In her panicked attempt to put the phone on speaker so the others could hear, she accidentally hung up. The girls were practicing a hip-hop number for the upcoming springtime review Rangerette Revels dipping low and then jumping high. Growing up, young girls in the area take dance, and as they reach their teenage years, many strive to make the Kilgore High School dance team, the Hi-Steppers. And while Nancy was driving home to her fish dinner, Alexa was bolting out of the storage facility. She continues to serve as director today. She then was awarded the third director of the Kilgore College Rangerettes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. Studying Nancys face at the April 29, 2019, sentencing hearing, Alexa took her in for the first time: the shoulder-length hair parted at the side, the mascara running into the creases beneath her eyes, the mouth set in a deep grimace. [50], On April 29, 2019, Motes pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated kidnapping, one with a deadly weapon and one with deadly force. Shell be getting out of jail, so its not likeits not over, and shes going to be out in the world, Alexa said. He mentioned a teacher whod recently observed that mothers and fathers are becoming more meddlesome than ever. Makes a nice True Detective, right? Spradlin said. Dana also understood what this day meant to her team. Thats definitely the most fit I have ever been in my entire life, Alexa said. In 1991, she married Dr. Larry Covin, a former SFA classmate - who, by the way, just happened to be the college roommate of her first husband. But to the best of anyones knowledge, Motes and her family never had much interest in the organization. As the school year drew to a close, some locals still gossiped about Nancy Motes. Dana, of course, knew where Alexa wasalong with the position of every other Rangerettethe way an astronomer might point to the sky on a cloudy night and identify any star in the firmament. Members of the Kilgore College Rangerettes wait for the curtain to rise Monday, April 3, 2017, during a dress rehearsal for their upcoming Rangerette Revels performance. All copyrighted materials included within the Handbook of Texas Online are in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Intense training, discipline and constant practice make the Rangerettes one of the best precision dance teams in the world. What is the spring performance called? The assailant, Nancy Alice Motes, was arrested on a charge of aggravated kidnapping and released on $500,000 bond on December 30, 2016. [44], Until the 1970s there were no African American members of the team. The Kilgore College Rangerettes, also known simply as the Rangerettes, are an American precision dance team from Kilgore College in Kilgore, Texas, created by Gussie Nell Davis in 1939. Chatting with Jan at the museum, she said, Tyler used to beat us in football but we sure beat em in halftime. Indeed, Kilgore College was the birthplace of the half-time showthe Rangerettes spawned a tradition that gets replayed across America every Friday night in football season and at every Superbowl. [46], Some critics have "expressed dismay at the emphasis on physical attractiveness and rigorous and authoritarian training. And in what year. Terry Holland had a tremendous impact on numerous student-athletes and coaches during his tenure as a coach and athletics director at Virginia, Davidson and East Carolina. What are girls called that are trying out for the team? [9][10][11][12] They have taken several world tours since the 1970s, including South America, the Far East, Romania, France, Canada, Japan, Italy,[13][14] Switzerland,[15] England,[16] Scotland, and Ireland. So thats what Ive been doing for a long time. Axolotls and capybaras are TikTok famousis that a problem? In fact, they were the very first dance drill team in America, founded in 1940 at Kilgore College to keep fans in their seats. She very successfully passed on the many traditions and techniques that Miss Davis had started, and kept the Rangerettes in the very center of the dance and drill team spotlight. It wasnt long before schools throughout Texas were fielding their own drill teams, but Kilgores version has remained iconic. Originally, a Rockette had to be between 5'2and 5'6 ", but today, she is between 5'6and 5'10 " and has to be proficient in tap, modern, jazz and ballet. Every year, shed recruit three independent judges to rank prospective members on skills like splits and kicks. Those without direct knowledge of the crime assumed it was some kind of retaliation against the Rangerettes, given the Blairs involvement with the troupe. Clower said that Kyleigh was cut spot because of an increasingly skilled and competitive talent pool that year. She thought it was her husband, Chris, who had just gone out to run some errands; she knew he didnt have his house key with him, and she figured he must have forgotten something before heading out. The following, adapted from the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition, is the preferred citation for this entry. This stone has a mysterious past beyond British coronations, Ultimate Italy: 14 ways to see the country in a new light, 6 unforgettable