The History Of Majorette Dance Lines (a performance art that originated at historically Black American universities)

Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest Update: Dec. 12. 2022

This pancocojams post presents a compilation of excerpts from online articles and discussion threads about the predominately African American performance styles known as "Majorette dance lines" and other terms.

These dance lines are most closely associated with historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) where they are auxiliaries to those university's marching bands. Most HBCUs are located in the southern region of the United States. Consequently, the main way that people outside of the American South know about majorette dance lines is from YouTube videos.

The Addendum to this post presents some information about the naional American television series Bring It! which popularized forms of majorette dancing known as "hip hop majorette dancing". It should be noted that the styles of hip hop majorette dancing that have been featured on Bring It! aren't the same as the styles of majorette dancing that are found at HBCUs and at some African American high schools.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who helped create and continue to help create these African American originated performance art forms.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
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An earlier pancocojams post on this subject that includes two YouYube videos of majorette dancing can be found at https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/12/two-videos-of-historically-black.html .

Also, click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/04/stand-battles-changing-meaning-of.html for a related pancocojams post entitled "Stand Battles & The Changing Meaning Of "Majorettes" In African American Culture".

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTES
"Majorette dance lines" is the term that I'm using to describe dance groups that are most often auxiliaries of historically Black (African American) universities' marching bands or auxiliaries of predominately African American high school marching bands. These dance groups evolved from drum majorettes in the southern region of the United States in the late 1960s/early 1970s. Majorette dance lines are still mostly found in the Southern part of the United States and are still mostly associated with HBCUs (historically Black colleges and universities).

Different terms are used to refer to the dance form that I'm calling "majorette dance lines". There are different styles of peforming this dance form. Some people think that the terms "majorette dance lines", "hip-hop majorette dance lines, "j-setting", and "dance lines" are equivalent terms. Others believe that these terms refer to very different performance styles.

The use of different terms suggests that there's no fixed definition and no fixed referents for these performance styles, even though the first dance line to perform in one of those styles (Alcorn University's Golden Girls in 1968). [Corrected Dec. 12, 2022].

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As of this date (Oct 2, 2021), I believe that all HBCU majorette dance lines and all high school majorette dance lines only have female dancers. However, some community based majorette dance lines (such as Memphis, Tennessee's Prancing Tigerettes that were featured in the Bring It! television series), have teams that include female dancers and male dancers.  

 As is still usually the case with cheerleaders, almost all members of majorette dance lines fit the idealized profile of what African Americans (and other Americans) of young, slender- but shapely- physically attractive females. That said, at least two historically Black universities Edward Waters University and Alabama State University have marching band auxiliary dance lines whose members are "plus size" young women. Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2021/09/two-plus-size-historically-black.html for a pancocojams post on those two dance lines.

Also, the role of gay dancers shouldn't be discounted when documenting the history and present day influence of majorette dance lines. Read the excerpt given as #3 below and click 
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/04/j-setting-jsus-prancing-j-settes-and.html for the 2015 pancocojams post entitiled "J-Setting, JSU's Prancing J-Settes, And Black Gay J-Setters.

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These excerpts were gleaned from my online research.  Please add any information that you have about this subject in the comment section below. Thanks in advance!

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TIME LINE FOR THE THREE EARLIEST HBCU MAJORETTE DANCE LINES [Added Dec. 12, 2022]

1968 - Alcorn University's Golden Girls (Alcorn, Mississippi

1969 - Southern University's Dancing Dolls (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)  

1970- Jackson State University's Prancing J-Settes (Jackson, Mississippi)

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Thanks to Anonymous 9/29/2022 for sharing  information about Mississippi's Alcorn State University's dance line, the Golden Girls being the first HBCU majorette dance line.

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DEFINITIONS AND EXCERPTS ABOUT MAJORETTE DANCE LINES

These excerpts are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.

Some of these articles include vintage photographs, However, these photographs aren't included in these excerpts.

 Read that information from https://www.soundsofdynomite.com/golden-girls  in the comment section below.


