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 10th episode of the show, placing 6th.
About Dida Ritz
Her birthday is December 20.[1] 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.[2] She started drag to model her own work and build her portfolio.[3]
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.
RuPaul's Drag Race
| Season Competed: | Season 4 |
|---|---|
| Ranking: | 6th |
| Mini-Challenges Won: | 0 |
| Times as Team Captain: | 0 |
| Main Challenges Won: | 0 |
| Times in Bottom Two: | 2 (ep. 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. Tajma Hall was her drag mother.[4]
Elimination
Dida was eliminated on the 10th episode, when she had to lip sync against Latrice Royalle, to Gladys Knight's "I've got to use my imagination".
Trivia
- Dida Ritz is the son of a pastor.[5]
- "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.[6] Upon her elimination, Dida left the remaining queens each a slice of cheesecake.[7]
- Dida's lip-sync against The Princess to "This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)" by late singer Natalie Cole in S4E3 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 kerchiefs for Dida's lively performance.
- Dida at 6th place is the highest placing queen on any season to never receive a win or high rank on any episode.
Gallery
Season 4 Looks
Follow Dida
References
| Winner | Sharon Needles |
|---|---|
| Runners-Up | 2nd & 3rd: Chad Michaels & Phi Phi O'Hara |
| Other Contestants | 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 |
| Judges | RuPaul • Santino Rice • Michelle Visage • Billy B |
| Pit Crew | Jason Carter • Shawn Morales |