Lizzo's Leading Ladies: Meet the Big Grrrls
Rising pop superstar Lizzo is changing the game in all kinds of ways. (A singer who also raps and plays the flute? You’d better believe it.) But she’s become an especially important leader in the body-positivity revolution. And that emphasis on diversity and self-love extends to her fabulous group of backup dancers, known as The Big Grrrls.
Over the past few years, as Lizzo’s star has risen, she and choreographer Jemel McWilliams have pulled together a crew dancers of different races, sizes, and heights, five of whom are featured on our cover: Le’Ana Levi Hill, Grace Holden, Courtney Hollinquest, Shirlene Quigley, and Chawntá Van. (The group also includes Dominique Loude and Allison Buczkowski, who unfortunately couldn’t make the photo shoot.) Whether dancing beside Lizzo at the BET Awards or twerking up a storm on tour, these dynamic artists aren’t just super-talented. They also represent a vision of the future of the industry, showing the often narrow-minded pop-music world what a backup crew should look like.
“This is the first time I can just enjoy my curves, enjoy being who I am and what I look like,” Quigley says. “It’s so nice to be around a bunch of girls who are not so about how they look, and more about having a good time and shaking their butts onstage together.”
Photo by Jayme Thornton
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Curvy Girls in a Thin Dancer’s World
While most of The Big Grrrls are still smaller than the average American woman—who, research shows, is a size 16—each one has had to fight outdated beauty ideals in the dance industry. “You’re always asked to lose weight and be ‘in shape,’ ” Van says. “I used to tie a sweatshirt around my waist if I wore leggings because I didn’t want to bring too much attention to my curves.”
During Van’s first job out of college, her company director told her that being a great dancer wasn’t enough and that she needed to “look the part,” too. His comments pushed Van into extreme dieting; for a while, she survived on one Clif bar a day. Quigley had similar experiences—she remembers a prominent choreographer oinking at her before she took the stage for a performance—and also struggled with extreme dieting after years of being told she would never work at her size. When Holden was training in the concert dance world, she wasn’t cast in some roles that involved partnering because of her size.
“For so long, the standard was just one thing,” Hill says, “so it would just keep dancers like us from showing what we have to offer.”
Despite the obstacles, all of these dancers persevered. And now, their dedication to breaking stereotypes is paying off.
Becoming the Big Grrrls
For most of these women, joining Lizzo’s team was precisely the boost they needed in order to learn to love and embrace themselves. “It’s not just about looking in the mirror and loving what you see,” Holden says. “It’s about really feeling good and positive about who I am as a person and what I value and what matters to me in life.”
Unsurprisingly, the dancers say working with Lizzo involves all kinds of standout moments, from the incredible energy she brings to the stage to her trademark flute twerk. But most of all, Lizzo has shown them the true definition of inclusivity, and why representation is key to the future of dance.
“Inclusivity in dance looks to me like all those who are qualified get the opportunities they deserve,” says choreographer McWilliams, who’s also worked with Janelle Monae and other inclusive artists. “That’s all shapes, all sizes, all colors, all creeds.”
Photo by Jayme Thornton
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Role Models—And Sisters
Now, the dancers transmit that message of inclusivity to the thousands of audience members who see them at every Lizzo concert. They’re inspiring a new generation of dancers, many of them young girls finally seeing the representation they’ve been looking for. Their group Instagram account is regularly flooded with messages from aspiring artists hoping to follow in the Grrrls’ footsteps.
“I’m so honored to be someone that people look up to or people reference as one of the plus-size dancers that has started changing the game,” Hollinquest says. “It’s incredible to be one of the people changing stereotypes about what it means to be a dancer.”
And dancing for Lizzo isn’t all work all the time, either. The Big Grrrls are having just as much fun behind the scenes as they do onstage. “With the message that Lizzo is spreading to the world,” Loude says, “it wouldn’t be right if the girls behind her didn’t have that type of love for one another.” Their sisterhood has become a powerful support system. “Starting as the underdogs and now being on top together is just the most amazing feeling,” Van says. “I know if I ever need anything—anything—whether it’s dance-related or not, the other girls will make sure I’m OK.
Get to Know the Grrrls
Photo by Jayme Thornton
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Photo by Jayme Thornton
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Photo by Jayme Thornton
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Photo by Jayme Thornton
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Photo by Jayme Thornton
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Dominique Loude
Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Dominique—also known as Nique or Dom—can often be found jamming out to Lizzo’s “Scuse Me.” And don’t be surprised if you hear her flawlessly belting out those tunes: Before she got into dance, singing was Loude’s passion.
