What "Milk" & "Milking" Mean In Reference To Historically Black Universities Majorette Dance Teams

Marvin Price, Oct. 13, 2019

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases a 2019 YouTube video that provides highlights of Southern University's Human Jukebox marching band and Southern University's Fabulous Dancing Dolls majorette dance squad.

This pancocojams post also provides some definitions for and examples of the terms "milk" and "milking" in reference to Historically Black Colleges And Universities (HBCU) majorette dance teams.  In addition, this post presents an African American Vernacular English meaning of the word "ate", "ate it" and related phrases.    

The content of this post is presented for linguistic and cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all past and present members of Southern University (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)'s Human Jukebox marching band. Thanks as to all past and present members of Southern University's Fabulous Dancing Dolls. Also, thanks to Marvin Price the videographer and publisher of this video and thanks to all the other videographers and publishers of videos whose links are found in this post. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post.

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DEFINITIONS OF "MILK" AND "MILKING" (in reference to dancing)
From https://www.b-better.org.uk/the-alternative-directory-of-street-dance-slang/#M
"Milking it – Prolonging a movement as a kind of ‘bridge’ into the next dance move / phrase"

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From teezy.co/posts/dance-terms-dictionary#:~:text=Milking,re%20dragging%20out%20that%20move. 
"Milking:
When you extend movements throughout a portion of the piece or music.

At the end of a move, instead of “putting a period” on it and ending it definitely by stopping the movement, think of it as a “…” – like you’re dragging out that move."
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"Milking" results in a smooth, silky, sensuous style of dancing.

I've read comments in YouTube discussion threads of Historically Black Colleges And University videos about certain majorette dancers "milking that dance" or "serving milk".  For instance, some commenters in discussion threads for Southern University, wrote that Kayla Pittman's dancing was "smooth like milk and honey".  Kayla Pittman is a former captain of Southern University's Fabulous Dancing Dolls.
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Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/08/hbcu-majorette-dance-line-terms.html  for more Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCU) Majorette Dance Squad Terms.
  
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SOME EXAMPLES OF THE TERMS "MILK" AND "MILKING" FROM THREE DISCUSSION THREADS OF SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY'S MAJORETTE DANCE TEAM

Disclaimer: This post doesn't mean to imply that the terms "milk" and "milking" are only used to refer to Southern University majorette dancers. However, it appears that Southern University majorette dancers are better known for milking than some other HBCU majorette dance teams.

These discussion threads and their comments are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.

Videographer Marvin Price has spotlighted most or all of the dancers who are mentioned in these quotes. For example, click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qk-d6nPgwww&ab_channel=MarvinPrice for a 2017 video entitled "Southern University Fabulous Dancing Dolls Spotlight: Melody Byrd." Comments in those discussion threads provide some updated information about the person who is spotlighted as well as about some other members of  Southern University's Fabulous Dancing Dolls.

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Discussion thread #1 [embedded video]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cybyxnHrJFw&t=46s&ab_channel=MarvinPrice
Southern University Fabulous Dancing Dolls Highlights | Prairie View | 2019

Jayquan Jenkins, 2019
"The Dolls never miss a day to serve & deliver the milk! 💅🏽💅🏽💅🏽"

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Discussion thread #2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xWC3FeJJW4&ab_channel=Demaridge
Southern Dancing Dolls | March-In | HBCU Dance Affair ATL 2019
Demaridge, July 9, 2019

1. knowledgeincubator, 2019
"Silky milky movement, a classy sassy presence, plus a dash of sex appeal = An SU Fabulous Dancing Doll. #beautifuldancerssince1969💃🏾👸🏽"

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2.  Octavia Jones, 2019
"Saw it on Instagram and HAD TO COME SEE MY GALS WORK OUT!!! Talk about milkin it Honty Mel is giving me life 😭😭😍😍😍
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"Mel" = Melody Byrd.

I believe that Mel was the tail in this video of Southern University's majorette dance team.

The dancer in the tail position is usually the tallest dancer in a majorette dance team. The tail is the dancer who stands at the left at the end of the last horizontal row of dancers. Tails are known for attracting attention to themselves by prolonging movements such as taking their time to sit down at the end of a (dance) count. However, the dancer in the tail spot isn't the only dancer who milks a performance.
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Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2021/03/battle-of-tails-fabulous-dancing-dolls.html for the 2021 pancocojams post entitled "Battle Of The Tails (Historical Black Colleges And University Majorette Dance Position) : Fabulous Dancing Dolls vs Sensational Stingettes (video, information, & comments)".

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3. Ontari Howard, 2019
"She really gave heavy whipping cream"

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4. Dae Waker, 2019
"Whew!! That's Condensed Milk they serving!"

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5. Marcell Marselius, 2019
"Dem Dolls differennt bruh!, every time giving me “Nesquick Realness”👏🏾. This brings me back to “12” squad, Mel on them toes and everythang😍😍"
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"Nesquick" is a brand name for an instant milk product.