Italy hotels, from Lake Como to Rome, A taste of Rioja, from crispy croquettas to piquillo peppers, Trek through this stunning European wilderness, Land of the lemurs: the race to save Madagascar's sacred forests, The Kilgore College Rangerettes rehearse on the stage of Dodson Auditorium in Kilgore, Texas (Photo by Andrew Evans, National Geographic Traveler), The Rangerette Museum in Kilgore, Texas (Photo by Andrew Evans, National Geographic Traveler), Early Kilgore College Rangerettes from the 1940s (Kilgore College Rangerettes Museum & Showcase in Kilgore, Texas), The Kilgore College Rangerettes prepare for the spring dance review Revels. [32][33] There are five showings within the week of the program, and it is the last major performance of the year for the group. After the school day, they head to the field to spend hours practicing as many as seven hundred high kicks, even in the scorching East Texas heat. Along the way, it may have dawned on her that she was committing a crime, and that she was in possession of evidence, because she threw Danas phone out the window and then smashed Alexas phone and tossed it too. As soon as the light turned green, I tried to catch them, and they were gone, Lori said. Nancy accused the judges of discriminating against Kyleigh and other tall girls in an effort to create height uniformity throughout the roster, and she said their decision had robbed her daughter of her senior year. Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic SocietyCopyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. Mrs. Covin was first married to J.W. The Rangerettes have historically been identified with one costume, made up of a blouse, arm gauntlets, a belt, and a short circular skirt, in red, white, and blue. Were going somewhere in Alexas car. Exactly what she had in mind was uncertain, but Dana knew she shouldnt get in the car. The little-known history of the Florida panther. Once she made the high school roster, she was hooked. Is Briana Duffield your friend? Rather, Nancy said, the Blairs were simply unlucky bystanders who became the targets of a more general frustration that boiled over that December afternoon, an ire that had begun simmering when Kyleigh lost her spot on the Hi-Steppers. For her to continue for so long not telling the truth, Alexa said, I think that was the most aggravating part.. They kept mostly to themselves, and only a few neighbors and church friends knew them well. Miss Davis retired in 1979, and passed away December 20, 1993. She started imagining that cars she saw on the highway were following her. Nancy Motes in court in April 2019 to enter a guilty plea on two counts of aggravated kidnapping in the 2016 abduction of Alexa (left) and Dana Blair (right). You havent done anything wrong, Alexa remembers Nancy saying, as she wrapped duct tape around Alexas lower legs. Thousands of high schools and colleges have copied the Rangerettes since Gussie Nell Davis created them in 1940. The remodeled facility, now known as the Deana Bolton Covin Rangerette Gymnasium, is one of the first two buildings erected for the college in 1935. Check, check. Nancy saw Alexas chest moving and seemed surprised. The Kilgore College Rangerettes have traveled the world, performing in dozens of different countries and representing Texas in a way that no football team ever could: 71 young women, rigid with . This thing could have gone a whole lot worse than it did, Nancys lawyer, Joe Young, told the judge. When Nancy came over a hill on the southeastern outskirts of Kilgore,beyond the fields and the six-pump gas station and the country store, she pulled into a storage facility where she and Kyle rented space and parked near unit 14. Her most popular saying was Beauty knows no pain, and it became the Rangerettes motto. For me, the real joy of travel lies in the sudden change of plansbecause the open road always delivers something far better than we could ever schedule. It was her husband, Kyle, calling to ask about dinner. On the other side, she found herself in a residential neighborhood. Alexa felt numb. STDs are at a shocking high. Clower, feeling that her authority had been overridden and offended that the boards vote seemed to validate the accusations against her, concluded she had no choice but to resign after the following school year. (Photo by Andrew Evans, National Geographic Traveler), Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic Society, Copyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. She is a lifetime member of the Rangerettes Forever Alumni Organization. In July 2005, the Zwick Foundation provided Kilgore College with a $3.5 million grant for design and construction of a new dormitory exclusively for use by the Rangerettes. We thought we knew turtles. I think that if she intended her harm, she had plenty she could have done and she didnt; Alexa is fine, Kyle Motes testified, before quickly walking it back. In her testimony, she said a phone call jarred her back to her senses. Who is trying out for the team for the 2nd time? They arent just helicopter parentsthis is a new breed to watch out for. A testament to Miss Davis' vision and understanding of timeless beauty, the Rangerettes continue to thrill and dazzle crowds everywhere they appear. I did not realize Nancy Motes was a helicopter parent, said Coleen Clower. Hale had never been a Rangerette. The trust is set up to provide scholarships for Rangerettes and Rangerette Managers who meet the endowment's academic criteria. After the call, Nancy became increasingly paranoid. And in her last season running the Hi-Steppers, Clower decided that if Kyleigh was going to rejoin the team, then so should all the girls who didnt make the cut. Instead, she and Kyle did something unexpectedand unprecedented. [43], On Saturday, October 19, 2019, a former Kilgore College Rangerette and her husband donated a $3.5 million estate gift to fund scholarships for the Rangerette organization. 