Haters gonna hate, but the members of The Prancing Elite aren’t letting that stop them. “When you’re a Prancing Elite, you come in fighting,” member Adrian Clemons, 24, told Kevin Fallon about the criticism the troupe faces dancing in their hometown of Mobile, Alabama. Suffice to say it isn’t easy to be black or gay or both in certain red states.
In order to counter bigotry and keep fighting that good fight, the Prancing Elites teamed up with PFLAG to create a PSA. Critics suggested the quintet of gay men try a different, less feminine dance style, but they wouldn’t abandon their signature look or moves. Kentrell Collins, Adrian, Kareem Davis, Tim Smith, and Jerel Maddox will not be ditching their glittery personas anytime soon.
Dancing to J-Sette choreography, the Prancing Elite gained a huge fan base when Shaquille O’Neal tweeted a video that originally aired as a news segment after they were banned from performing at the local Mobile Christmas parade. Since then — and much to the dismay of their detractors — the group has been taken all over the country to perform at events.
Now, they even have their own docu-series on Oxygen every Wednesday at 10/9c. Watch the African American, gay and non-gender conforming dance team battle societal norms with their passion, humor, and friendship below:
Images c/o Oxygen
