The Krewe of Freret paraded for 40 years until the 1990’s then was rebirthed on the parade route 4 years ago. Many members of the new Krewe are the children of the previous membership. I loved that they opened with traditional Baby Dolls, the inspiration for the adult dance troupes you see in parades today. In Saturday’s parade, those troupes included The Chorus Girl Project, Nyxettes and my vote so far for best new dance krewe of the year – Alter Egos. Between their purple afros and their fun, funky moves, they were an instant crowd favorite. The Dames de Perlage put on a great show with their intricately beaded corsets honoring local “saints” like the fictitious Ignatius Reilly, the very real culinary legend Leah Chase and the surreal Big Freedia. Bearded Oysters’s diaphanous wing-capes and Lucha Krewe’s fight-dance moves filled out the entertainment.
I was excited to spot the lovely Tamica Lee, WWL’s Traffic Reporter and a friend. I had trouble getting attention over all the noise and was happy to finally get a wave and yell some greetings. Then she gave me my favorite throw of the day – a black and gold feather boa. The parade also featured school marching bands including Roosevelt Middle School, Crocker College Prep, Sylvanie Williams College Prep, Akili Academy of New Orleans, Benjamin Franklin Elementary and dance schools like Your Dazzling Divas, Exquisite Starlettes Dance Academy and Whatever Dolls.
The weather couldn’t have been better and the parade represented a fresh cross-section of local culture. Next up – Krewes of Sparta and Pygmalion.
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- Krewe of Freret
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- WWL’s Tamica Lee
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- Alter Egos
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- Alter Egos
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- Alter Egos
L.A. to N.O.LA 
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Thanks for the great photos of dance troupes, majorettes, and the crowd. Good to see Krewe of Freret back. I remember the earlier incarnation that rode Monday nights on a unique route that began at Freret & Calhoun Streets.
Thank you for the kind words. Since you’ve seen the original, I hope you get an opportunity to see the new incarnation!