Being curious, I found this informational brochure with lots of photos. The girls are cute, but the uniforms look kind of outdated - they haven’t changed much in the past 50 years it seems. Especially the dorky hats and the bulky red jackets. Has there been any thought given to updating the look of the uniforms?
When Rangerettes are done at the junior college, do they often go on to 4-year universities to be cheerleaders?
It is about looking presentable in public. And the hazing isn’t the stereotypical type stuff. There are privileges that freshmen have to earn. Sophomores are also held accountable for their actions as well. It is about instilling respect and discipline. Neither of which I think is a bad thing for young women to have.
And yes some of the stuff is a little crazy to witness if you’ve never been a part of it. But that is the beauty of being a Rette. Not only do you form a sisterhood with those you are on the line with, you are connected to all generations of Rangerettes.
Also in this photo are the girls at the top in the shiny blue outfits, are they rangerettes or cheerleaders? Their costume are much cuter imho…
nyctea scandiaca- They manage to get alot of the best dancers because of their reputation. It is a prestigious organization. The standards for tryouts are also very high. Many girls have moms or other relatives that were Rettes and hope to follow in their footsteps. And the way I thought about it was, if I was going to audition for a team, shouldn’t I want to aim for the best?
The uniform hasn’t changed since the '40s with the exception of the skirt length. It is kinda difficult to high kick in a knee length skirt. There were some very subtly different officer uniforms, but those didn’t last. I doubt the uniform ever changes. The only thing I wish they would change is the fabric. It isn’t very breathable. Those uniforms get rather warm, especially underneath the belt.
We do have other costumes for different performances though. Revels, which is the spring production, has all kinds of routines and different costumes for each.
Some girls continue on with their education and some don’t. There are girls that go on to the next college dance team. Some tryout for NBA or NFL dance groups. Girls go to New York to be on Broadway or to LA to be in movies. We had a girl on So You Think You Can Dance 2 (?) seasons ago that is now dancing with Bette Midler in Vegas. Many girls continue taking dance classes in some form. A very high percentage stay involved with dance in some way.
As for me personally, I did not continue on to my college’s dance team. I had to have surgery on my knee after leaving Kilgore and decided I wanted to eat what I liked and tailgate at football games.
No the girls in the shiny blue are Twirlers. In that pictures their uniforms do look good. But in person, the fabric and cut aren’t the most flattering. I’m also not a big fan of fringe. Kilgore has Twirlers, Cheerleaders and Rangerettes. The Rahs cheer during the game on the sidelines, the Twirlers performed with the band and the Rangerettes perform after the band. The band does play the music for routines but they stand in the end zone.
What is hazing?
Crazy Texan dancing sorority on crack. 
Is this one of those things like high school football or toddler beauty pageants – things most people outside the rural south may be tangentially aware of but have no true appreciation of? As in I get the wow factor of jumping around to music, but the elitism and awe seem to be escaping some of us. Do you find recognition to be somewhat geographically based (not that you don’t recruit from all over the country, just whether more people know about you in Oklahoma than Maine)?
I’m sure the OP will want to answer this question, too, but I don’t think that precision dance teams are as regional as you think they are. Near where I grew up (Northeast U.S.) they became popular some time after I graduated high school in the late 80s. My mom was teaching high school in a relatively wealthy school district in Pennsylvania in the 90s-early 00s, and her school had a precision dance team. All of the members had been serious dance students for a number of years. In American Beauty, the characters played by Thora Birch and Mena Suvari are members of the dance team. In case you aren’t familiar with the movie, it was set in an unnamed town in the northern U.S. From what I can tell, the Rangerettes are more focused on kicking than other dance teams I’m aware of. To be honest, I had never heard of the Rangerettes prior to this thread, and while I’m not thrilled by the costumes and aspects of their image, they are dancers, and from what I’ve heard from friends it’s apparently common in the world of dance for there to be a certain amount of nastiness between dancers and an obsession about weight. I’m not surprised by the snark that this thread is attracting. Welcome to the SDMB, where all of the posters are above average and none eat in chain restaurants (at least not anymore).
I know who the Rangerettes are because I grew up in general area across the Louisiana state line. I know they are really good especially for any type of junior college program but they aren’t that famous nationwide. They may the best of their type but other small schools have things like world-class choirs that also compete for people’s attention.
Oops, no I didn’t mean to imply that there aren’t any dancing/dance teams up yonder. There’s also high school football up here, and lots of dedicated fans and associated high-jinx. But the south? Texas? Have you ever been to rural Texas? Rural Oklahoma? Totally different world.
I figure that with the hints at the exclusivity and elitism of the Ranger Chicks, whether she finds more people are familiar with them/react with more gusto on a regional basis an interesting question.
Or are they more unique, as in something like Cirque de Soil, but instead of Canadian with a surreal-costume-and-crazy-acrobatics shtick its Texan with a girls-who-can-put-their-legs-behind-their-head shtick?
The Rangerettes are fantastic! My brother went to Kilgore (he wasn’t a Rangerette, though). My younger daughter was on a dance/drill team, and considered going to Kilgore. She ended up a banker, instead. Dance/drill team is a big deal in Texas–most high schools have their own teams and it is more prestigious than being a cheerleader or other athlete. I know my daughter practiced 2 hours before school 5 days a week and several hours a week after school, and sometimes on the weekends. It takes a lot of commitment.
I’ve seen you ladies in action and I am impressed.
I teach Taekwondo and oh, would I ever love to have a couple of you come train with me!!
What was the name of the girl that was on So You Think You Can Dance?
Are there any African-American Rangerettes? I watched a couple of youtube videos (pretty amazing) but didn’t see any.