2 hours of sleep? After a month . But as I saw her face, I recognized her as Dana Blairs daughter. I watched and listened to them repeat that exact same phrase about fifty more times during their practice, to the point of it becoming slightly alarming, or at least disconcerting. And yet despite the discipline and physical rigors of the corps, being a Rangerette is a great honor and the dream of many a young Texas girl. She left her home and drove to Longview to shop for a pair of jeans at Cato Fashions. Man, they want us to want it. I dont know what she has felt., Nancy also denied critical aspects of the crime shed already pleaded guilty to in her criminal case. What is the first performance of each year called? We'll send you a couple of emails per month, filled with fascinating history facts that you can share with your friends. I didnt mean to say it like that. To underscore the significance of the Kilgore Rangerettes, Kilgore College opened a Rangerette Showcase on its campus in 1979. The costume has remained unchanged, except for a slight shortening of the skirt length. Spradlins heart went out to the Blairs, but he also felt for Kyleigh and Kyle. Dressed in laced-up black boots, they practiced the same move over and over, stopping constantly for critique from their choreographer and director. Nationwide, the Rangerettes' legacy has garnered the involvement of some 75,000 high school drill team members. Many years ago, a young woman named Min Hui (Wang Yu Wen) fell for a young man named Xin Qi (Wang Zi Qi). Motes was sentenced to . Meanwhile, her parents moved to a new home and Dana continued leading the Rangerettes. Even when the police took her into custody on suspicion of kidnapping, she maintained her innocence. Shore repeated the story to Kyleigh, and after their relationship ended, she passed it along to her mother. The Handbook of Texas Women project has its own dedicated website and resources. They were lucky to have escapedand lucky to be alive. I wasnt mad that it was out, she said, It was just hard to reread and relive.. As the hopefuls sit on the stage, awaiting their fate, the uniformed sophomores pour onto the stage once again. The 80th edition on Thursday will be no different. Rather, the group of seventy-some women execute a highly technical, athletically demanding style of dance that features jump-splits and Rockettes-style kick lines. [2], 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. And at this point, Nancys very bad plan took a turn for the worse. [66], The Angelette Song from The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas features a drill team performance that parodies the Rangerettes[67], 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. When Dana picked up, Alexa said, Mom, she wants to know if you called the cops.. Its asif [Nancy] went up there for harm, there was ample time and opportunity for harm before they got to the storage [unit]., Alexa told the court that she tries to avoid thinking about that night. They dreamed of spending the rest of their lives together and had even planned to marry. Hearing it said out loud. They also said they felt unsettled by Nancys looming release. The TSHA makes every effort to conform to the principles of fair use and to comply with copyright law. Some special unit of woman combatants who could shoot and ride and who defended the great state Texas from evildoers and lawlessness? I imagined, entering the museum with a wide-open mind. Kilgores Rangerette Showcase and Museum is two blocks away. But despite the tangled history between them, Nancy had never met Dana or Alexa. Kyleigh was well-behaved and a bright student. About how many people make the team each year? Then she continued tracking the vehicle through Longview neighborhoods, going as fast as 80 miles per hourright up until Nancy ran a red light. Shore approaches what Dana and Alexa Blair experienced?, I said I can imagine the pain she felt, Nancy replied. The history of book bansand their changing targetsin the U.S. Should you get tested for a BRCA gene mutation? In January of 1996 she was named posthumously to the TDDTEA Texas Drill Team Hall of Fame, and in 1999, was inducted into the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame. I dont like talking about it, she said. Rangerette Pre-Training and Tryout dates for the 83rd Line are June 25 - 30, 2022. Every penny counts! Starting with just 16 women, over the years the troupe grew to a line of 36 dancers. During her