by N. Renee Brown
Basically: Lizzo hosts an 8 episode audition for 10 new Big Grrrl Dancers by dumping them into a mansion and giving them a 20-day tryout. Oh, and it isn’t a sh*tshow!
Complete disclosure: I adore Lizzo, but who doesn’t?
So, reality TV is based in conflict. We all know it, we all see it. Hell, it’s typically why we keep watching it. Sadly, that is the last thing we need right now. So, when I saw Lizzo was jumping on this bandwagon, I was worried. I needn’t have been. Lizzo is a better person than that and I should remember that more often. Honestly, this show is the kind of joy we need right now.
Lizzo brings us 10 talented, beautiful, big grrrl dancers. Ten dancers who rock their socks off and shake everything they’ve got! These girls move like I’ve never seen, which made me want to get up and shake it a bit too…but it isn’t just about dancing. Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls is about making connections, not just with the music but with one another. Remember, when they walk out of this show, these ladies have to be a cohesive unit backing up Lizzo. There isn’t room for conflict and grudges, not while you’re working to perfect choreography. Sheesh!
Lizzo brings them together not just to learn dance steps but, gloriously, wonderfully, to learn about themselves as well. Through movement, experiences, classes…we get to watch these women grow and learn in the 20 days they have to prepare for the final episode—where they either will or will not join Lizzo to perform on stage at Bonnaroo.
The amazing thing about Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls is the dancers aren’t just there to fit into a pre-defined space. These ladies are allowed to have boundaries that are RESPECTED instead of mocked. They are allowed to have injuries that are attended to, not ignored. They are encouraged to be their authentic selves, instead of hiding. And most of all, they are allowed to be flawed and lovely all at the same time.
In the End: Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls gives us what we need in the world, less cruelty and more beauty. It puts big grrrls being best grrrls on full display!
Stream Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls on Friday on Amazon.
