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'Bring It!' hosts are Chattanoogans
KNOW THE TERMINOLOGY
Battle: Dance competitions. Battles are comprised of categories such as field show, creative dancing, creativity with props and poms.Battle Royale: Highly competitive dance battles for top honors; the equivalent of sports playoffs.Bucking: Repetitive pelvic thrusts as part of a dance sequence.Death drop: A fall, or drop, backward onto the dancer’s back with one leg folded underneath.Hand motions: Blades, L’s, jazz hands.Heel stretch: A move in which a dancer stands on one leg and holds the foot of the other leg straight up with the same-side hand. The other arm is held up in half a “V.”J-Setting: Moves inspired by those of the Prancing J-Settes, the Jackson State University marching band’s dance line.Stand battle: Teams draw numbers and are paired together. Both teams in the pair try to out-dance the other in eight-count sequences. An eight-count is a stand, thus the name. Some competitions may designate the number of eight-counts to be performed, others might allow teams to go back and forth until the judges determine a winner.Source: Various Internet sites, Kayla Moore
Inside a nondescript, white, concrete-block storefront on Ringgold Road, hip-hop music is thumping, setting the beat for two dozen teens in dance rehearsal.
Facing the dance studio's wall of mirrors, the girls strut forward in a single-file line. Just before reaching the mirror, the lead dancer bows from the waist, snaps a neck-cracking hair whip, then peels off to the right. One by one, each girl behind her marches up to repeat the sequence while checking the mirror to perfect her moves because this is a trademark of the group, which calls itself Royal Envy.
"That's what we're known for," says Royal Envy choreographer Kayla Moore. "Every time we exit a competition, we do some kind of hair whip as we go off the floor."
Royal Envy is one of several local dance teams competing in the world of majorette dancing, a growing phenomena across the South spurred on by the popularity of the Lifetime television show "Bring It!"
Majorettes have traditionally been female auxiliaries for marching bands; the girls dress in spangled uniforms, toss batons into the air or twirl them in eight-count cadences of rigid-arm movements in time to the band's music.
That's old-school.
Hip-hop majorette dancing is high-energy, synchronized, rhythmic dance moves that draw from ballet, jazz, modern dance, hip-hop and gymnastics. Teams of black females compete - or "battle" - with other teams around the South. Just like traveling sports teams, these women are on the road almost every weekend at competitions held year-round.
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's auxiliary, Elite, was the first such dance group in Chattanooga 10 years ago. Ladies of Excellence is believed to have been the first teen competitive dance team to form in Chattanooga about seven years ago. They've since been joined by Royal Envy, RAH Spirit and Power in Motion.
Undoubtedly, the most famous teen troupe is the Dancing Dolls of Jackson, Miss., who are the stars of "Bring It!"
The Dolls were founded in 2001 by Dianna Williams - known as Miss D - and they've won 15 Grand Champion titles at dance competitions nationwide and have more than 100 trophies to their credit. Because of their reputation as the best, they are naturally the target of majorette teams in dance battles across the South who hope to beat them for bragging rights - and that's the premise of the show.
The Friday-night reality show on Lifetime follows the Dolls' members from rehearsals through battles, and also includes the teen angst of their daily lives. For example, one episode focused on whether a Doll would skip an important battle to go to prom. Just like "Dance Moms," - another Lifetime reality show that followed mothers trying to turn their children into stars - "Bring It!" also includes a lot of backstage "mama drama" and a coach who alternately yells and coaxes to get results from her team.
"Bring It!" has aired two seasons, and consistently wins Friday night ratings among all cable shows. Royal Envy was featured on its Sept. 4 episode competing with - and almost beating - the Dancing Dolls.
"Majorette dancing is still fairly new to this area," says Moore, 22, a UTC senior and member of Elite. "When I came to Chattanooga four years ago, teams were forming. Since 'Bring It!,' that's when it really took off."
PARENT-STUDENT COMMITMENT
Husband and wife Marquis and Shunyale Griffin formed Royal Envy two years ago after their oldest daughter's majorette team folded when the coach went back to school. The Griffins have two daughters, Raven and Maegan, who are among 64 dancers in Royal Envy, whose dancers range in age from 4 years old to high school seniors.
Shunyale's only dance experience was at Hixson High School before she graduated in 1993. Yet she and Marquis still thought starting Royal Envy was appropriate because "we knew it would be run professionally, and could make sure the dancing was not too sexy for their ages," she says.
Indeed, the bust-jiggling, pelvic-swiveling dances have drawn criticism from viewers for being too sexy and for exploiting teenage girls. Common Sense Media reviewed "Bring It!" as "lots of booty shaking and skin-revealing costumes."
"We hear that all the time," says LaShaunda Locklin, whose daughter, Miracle Evans, is a member of Ladies of Excellence. "And they talk about the uniforms. But ballet wears leotards, too. And this dancing includes ballet, hip-hop, cheerleading, gymnastics. The moves are the same, it's just presented differently."
The positives outweigh any negatives, insist dancers and parents. And college scholarships are offered in majorette dancing, they note.
Royal Envy and Ladies of Excellence members must maintain a 2.75 GPA during the school year. Royal Envy practices twice a week, about 6-10 hours total. On competition weeks, it's not unusual to rehearse four or five days a week, says Shunyale.
There is no competition "season;" battles are held year-round. The dancers also participate in community events. For example, in upcoming months, Royal Envy will be strutting in the Hamilton Place, Red Bank and Cleveland Christmas parades.
Royal Envy parents are given an orientation, Shunyale says, about what to expect. There is a $40 per month fee, and parents are required to purchase four uniforms, which usually cost around $300. Every girl must be accompanied by a parent to competitions, which involves paying hotel and food expenses. If a bus is required for traveling, parents hold raffles to pay that bill.
The group travels with a hairstylist/makeup artist, Erika Armstrong, to every competition. In addition to Moore, Royal Envy's coaches include Devante Williams and Marquita Davis.
Ladies of Excellence rehearse three hours, four days a week; all week if it's a competition week, says Miracle Evans, 17, a student at Center for Creative Arts. Miracle has been dancing for six years and she is one of the choreographers for Ladies of Excellence, which has appeared on "Bring It!" four times during its two seasons.
"It's fun. We get to travel," says Jazsmin Mason, 16, a student at Howard High School and member of Ladies of Excellence.
Brittany Grayson, founder of Ladies of Excellence, says its fee is $1,280 a year in addition to travel expenses of $600 to $800. Hair extensions can cost anywhere from $200 to $300, then add $60 to $150 more to get them done. Parents also must buy three costumes to purchase, she says, and one costume alone was $175 this year.
"But the girls get recognition from participating," says Grayson, whose daughters Tiyanna and Tyaja are dancers. "One of our girls tried out and made Dianna Williams' all-star team.
"Our practice starts at 6 p.m., but the girls have to be there at 5 for study hall. This is like a job," Grayson explains. "Their payment is in trophies."
Contact Susan Pierce at spierce@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6284.
