By Janice Malone
NASHVILLE, TN — Bring It! now in its third season on Lifetime, shines a spotlight on the elite world of hip-hop majorette competitions. Coach Dianna Williams (aka “Miss D”), and her Dancing Dolls troupe refuse to lose. New episodes of “Bring It!” can be seen on Lifetime Fridays at 9 p.m. Eastern/8 p.m. Central.
The Bring It! Live tour is currently on the road, as it features founder/choreographer Miss D and her Dancing Dolls. They’re all coming to Nashville August 1st at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center show time at 7:30 pm. They will be performing original routines live and in person. Nashville fans can get up close and personal by participating in all the exciting action with live audience voting, a chance to ask your favorite Bring It! Doll a question, right from your seat and get some exclusive “behind-the-scenes” insights about the show. The Bring It! Live tour promises to be a high-action night of unbelievable feats with Miss D working her magic, taking the Dolls from live rehearsals to an unforgettable finale performance.
Founded in 2001 by Dianna Williams, or “Miss D,” the Dancing Dolls of Jackson, Mississippi, are one of the country’s preeminent dance troupes, with over 15 Grand Champion titles and more than 100 trophies under their belt. With their adorable smiles and unique high-energy dance style, the Dolls, ages 7 to 17. They have taken the world of hip-hop majorette competition by storm. Each episode follows the top Dolls and their dedicated moms as they prepare for cutthroat competitions, parades, and showcases, culminating in nail-biting stand-battles against their biggest rivals.
The Tribune had a chance to chat with Miss D between tour stops about the show, the Dolls and what’s next in her red-hot career.
TRIBUNE: What are some of the things for this year’s tour that fans can expect as compared to previous tours? MISS D: This year’s tour is the most interactive that we’ve ever been ever before. We received a lot of energetic movement. It’s going to be a whole lot of fun, with lots of new dance routines and tricks. Last year’s tour was amazing but this year tour will feature a lot of new things fans have never seen before.
TRIBUNE: The dancing dolls are such a success story. Can you just give us maybe two or three success stories of some young ladies who were once dancing dolls and what they’re doing now? MISS D: There are no specific success stories. But there’s some who have their own companies; they’ve finished colleges; some started their own businesses and have their own families. The girls who are the current cast members on the show, the ones that you viewers see right now, are in college…You know, in addition to winning 15 grand championships, the best part of all this for me is working with these girls and watching them grow. Watching them grow as dancers, watching them grow as people. It’s been really amazing for me.
TRIBUNE: How did you get started into the world of dance? MISS D: Well, I’ve been dancing my whole life and, in 2001, I decided to create the “Dancing Dolls” to give girls the opportunity to dance and grow as individuals – the same way that dance impacted me in my youth.
TRIBUNE: What is the audition process like to try out to become a member of the Dancing Dolls? MISS D: We usually make the announcement at the end of every season, which is around Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s three cities (Jackson, MS, Birmingham, AL and Stone Mountain, GA) with three different teams and the different teams have to have their auditions opened to the public. We post on social media and it’s open for anyone to come. There are strict audition classes. We also have a small camp where we teach the different things that they need to know, which is about a 3 to 4-day process.
TRIBUNE: Do you have any upcoming new projects with the Dancing Dolls that you can share with us? MISS D: Well, right now I’m going to be focusing on my family. I’ve had to put my family to the side for many years. So right now my son is my project. He is my major focus. My husband is also A big focus too. I currently have three Doll Houses that are running concurrently at the same time but it’s time for me to take a step back. But I do have a few things in the works that I’m not able to speak about but right now my main focus is my family…But my husband clearly understands over the last 5 years, that I’ve spent so much time filming and nurturing other people kids. So, it’s now time for me to focus on my family.