Excerpt #1
From https://www.dancespirit.com/dance-team-hbcu-danceline-2633698944.html "Why Danceline Is Much More Than the Halftime Show" by Maggie McNamara Mandal, Apr 04, 2019

"At historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), halftime is game time. Students and fans flock to the stadium to witness the soulful stylings of the showtime band and the fierce dancers who accompany them. Their movements are sharp, explosive, and perfectly synchronized as they bring the music to life for the people in the stands. This is danceline, and its appeal extends beyond the stadium walls.

Showtime Soul

The history of dance line is inextricably linked to HBCUs. "In 1947, HBCU bands decided to switch from the more traditional corporal marching-band style that you see at big schools to showtime band," says Kalé Woods, director of Heat Dance line in Oakland, CA, and assistant coach of Mahogany 'N Motion, the dance line team for Morehouse College. Showtime band maintains the precision-based element of marching band but adds an entertainment factor by incorporating some dancing by the band members themselves. "They basically brought the soul to marching band," Woods says.

The change in music also brought about a change in style for the bands' dance teams. Over the years it became more and more stylized to match the music. The specific style varies from school to school, reflecting each school's culture. "I think of it in terms of geography," Woods says. For example, the Dancing Dolls of Southern University in Louisiana, coincidentally the first dance line dance team, have a style that's prim and proper. "They're like Southern ladies, with excellent technique and very little getting down or gyrating," she says. Schools in Mississippi and Florida incorporate a more hip-hop–based style. Mahogany 'N Motion, which is made up of dancers from Georgia's all-girls HBCU Spelman College, but dances for Morehouse College's football team, attracts studio dancers. "A lot of us come from the West Coast, which doesn't have any HBCUs and, therefore, is unfamiliar with dance line," Woods says. This difference is reflected in a more jazz-based style, incorporating lots of turns and leaps.

Getting Technical

If the style varies so widely, what unites danceline dance as a unique form? First and foremost, it's distinguished from both majorette dance and drill, two forms also linked to college bands. "People tend to associate majorette dance with baton and flag work, along with tumbling stunts," Woods says. "Drill is associated with ROTC and rhythmic military-like step." That said, there is quite a bit of crossover, and Woods' dance line team, Heat, competes in majorette competitions”…

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Excerpt #2: [added Dec. 12, 2022]
From https://www.soundsofdynomite.com/golden-girls  
"Founded in July of 1968, at Alcorn State University the Golden Girls, affectionately known as The GGs, were the first dance line to perform as a featured squad with choreographed movements to a marching band’s live tunes.

The eight original Golden Girls were Gloria Gray Liggans, Mar Deen Bingham Boykin, Delores Black Jenkins, Patricia Gibbs, Barbara Heidelberg Fox, Paulette McClain Moore, Josephine Washington Parker, and Margaret Bacchus Wilson. In the Fall of 1968, the Golden Girls made their national debut in Miami, Florida during the Orange Blossom Classic. During this time, no one had ever seen a female dance team perform during half time. A silence fell upon the crowd as these eight regal, African American ladies took the field.  The capes were snatched off in a quick one, two motion, revealing Alcorn’s most prized possessions."...

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Excerpt #3
From https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/entertainment_life/article_88bcedb0-f59a-11e9-ad69-c7e95ab7289f.html "Story of the Dancing Dolls: How beloved dance troupe brought 'pizzazz' to Southern 50 years ago" by Pam Bordelon, Oct. 16, 2019

" "Pizzazz." That's what Southern University's band director wanted in a dancing troupe to perform with his high-energy marching band.

And that's what Gracie Perkins gave Isaac “Doc” Greggs when he recruited her home from Kansas City a half-century ago.….Perkins created the Dancing Dolls, which celebrates its 50th anniversary with a special performance during Southern’s Homecoming festivities Nov. 2. [2019]

First, Perkins came up with the name.

“I knew my daughter loved dolls, so she (Perkins' sister) said just call them Dancing Dolls,” Perkins recalled. “Every little girl loves dolls.

With the name chosen, she went about assembling the first team of eight Dolls.

Having previously taught dance at Scotlandville High and Southern Lab schools, Perkins turned to her former students and contacted their parents.

“They were going to have to be committed, and that’s who we knew,” explained Perkins, who put a huge emphasis on academics, character, class and showmanship, traditions that continue to this day.

Micah Pegues is the current captain of the Fabulous Dancing Dolls, as the group is now called. A member since 2016, she takes pride in the group's rich history.

“The Southern University Fabulous Dancing Dolls undoubtedly are known for their poise, style, grace and precision,” she said. “These are attributes that I continue to work hard at mastering. To be with a brand that is known nationally for effortless class and techniques is a brand that I will cherish and protect.”

Dance skills weren’t necessarily at the top of Perkins' list when she formed that first team of Dancing Dolls.

“They didn’t have to be top of the line dancers … there were certain things I knew I wanted to do, like the high kick," she said. "I wanted dancers who could do things like that.”

The high kick became a staple of the Dancing Dolls, so did the headdress, stockings and long gloves.

“I remember the first song they danced to — ‘The Now Generation,’” said Perkins.

It’s one of many, many memories she cherishes from her time coaching the Dolls. Her favorite may be when the dance troupe and the band traveled to Houston for a debut appearance in the Astrodome. She had ordered new costumes for the Dolls, but when she went to pick them up at the train station before heading to Houston, the conductor wouldn’t hand them over because it was a Saturday and the station was closed.

Long story short, Perkins ended up pleading her case to Gov. John McKeithen, who promised to get the costumes to her.

“When we walked into the hotel, the boxes were stacked up in the lobby and the governor was sitting on one of them,” she recalled with a laugh. “These are the things that stick with you.”

Sarah Moody Thomas was one of the Dancing Dolls who made that crazy trip to play Texas Southern University back in 1969.

“We brought with us our accessories — hats, net stockings and gold boots, just in case,” she said. “I vividly remember opening the boxes, removing the sequined suits and capes and putting all of it on. The transformation was magical!””…

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Excerpt #4
From various online sources
1.[This first note is written by Azizi Powell as an introduction to the 2015 pancocojams post "J-Setting, JSU's Prancing J-Settes, And Black Gay J-Setters"
"J-setting is considered to be a female dance style on historically Black university campuses. That said, it's anecdotally reported that Black gay dancers were informally j-setting at Jackson State University in the 1990s if not earlier.

2. “The young men would be on the sideline during practice watching and learning,” recalls Anthony Hardaway, a gay activist and historian from Memphis who was a student at JSU from 1990 to ’94. “My friends would be on the side doing the dance alongside the girls.” However, their imitation was not seen by all as flattery. “Teachers and coaches would run the gay boys away,” Hardaway says with a laugh, “because when it was time for the games, the gay boys would be in the stands doing the routine and outperforming the girls on the field.” “The Big Idea: J-Setting Beyond Beyoncé”, Vibe.com (February 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-22) quoted in http://dogpossum.org/2012/09/single-ladies-j-setting-and-battle/ "Single Ladies, J-setting and battle", 24th September, 2012

3. The Wikipedia page on j-setting supports this statement, indicating that "During the late 1970s, African American gay men who were fans of The Prancing J-Settes regularly attended the dance team’s practice sessions, and performances at college football games and other events. Young gay men brought the J-Settes dance style back to their home towns, and to nightclubs like Club City Lights in Jackson, Mississippi; Club Skittles Baton Rouge; Incognito, Allusions, and 901 in Memphis; and Club 708 in Atlanta...

J-Setting troupes compete in dance-offs at gay cultural events. These groups of young gay men imitate the JSU Prancing J-Settes marching and dance style and dress. These dance groups perform in costumes that are similar in appearance to the JSU J-Settes uniforms; including sequined one- and two-piece leotards, with long flowing capes, sheer stockings and white marching boots." [These quotes are no longer included in the Wikipedia page on J-setting that is available on Oct 2, 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J-Setting

However, that wikipedia page [Oct. 2, 2021]  includes these quotes:

...Prior to 1975, Hollis Pippins, a gay former JSU student and baton twirler for the JSU marching band, collaborated with J-Settes director Shirley Middleton on choreography and the creative direction of the danceline.

