For four seasons, former dancer-turned-instructor Dianna Williams, also known as Miss D, and her squad of young dancers from her Dollhouse Dance Factory, have wowed television audiences with their moves. Some of the behind-the-scenes drama between her, the girls, and their parents can be found on the Lifetime television reality series, Bring It.
Miss D and the girls are currently on hiatus from the show, but that doesn’t mean the action ends. They are still hard at work twirling around the country with their Bring It Live tour.
What the tour promises to bring, in addition to the lovely young women of the Dollhouse Dance Factory, is all new music compilations, choreography and video segments. There will also be interactive elements and audience participation, new tour merchandise and VIP Packages. The tour hits Minneapolis July 26 at the Orpheum Theater.
The Mississippi born and raised Miss D admits that she was somewhat unsure when she was first approached by Lifetime to do the show featuring what she describes as her “wildly successful” dance squad.
She explains, “I had some mixed feelings. I mean everybody has mixed feelings, mixed emotions in the midst of anything. Being a part of a production company is just one thing [but] having the responsibility of a television show? I have businesses I have to run outside. I have family. I have other things I do besides Dancing Dolls.
“There’s a lot of reservations about ‘Am I giving enough time to my family? Am I giving enough time to my company?’ As far as not wanting to do the show, though, that never crossed my mind. When God gives you opportunities, it’s your responsibility to move forward with them.”
Although she remains relatively tight-lipped about the specifics, Miss D is excited about what this year’s tour will bring. She assures us this tour will please audiences as much as the previous one and we will get to see familiar faces. “There are 10 girls on the tour and they are some of the main characters from the show.”
She elaborates, “It’s a live tour. That’s exactly what it says. The girls will be doing a lot. There are a lot of things on the show that are cut and edited [and] people don’t get the opportunity to see the full effect of everything that they do.
“This way, you get the opportunity to see everything and hear everything up close and personal. Trust me, the show is very entertaining. People had reservations last year and we had over eighty thousand fans show up. We expect the same thing this year.”
Looking back on her past experiences in Minneapolis, what sticks out in her mind the most about the city is the weather. She says in her customary plainspoken style, “I’ve been to Minneapolis a few times. The last time I was there it was freezing cold and white everywhere so we’re looking forward to being there in warmer weather.”
One of the dancers on the squad, Kenarie, says she is, “looking forward to traveling to different states and [get] the opportunity to represent this team from Jackson, Mississippi.” This is her first time on the tour and she is excited about participating with her Doll sisters. She also said she hopes to visit the Mall of America with the squad while in Minneapolis.
The young women of Dancing Dolls are at the pinnacle of elite, competitive dance squads, having won over fifteen Grand Champion titles and one hundred trophies. When asked to what exactly she attributes their great success she replied, “That would be a question you’d have to ask God. I can’t say why the team is so popular or why things happen the way that they do. One thing I pride myself on is not trying to be like anyone else, being unique. It’s the reality of being real that people respect so much — it’s not fake.”
Miss D admits that one of the most rewarding aspects of her work is the changes that she sees in the girls over the time that they spend under her tutelage. Her voice softens a bit as she thinks about the growth that she has witnessed in some of her dancers in the past.
Mimi Harris, mother to dancer Kenarie, can attest to this growth. “I put my daughter in dance classes because I felt dance was always a way to release any and all emotions… Dance has helped my daughter by overcoming the shy and timid side that she’s always had. She has released that side and turned into a dance beast! She is now able to perform in front of thousands of people with full blown confidence.”
Says Miss D, “Seeing the girls continue to evolve and become young women more confident in themselves, I think anyone would be proud. The object of our team and our company is to build up young girls to become more confident, to become more determined, and to know how to persevere in the face of adversity and to overcome all obstacles and achieve. It definitely makes me proud.”
For ticket information regarding Bring It Live go to: www.bringitlivetour.com.
Nadine Matthews welcomes readers’ comments to nadine@deeniemedia.com.
Nadine Matthews is a contributing writer at the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. She can be reached at nmatthews@spokesman-recorder.com or on Twitter at @deeniemedia.