Dance troupe needs local support: JD3 is competing for a spot on 'Bring It!'

Judah Dazzling Diamond Dancers – JD3 – of St. Mary Parish need the support of their community as they compete for the No. 1 spot as finalist to be on the hit television dance show “Bring It!”

“Bring It!” is a Lifetime Network docuseries showcasing the trials, errors and triumphs of hip hop majorette dance troupe The Dancing Dolls of Jackson, Mississippi.

Each episode follows the dancers and their mothers as they prepare for competitions, parades and showcases.

JD3 is currently one of the top three finalists in the audition phase to be cast as competitors on the show.

“It feels good that we have come this far,” said De’Iryah Green, one of the captains of the junior dance squad.

“It feels like we have power in our city that some people wouldn’t be able to do the things we do. It feels good to be able to be on TV with the big people.”

Green, 11, is a fifth-grader at J.B. Maitland Elementary School.

“We are working hard,” said Aaliyah Davis, one of the dance team’s senior squad captains. “We are proud that we have gotten this far. It feels amazing. In a small town, a team would never be able to do that before.”

Davis, 15, is a ninth-grader at Central Catholic High School.

JD3 dance troupe was selected by “Bring It!” scouts at a competition they attended, said JD3 Director Shamika Gray-Francois.

At the competition, the troupe placed first in two categories and second in two other categories.

“They were very interested and impressed with us,” Francois said.

The scouts asked to meet with Francois after the competition and asked for her contact information.

“They said the group was very good and, at the time, recorded footage of the dancers’ performance,” Francois said. “And they were going to send it to the show’s producers.

“If producers were interested, they would give Francois a call on a Wednesday. They didn’t say what Wednesday but on a Wednesday.”

The “Bring It!” producers contacted and informed Joshua Gray, one of the head coaches, the next steps in the process.

Kirsten Hill is also head coach of JD3.

The troupe uploaded an audition video clip on YouTube as a requirement of the show’s casting process.

Now, the competition is on for the dance troupe with the largest fan base on YouTube.

The producers are trying to see who has a large fan base and can bring more viewers to the show. So they’re looking for a team that has a lot of support.

“Right now, we are leading in likes by maybe 100,” Francois said. “But in views, we’re behind by 600.

“So that’s why we’re getting the word out and reaching out to the community. Because this is a major hit show and our hometown girls have this opportunity.

“It’s just an honor to be selected as one of the three finalists, to be on national television.”

The city of Morgan City can also benefit if the dance troupe is selected.

“If the girls are selected, this could be a boost in the local economy because a lot of the show’s filming would be done in Morgan City as they video additional footage of the JD3 dancers,” Francois said.

“We’re hoping we can put Morgan City on the map with this.”

“Morgan City, please go like and comment, view and make sure that every one of your friends and all families view our video so that we can be on Bring It! and show Mississippi how it’s done,” Green said.

The video can be viewed online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80mFw95JDfI&feature=youtu.be

The deadline to view the video and like it is 11:59 p.m. Sunday.

The JD3 dancers will perform in the Krewe of Adonis Mardi Gras parade in Morgan City and Krewe of Amani parade in Patterson.