Fans of the hip-hop majorette-style dance reality show “Bring It!” will be able to watch several of its competitors, as well as Greenwood’s own Virtuous Divine dance troupe, live on Saturday in Greenwood.
The second annual “Buck Wild” dance competition, hosted by Virtuous Divine, will be held at 2 p.m. at the Leflore County Civic Center. Tickets may be purchased from members of Virtuous Divine in advance for $8 and will be $12 at the door.
The Lifetime show, which features dance coach Dianna Williams and the Dancing Dolls troupe of Jackson, takes viewers into the fast-paced world of hip-hop majorette dance competitions. Its fourth episode will air tonight.
“People who like the show will love this competition,” said Fulvia Ford, director and main chorographer of Virtuous Divine. “It would be great for the city to experience this. Sometimes I even get amazed at some of the competitions.”
Virtuous Divine has been competing for more than a year. The team is composed of three divisions: a baby squad for ages 3-5, a junior squad for grades K-6 and a senior squad for grades 7-12.
Since the team started competing, it has placed at almost every event. The junior squad was grand champion, the highest honor in the dance competitions, in December 2013.
Virtuous Divine’s most recent award was at the Prancing Tigerettes Jamboree on March 8 in Memphis, where the junior squad placed second in the field show division. The Dancing Dolls took first place.
Ford said the Lifetime crew was at the competition filming, and the Virtuous Divine junior squad will be featured in an upcoming episode of “Bring It!” The date has not been released.
Virtuous Divine, formerly known as Virtue Dance Studio, was created by Ford five years ago. Then, Ford’s class consisted of only two members. Today, the studio is packed with its 48 members.
Ford, a former member of the Mississippi Valley State University Satin Dolls, said that although the hip-hop majorette style of dancing has just recently gained a nationwide interest with the exposure on “Bring It!,” the style of dancing is not new.
“It’s like what you would see at halftime shows at a SWAC football game but on another level,” she said. “It’s the same type of uniforms and the same style of dance.”
These routines use a large number of dancers to pull off formations, synchronized movements, stunts and dance routines.
The divisions include field show, parade, pom pom, prop and stand battle.
The stand battle is considered to be the most intense category and is an audience favorite. In it, teams paired together go back and forth with choreographed dance sequences until the judges determine a winner.
Although the sequences have been practiced beforehand, the dancers have to decide when they are used in the spur of the moment based on the opposing team's sequence.
Ford, who has danced for 16 years, said the public’s reception of “Bring It!” is exciting for her and her dancers.
“A lot people haven’t considered this really dancing. That makes you feel inferior to traditional dancers,” said Ford. “It really has touched my heart for this to be recognized. It gives my dancers self-worth and value, and they know they have something to offer.”
Although the Dolls will not be at Saturday’s event, several of the dance teams they have competed against on the show will be there.
Some include the Golden Dazzlers and Prancing Stepperettes, both of Jackson; the Sparkling Jewels of Clarksdale; special guest the Millennium Madness drill team; and several other dance teams from Mississippi and Tennessee.
Virtuous Divine is upping its practice regimen to once a day this week to prepare for the competition. The team usually practices twice a week, but practices gradually increase as competition day nears.
“This is the only competition like this in Greenwood,” said Ford. “We’ve been traveling everywhere, so it will mean a lot to perform here. It would also mean a lot to the girls to have the community behind them for support.”
• Contact Ruthie Robison at 581-7233 or rrobison@gwcommonwealth.com.
