USC's first-ever majorette dance team, The Cardinal Divas, making moves amid backlash
A new dance style has found its way to the University of Southern California, and while the dancers have faced some backlash online, they're happy to bring their fire and diversity to campus as the school's first ever majorette dance team.
The Cardinal Divas of SC were co-founded by Princess Isis Lang this year. They specialize in the dance style known as "j-setting," popularized by the marching band at Jackson State University, and traditionally only found at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Despite this, Lang is happy to bring the culture to USC, a feeling backed by a huge outpouring of support on social media.
"The new majorette team kinda going crazy on the internet right now," Lang said on Wednesday. "This is the perfect way to showcase and uplift Black dancers, Black artists and Black joy overall."
A video that has since gone viral shows the Cardinal Divas performing at SC's first game against Fresno State on Sept. 17.
"It really feels like a dream," she said. "I did not expect all of this to happen so fast."
Flaunting a style of dance they say none of the other teams on campus have, the Cardinal Divas have stepped outside of the realm of comfort, bringing their moves to a PWI, or a predominantly white institution.
"I think something majorettes have that other styles don't have is that we're listening to the band and it's coming from a place of feeling," said Jada Walker, one of the Cardinal Divas.
Jai Robinson, the team's choreographer, explained j-setting as a style that began "in the 1960s at HBCUs, and it's a mixture of high-step marching band with West African jazz aesthetics and hip-hop, alongside with modern."
Even with the support they've found online, they have faced some negative comments, especially from people who don't believe the style of dance belongs at a school where the student population is less than 6% Black.
"We did get a lot of backlash and controversy about bringing HBCU culture to a PWI," Robinson said. "But I believe as Black students, we deserve a space to feel comfortable and to bring our culture."
"Everything hasn't been positive, but for the most part, we've stayed positive," said Walker at a practice on Wednesday. "I like to take negativity and use it as motivation."
As the Cardinal Divas plan to perform every chance they get, the end goal is for their team to end up on the field at one of the Trojans' home games.
"I hope my choreography can get on the field," Robinson said.
"Eventually, fingers crossed, we make it onto the field and with the band," Lang said. "This is exactly why I came to USC as well, not just to study musical theater, but to be a Black woman and really bring the Black community with me wherever I go."
