A New Era: The World Renowned Golden Girls
While these early majorettes were primarily associated with baton twirling and marching performances, a major shift began to take place within historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The most important moment in this shift came in 1968 with the introduction of Alcorn State University’s Golden Girls.
Before 1968, majorette was known as an addition to the band, completing coordinated moves with batons. Alcorn State University’s World Renowned Golden Girls was founded by Samuel Griffin. In July of 1968, a team of 8 devoted women, “were the first dance line to perform as a featured squad with choreographed movements to a marching band’s live tunes” (Forever Golden). Later that year, the Golden Girls made their national debut in Miami, Florida, during the Orange Blossom Classic, a historic college football game featuring the Florida A&M University Rattlers.
Instead of sticking to the expected standard of majorette dance, the Golden Girls brought a stronger focus on choreographed dance, powerful movements, and astounding performance. Their gold boots and capes have become a recognizable part of their image, with the original 8 girls famously throwing off their capes during their debut. Their performance was different than what audiences were used to seeing from female performers in marching bands. Forever Golden describes that before their halftime performance, “no one had ever seen a female dance team perform without batons”.
