27 April 2023

5 Min Read

Community Spotlight with Brandi Marie!

Hey, dancers!

Welcome to a new Community Spotlight article! You already know the drill: we're here to give a special space to those players that make this community as extraordinary as it is. And this time, the light will shine on dancer, content creator and Lore Theorist, Brandi Marie!

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Ok, first thing you need to know about her: dancing is her true passion. In her teenage years, her best friend convinced her to join the dance team and what started as an activity to spend more time together, ended up with Brandi falling in love with it.

"There's nothing more important in my life than dancing. When I dance, I feel the most confident. That's when I feel the most beautiful."

Brandi discovered in dancing things that are not always easy to find: a way to express herself, to reclaim her voice and to recognize her own power.

"People look at me and they don't expect me to be able to move the way that I do. I used to be scared to be seen because I knew that people wouldn't like what they saw and judge and criticize me for not fitting into their box. Thanks to dance, I became a true performer & I've learned to step into the light and not shy away from it."

It's only logical that Brandi's next steps were to look to Just Dance! Although Brandi couldn't get her hands on the game until 2017, she had been watching gameplays since it first came out and following its evolution year after year. But once she was able to actually play it, she couldn't stop! What does she love about it? The choreography, the costumes, the production quality...

"There's so much work that goes into each and every dance and as a choreographer and a creator myself, I just admire the hard work that goes into the creative process so much."

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Brandi Marie has been uploading videos of herself performing (and smashing) JD's maps since 2020, but if there's a content she's well known for inside the Just Dance's community, it's her lore videos. When the Just Dance 2023 Edition previews dropped, she became so obsessed with the story of The Bride and Rasputin that she started to collect screenshots and explain everything to her best friend.

"I just wanted someone to hear me rant about it! (...) So, one day I'm scrolling through TikTok and there was this trend going around where people were stitching a video that said: 'What could you give a 45 minute speech about with no preparation?'"

We don't need to guess what she did then, do we?

30 minutes after posting her first video, her notifications blew up and people asked her for more. Her TikTok now features more than a dozen videos with theories about The Bride and Rasputin, Night Swan, Si'Ha Nova and the Traveler, Sara ... and it doesn't look like she's out of ideas. However, these videos not only require creativity; after picking the topic, Brandi Marie does a full research on the canon lore and once she has that done, her mind starts to work.

"(...) then I start to think about where could that lead next? That's where my theories come in. Most of them are pretty far-fetched, I'll admit. But, what's the fun of being a Just Dance Lore Theorist if you aren't gonna think big?"

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Did we skip the opportunity to ask her about her favorite character? Of course not! It is always a tough decision, but Brandi goes for Mihaly: the way they move and how they are at peace with themselves is an inspiration for her.

"I also relate to them putting their headphones on and entering a different world. I literally can't go a day without music in my ears. I'll go insane. Plus they dance in socks! Another thing we have in common!"

As for her favorite story, Brandi loooves a classic bad boy with mommy issues and had to choose our beloved Jack Rose and his mother Night Swan. She enjoys their elusive story and craves to know more about it... as we do all, right?

"How did they become so estranged? Does Jack have a forgotten sibling? Also how did Night Swan fail as a ballerina? (...) Is she afraid of Jack Rose failing as a performer too and she disapproves of him as a form of protection or is she secretly afraid that Jack Rose has the power to be even more powerful and influential than she is?"

What, did you really expect us to confirm any of this here? Not today, luv x

Brandi Marie is a force of nature: we adore her energy, her power, her moves, and, of course, her theories. As expected, the community has greeted her with open arms: she loves how welcoming and sweet everyone is. And yes, she left a message for you:

"I love you guys! I was pretty much a nobody until very recently, but I'm happy that I'm getting to know some very talented creators. Everyone has been so welcoming and I'm so happy to be a part of a community that's so loving!"

Check out Brandi Marie's amazing content on her Tiktok, Instagram, Youtube and Twitch!

See you on our next Community Spotlight, dancers! Don't forget to pay us a visit on our TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram.