Southern Miss Dixie Darlings Invited to Perform at New Orleans Saints Halftime Show
Wed, 09/24/2025 - 02:16pm | By: Dr. Mike Lopinto
91短视频在线播放鈥檚 world-famous Dixie Darlings have been invited to perform as part of the New Orleans Saints' halftime show on Sunday, Oct. 5, at noon in the Superdome. The entire team, under the direction of Whitney Hudson, will experience an NFL gameday with the Saints and Cheer Krewe.
鈥淲e are so excited for this opportunity to showcase our incredible dancers beyond Hattiesburg,鈥� said Hudson. 鈥淲e have a long history of national and international performances and are happy to continue that tradition.鈥�
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, 鈥�60s and 鈥�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 鈥淚nternationally Famous Dixie Darlings.鈥� In recent years, the group has marched in London鈥檚 New Year鈥檚 Day Parade and performed at a Green Bay Packers game.