BATON ROUGE - Dancing Dolls alumni were at center field during Southern University's homecoming, twirling around with current dancers. The special performance celebrated 55 years of the Dancing Dolls troupe.

"It carries a lot of weight. But I think we wear it proudly," alumni Melrose Biagas said.

Bigas danced from 1973 to 1975. She says even back then they were well-respected. She never thought the label and skills would follow her for the rest of her life.

"On campus, other students really treated us like we were semi-pro stars. We had to represent. We had to make sure we had high grades, dress appropriately, spoke appropriately. Everything. And I carried those skills throughout my life," she said.

At first, Biagas wasn't going to perform during half-time. It took convincing from a family member to get her to do it and she's glad for the words of encouragement.

"My son was like, 'Mom you have to do it one more time - one more time mom'. So, he encouraged me to do it and I'm having a wonderful time."

She says her love of dancing never left and that performing during the half-time game brought her back in time.

"It's the high you get when you're performing in front of an audience. Especially when they love your performance. I miss that," she said.

For those wanting to be Dancing Dolls, Biagas says they have to put in the work to have that experience. As long as they continue to practice and persevere, they will get there.

"If it's something you're wanting to do, you've got to perfect it. Get in front of the mirror, perfect the moves. Keep that smile on your face and continue to do it," she said.