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Kilgore College Rangerettes
Formation19 September 1940; 83 years ago (1940-09-19)[2]
TypePrecision Dance Team
Location
Membership
72
Founder
Gussie Nell Davis[1]
Director
Dana Blair[3]
Assistant Director
Shelley Wayne[3]
Parent organization
Kilgore College
Staff
3
Volunteers
Many
Websitehttp://www.rangerette.com
Rangerette Museum on the campus of Kilgore College in Kilgore, Texas

The Kilgore College Rangerettes, also known simply as the Rangerettes, are an American precision dance team from Kilgore College in Kilgore, Texas. The team was created by Gussie Nell Davis in 1939[4] and debuted on September 12, 1940.[5] The Rangerettes have performed on four continents, in twelve foreign countries, twenty-three states, and Washington D.C.[6] They have performed in 69 Cotton Bowl game halftimes in a row (1951-2019).[4] They make regular appearances at NFL pre-game and half-time shows for the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans, and have performed in several national event parades and presidential inaugurations.[7]

Brief history

The Kilgore College Rangerettes were founded by Gussie Nell Davis, a physical education instructor from Farmersville, Texas who had previously taken an all-girl's group called the "Flaming Flashes" from being a simple high school pep-squad to an elaborately performing drum and bugle corps in Greenville, Texas. In 1939, Davis was hired away from Greenville High School by the Kilgore College Dean, Dr. B.E. Masters. Masters wanted something different than the traditional women's drum and bugle corps. He wanted something that would increase female enrollment at the college but would also keep fans in their seats during football half time shows[6] instead of drinking alcohol under the stands.[8] Opting early to forgo the use of musical instruments, Davis focused her new team on dance and choreography, later naming the group the Rangerettes. The Rangerettes became a success early on despite criticisms of their uniforms featuring skirts above the knee, which by the 1960s had become much shorter. Davis served as the group's director for forty years, until June 1979.[6]

Directors and choreographers

  • Denard Haden – Choreographer, 1947-1978[9][10]
  • Peggy Crowder - Assistant Director[11]
  • Barbara "Pill" Harmon - Assistant Director[12]
  • Deana Bolton Covin - Assistant Director, 1972-1979; Director 1979-1993[13]
  • Ruth Flynn – Choreographer, 1980-1984[14]
  • Laura Davis – Choreographer, 1983-1984; Assistant Director and Choreographer, 1983-1986[15]
  • Dana Blair – Assistant Director and Choreographer, 1986-1993; Director, 1993 to present[3]
  • Shelley Wayne – Assistant Director and Choreographer, 1993 to present[3]
  • Angela Aulds – Assistant Choreograper and Dance Technician 2015 to present[16]

Performances and appearances

Partial List of Major Performances

Date Location Description
Nov 2018 New York City Invited guest performers of the 92nd Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade[17]
Jul 2018 Basel, Switzerland Invited guest performers of the annual Basel Tattoo
Mar 2018 Orlando, Florida Invited guest performers for the Contest of Champions final awards ceremony
Jan 2017 Washington, D.C. Invited guests of the Texas State Society for the inauguration of Donald Trump[18]
Dec 2016 Honolulu, Hawaii Invited guests of the Pearl Harbor Memorial Society for the 75th Anniversary Memorial Ceremony[19]
Nov 2016 New York City Feature performers in the 90th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Mar 2015 Ireland and Scotland Feature performers in the annual Saint Patrick's Day Parade[20] and in a European Football League game halftime
Jan 2013 Washington, D.C. Invited guests of the Texas State Society for the inauguration celebration of President Barack Obama
Dec 2011 Honolulu, Hawaii Invited guests of the Pearl Harbor Memorial Society for the 70th Anniversary Memorial Ceremony
Jan 2009 Washington, D.C. Invited guests of the Texas State Society for the inauguration celebration of President Barack Obama
Jan 2005 Washington, D.C. Invited guests of the Texas State Society for the inauguration celebration of President George W. Bush
Nov 2003 New York City Invited feature performers in the 77th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
May 2003 Indianapolis, Indiana Invited guests and feature performers for Indianapolis 500 Race Week
Nov 2002 Chicago, Illinois Invited guests in the Marshall Field's Jingle Elf Parade
Jan 2001 Washington, D.C. Invited guests of the Texas State Society for the inauguration celebration of President George W. Bush
Mar 2000 Dublin, Ireland Honored guests of the Saint Patrick's Day Parade and Lord Mayor's Ball
Nov 1998 New York City Invited feature performers in the 72nd Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Feb 1997 Singapore Chinese New Year Celebration
Jan 1996 Phoenix, Arizona Invited performers in the Fiesta Bowl Parade
Feb 1995 Nice, Paris, and Cannes, France Performers in the Carnival Celebration
Aug 1992 Tokyo and Chiba City, Japan Performances
Feb 1985 Nice, Paris, and Cannes, France Performers in the Carnival Celebration
1977 Romania Fifteen days of performances behind the Iron Curtain
1975 Hong Kong, Macao, and South Korea Star attraction at the American Fortnight
1972 Venezuela Five days of performances
Nov 1967 New York City Invited feature performers in the 41st Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Rangerettes Forever

Rangerettes Forever is an alumni organization that participates in various support programs for the team. Only former Rangerettes who completed both years on the team may join.[21]

