Hailing all the way from Jackson, Mississippi, Bring It! coach Miss D. and her talented Dancing Dolls will be performing at the Murat Theatre at Old National Centre on July 20th. The Dancing Dolls, which consists of children ages 10 – 17, has over 15 Grand Champion titles, more than 100 trophies and a hit reality television show on Lifetime.
We recently spoke with Miss D. about their upcoming Indy performance and her plans for next season of Bring It!
Recorder: Last summer’s Bring It! live tour was a big success, but I’m sure you have new tricks up your sleeve for this year. I saw that there may even be some audience participation involved. Can you tell me about any new elements you are planning for this year’s tour?
Miss D: Last year we were in Indiana for a show, and last year did include some audience participation. I think they got caught off guard, because they didn’t think I was going to come off that stage. Being out and in the crowd is where I feel most confortable. I love to get up close and personal and interact with the fans. I want them to not just sit back and watch, but to be a part of it. Watching me dance or host on TV is nothing like seeing me live. It’s a different feel and experience. Going into this year’s tour, everything will not just triple, it will quadruple in size. I’m going to be dancing a lot more this time around. We have a couple of surprises that I’m not going to give away right now.
I’m sure fans of the series probably come out to your shows thinking they know what to expect. How is the live show different from the television show?
Watching on TV, everything is edited down to where you don’t get to see the full routine. Our routines are not 30 seconds to two minutes; they are 25 to thirty minutes. That’s a long time for kids to be dancing, but they do it. Being at the live show, you will see the routine all the way through and engage in the story aspect. You also get a chance to really know the team while we are on tour. You get to know their stories.
What can fans expect for the next season of Bring It? Any changes coming to the show?
We have already started filming the next season, and we are almost done. There has been a lot of extra, extra drama. I am like, where did that come from? I would tell the fans to buckle your seatbelts this season. There is so much controversy, so much chatter and arguing, but there is also a lot of heart and a lot of love. One episode in particular, and I’m not going to say which one because they have to watch, but one episode teaches a life lesson to the girls when they are in a situation where they are all shocked. People watching the show will really appreciate the life lesson they will learn in that episode.
The Dancing Dolls have become a force to be reckoned with in the world of dance. What qualities do you and your dancers have that allows you to be so successful, and what advice do you have for local aspiring dancers seeking success?
The Dancing Dolls are fearless. That’s the thing I love so much about these kids. They are willing to step out of their comfort zone and do things that they are totally uncomfortable doing, just to see if they actually can do it. A lot of people are afraid to fail, especially with social media because social media is a monster and it will beat these kids down because of things like their skin, their hair. The way they talk is different because they are from the south, but they can’t help that. Dancers have to be willing to accept the criticism no matter the cost. Continue to push forward, break down barriers and do not give up.
Bring It! Live
Thursday July 20
8:00 p.m.
Murat Theatre at Old National Centre
Purchase tickets at bringitlivetour.com
