The small town of Semmes, Alabama got the surprise of a lifetime when the Prancing Elites, an all male, gay dance team from Mobile, Alabama, performed at their Christmas Day parade, sparking controversy across social media, reports AL.com.
The Elites, which consists of Captain Kentrell Collins, 26, Adrian Clemons, 23, Jerel Maddox, 23, Kareem Davis, 22, and Timothy Smith, 22, were invited by Karen McDuffie, who sits on the board of directors of the Friends of Semmes, the creators of the event.
McDuffie claims that she had no idea that the group would perform such “vulgar” and inappropriate dances.
“I had no idea that they would be dressed the way they were and that they would think it’s appropriate for a community Christmas parade,” she said. “Their costumes and the style of dancing were inappropriate.”
Read more from AL.com:
The group dances in a style called J-Setting, a hip-hop-style dance characterized by cheerleading-style sharp movements that originated at Jackson State University in Jackson, Miss. The dance style was historically performed by women since the 1970s, but some men started taking part in the style in the mid-1990s.
The Prancing Elites, who recently danced their way into viral fame, first started in 2004, with Collins filling the role as the group’s captain in 2006. They started out as a 10-member ensemble with rigorous practices and performance schedules. Today there are only five members.
Three of them played instruments and one was a drum major in their high school bands. They wanted to join the dance squads, but said they were never allowed.
In July, they appeared on ”The Real,” a daytime talk show hosted by Tamar Braxton, Loni Love, Adrienne Bailon, Jeannie Mai and Tamera Mowry-Housley. They were also invited to speak on the Tom Joyner Morning Show. And in November they auditioned for America’s Got Talent.
All this fame was precipitated by a tweet in June from basketball star Shaquille O’Neal, who saw a video of them dancing on YouTube. The video went viral in two days, garnering about 200,000 views.
To watch the video, click here.
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