Some of the most talked-about performers during the Super Bowl LX halftime show, which drew millions of viewers, weren’t dancing or singing; instead, they were the grass.
Jasmine Proaño, a mother from Louisville, participated in the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, during the Seattle Seahawks vs. New England Patriots game. During the performance, Proaño was one of about 200 individuals dressed as sugarcane grass, creating a living set piece.
Proaño, who was born in Bowling Green and has lived in Louisville for the past 12 years, said she decided last year to audition for the 2026 halftime show. While she didn’t land a dancing role, she still earned a spot on the field—inside a 40-pound grass costume.
“I’m so emotional today seeing how great the show was,” Proaño said to WLKY News in an interview. “The grass people are viral. This is wild!”
Proaño was only informed of her casting 48 hours prior to her departure for California. Before the game, she practiced with the production team for the next two weeks.
She said that although the actors were never fully informed of the rationale behind using actual people as grass, she believes it was a pragmatic and symbolic decision.
Using performers allowed the elaborate set to be moved on and off the field within the NFL’s stringent time constraints, and sugarcane grass has cultural significance in Puerto Rico.
“During rehearsals, the set crew had to practice getting everything onto the field and off the field in a certain amount of time,” she said to WLKY. “It was really cool to see all of that.”
Proaño said in a separate interview she had dreamed of performing in a Super Bowl halftime show ever since watching Kendrick Lamar’s performance in 2025. She applied in the fall of 2025 but initially thought she hadn’t been selected after not hearing back.
It turned out that she had been occupied with a winter storm in Kentucky when she missed an email offer from the production company.
“I was shocked and panicked,” Proaño told WAVE News. “The first rehearsal was already happening and I was going to miss it. Missing was not an option.”
Following her explanation of her circumstances, the production team decided to retain her on the cast, provided she could devote herself entirely to the remaining rehearsals. Two mornings later, she said, she took a plane to California.
Proaño found out she would be on the grass set once rehearsals started. She said that each performer needed seven to eight people to put on the costumes, which were made to be worn for extended periods of time.
On game day, Proaño said the scale of the event was overwhelming. At one point, she and her row were turned to face the crowd, giving her a front-row view of the stadium.
“I was so nervous walking into the stadium,” she said, adding that she spotted actor Jon Hamm dancing nearby during the show. “It was loud and there were so many people there.”
Proaño also said one of the most surreal moments was being so close to Bad Bunny and celebrity guests Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin.
“A few parts of the show, Bad Bunny was very close to me,” she said. “It was an out of body experience, honestly.”
This article appears in Jan 1-31, 2026.