making this a super competitive year. New to the mix of judges this year are two celebrities -- former DCC and Dancing with the Stars winner Melissa Rycroft and platinum-selling country music recording artist Neil McCoy. With 55 high caliber new girls making it to finals, it's intimidating for the 30 veterans as they must fight to keep their place on the team. Unfortunately for a few vets, it's the end of the line. For the super talented 43 who make training camp, the exhilaration is short lived as the reality of the most demanding dance audition in professional sports becomes real. Season nine brings everything you love -- girls reaching for their dreams and the emotional, drama-ridden journey to make them come true. The payoff is becoming part of the best team in the business -- the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.