History of majorette dancing in san antonio

Majorette dance teams echo the importance of dance to Black culture. A year later, she released the Netflix film "Homecoming," giving viewers a behind the scenes look into the performance, finding inspiration from HBCU bands to formulate the marching band theme, outfits and even the title of the documentary. While the singer didn't play an instrument during her performance, the choreography was heavily influenced by an integral part of any HBCU band: the majorettes.

Derived from the Dutch word "Dansmarietjes," the original majorettes were carnival dancers who twirled batons in their performances. Majorette dancers mix multiple styles of dancing, including jazz, hip-hop, ballet, burlesque, cabaret, kick lines and more, to entertain audiences while simultaneously honoring the dancers who came before them.

History of majorette dancing in san antonio: A San Antonio woman

Performances by majorette teams are often grand, with props, bright outfits, cohesive hairstyles, tricks and dances in collaboration with their school's band song selections, which often reflect Black culture on HBCU campuses. Gloria Gray Liggans was a part of the original eight dancers on the line. Maybe perform at home games, travel some.

According to Liggans, the vision came directly from band director Samuel S. Griffin after seeing Notre Dame University's band perform with a "twirler" who wore a gold performance costume. He had the idea and the vision, and he said it was a blessing that it went forward.