Hi all. I decided the best way to introduce myself would be for y’all to ask prying questions. Anyway I was a Rette a few years ago and will happily answer any questions.
Uh, what’s a Kilgore Rangerette?
ETA: Anything to do with this guy?
I know what it is! My sister was a Rangerette years ago, so the whole family was immersed in that whole world for a couple of years. I’ll be watching this thread with interest.
Koxinga, let’s just say the Rangerettes kick the Rockettes’ butts.
I’ll start off the questions, I guess. I don’t know how long ago you were there, OP, but is the Sophomore on Freshman hazing still as bad as it used to be?
Who are the Rockettes?
I think they’re both kind of like girl scouts, aren’t they? Both were founded in the 50s, the Rangerettes taking after the Daniel Boone/Davy Crockett craze (coonskin caps and all) whereas the Rockettes were after Sputnik and had sort of silvery space-age uniforms . . .
Rangerettes are the first and the best drill team ever created. It is a very elite group of young women that have performed around the world. http://www.rangerette.com
And as for the Rockettes…they kick eye height, our kicks go completely vertical, nose to knee. And yes, there are occasional bloody noses. I chipped a tooth with my knee brace.
Oh, dear.
The Radio City Music Hall Rockettes.
Kilgore Junior College Rangerettes.
The Rockettes are much more famous (or at least I thought so, I’m not crazy to think most Americans know them, am I?), but the Rangerettes are better, IMHO. I’m sure it has to do with venue–New York City vs. small town Texas Junior College.
If you like high-kick routines, do a search on Youtube for the Rangerettes and be prepared to be wowed.
Sorry to take over, OP. Just know I have a lot of admiration for anyone who has what it takes to be a Rangerette!
The hazing has definitely gotten better. I’d like to say my line (Each new group of freshmen form a line, so one for each year. This year the sophomores are the 74th line and the freshmen compose the 75th line) helped start change. Some of our sophs took some stuff too far and we decided that it was starting to hurt our team. It seems every line since has implemented changes so that now the core ideals of being a Rangerette are instilled without all the humiliation. Now fresh have alot more freedom in what they wear to practice for example.
PeskiPiksi- If your sister hasn’t seen the new dorms, she should. They are amazing. They’ve also updated the museum. And if she hasn’t updated her info with the Forevers, they had some computer issues and lost some files/
Thanks PeskiPiski! The more that know the better!
I’d seen a couple of mentions on the Dope and thought I could share my input. I’d like to make it clear though, Rangerettes are not college cheerleaders. We have Rahs at Kilgore College. Rettes are much, much more if you ask me.
Rangerettes were started in 1940 as a way to keep the rowdy football fans in stadium seats during halftime instead of fighting underneath them. What Miss Gussie Nell Davis created was incredibly popular and spread throughout Texas and other states. But Kilgore has strove to remain the best. Other teams still copy every move the Rettes make.
Even if you don’t like high kick, or don’t know what high kick means still check out some of the videos on youtube. Just make sure you get the Kilgore Rangerettes.
Are all Rangerettes from Texas? Were you a dance major in college? Some friends who were ballet dancers have mentioned the pressure to remain thin, and some of the extreme eating habits they adopted. Are Rangerettes required to maintain a certain body weight? Did you march in either of the inaugural parades for George W. Bush?
How hard are jump splits?
Why did you decide to join? Is this a professional group – do they pay you?
Not all Rettes are from Texas. A majority but girls come from across the country to tryouts. I was a dance minor and I now have my own team at the school where I teach.
When you make the Rangerettes, one of the first things you are given is a contract. That contract includes a section on weight. My contract stated that I could gain up to 7 lbs. Some girls couldn’t gain any and still others had to lose weight. There are weigh-ins every week. I believe if you weigh over you are given a letter the first time. Either the second or third notice and your uniform is taken away. There was also a sign posted on your dorm door. Harsh, maybe but I think the standards aren’t as bad as what professional ballet dancers face. My skirt was 12 inches long so appearance is important. Weight isn’t the only appearance factor though. We were expected to look presentable at all times. Make-up on, hair done, dressed neatly. No dance clothes unless you are heading to/from practice. Walmart trips at 3 am? Better be fully dressed and not look like a bum.
I didn’t get to go to DC but I went to Chicago for the Jingle Elf parade, the Indy 500, and New York for Macy’s. There were several smaller trips to closer locations though.
Darth SensitiveJump splits are tricky. As long as they are done correctly, no problem. But I’ve seen many injuries because of them. You have to hit a full split in the air and then land mostly in a split, a minuscule amount of sliding allowed. I remember the first time I performed jump splits…It was during my high school spring football game and I was being introduced as captain. Something about the adrenaline and I flew them completely. Up, down. No slide. And I bounced a couple of times. I could hear the football team cringe. Haha
I wouldn’t recommend doing them repeatedly on concrete though. That sucks alot. Or ice. That’s not fun at all.
Boyo Jim-I decided to try out because I have been dancing since I was a year and a half. My high school drill team director was also a Rangerette. She took me to go see them perform at a home game. She also arranged for me to visit a freshman and stay with her for a night. We attended Revels (the big spring show) and I was definitely hooked. The high kick finale was breathtaking.
We are a professional team but we are not paid directly. Money goes to tuition and room and board. Most, if not all, appearances we make are paid for completely by those requesting the performance.
I’ve read this thread through and done a Wiki search and I’m still none the wiser… what, exactly, is a “Rangerette”?
They seem to be some sort of combined marching girl/cheerleader type thing, from what I can tell. Odd they don’t have their own Wiki page, since they’re supposed to be “World Famous”…
Based on the hazing and the strict emphasis on looking good it sounds like a dancing sorority on crack.
I just checked and it says it was deleted to due to copyright infringement. The Kilgore College wiki page is still up. Both PeskiPiski and I have linked to the Rangerette website and have mentioned several performances are on youtube.
Rangerettes are a precision dance and drill team. The term Rangerette comes from the fact the college’s mascot is the Ranger. Add the -ette to feminize it.
And the World Famous can be taken with a grain of salt. Not everyone in the world knows everything. But that doesn’t mean the Rettes haven’t performed around the world.
It’s a community college (or “junior college”). How do they attract the best dancers when competing with 4-year colleges and universities?
I found the Kilgore College wiki page which is where the “World Famous” thing came from… I just couldn’t figure out who the Rangerettes were or why they were “World Famous”, if that makes sense.
Ah, OK. Thanks. That makes more sense.
That’s understandable. I was just surprised that something allegedly as well-known as the Rangerettes don’t have some sort of Wikipedia page, that’s all.