[...]

Since the 1970s, gay men who are fans of the Prancing J-Settes regularly attend their auditions, practice sessions, performances, and befriend members. Many of them brought the Prancing J-Settes dance style outside Mississippi to popular black gay pride events and gay nightclubs throughout the nation (particularly the South )

[...]

Beginning April 22, 2015, the Oxygen channel began broadcasting a 12-episode documentary series entitled The Prancing Elites Project, focusing on the J-Setting group from Mobile, Alabama.[14][15] The Prancing Elites had begun to attract national attention after a complimentary Tweet from Shaquille O'Neal in June 2013, which led to an appearance on the syndicated talk show The Real.[16]

In 2018, a released documentary entitled "When The Beat Drops", chronicled the progression of J-Setting and its impact on black gay culture in the South (primarily Atlanta).[17][18] Also in 2018, Great Big Story released a short documentary on YouTube about the Prancing J-Settes of Jackson State University and how their distinctive style of dance influenced dance culture.[19]"...

4. In a 2014 announcement of a J-Sette sponsored dance competition, a spokesperson for JSU's Prancing J-Settes wrote
“Prancing J-Settes” is the official name of the Jackson State University dance line, an auxiliary group of the Jackson State University Marching Band. J-Sette marching techniques such as the “Salt and Pepper,” “J-Sette Walk,” “Strut,” and “Tip Toe “can be seen all around the world. The J-Settes consisted of lines of 12-16 squad members who marched in rows affectionately named “Short and Sassy,” “Magnificent Middle,” or a “Tall and Tough. The LGBT community totally embraced this style of dance as a way to express their creativity and love of dance which turned into the J-Sette movement. Currently, guys and girls all over the national are simulating their danced moves where competitions are held everywhere and squads come from near and far to compete, including the J-Sette Competition during Jackson Black Pride. -from http://jacksonblackpride.org/?page_id=287 "J-Sette Competition".

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Excerpt #5
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J-Setting [retrieved 2015]
"J-Setting is a style of dance popularized by the Prancing J-Settes, the popular collegiate women's danceline of Jackson State University's Sonic Boom of the South marching band. It originated in the late 1970s from African-Americans in the Jackson, Mississippi, area of the United States.[1]

This dance style is characterized by a lead and follow format where one dancer initiates a series of high-energy dance moves, and the other dancers join in the movement. J-Setting features specific dance steps based on Prancing J-Settes marching techniques including the "J-Sette Walk," the "Salt and Pepper," the "Strut," and the "Tip Toe". In particular, the "Salt and Pepper" is a type of prance step for which the Prancing J-Settes are named and known. It is a high-knee lift or "high step" style of marching. Alternating legs lift with a bent knee to bring the foot up to the height of the opposite knee before returning the foot to the ground.[2]

The JSU Prancing J-Settes typically march and perform in rows organized by height. J-Setting dancers also typically perform in a line or in multiple lines. While performing, dancers may also change dance formation similar to the way that marching bands change formation during shows on football fields.

The J-Setting style of dress is often modeled after the dance uniforms of the JSU Prancing J-Settes. It normally includes a one or two piece bodysuit or form-fitting garment that covers the torso and crotch; and hosiery with knee high boots on the legs. However, other types of garments are also worn during a performance.[3]

