“Often imitated but never equaled.”

For decades, this phrase has appropriately been associated with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (DCC).

Original Director, Dee Brock, utilized high school students with traditional cheers to lead the crowd until 1965. Brock then met Frances Roberson, a local high school drill-team director, and invited him to add dance elements to the Dallas Cowboys sidelines.

With a glamorous stadium opening in the early 1970s came inspiration from Cowboys President Tex Schramm, who charged Brock with developing a more polished team of entertainers. The style and influence of newly hired Choreographer Texie Waterman, along with the debut of a flashy star-spangled outfit, resulted in the birth of a new Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders image that would ultimately change entertainment in sports.

The DCC grew in popularity throughout their second decade with Director Suzanne Mitchell. In 1976, the DCC captivated millions of viewers at the Super Bowl, furthering cementing who they are today. The Cheerleaders, unrivaled in their beauty, style, athleticism, became America’s Sweethearts.

Co-Owner and Chief Brand Officer Charlotte Jones entrusted the group to Senior Director Kelli Finglass and Head Choreographer Judy Trammell in 1991. Since then, this dynamic duo has continued to pursue performance excellence that is unrivaled in professional sports.

The DCC have dazzled stages across the globe. To date, they have made over 85 United Service Organizations (USO) tours, spanning over 40 countries, including Japan, South Korea, Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Iceland, Greenland and Cuba. For their continuous commitment and dedication to entertaining US troops, the Cheerleaders were the first recipients of the first-ever USO Spirit of Hope Award and have been honored with the Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall of Fame Award. They have also earned the American Legion’s Distinguished Service Medal.

In 2018, the classic blue-and-white DCC uniform was added to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History collection as a permanent symbol of pop culture.

Their influence has extended far beyond the football field for decades. Self-titled, made-for-television movies in 1979 and 1980 both received top ratings, and they have made guest appearances on shows like American Idol, Conan, The Late Show with David Letterman, Saturday Night Live, The Today Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more. The DCC celebrated 16 years as CMT’s longest running and highest-rated series, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team. More recently, they reached #1 on Netflix in the US with America’s Sweethearts: The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. Their cultural impact is also seen in numerous national magazine covers, their annual sideline calendars, Mattel Barbie doll and their famous 1977 poster – one of the best sellers of all time.

At the heart of the DCC sisterhood is a deep commitment to community service and uplifting others. From visits to schools, hospitals and nursing homes, to hosting youth dance and cheer camps, the DCC are dedicated to making a positive impact beyond the sidelines. Each year, they also perform during the Dallas Cowboys nationally televised Thanksgiving halftime show that kicks of The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign.

Whether they’re cheering on the sidelines at AT&T Stadium, performing on USO stages worldwide or appearing on televisions in homes across the country, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are an institution that is truly unmatched.