Controversy and criticism

In response to an adaptation of Erwitt's film Beauty Knows No Pain (1972), titled after the Rangerette motto, feminists and other critics expressed dismay at the emphasis on physical attractiveness and rigorous and authoritarian training. The critics charged that the Rangerettes were a troupe of "sexist" and "mindless" "Barbie Dolls," and their activity was inappropriate for college curriculum. Miss Davis countered, "that there was nothing wrong in learning self-confidence, discipline, cooperation, and the ability to perform precision dance, along with poise, etiquette, and personal grooming".[1]

Rangerette kidnapping

In the late afternoon of December 29, 2016, there was an alleged armed home invasion and kidnapping at Rangerette Director Dana Blair's home. The assailant allegedly kidnapped Blair's daughter, who at the time was a Freshman Rangerette. Blair's daughter escaped her captor a little over an hour later. The alleged assailant, Nancy Alice Moats, was arrested on a charge of aggravated kidnapping and released on $500,000 bond on December 30, 2016.[22] On June 22, 2017, the assailant was indicted by a Gregg County Grand Jury, and faces first degree felonies in three charges encompassed in two counts for aggravated kidnapping. The first count includes two charges: aggravated kidnapping with intent to terrorize and aggravated kidnapping with a deadly weapon. The second count had one count of aggravated kidnapping by deadly force.[23] On December 21, 2018, Blair's attorney filed a civil lawsuit against Moats seeking monetary relief of between $200,000 and $1 million.[24]

In anticipation of the organization's 75th anniversary, filmmaker Chip Hale followed the Rangerettes for a year, creating the documentary Sweethearts of the Gridiron. The film examines the dynamics of the relationships between Blair and Wayne (both former Rangerettes), the returning Rangerettes, and the tryout process for the hopefuls who want to make the team. The documentary appeared in 18 film festivals during 2015, and was released on DVD and digital platforms in September 2016.[25]

The Rangerettes have been featured in articles in several media publications, including: Sports Illustrated, Newsweek, Esquire, Texas Monthly, and Texas 24/7. They were featured in the Cinerama movie Seven Wonders of the World (1956), and have appeared on several major national television programs.[citation needed]

In the King of the Hill episode "The Company Man" (Season 2, Episode 9), Hank asks Peggy to wear a Kilgore Rangerette type outfit when they go out to dinner with Mr. Holloway, a man heavily influenced by Texan stereotypes.[26]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Jeanie R. Stanley, "DAVIS, GUSSIE NELL," Handbook of Texas Online, http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fda83, accessed November 25, 2014. Uploaded on June 12, 2010. Published by the Texas State Historical Association
  2. ^ Teresa Palomo Acosta. "Kilgore Rangerettes". Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d "Kilgore College Rangerettes Director". Retrieved July 4, 2016.
  4. ^ a b Kilgore Rangerettes. University of Texas Press, 2008. p. 192. ISBN 978-0-292-71673-5. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |authors= ignored (help)
  5. ^ Mary Kaye Coachman (2006). Dance Team / Team spirit!. The Rosen Publishing Group. p. 64. ISBN 978-1-4042-0731-8.
  6. ^ a b c "Official Rangerette Website". Retrieved July 4, 2016.
  7. ^ Mary Ellen Hanson (1995). Go! fight! win!: cheerleading in American culture. Popular Press. ISBN 978-0-87972-680-5.
  8. ^ Evans, Andrew (March 25, 2013). "The Rangerettes". www.nationalgeographic.com. National Geographic. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
  9. ^ "Denard Haden Obituary". The Newspaper Archive. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
  10. ^ "Rangerette History". Rangerette.com. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
  11. ^ "Dr. Peggy Crowder Coghlan". RaderFH.com. Rader Funeral Home. August 23, 2018. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  12. ^ Forever Bios - Barbara "Pill" Harmon Malm
  13. ^ "Deana Bolton Covin". Rangerette.com. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
  14. ^ "Tyler Junior College Apache Belle Directors". Tyler Junior College. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
  15. ^ "Spirit of America Productions, About Us". spiritofameficaproductions.com. Archived from the original on June 2, 2010. Retrieved February 13, 2019. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ "Kilgore College Faculty". Kilgore.edu. Kilgore College 2018-19 Catalog. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
  17. ^ Bass, Gary (November 22, 2018). "Kilgore College Rangerettes performing in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade". KTRE. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  18. ^ "Kilgore College Rangerettes to perform at inaugural ball". Longview News-Journal. January 19, 2017. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  19. ^ "East Texas groups to perform during event marking Pearl Harbor attack". KLTV. December 7, 2016. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  20. ^ "All smiles on St Patrick's Day". Irish Independent. March 18, 2015. Retrieved March 6, 2019 – via PressReader.
  21. ^ "Kilgore College Rangerette Forevers". Retrieved November 26, 2016.
  22. ^ Hallmark, Bob (December 30, 2016). "Kilgore College student safe after escaping accused kidnapper". KLTV. Longview, TX. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
  23. ^ Katz, Chelsea (June 29, 2017). "Grand jury indicts woman in Rangerette kidnapping". Kilgore News Herald. Kilgore, TX. Retrieved June 29, 2017.
  24. ^ "Victims in Kilgore Rangerette kidnapping file lawsuit seeking up to $1 million against suspect". kltv.com. January 3, 2019. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  25. ^ "Sweethearts of the Gridiron". Retrieved October 8, 2014.
  26. ^ "Internet Movie Database". Retrieved July 4, 2016.
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