History and background

In 1970, Shirley Middleton and the other majorettes of the Jackson State University Marching Band met with then JSU president, Dr. John A. Peoples, to request that they be permitted to "put down their batons." The JSU President agreed; and as the majorette sponsor, Middleton assembled 18 female students to become the first Jaycettes (currently called J-Settes). Middleton, a formally trained ballet dancer, established technical performance standards for the J-Settes, as well as, standards for academic and personal behavior for its members when they were not performing. Dr. Jimmie James, Jr., then Chair of the JSU Department of Music, described the new dance team as "the thrill of a thousand eyes." During Middleton's tenure, performances included dance routines to songs such as "James Brown's "Make it Funky," and "Hot Pants" as performed by the JSU Marching Band.[4]”…
-snip-
Notice that this Wikipedia page indicates that j-setting originated in the late 1970s, but documents that “in 1970 Shirley Middleton and the other majorettes of the Jackson State University Marching Band met with then JSU president, Dr. John A. Peoples, to request that they be permitted to "put down their batons." The JSU President agreed... Middleton assembled 18 female students to become the first Jaycettes (currently called J-Settes)”…

Middleton’s meeting with the JSU President and the subsequent formation of the Jaycettes occurred before the dates for the early beginnings of Hip Hop which 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip_hop gives as "the mid 1970s".   

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Excerpt #6
From http://atkinshighschoolnews.blogspot.com/2019/03/throwback-history-of-drum-majorette.html "Throwback: The History of the Drum Majorette" by Danielle Allen Posted 27th March 2019 by Atkins HS News
"The history of the drum majorette continues at HBCUs such as NC A&T in Greensboro and Winston Salem State University and is a distinct part of marching band culture in the South. You can see the popularity of this all-female group in our 1960s Atkins yearbooks (as pictured in the 1966 Atkins Maroon and Gold). Their high-energy, high-stepping performances at parades and football games have been a staple of college life for generations. For young black females, these groups have been symbols of “pride, self-confidence, and personal empowerment.” But where did this tradition originally come from?

Majorettes originated as a carnival dance from Rhineland Germany, where young women who perform this dance were the highlight of the show. When majorette dancing came to the US, the South quickly picked it up and put their own spin on things. Majorettes have traditionally been female auxiliaries for marching bands; the girls dress in spangled uniforms, toss batons into the air or twirl them in eight-count cadences of rigid and strict arm movements in time to the band's music, but that is more of an old school style.

Hip-hop majorette dancing today is high-energy, synchronized, rhythmic dance moves that draw from ballet, jazz, and many other modern dances. Teams of black females compete — or "battle" with other teams around the South.

Local HBCUs here in North Carolina with majorette teams include Winston-Salem State University (WSSU), North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NCAT), and North Carolina Central University (NCCU); these schools have large turnouts for their homecoming games and their (majorette/scarlette lace) dancers are the apart of the main attraction.

Back in the 1960’s women were seldom thought of as being “athletic,” though when majorette dancing came about it gave women of color an opportunity to display their talents while changing history. “….

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Excerpt #7
From https://www.facebook.com/597106394018109/posts/majorette-vs-hip-hop-majorette-old-school-vs-new-schoolmajorettes-performed-orig/684842355244512/

Concrete Rose Dance Company, February 12, 2019 ·

Majorette vs. Hip Hop Majorette 🌹

Old School vs. New School

"🌹Majorettes performed originally a typical carnival dance originating in the Rhineland, where the young women who perform this dance are called "Tanzmariechen" (Dance Marys) in German or Dansmarietjes in Dutch. During the carnival the normal form of government is parodied. Baton twirling and majorettes spread here to Canada by the late 1930s and early 1940s, and majorettes were twirling and strutting in other countries by the 1960s.Majorettes have traditionally been female auxiliaries for marching bands; the girls dress in spangled uniforms, toss batons into the air or twirl them in eight-count cadences of rigid-arm movements in time to the band's music.

That's old-school‼️

🌹Hip-hop majorette dancing is high-energy, synchronized, rhythmic dance moves that draw from ballet, jazz, modern dance, hip-hop and gymnastics. Teams of black females compete — or "battle" — with other teams around the South. Just like traveling sports teams, these women are on the road almost every weekend at competitions held year-round.

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's auxiliary, Elite, was the first such dance group in Chattanooga 10 years ago. Ladies of Excellence is believed to have been the first teen competitive dance team to form in Chattanooga about seven years ago. They've since been joined by Royal Envy, RAH Spirit and Power in Motion.

