A tough-talking Gary dance teacher hits her marks on MTV.
Tune into "MADE" at 7 p.m. Thursday to see Asia Dickens whip an awkward teen into a contender for a pompon squad. The "Dance Team" episode co-stars Amanda Cox, 16, of Petersburg, Ind.
The reality TV show, in its 10th season, pairs youths with pros who coach them to achieve their goals. One hourlong show featured a sci-fi geek who longed to be a rapper, another, a wallflower who yearned to be prom queen. Some teens triumph, some flop.
Dickens, who teaches jazz/funk and children's ballet at South Shore Dance Alliance in Gary, was given five weeks this spring to turn Cox into a vision of grace. Sneak previews posted at mtv.com suggest frustration was mutual. The girl stumbles, and Dickens erupts.
"You killed hip-hop. You murdered ballet, and I don't know what you did to these techniques, but they're not here," the teacher scolds.
"Nothing came out right," the girl sniffles.
Producers recruited Dickens, 24, via Facebook, interviewing her a half-dozen times before tapping her for the self-improvement series. The Emerson High School grad, who trained at the Alvin Ailey School, suspects her "sassy" attitude gave her an edge.
"They told me I blew them away ... they're always looking for someone's who's disciplined. I am not your friend when I am in the studio. I am your instructor," the self-described drill sergeant said.
Despite her blunt approach, the 5-foot-3 dynamo "can't stand anyone feeling down and wanting to quit."
When Cox's confidence wobbled, Dickens would quote Duke Ellington: "A problem is as chance for you to do your best."
So does Amanda make the team? Dickens is sworn to secrecy, but confirms her student improved over time. The teen recently phoned to alert Dickens that their video clips are online and to assure her that she's refining her footwork. "She practices double turns in the kitchen," Dickens said.
The show was filmed in a dance studio in Cox's hometown. For Dickens, being shadowed by TV cameras 24-7 was "not weird" at all. Her family enjoyed making home videos "so I was used to being silly around cameras," she said. "I had to get used to not looking directly at the cameras."
South Shore Dance Alliance spokeswoman Nancy Schoon calls Dickens a no-nonsense staffer who's a bright, motivated and talented teacher-choreographer. "Tough cookie? I guess when she needs to be ... but a heart of gold," she said.
