Mobile’s Prancing Elites are heading back to national television, with Oxygen Media confirming a second season of “The Prancing Elites Project” following a strong ratings debut for the network.
The docu-series follows the Prancing Elites, a gender-nonconforming dance and majorette team based in Mobile, as they navigate both their performing careers and personal lives. All five original members are set to return for the new season, and episodes will expand from a 30-minute format to a full hour, giving the group more room to tell their story.
Oxygen executives said the series has resonated strongly with the network’s target audience of young, multicultural viewers since its debut. The show follows an African American, gay and gender-nonconforming dance troupe as they challenge stereotypes through their performances and public visibility, themes executives said aligned closely with the network’s broader programming strategy.
According to figures released by the network, the show’s premiere ranked as Oxygen’s highest-rated launch across key demographics since the network rebranded in late 2014. The series also built a substantial social media following, with related hashtags trending nationally during the premiere and drawing tens of millions of impressions across Twitter and Facebook over the course of the first season.
“The Prancing Elites’ unique and emotional journey is a resounding hit with Oxygen’s diverse, millennial audience,” said one network executive involved in the show’s development, crediting the group’s resilience and humor for connecting with viewers well beyond Mobile.
The renewal comes at a moment the network described as significant for LGBTQ visibility nationally, with executives pointing to the show’s success as part of a broader cultural moment. For Mobile, the series has offered an unusual spotlight on a local performing group that built its reputation through majorette-style routines at parades and public events across the region before catching national attention.
The Prancing Elites first drew wider notice performing in local parades, where their high-energy routines stood out from traditional marching band and dance team performances. That local following eventually caught the attention of national media, culminating in the Oxygen series that has now been renewed for a second, longer season.
City boosters and local arts advocates have pointed to the show’s success as a rare example of homegrown Mobile talent reaching a national audience, adding to the city’s profile in entertainment circles beyond its usual coverage for tourism and history.