Made by Neon Cowboys
Vestido con lentejuelas y flecos LED: RESERVA
A fringe sequin dress with LEDs you switch between colors and light modes with the included remote.
$249 USD
HBCU dance lines perform with the marching band: Southern University’s Fabulous Dancing Dolls have danced with the Human Jukebox since 1969, and Jackson State’s Prancing J-Settes have performed with the Sonic Boom of the South since 1971, after the school’s majorettes asked to put down their batons. The look is sequins, capes, boots and long gloves, in the stands and on the field, much of it after dark. Our LED fringe sequin bodysuit keeps that look and glows in one colour by remote; line orders are quoted.
Which HBCU dance lines set the tradition?
| Line | School and band | Since |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Girls | Alcorn State, Sounds of Dyn-O-Mite | 1968 |
| Fabulous Dancing Dolls | Southern University, Human Jukebox | 1969 |
| Prancing J-Settes | Jackson State, Sonic Boom of the South | 1971 |
| Sensational Stingettes | Alabama State, Mighty Marching Hornets | 1977 |
Alcorn describes its Golden Girls as “the first dance line to perform as a featured squad” (source: Alcorn State University). Southern’s Dolls were selected by Gracie Perkins and band director Isaac Greggs in 1969, and from the start “there would be no batons, tasseled boots or high steps” (sources: The Advocate, Andscape). At Jackson State, the majorettes asked the university’s president in 1970 to let them “put down their batons,” and the Prancing Jaycettes followed in 1971 (sources: WLBT, Daily Dot). Alabama State founded the Stingettes in 1977 as its first official dance line for the band (source: Andscape).
What do HBCU dance lines wear?
| Element | Where it shows up | What to check when ordering |
|---|---|---|
| Sequins | The Dolls’ 1969 “sequined suits” | The same sequin and colour across every dancer |
| Capes | The Dolls, the J-Settes and the Stingettes | Comes off clean for the routine |
| Boots | White for the J-Settes; gold for the 1969 Dolls | Sizes for everyone, ordered with the costume |
| Headdress, stockings, long gloves | Staples of the Dolls, along with the high kick | Matched to the costume colour |
| Fringe | Moves on every hit | One clean layer, the same length on every dancer |
Sources: The Advocate, Andscape, Andscape. The uniform is the line’s identity: at Jackson State, “Their uniforms are a focal point,” and the J-Settes held a formal fundraiser to help dancers buy boots, uniforms and tights (source: WLBT). For how directors choose a sequined, fringed look, see majorette line costumes.
Do HBCU dance lines carry poms?
Not as a rule we can point to. The founding stories are about putting things down: the batons at Jackson State, the batons and high steps at Southern. The Dolls do use their signature white gloves and parasols in routines (source: Andscape). So for a line in this tradition, the light belongs in the costume, not in the hands. If your line does have a pom number, our light-up poms switch colour with the costume by remote at $120 a pair on 10 or more pairs.
Where does a dance line perform, and what changes at night?
| Where | What happens |
|---|---|
| In the stands | “They perform in the stands with the band; they dance and do stand routines” |
| Halftime | The Dolls’ halftime shows “often they last all of eight minutes” |
| Classics and homecoming | The Dolls have danced at the Bayou Classic since 1974; majorette lines perform at HBCU football games and homecoming events |
| Parades | The Dolls have marched in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade |
Sources: Halftime Magazine, The Advocate, NBC News, Andscape. The stands are darker than the field. Sequins need light hitting them; a lit costume makes its own, so a stand routine reads from across the stadium and a parade line reads from the curb.
How does our LED fringe sequin bodysuit fit the tradition?
| The tradition | Our bodysuit |
|---|---|
| Sequins | A fitted sequin bodysuit |
| Fringe that moves on every hit | One layer of LED fringe from a V seam at the hips |
| Secure for kicks and splits | Bikini-cut bottom with snaps, two-way stretch |
| Every body on the line | Sizes XS to 4X |
| School colours | Any colour by remote, switched together across the line |
It is a bodysuit, not a skirt and not tiered. Pair it with your line’s own boots, stockings, gloves and capes, which stay exactly as they are.
How do you size and order for a whole line?
- Measure every dancer: bust, waist and hips.
- Use the size chart; the bodysuit runs XS to 4X with two-way stretch.
- Order spares in the two most common sizes.
- Order the whole line together so every piece matches.
- Run the remote in rehearsal with the whole line before the first night game.
| When | What to lock in |
|---|---|
| Line set | Measurements from every dancer |
| Before band camp | Request a quote with headcount and sizes |
| Band camp | Fittings; costume and boots together |
| First night game | Charged, remote with the director |
| Homecoming and the classic | Spares packed, charge plan for a long day |
Send your first night performance when you ask for a quote and we will tell you plainly what fits.
Who runs what on the day?
| Role | Job |
|---|---|
| Band director | The show, and what the line wears in it |
| Dance line director | The look, the sizes and the order |
| Line alumnae | Fundraising for boots, uniforms and tights, as the J-Settes did |
| Band boosters | Payment and travel |
| Purchasing | Quote and purchase order |
Give one captain the remote and the charge list for every game and parade.
How do you request a quote for a dance line?
Email or DM us with your line size, every dancer’s measurements, the school colours and your first night performance. We make our light-up products ourselves and will tell you plainly what fits your date. See team orders for how a group order works.
What do customers say about the LED Fringe Sequin Dress?
The LED Fringe Sequin Dress holds a 5.0 out of 5 rating from 11 customer reviews. A few of them, unedited:
“Obsessed! So beautiful and a perfect fit!”
— Bia P.
“Fantastic dress! Wonderful way to light up my performances. I’m in love!”
— Jessica C.
“As a bigger chested girl soooo happy with the busy area. The sequins are also sewed on really well and gove very good quality/construction”
— Kéren A.
Frequently asked questions
Who are the Southern University Dancing Dolls?
The Fabulous Dancing Dolls, the dance line of Southern University’s Human Jukebox marching band since 1969, founded by Gracie Perkins and band director Isaac Greggs.
When were the Prancing J-Settes founded?
In 1971, after Jackson State’s majorettes asked in 1970 to put down their batons. They perform with the Sonic Boom of the South.
What do HBCU dance lines wear?
Sequins, capes, boots and long gloves in school colours. The J-Settes are known for capes and white boots; the first Dancing Dolls wore sequined suits, capes and gold boots.
What is a stand routine?
A routine the dance line performs in the stands with the band, during the game, apart from the halftime field show.
Do HBCU dance lines use poms?
Not as part of the tradition we can document. The founding lines put down the baton, and Southern’s Dolls use white gloves and parasols in routines.
How much does the LED fringe sequin bodysuit cost for a line?
Line orders are quoted. Send your headcount, sizes and school colours and we will reply with a quote.
See also: band dance teams and dance lines, majorette line costumes, HBCU homecoming ideas and majorette fringe and LED performance wear.
Sources: Alcorn State University, The Advocate, The Advocate, Andscape, WLBT, Daily Dot, Andscape, Andscape, Halftime Magazine, NBC News.
Team, school and contest names are used only to identify them. None is affiliated with or endorses Neon Cowboys.
Questions: info@neoncowboys.com.