Precision Dance Teams are not particularly widespread here (Australia), but neither is Cheerleading (it’s not a “glamorous” or “respectable” sport/activity here, and it’s not done at High School or even University level either, for the most part), but I think what jarred me the most (and, it seems, several others) was the casual assumption that A) We all knew what a Rangerette was and B) Would be suitably impressed by it. That’s not to say it was the OP’s intention, but it felt like there was an element of it there.
As Rhythmdvl points out, it’s likely regional and in the OP’s area, being a Rangerette is the sort of thing that impresses people and gets them free drinks at the pub. But the great thing about the internet is that there are people from all over the world here, which creates a unique opportunity to explain to people from overseas what the Rangerettes are and why what they do is so incredibly awesome.
Incidentally, I do eat in Chain Restaurants. 
**NineToTheSky **- The things I think that could be considered hazing are- freshmen are required to wear all black and their hair a certain way at practice. They are also required to wear pin signs for a short period of time so they are easily identified on the football field. Freshmen are also required to preface things with either yes ma’am thank you or no ma’am thank you. All of these things change as the year progresses. By the spring show, freshmen can wear what they like to practice without pin signs. They still address the directors with yes/no ma’am but the relationships within the team are much closer. The first few months are for teaching freshmen how to be a Rangerette, the rest of the year is about becoming a team.
Rhythmdvl- Definitely crazy Texas football stuff. But at KC we get more attention than the football team which is reversed from standard roles. Of course the closer to Kilgore, the more people know and respect the organization. But there are people that know of Rettes around the US/world. A couple of my favorite memories are from traveling and being recognized. In NYC we were walking to rehearsal and I spoke with a NYPD officer. He was delighted we were back for Macy’s and that he loved our performances. He asked if we had more rehearsals before parade day because he’d like to bring his daughters to watch if possible. I told him we would be having a dress rehearsal in front of Macy’s later in the evening. I was able to find him and his family in the crowd and the girls were so excited. We took a few pictures together and exchanged email addresses. We still speak a few times a year.
I also think years ago more people knew and respected the team. Now it seems more people want booty dancing and more revealing/flashy outfits. Rangerettes still hold on to traditions while embracing modern dance technique. I think when people become aware of the dedication required to be a member, they feel it is more prestigious. Auditions are a week long. Practice starts at 1:00 and usually lasts until 5:00 everyday. Closer to big performances practice can last until 7:00 or 8:00. Smaller groups often have additional practice a few days after team practice. Classes are done in the mornings or online. You are expected to maintain at least a 3.0. Everyone lives in the Rangerette dorms. Freshmen in one hall, sophomores in the other.
Sidney Evgeni Jordan- The weight thing is a factor but there is nutritionist that works with the team and our campus cafeteria also provides many options so that we could have a well-rounded diet. One of my freshmen collapsed during practice due to taking some stupid diet pills. The directors were not happy about that at all. We all had to attend a class on the proper way to maintain or lose weight. And she had some other consequences and got a thorough lecture from both directors. Not something I’d wish on anyone.
The standards are proportional for height. I was measured at 5’7" and 138 lbs. I could gain up to 7 lbs. It is much more strict with other programs. When I hurt my knee, my team helped me by going and working out or taking me to physical therapy. They were also quick to make me stop when they felt I had done enough, no matter my objections.
Hellpaso and Clothahump -Thanks!
faithfool- Ashlee Langas
Martini Enfield- Not my intentions at all. I’ve been a lurker for years and have seen a few mentions of Rettes and cheerleaders. I thought I could introduce myself and my unique experience. Maybe useless trivia but if you ever see the Rangerettes or other drill/dance team, you can impress (or scare) everyone by knowing they started in Kilgore, a small oil-boom town in East Texas, in 1940. 
And I can safely say Rettes eat at chain restaurants. Although when I was in Kilgore there were only a few choices. Our favorite dinner places were local spots. mmmmm…Back Porch Cafe, yum!
I admit I could have definitely done a better job on the original post, but it was my first. Don’t cut me from auditions just yet.
Surly Chick-Yes, there are/have been African-American and other ethnicity Rangerettes. The videos on youtube are from the most recent lines.
ETA: And thank you!
Can you clarify the difference between a “Precision Dance Team” and “Cheerleaders”? I know there is one, but they both seem to do very similar things (from my Non-US perspective)
Outback Steakhouse, right? 
(I see that there actually is Sizzler in QLD, though.)
Your point is well taken. I wasn’t trying to argue that there are precision dance teams across the globe, but I can see how my post might have been construed in that way.
Thanks, lisa listens, for your candor and sorry for the multiple hijacks. The closest I’ve been to Kilgore is McAllen, which I see from a map isn’t actually close at all. :eek: You mentioned a Rettes spring performance, which is outside of (American) football season, so does the team maintain the same practice schedule year round? Do you work with personal trainers for strength training or things like that? Do the Rettes team members design their own routines? Is dance/drill team a competitive sport? Apologies if I’m getting the terms wrong.
There aren’t any Outback Steakhouses up here, but as you rightly observe, there are Sizzlers. IMHO they do good food that’s pretty reasonably priced and their salad bar is excellent. When I’m in the US I also like to eat at Denny’s and IHOP, so apparently I’m not a real SDMB member. 
It’s OK, it’s one of those uniquely American things that you guys in the States seem to completely understand and the rest of us find ourselves mildly bemused by, generally missing the nuances of the whole thing. I think to your average non-American, “Attractive women dancing and doing athletic displays at sporting events= Cheerleader”, so I really would be interested in learning what the differences are.
Also, the whole “Sorority” (something else we don’t have here) aspect of it seems unusual too, so I’d be interested in hearing more about how that works… I can’t imagine a university cricket team all living together, for example.
