Southern Miss Dixie Darlings Invited to Perform at New Orleans Saints Halftime Show
Wed, 09/24/2025 - 02:16pm | By: Dr. Mike Lopinto
The University of Southern Mississippi’s world-famous Dixie Darlings have been invited to perform as part of the DJ Jubilee and Light Balance halftime show on Sunday, Oct. 5, at noon in the New Orleans Superdome. The entire team, under the direction of Whitney Hudson, will experience an NFL gameday with the Saints and Cheer Krewe.
“We are so excited for this opportunity to showcase our incredible dancers beyond Hattiesburg,” said Hudson. “We have a long history of national and international performances and with the assistance from our fans, we hope to continue that tradition.”
Recognizing the significance of the opportunity, the leadership of The Pride of Mississippi is rallying behind the Dixie Darlings to help make the trip possible despite the unexpected cost.
“The opportunity was just too great to pass up so everyone is working hard to make this happen,” said Dr. Travis Higa, director of The Pride of Mississippi. “One way or another we are going to do our best to support our students in any way we can.”
Jerome Temple, professionally known as DJ Jubilee and often called “The King of Bounce,” is an American rapper from New Orleans. Considered a pioneer in the bounce music scene with several regional hit records such as Stop Pause (Do the Jubilee All), he is often credited with influencing the genre’s sound, catchphrases and dances.
Light Balance is a Ukrainian hi-tech dance troupe that uses glowing LED costumes and synchronized lighting to create a visually stunning spectacle that combines dance, acrobatics and technology. Founded in 2012 in Dnipro, Ukraine, the group gained international fame through appearances on talent shows such as America’s Got Talent and Britain’s Got Talent, earning multiple Golden Buzzers and performing as finalists.
The Dixie Darlings were created in 1954 by Southern Miss band director Dr. Raymond Mannoni, who wanted to start a drill team of young women to perform with the Southern Miss band. Patterned after the Kilgore College Rangerettes, the original 18 members were chosen from their high school dance and cheerleading performances. By the end of the year, that number had doubled.
During the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, the Dixie Darlings performed at nationally televised events including the Sugar Bowl, Blue-Gray Bowl, Senior Bowl, All-Star Football Game in Chicago and a Redskins game in Washington, D.C. The media often referred to them as the “Internationally Famous Dixie Darlings.” In recent years, the group has marched in London’s New Year’s Day Parade and performed at a Green Bay Packers game.
Fans who would like to support the Dixie Darlings can donate to the Pride of Mississippi Marching Band and Dixie Darling Development Fund through the USM Foundation. To make a gift, click here or call 601.266.5210.