The commenter writes that Mel reminds him of the 2012 Fabulous Dancing Doll team/squad.

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6. B Steele
"Poor kids not gonna know anything about milking 💔"

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7. SU4Life NoLa
"Those ladies milked that performance. My lawd. There isn't another team that can do it like the Dolls. They make their counts seem so effortless yet it mesmorizes you

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8. Vincent B, 2019
"Jordyn, Mel, & Tailyn milked those counts with finesse and everything else.  Thank you Demaridge for capturing these mesmerizing moments."
-snip-
This comment refers to Fabulous Dancing Doll members Jordan Ezell, Melody Byrd, and Tailyn Smith.

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9. Emery Lumsden, 2019
"Mel!!!!! That’s not milk...that’s honey 🍯 😍😍"

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10. J Nedle, 2019
"Emery Lumsden Umm dats milk🥛..😐"

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11. Emery Lumsden, 2019
"J Nedle it’s meant as a compliment 🤦🏾‍♂"

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12. J Nedle, 2019
"@Emery Lusden I gotcha.. But they can save  the Honey 🍯🍯🍯 n give that back to the Stingettes 🐝.."
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The "Sensational Stingettes" is the name of Alabama State University's majorette dance team. Read my comment about some Sensational Stingettes members who were featured in the 2015 reality majorette dance television show Step It Up in this post's discussion thread below. 

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Discussion thread #3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfCeNdA8mwk&t=64s&ab_channel=TRIN
He Loves Me | Southern University Human Jukebox & Fabulous Dancing Dolls 🔥
TRIN, Jan 18, 2020

1. njeniuskreationz, 2020, 2020
"Jordan you BETTER!!!! Giving us that 15' MILK!!! And whew the facial expressions 💯💯💯C'mon Cammy and Kaylon too you can definitely tell they have studied the old hunny."
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15’ = 2015

Camyrn Harris and Kaylon Mallet are two members of Southern University's Fabulous Dancing Dolls.

Read more information about Camyrn Harris in my notes under comment #3 in this sub-thread.

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2. JMR JMR, 2020
"Remember Conner did this! So much memories!!"
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Conner McGrew is a former captain of Southern University's Fabulous Dancing Dolls. 

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3. LUV DA BAND 601 !!!, 2020
"I see u CAM... MILKING THIS SONG...💯u really got to feel this song and just let the music move u"
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"Cam" refers to Camryn Harris. Camryn is a former member of Jackson, Mississippi's Dancing Dolls, a children, pre-teen, and teenage girls' Hip Hop majorette dance company that was featured on the television series Bring It!. Click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bring_It!_(TV_series) for information about that television series. For updated information about the girls who appeared in that popular series click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wI2l9JW8nR0&ab_channel=RealiTeaTV "Bring It"! Where are the ladies of The Dancing Dolls?!?, RealiTea TV, Mar 5, 2020

The Jackson, Mississippi Dancing Dolls (and later, the Atlanta, Georgia Dancing Dolls) are (or were) both under the directorship of Miss D. (Dianna Williams). These dance companies have never been affiliated with Southern University's Fabulous Dancing Dolls. Southern University's majorette dance team had the name "Dancing Dolls" since 1969. It's likely that SU added the word "Fabulous" to their majorette dance team's name because of the confusion that was occuring between their majorette dance team and Miss Dee's Hip Hop majorette dance company after it began being featured in that long running Bring It! television series.

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4. Paige Amaryah, 2020
"Camryn got me over here getting chills at how she MILKED this song!😩😭🙌🏾
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A number of commenters on different Southern University discussion threads wrote that Camryn was named as the tail for the Fabulous Dancing Doll's 2020 majorette dance team. However, I believe that season only had one football game because of Covid-19 and, if I'm not mistaken, the Director of that majorette dance team didn't assign any dancer to the tail position that season. [Additions and corrections are very welcome.]

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5. latonyia gardner, 2020
"Paige Amaryah I thought that was her.. I wish her all the best..❤"

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6. Rude Gyal, 2020
"Literally one of the most fluid Dolls ever!"

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7. Aboriginal Man, 2020
"Cam is the mos fluid dancer ive ever seen."

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8. Aboriginal Man, 2020
"@Paige Amaryah  im tellin you!!! If uaint milkin it like Cam them u doing it wrong!!!"

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9. Paige Amaryah, 2020
"@Aboriginal Man  BIG FACTS🗣"

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10. august, 2020
"JESUS! You can see Cam with that rolling body from a mile away! Kaylon omg!!! Shes telling who whole story with Cam!! and jordan with that face is PHEWW! Milk Machines!"

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11. Revonia Keel, 2020
"I really hope kaylon gets captain next. I’m living for the way she milks every single count so smoothly 😭🙌🏾"

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