Who Is Marcella on ‘Dancing Queen’?

Drag and dance superstar Alyssa Edwards has more than enough personality to fill a whole reality series. Admit it: wouldn’t you watch 40 minutes of the grande dame diva of the south expounding on any topic? But Alyssa’s new Netflix reality show is so much more than that. Dancing Queen offers a behind-the-drag look at Alyssa’s life as dance instructor Justin Dwayne Lee Johnson, the driving force behind Mesquite, Texas’ award-winning Beyond Belief Dance Company. And with that premise, Dancing Queen is populated by a whole lot of characters, from dancing kids to their fierce dance moms.

There’s also Beyond Belief staff, the people that help Johnson keep BBDC running while he’s off touring the globe as Alyssa. As the brand-new assistant director, Marcella enters the studio for practically the first time in the first episode of Dancing Queen. She’s still new to the company and, as we hear in her first minute on screen, she hasn’t had any time to bond with the kids or their parents yet.

But Marcella, as she and Johnson point out over and over again, should be more than capable of handling all the dedication and drama that comes along with the territory. Marcella previously owned her own company, the Prestige Dance and Performing Arts Center, which she ran for five years until issues with “crazy moms” and some financial trouble closed it down. Beyond Belief represents a fresh start for Marcella.

This being a reality show about a dance studio, you know that fresh start isn’t gonna be an easy start! If you haven’t watched at least the first four episodes of Dancing Queen, then consider this your spoiler warning. You have been warned!

As Johnson’s A.D., Marcella gets roped into the mega drama surrounding BBDC’s mini elite company at the end of Episode 2. Johnson says they aren’t tight enough with their routine to travel to Los Angeles with the senior company, and that goes over just about as well with the dance moms as you’d expect. So, not very at all, honey. The moms immediately pounce on Marcella, the newest member of Beyond Belief’s staff, and basically blame all the kids’ shortcomings on her. This conflama continues into Episode 3 where Marcella has to reiterate her resume to a bunch of shouting moms. Marcella is a dancer! She’s a teacher! She’s also been a judge! Marcella knows her dance, and that’s why Johnson hired her!

The mini moms aren’t hearing it, though, and they even through shade at Marcella when she shows up to Alyssa Edwards’ extravagant Halloween housewarming party wearing a sexy costume (bust still comparatively modest when you think about the entire industry of sexy costumes out there!). Things don’t get better in Episode 4 when Johnson and the senior team are out in Los Angeles, leaving the minis and their moms in Marcella’s care. The moms barge into Marcella’s class and then dredge up all the drama once again. Episode 4 ends with Marcella peacing out, recognizing her PTSD from all the crazy dance moms she dealt with at her last gig. These moms won’t have Marcella to push around anymore.

All this has earned Marcella some love on Twitter:

But that’s not the last we see of Marcella, and here’s a spoiler warning within a spoiler warning for those of you who haven’t watched Episode 8 yet! Because after some time apart, some time to cool down, Johnson approaches Marcella again and asks her to come back to Beyond Belief where she will be part of Season 2, should Netflix order a second season. More Marcella is on the way… most likely!

Until then, you can keep up with Marcella’s day-to-day online on Twitter at @MarcellaRaneri and on Instagram. She’s also the co-host of the podcast Too Posh, which has an episode filled with behind-the-scenes info about Dancing Queen for those that want the T.

Also if you want some more Marcella, you can go back and watch her audition segment from a 2010 episode of Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance, where we found out that… whoah whoah whoah, wait a second–Marcella’s dad was in the mob?!

Wow, from the daughter of a mobster to a co-running a lingerie company with her mom, all the way to Dancing Queen! What a life Marcella has led!

Stream Dancing Queen on Netflix