pursuit, Lori had the sense to call 911 and read the suspected kidnappers license plate to the dispatcher. Do you have a boyfriend? The Rangerettes are returning 36 sophomores to the line. The defense attempted to paint the picture of a happy ending: how Alexa went on to finish Rangerettes the following year and then transferred to Texas A&M University, where she graduated in 2020; how she got a job working as the director of a middle school drill team in Central Texas. Faced with overwhelming evidence, she pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated kidnapping and was sentenced to five years in state prison. Who buys lion bones? Her parents had always been protective of her, and she recalled the exit strategy her dad made her memorize in case someone broke into the house: Go out the back window and run to the nursing home. But she couldnt very well do that with a gun trained on her. ), It just blows my mind to hear her say it over and over again, Alexa said of Nancys claim that she didnt use a gun in the kidnapping. Mrs. Wayne and Mrs. Blair have worked together . Davis created the troupe in 1940, when the former high school physical education teacher came to Kilgore College. The crime, which had kicked the small-town gossip mill into overdrive, wound up producing little drama in the courtroom. Let me tell you what; I dont think Kyleigh was even crazy about being on drill team, Clower said. [51], On July 1, 2021, Judge Alfonso Charles ordered Motes to pay Blair and her daughter $400,000 in compensatory damages and $175,000 in punitive damages. Today, its fair to say that the dance team outshines their own football team in a big way. This outburst was odd, but it hardly foreshadowed the blowup that came in the spring of 2015, when Kyleigh failed to make the Hi-Steppers at the end of her junior year. To make the team, they must show skill, stamina, and dedication. It was like something out of a bad movie, Kilgore mayor Ronnie Spradlin said. At the end of the two-day trial, the judge ruled in favor of the plaintiffs and awarded them $575,000 in damages. Xin Qi suffered from a dangerous and potentially life-threatening heart condition. Dana Blair with Gussie Nell Davis circa 1981. The Rangerettes dont cheer. There was talk that she had stalked one of Kyleighs ex-boyfriends and menaced him with her car. Her fellow Rangerettes knew how shed received those injuries, but none of them dwelled on it that day, and neither did Alexa. She didnt know Dana or Alexa Blair, she said. Every year, more than 100 girls audition for just 35 spots. Alas, I had failed to call ahead and arrived to learn that the museum was closed for the day. 6 of 14 7 of 14. She was very quietnever had a problem with her at all. She very successfully passed on the many traditions and techniques that Miss Davis had started, and kept the Rangerettes in the very center of the dance and drill team spotlight. It was as if coming right up to the edge of murdering someone had convinced her to go no further. They can not walk in grass, chew gum, or have wet hair. Following high school, Natalie was a choreographer and staff member for the dance company, HTE. Mrs. Covin's lasting legacy is one of loyalty and service to all Rangerettes, both active and alumni. Shelley is a former Rangerette Lieutenant and Swingster (1985-1987) originally from Houston who returned to Kilgore College after directing the Westfield High School drill team (Houston, TX) for one year. By Posted how many types of aesthetics are there? Nancy pulled the duct tape from her pocket and instructed Alexa to bind Danas wrists behind her back. Her creation and gift to the world is a distinctive American phenomenon the Kilgore College Rangerettes! She also had duct tape and a gun. Terms in this set (43) Rangerettes 1st performance. Freshman Rangerettes arent allowed to speak during practice except to say, Yes, maam, thank you, Ms. [last name]. Save for blinking, breathing, and doing whatever theyre told, theyre expected to stand still with perfect posture, look straight ahead, and smile. (Nancy was granted parole last November, after serving two and a half years. What is the first event of tryouts called? She drove to a nursing home around the corner from the familys house and parked in the facilitys lot. Mrs. Dana Blair and Mrs. Shelly Wayne. We need your support because we are a non-profit organization that relies upon contributions from our community in order to record and preserve the history of our state. (Cotton) Bolton, a former coach at Kilgore College who passed away in 1976. [42], During the week of Revels 2019 (April 1013), a donation of $1,000,000 was made to the Mike Miller Rangerette Fund to complete a permanent operating endowment for the Rangerettes. Aware that investigators never recovered a handgun, she also denied having a weapon during the kidnapping. Normally sixty-five students make up the team, but only forty-eight members actually perform at one time. [47], On June 22, 2017, Motes was indicted by a Gregg County Grand Jury, and faced first degree felonies in three charges encompassed in two counts for aggravated kidnapping. As the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic is a staple of Texas