Add to your team order
Light-Up LED Pom Poms
Metallic streamers with LEDs built into the pom, a rechargeable pack, and one remote that changes the whole team’s color at once.
$145 USD per pair
NBA teams call them dancers or dance teams, such as the Knicks City Dancers and the Spurs Silver Dancers, but most fans search for NBA cheerleaders. Either way they perform in short, fixed windows (timeouts, the breaks between quarters and halftime), and often with the house lights down. Light-up poms are built for those moments: the diodes are in the pom, the whole line changes colour by remote, and one set covers team colours and every theme night. Our team rate is $120 a pair on 10 or more pairs.
Do NBA teams have cheerleaders or dance teams?
Both words get used, but the clubs mostly say dance team. In 2017 The New York Times reported that all 30 NBA teams had some form of entertainment group, whether a dance team or cheerleaders (source: The New York Times via WRAL). Two examples:
- Knicks City Dancers. Around since 1991; in 2017 the team had 20 dancers performing at home games only (source: The New York Times via WRAL).
- Spurs Silver Dancers. Established in 1991 and discontinued in 2018, citing lack of fan interest. They return for the 2026–27 season at select home games and community events, joining the co-ed Hype Squad of dancers, break dancers, tumblers and stunters (source: KSAT).
The person who orders the poms is usually the dance team director or the club’s entertainment or game-presentation department. A team that is launching or relaunching buys a full kit at once.
When does an NBA dance team actually perform?
The windows are written into the rulebook, and they are short:
| Window | Length (local games) | National TV games |
|---|---|---|
| Mandatory timeout (two per period) | 2:45 | 3:15 |
| Any additional team timeout | 1:15 | 1:15 |
| Between the first and second, and third and fourth periods | 2:30 | 3:30 |
| Halftime | 15 minutes | 15 minutes |
Source: NBA Rule No. 5. Each team also has seven charged timeouts in regulation. The routines are shorter still: the Knicks City Dancers moved from 50-second routines to 90-second numbers in 2014, and perform one or two routines a game (source: The New York Times via WRAL). A pom that has to build up to its effect wastes half the routine.
Why do lights-down moments change what the poms need to do?
Arenas now run show lighting on ordinary game nights. The Knicks City Dancers use blackouts before performances to capture the crowd’s attention (source: The New York Times via WRAL). At the Intuit Dome, lighting effects synchronize with pregame introductions, halftime shows and team performances (source: Mondo-DR). At the Chicago Bulls’ 2016–17 season opener the arena went dark except for the glowing court during the introductions (source: PLSN).
Metallic poms only reflect light. In a blackout there is nothing to reflect, so the line disappears. Light-up poms make their own light, so the dancers are the brightest thing on the floor, and the colour can change on the same cue as the arena lights.
Light-up or metallic poms for an NBA dance team?
| Situation | Metallic poms | Light-up poms |
|---|---|---|
| Timeout with the house lights up | Fine | Brighter from the upper bowl |
| Blackout before a routine | Disappear | The only light on the floor |
| Lights-out starting lineup | Lost in the dark | Change colour on the cue |
| Theme nights | A new set per colour | One set, any colour by remote |
| Community appearances in daylight | Fine | Fine, in team colours |
Many teams keep a metallic set for everyday use and a light-up set for the nights that are filmed and shared. Either way, order the set together so every pom matches.
Where does one set get used across a season?
- Timeouts and quarter breaks, in team colours.
- Halftime, with the arena dimmed for a full number. See halftime show ideas for arenas.
- Starting lineups in the dark. See lights-out intro ideas.
- Theme and cause nights, switching colour by remote. See theme night ideas for pro games.
- Community events, which the Silver Dancers’ return includes (source: KSAT).
How many pairs does an NBA dance team need, and what does it cost?
One pair per performer plus spares, ordered together. Our team rate is $120 a pair on 10 or more pairs:
| Group | Pairs | Cost at the team rate |
|---|---|---|
| Dance team of 16 | 18 | $2,160 |
| Dance team of 20 | 22 | $2,640 |
| Dance team plus hype squad dancers, 30 together | 32 | $3,840 |
Pair counts include two spares. In a co-ed hype squad, the tumblers and stunters need their hands free, so order for the members who dance with poms.
What should the line wear for a lights-down number?
Most teams keep their uniform and let the poms carry the light. For a feature number, our LED fringe sequin dress is a sequin bodysuit with one layer of LED fringe from a V seam at the hips; the colour changes by remote, so it can match the poms. It runs XS to 4X with two-way stretch, so one style fits the whole line.
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
Who runs what on the day?
| Role | Job |
|---|---|
| Dance team director | Routines, counts and which numbers use poms |
| Game presentation | House lights, video board and the cue |
| Entertainment or marketing | The theme-night calendar and sponsors |
| Team captain | The remote and the colour change |
| Operations | Charging the packs before every home game |
Put the colour change in the game-presentation script on the same line as the lighting cue.
How do you request a quote for an NBA dance team?
Email or DM us with the number of dancers, the team colours, any theme-night colours you want on the remote and the date of your first home game. 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
Do NBA teams have cheerleaders?
In 2017 all 30 NBA teams had some form of entertainment group. Most call it a dance team rather than cheerleaders, such as the Knicks City Dancers.
What are NBA cheerleaders called?
Usually dancers or a dance team. Some clubs also run co-ed hype squads, like the Spurs’ Hype Squad of dancers, break dancers, tumblers and stunters.
Are the Spurs Silver Dancers coming back?
Yes. The Silver Dancers, established in 1991 and discontinued in 2018, return for the 2026–27 season at select home games and community events, alongside the Hype Squad.
How long is an NBA timeout?
Mandatory timeouts are 2:45 in local games and 3:15 in national games; additional team timeouts are 1:15. Halftime is 15 minutes.
Why would an NBA dance team use light-up poms?
To stay visible when the arena goes dark before a routine or for introductions, and to change colour for theme nights with one set.
How much do light-up poms cost for an NBA dance team?
Our team rate is $120 a pair on 10 or more pairs. A 20-dancer team with two spares is 22 pairs, or $2,640 at that rate.
See also: lights-out intro ideas, halftime show ideas for arenas and hockey cheerleaders and dance teams.
Sources: The New York Times via WRAL, KSAT, NBA Rule No. 5, Mondo-DR, PLSN.
Teams and clubs named in this post are cited from public reporting. None is affiliated with Neon Cowboys or is named here as a customer.
Questions: info@neoncowboys.com.
