Alyssa Edwards is beyond belief in new Netflix series

Dancing Queen goes behind the makeup of drag performer Alyssa Edwards and into Justin Johnson's highly competitive Beyond Belief Dance Company in Mesquite, Tx. Dancing Queen goes behind the makeup of drag performer Alyssa Edwards and into Justin Johnson's highly competitive Beyond Belief Dance Company in Mesquite, Tx. Photo: Netflix Photo: Netflix Image 1 of / 30 Caption Close Alyssa Edwards is beyond belief in new Netflix series 1 / 30 Back to Gallery

"RuPaul's Drag Race" introduced the world to Alyssa Edwards, a larger-than-life drag queen whose personality and panache made her the breakout star of the series. Yes, mama.

Now, Edwards would like us to meet Justin Johnson, the man behind the death drops and tongue pops.

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The new Netflix series "Dancing Queen" follows Johnson, the owner of Beyond Belief Dance Company in Mesquite, as he navigates dance moms and dating, family tension and friendships. We see him whipping young dancers into shape for competition and tearfully visiting his childhood home.

Of course, we also get to see Johnson as Edwards, who presides over the series like a sequined guru. Edwards serves up a sickening lip sync in every episode.

The day the series premiered, Johnson talked about letting go and staying positive.

Your schedule is always insane. But you seem to be in overdrive these days.

I am exhausted but my adrenaline is pulling me through because I stayed up and binge watched all of this. I haven't been able to go to sleep. Talk about a dream come true.

Alyssa's secrets to success Alyssa Edwards is known for her parade of sayings, from "I don't get cute, I get drop dead gorgeous" to "Backrolls?" In "Dancing Queen," she lets loose a barrage of memorable musings: My whole family might have been runners up -- oh no, I was gonna be a winner. All that glitters, all that shines, Alyssa Edwards is bright like a dime. There are three things that are absolutely certain: death, taxes and crazy dance moms. I was destined to be poor white trash. I've never purchased a home. I know how to purchase a wig. When the elevator to success breaks, you take the stairs. Just like Celine Dion, it's all coming back to me. It's an act. It's an art. It's a Monet. The struggle is real but the hustle is deep. And steep. I didn't have ostrich feather boas. I had turkey. From Hobby Lobby. If you want to jump in a tank full of sharks, make sure you're the Great White. When you open the door to mistakes, don't get mad when people walk through it. (I am) fried, dried, pickled and sickled. You can snatch my wig and break my nails, but Fancy was my name.

Was it strange seeing yourself in a different light than we've seen on "Drag Race" or the YouTube series "Alyssa's Secret?"

I think this time it's different because it's a hallmark of my life. Seeing me on "Drag Race," in a competition reality series, and seeing me at my day-to-day, whether it's at the studio, at home, me awkwardly dating, I'm kind of sitting here with no words. But I have a lot of feelings. And the feeling that I'm having is joy. Oh, it's so triumphant. This was me, unapologetically, genuinely, sincerely. This is a series that's hopeful. It's inspiring. I could not be more proud.

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The uplifting vibe feels like something a lot of people will appreciate.

At this time in our world, we need that. These children, the youth of today and the future of tomorrow, this is what they need. When you fight for something, you fight the good fight. You go for it, you never stop. You get knocked down, and you get right back up. That's what we need to be teaching these kids. For that matter, even some adults. I realized something when I watched this. Your job as a performer is so much bigger, your role is so much bigger than just being a drag queen. The way that these kids talk about me in the interviews, they really look up to me, and they really value what I say, and I have to handle them with care.

Was it scary letting go of Alyssa Edwards and letting the world see Justin Johnson?

It is, because I've put so many walls, I've built so many solid barricades around me to protect me. It was really different seeing me be so vulnerable and being in a place that was really personal. But I don't regret it because I think it needed that. There's another little Justin out there that is going through something that they can relate to (on the show).

What has Alyssa taught you about being Justin?

Oh, you can be anything you wanna be. It's like, Dorothy didn't know she always had the power (in "The Wizard of Oz"). It's the same thing. I thought I could only be that when I was Alyssa. That character has given Justin the strength and the daily reminder — "You are the man behind the mask, under the dress, the creator of the magic. You have the power. You hold the key."

"Drag Race" really seemed to help you unlock the power of your persona — and great TV.

I think I'm just always myself, and I think that's what's most important to me. Just be genuine. Be authentic. Be who you are and who you were meant to be. And celebrate that. Celebrate all of that. I remember this quote from Judy Garland, "Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else." It's definitely not a secret now that I had a very intense childhood, so I think the older I got, I felt so disconnected. I thought I was built wrong. This was a mistake. This is a mechanical malfunction. Something is not right. It took a lot of years of me on my own, coaching myself, to look in the mirror and love the reflection.

Who's more difficult to deal with, dance moms or drag queens?

I think the queens. Drag queens, you know, you start adding egos, and it's like all of that. It's just different. The moms, you can kind of be like, "OK, let's find a resolution just right then and there and solve it." When they get intense, it lets me know that they're very passionate and very involved and we're all in this together. These women, they're mama bears.