‘P-Valley’: Brandee Evans Just Showed off Her Pole Dancing Skills in Preparation for Mercedes Return in Season 2
P-Valley was a breakout tv hit when it premiered on Starz in the summer of 2020. The series is set in Chucalissa, Mississippi, and follows Uncle Clifford (Nicco Annan), the non-gender confirming owner of the popular strip club, The Pynk, as well as the women who work for her.
Mercedes (Brandee Evans) is The Pynk’s headliner who is used to getting what she wants and is ready to hang up her dancing stilettos for a life as a business owner. Meanwhile, Autumn (Elarica Johnson), a mysterious newcomer running from her past.
Now that the series has been renewed for Season 2, the actors are gearing up to get back to work, and it’s taking a lot more preparation than you might think.
Brandee Evans didn’t have groceries in her fridge when she landed her role in ‘P-Valley’
Evans was a teacher before she left her role as an educator in 2009 to pursue a full-time career in dancing and choreography. “I was good at teaching. My kids were scoring very high on their exams,” she told W Magazine. “I liked it, but I didn’t love it, if I’m being honest. I wanted to love it.”
After touring with everyone from Lil’ Wayne to Katy Perry, Evans began to pursue acting, but it didn’t come easy. “I didn’t even have groceries in my refrigerator when I got P-Valley,” Gold Derby. “My mentor had just sent me Instacart to try and get groceries,” she continued. “This job has truly helped change my life. I can breathe a bit and do what I love. That has always been my vision, every year when I do a vision board: God bless me to be able to care for my mother and live my dream. P-Valley allowed me to do both.”
‘P-Valley’ will begin filming Season 2 in summer 2021
According to the casting call, P-Valley will begin filming in Atlanta throughout the summer of 2021. The casting call has asked that these men, women, and non-binary actors should be comfortable with nudity and sexual scenes.
P-Valley creator Katori Hall has also revealed what we can expect to see from Mercedes when the second season debuts. “Mercedes never really had a best friend at her job,” Hall told Hollywood Life about Mercedes’s bond with Autumn. “She was always just the girl on top, the queen bee. The fact that there’s this woman who she has something in common with, especially something like that is life-changing for her, and now she has a sounding board.”
Brandee Evans just showed off her pole dancing skills in preparation for Season 2
The first season of P-Valley was shot one year before it debuted in July 2020. Therefore, it’s been two years since Evans has been on a pole. Though she’s been acting in other projects, getting back in dancing shape for Season 2 is a tall order.
The former dancer shared some clips of herself back on the pole in a recent Instagram post. With her instructor looking on, Evans went over some intense tricks from Season 1, including a mid-air split and climbing the pole. She captioned the video saying that things were much more challenging than she expected.
“I need a nap mane…DAY 1 is done,” she shared. “Whew chileeee today was the first time I have touched a pole in 2 years. 🥴 My mind & heart had so much they wanted to do. My pandemic body said “Go ahead and just keep it simple today sis. Just review boo… You ain’t ready yet.” LOL 😂🤣”
It might have been a difficult day for Evans, but she looks like she’s more than ready for Season 2.