Undoubtedly, the most famous teen troupe is the Dancing Dolls of Jackson, Miss., who are the stars of "Bring It!"

 The Dolls were founded in 2001 by Dianna Williams.

The most important evolution in black majorette dancing is the “grandstand,” which was first put into motion in 1970 by Shirley Middleton, a former member of the Prancing Jaycettes (currently called the J-Settes) at Jackson State University who led the charge for majorettes to take more control over the way they presented themselves. They dropped the batons in order to free themselves up for more flavorful routines, which came to be defined by pop-locking arms and deep pelvic thrusts, complex line formations, high kicks and silky athleticism. #Blackhistorymonth #BlackDance #MajoretteHERstory #CRDC"

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Excerpt #8
From https://www.lennyletter.com/story/hbcu-majorettes-shaped-my-idea-of-black-womanhood
…"There is something special about the HBCU majorette. She, who has mastered the fine art of pinning a full set of tracks into a performance-ready ponytail. She, who has ballerina moves with the swag of Lackawanna Blues. She, who over generations has perfected the all-important bleacher routine, aka “stands,” aka “grandstands,” and sees them popping up in music videos all over the world.

Everything they do — from the way they sit to the way they stand to the way they walk out of a stadium — is sculpted and refined in a way that, to me, reflects a desire to celebrate and portray ourselves highly in a world that rarely does. The sequined headpieces that act as crowns, the cutouts in the leggings that embrace, not hide, large thighs, the capes that add an extra side of drama just because.

More than a dance team, they are a force, a movement, a subculture that was shaped, fashioned, and formed by and for black women (though a whole subsect of black gay men has adopted it as well). Previously defined solely by the twirling batons and drum-major-type uniforms, in the hands of black women, majorette has been transformed and expanded to an artistic style of its own, whose routines sing just as loudly as the instruments blaring behind them.

The most important evolution in black majorette dancing is the “grandstand,” which was first put into motion in 1970 by Shirley Middleton, a former member of the Prancing Jaycettes (currently called the J-Settes) at Jackson State University who led the charge for majorettes to take more control over the way they presented themselves. They dropped the batons in order to free themselves up for more flavorful routines, which came to be defined by pop-locking arms and deep pelvic thrusts, complex line formations, high kicks and silky athleticism.

Grandstands, or “j-setting,” in particular are a series of eight-counts designed to be executed from the confined space of the bleachers while still managing to have as much visual impact as possible. They have names and personalities of their own, can be started in ripple or in sequence, and though they vary from team to team, they always adhere to the same basic, hip-throwing style. On Bring It!, grandstands are saved for the last, magnanimous “stand battle” that ultimately determines the winner at the end of each episode."

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Excerpt #9
From https://news.berkeley.edu/2019/06/25/bearettes-sf-ethnic-dance-festival/

"Berkeley’s Bearettes first to bring majorette-style dance to UC system"

By Anne Brice, Berkeley News| JUNE 25, 2019

If you’ve been to a Cal football or basketball game in the past few years, you’ve probably seen the Bearettes.

They’re the first majorette-style dance team in the University of California system, and among the first on the West Coast. The UC Berkeley troupe is made up of seven to more than a dozen dancers, depending on the semester. They dress in blue and gold and dance at games during breaks and halftime, accompanied by the Cal Marching Band. They’ve also performed at other campus events, like Caltopia and Calapalooza.

[…]

This majorette-style dance, also called dance lines or hip-hop majoretting, began in the late 1960s at historically black colleges and universities, or HBCUs. It combines the energy of the high-step marching style of black college bands with West African, jazz, modern and hip-hop choreography."...

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Excerpt #10
From https://bandhead.org/forum/topics/definition-of-majorette "Definition Of Majorette" Posted by Chicago Band Head on April 23, 2017
"Hey ya'll.

Bring It seems to be taking blame for the distorting what majorette is or what now people are calling "hip hop majorette".