tradition, so too is the world-renowned collegiate drill team. In 1939, the Kilgore College Dean, Dr. B.E. I mean, shes not fine. Soon after the results were posted, she texted her: Kyleigh, my heart is broken. Just a sweet girl. Folks around town said much the same thing about Kyleighs father, Kyle. Alexas life changed immediately. Then, sometimes in unison and sometimes in waves, they completed a series of leaps and kicks and poses, up and down off the chairs. I doubt any Texas Rangers, be they policeman or baseball players, could perform such a physical feat. They didnt wish this on anybody., While volunteers arrived with more supplies, Spradlin shrugged as if there were nothing more to say, except that some parents just cant seem to get out of their kids way. Alexa doesnt know how long she was unconscious, but when she came to, she played dead, to no avail. They Chose Mine. They contested Kyleighs scores and took their fight all the way to the Kilgore school board. At some point, she pulled up the teenagers Facebook page and saw that Duf-field was friends with Alexa Blair, and that theyd both been members of the drill team at Longview High School. Inside South Africas skeleton trade. Alexa kept her eyes fixed on the dashboard, holding the passenger-side door handle as she silently prayed and came to terms with the possibility that she might not live through the night. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/kilgore-rangerettes. Gussie Nell Davisis best known for creating a "first" for Texas and the Nation, to the point that in 1975, the Houston Contemporary Museum of Art honored her for creating a living art form.. Alexa was watching Netflix in her bedroom. how many directors have the rangerettes had? When the Blairs lawyer showed a photo of the burst blood vessels in Alexas eyes and the bruises around her neck, Nancy said she couldnt imagine how those marks got there. On Saturday, May 6 at 2 p.m., many of those individuals will have the opportunity to discuss the influence Holland had on their lives during a tribute to honor him at John Paul Jones Arena. Alexa couldnt take her eyes off her. "Kilgore College Rangerettes announce 80th line", "Rangerettes Bring Red, White, Blue And Shades Of Gray To Cotton Bowl", "Kilgore College Rangerettes performing in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade", "Kilgore College Rangerettes to perform at inaugural ball", "Black Tie & Boots gala to be Bush's Texas-sized victory party", "The 2019 Birmingham International Tattoo", "Sweet Success: The Debut of the Kilgore College Rangerettes", "Kilgore College mourning loss of Rangerettes' second director, Deana Bolton Covin", "Kilgore College Rangerettes to perform with Mariah Carey at Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade", "Home for the Holidays: Kilgore College Rangerettes plan Christmas shows", "Kilgore Rangerettes prepare for trip to New York City to perform in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade", "East Texas groups to perform during event marking Pearl Harbor attack", "90th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade kicks off holiday season", "Victoria's Kilgore Rangerette performs in Pearl Harbor ceremony", "Rangerettes kick Kilgore economy up a notch during Revels", "Rangerette Revels set for April 1114 in Dodson Auditorium", "Rangerette Revels Tickets Going On Sale To Public March 26", "Zwick Foundation Gives $3.5 Million to Kilgore College for New Dormitory", "Kilgore Dedicates Davis Rangerette Dorm", "World-Famous Rangerettes to Perform at Tremblay Bowl", "Anonymous donor gives $1 million to Kilgore Rangerettes", "Transformational $3.5 million gift to endow Rangerettes scholarships", "Kilgore College student safe after escaping accused kidnapper", "Grand jury indicts woman in Rangerette kidnapping", "Victims in Kilgore Rangerette kidnapping file lawsuit seeking up to $1 million against suspect", "Rangerette kidnapping suspect gets April trial date", "Woman pleads guilty to 2016 Rangerette kidnapping, sentenced to 5 years", "Judge awards victims in Rangerette kidnapping $575K", "The Positively True Adventures of the Kilgore RangeretteKidnapping Mom", "The Texas Trademark: Flair for the Flamboyant", "Trouping the Colors for Gussie Nell Davis", "My Hometown: A True-Blue Rangerette Explains Why There's More to Kilgore Than Oil and the Drill Team", "Over the Hedge by T Lewis and Michael Fry", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kilgore_College_Rangerettes&oldid=1152582725, Dec 2021 - 80th Anniversary Pearl Harbor Memorial Ceremony, Honolulu, Hawaii, Nov 2021 - 95th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, New York City, Nov 2018 - 92nd Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, New York City, Jan 2017 - Texas State Society Black Tie & Boots Ball, Washington, D.C., for the, Dec 2016 - 75th Anniversary Pearl Harbor Memorial Ceremony, Honolulu, Hawaii, Nov 2016 - 90th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, New York City, Jan 2013 - Texas State Society Black Tie & Boots Ball, Washington, D.C. for the. Dana admitted that they didnt, and she apologized if she had somehow offended her.
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