Dida Ritz is the stage name of Xavier Hairston, an American drag queen that was a contestant on Season 4 of RuPaul's Drag Race. She was eliminated on the 9th episode of the show, placing 6th.
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About Dida Ritz
Originally from Lansing, Michigan, Dida learned to sew at home from her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, and moved to Chicago, Illinois, to study fashion at the International Academy of Fashion and design.[1] She started drag to model her own work and build her portfolio.[2]
Eventually she met her drag mother, the late Lady Tajma Hall, who put Dida in drag and encouraged her to pursue a career in drag.
The judges took issues with Dida's aesthetics, but praised Dida's television sitcom performance and lip-sync abilities.
RuPaul's Drag Race
| Season Competed | Season 4 |
|---|---|
| Ranking: | 6th Place |
| Mini-Challenges Won: | 0 |
| Times as Team Captain: | 0 |
| Times Placed High | 0 |
| Main Challenges Won: | 0 |
| Times Placed Low | 2 (Eps. 2, 6) |
| Times in Bottom: | 2 (Eps. 3, 9) |
| Episode Eliminated | Episode 9 |
Drag Name Origin
She's a big fan of old school Hollywood glamor actresses like Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn, so she wanted a classic glamorous name that would roll off the tongue and be memorable. She loves Dita Von Teese, and the Ritz Carlton is her favorite hotel, so she put the two names together. Lady Tajma Hall was her drag mother.[3]
Elimination
Dida was eliminated on the 9th episode, when she had to lip sync against Latrice Royale, to Gladys Knight's "I've got to use my imagination".
Trivia
- Dida Ritz is the son of a pastor.[4]
- "Category is: Cheesecake!" in which one of the ballroom challenge categories was "cheesecake" is a reference to the film Paris is Burning, and one of Dida's favorite television shows – The Golden Girls.[5] Upon her elimination, Dida left the remaining queens each a slice of cheesecake.[6]
- Dida's lip-sync against The Princess to "This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)" by late singer Natalie Cole in the third episode is often considered to be one of the most memorable, with many polls often ranking it among the top five lip-syncs of all time. The judges, including Natalie Cole who was a guest judge that episode, were waving hankerchiefs for Dida's lively performance.
- Dida alongside Ilona Verley at 6th place are the highest placing queens on any season to never receive a win or high rank on any episode.
- Dida is the drag sister of Season 8 contestant Naysha Lopez, Season 12 winner Jaida Essence Hall, and Season 13 contestant Kahmora Hall, who is the drag mother of Season 11 contestant Soju.
- In an interview with Joseph Shepard, Dida shared that during the filming of Season 4, Dida and Willam drove to a store to buy products.
Gallery
Season 4 Looks
Follow Dida
References
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2nd & 3rd: Chad Michaels & Phi Phi O'Hara | |
|
4th: Latrice Royale (Miss Congeniality) • 5th: Kenya Michaels • 6th: Dida Ritz • 7th: Willam (Disqualified) • 8th: Jiggly Caliente • 9th: Milan • 10th: Madame LaQueer • 11th: The Princess • 12th: Lashauwn Beyond • 13th: Alisa Summers | |
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Jason Carter • Shawn Morales | |