I dismiss all of that silliness. However, I come from a marching band background and I have host 3 competitions in Chicago; The Divas and Gents Dance and Drumline Competition. It features high school dance teams, most of whom are band dancers.

I have always stated that the style of dance is majorette. I want to introduce creative dance at a future comp but I'm not totally sold on the category. I've seen majorette teams and hip hop teams compete in creative and I think it's so stupid. How can the judges call that? I only do team field show.

Anyway, I think a lot of community band teams don't know what majorette is anymore. What is it to do? What do you think it can be defined as?

This is what I told the teams this year: "Form of dance that incorporates hip-hop, ballet, jazz, and a mixture of lyrical dance all together. Its high energy, fast paced, fun, energetic, and entertaining. It also incorporates jumps, leaps, kicks, splits, and toe touches. Think HBCU Dance Teams."

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[comment] Reply

Christopher, April 23, 2017

"majorette

noun  ma·jor·ette \ˌmā-jə-ˈret\

Definition of majorette for English Language Learners

: a girl or woman who marches with a band and spins a baton"

Majorette. (n.d.). Retrieved April 23, 2017, fromhttps://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/majorette

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[comment] Reply

VenomTip, April 24, 2017
"What do you want the creative dance to look like? If you're going for HBCU Style routine, then I would say something like HBCU Creative Half-time... You may need to think on that.

I am NOT a fan of calling what we see with majority black bands Majorette dancing. They are NOT majorettes. They are dancers. Some lines are rooted from an existing majorette team that put down their batons and never picked them back up and held on to their historical names. However, once the batons were gone they were no longer majorettes. I would even venture to say that most dance lines don't consider their style of dance "majorette"."

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[comment] Reply

Chicago Band Head April 24, 2017

"Thanks. I didn't think of it that way.

You're right, I wouldn't call the Dolls, The Foxes, or a team like Ebony Fire majorettes. Back when I marched in the 90s, some dance teams in Chicago were called "Majorettes" even tho they no longer twirled batons. But a lot of community teams are now taking whats on Bring It as gospel. Or now, they're having categories called "hip hop majorette". They call that the bring it style lol."

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ADDENDUM: INFORMATION ABOUT THE "BRING IT!" TELEVISION SERIES
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bring_It!_(TV_series)
"Bring It! is an American dance reality television series that debuted March 5, 2014, on Lifetime.[1],,] Concurrent, Lifetime added a traveling tour, Bring It Live![6] Lifetime renewed for the show for a fifth season, which premiered on March 2, 2018.[7] However, according to Dianna Williams, the show has no[w] been cancelled, due to the fact that some girls graduated off the team and Dianna Williams who moved to Atlanta.

[...]

Premise

Bring It! is set in Jackson, Mississippi and features Coach Dianna "Miss D" Williams and her Dollhouse Dance Factory, home of Miss D's Dancing Dolls team,[8] which was founded in 2001. The troupe has over 15 Grand Champion titles and more than 100 trophies, and consists of children aged 10 to 17. The show also features the Baby Dancing Dolls, consisting of children under the age of 11.

The team competes in hip-hop majorette competitions,[8] with their main focus being on the Stand Battle (a routine where two teams face each other and alternate "stands" (routines), which are called by the captain depending on what stand the other team performs). The team slogan (both the Dancing Dolls and the Baby Dancing Dolls) is "Dancing Dolls For Life" (popularly shortened to DD4L, featured on much of their gear)."...
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The Jackson, Mississippi Dancing Dolls dance group that are featured in the Bring It! television series have no connection to Southern University & A&M College's Fabulous Dancing Dolls (Baton Rouge, Louisiana). However, my guess is that the reason why that renown HBCU dance line changed their name from "Dancing Dolls" to "Fabulous Dancing Dolls" is to further differentiate themselves from that widely known television hip hop majorette dance team.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/07/eight-dd4l-dancing-dolls-of-jackson.html for a 2014 pancocojams post that includes eight videos of the Bring It! Dancing Dolls from Jackson, Mississippi.

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