Seventy-six years have slightly shortened the blue skirts, but otherwise, the uniforms have remained the same. Rows of Rangerettes charge forward, arms entwined, steadily kicking their legs past their foreheads to the beat of the music. [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. ", Of course, by the 1970s, football had been around for decades. To underscore the significance of the Kilgore Rangerettes, Kilgore College opened a Rangerette Showcase on its campus in 1979. KILGORE, Texas -- In a plain brick building in the middle of a sleepy town, in a cluster of rooms that would otherwise be empty, everything sparkles. [50], On April 29, 2019, Motes pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated kidnapping, one with a deadly weapon and one with deadly force. The announcement, made in a closed ceremony in Dodson Auditorium, culminated 'tryout . The Rangerettes are one of the world's best collegiate drill team that performs nationwide and even on world tours. As the Rangerettes prep for their Cotton Bowl performance, their obsession with appearance is on high alert. As she leads the way to the sophomores' study room upstairs, Arredondo turns the corner to find a tiny scrap of white paper littering the floor. She reaches for a tissue, just like she did when she watched Leslie Rowe, her granddaughter, perform in her first Cotton Bowl halftime show two years ago. Their halftime shows have done the impossible -- surpassed the appeal of a football game in, of all places, Texas. His introduction to the Rangerettes came by way of an assignment from Paris Match magazine to document Texas culture in the aftermath of the Kennedy assassination. DeHoyos is leading the way to the Rangerettes' gym on a bright day in Kilgore; the east Texas sun is borderline scorching. The Rangerettes perform at Kilgore College football games, and in many other athletic and special events, including the Cotton Bowl game, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade,[7][8] and five presidential inaugurations. Rangerettes Forever will also be opening the parade in true Macy's fashion so make sure to. Why wetlands are so critical for life on Earth, Rest in compost? Instilling heat endurance and general athletic excellence is just one part of the self-confidence Rangerettes gain while they're in Kilgore. Privacy Policy. There's something to be said for wanting something or training for something, then going out and fulfilling that effort in the biggest way possible. Theyd be perfectly comfortable in a big city, but from what the girls tell me, the isolation of Kilgore helps them focus on the team. Davis is now a member of several Hall of Fames in Texas and was -- even back then -- known as an innovator. Daniel Vaughn is the countrys first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have. Can College Sports Get More Absurd Than SMU Joining the Pac-12? The furniture is spotless, the floors clean, the bathroom counter space orderly. And the program imposes rules and weight limits on women that may seem restricting to outsiders. What if she was the one to mess up? 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. KV: There's no height requirement, as some people have thought. January 2023 Reader Quiz: What Did You Learn? Please be respectful of copyright. New freshman members of the 2020-21 Rangerettes, listed by hometown: Kilgore Campus 1100 Broadway, Kilgore, Texas 75662 | (903) 983-8209KC-Longview Campus 300 South High Street, Longview, Texas 75601 | (903) 753-2642. Forrest Wilder writes about politics and the outdoors. KV: Sure. Today, its fair to say that the dance team outshines their own football team in a big way. But it's also an expression of nostalgia, and of loss. ", It's all represented by the organization's motto, which dates to Davis' days at the helm: "Beauty knows no pain.". The first count included two charges: aggravated kidnapping with intent to terrorize and aggravated kidnapping with a deadly weapon. You can't sweat away on the elliptical for three hours. Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic SocietyCopyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. But they had a really good template.". "You have a weekend coming up, and I suggest you use that time to figure out how you're going to get your kick endurance up. Masters, wanted to create something that would bring more women to the college, and that would keep fans in their seats during halftime. Ashton didn't always know she would be a Rangerette. Horenstein [30][31] and Tracie Stanfield. ", "And if you think about the first big blowout of a halftime show in the NFL, it was the '87 Super Bowl with Ray Charles. Freddie Deloise Goosby Evans was the first-ever African American to high kick her way across the color line in East Texas when she was chosen as a member of the prestigious Kilgore College Rangerettes. And on Wednesday, she packed up her car, said goodbye to everything familiar in Utah and drove 26 hours to Kilgore. [49], On January 22, 2019, a start date of April 15, 2019, was set for the criminal trial against Motes. "I'm solid gold, I've got the goods, they stand when I walk, through the neighborhoods.". "We pride ourselves on looking a certain way and acting a certain way, so if we're in public, usually people know us by our behavior or by our looks," Bergen said. Who do the Rangerettes perform for? Kilgore College was established in 1935 in an effort to bring more families to the town, but at football games, men would often go under the bleachers to drink and fight. She quickly enlisted the help of local oil millionaire Liggett Crim to pay for the Rangerettes' initial costs. The TSHA makes every effort to conform to the principles of fair use and to comply with copyright law. Daniel Kilgore is 6-3 (190 cm) tall. The idea is to instill in them an ability to listen. You may request a written evaluation from the end of Pre-Training to July 15, 2022. To Blair, who was a Rangerette herself before becoming director, drill teams gave her something to be part of when traditional sports just didn't click. You take a billion-dollar industry like the NFL, and it's not like they wouldn't have figured out the value of halftime blowouts. In fact, they were the very first dance drill team in America, founded in 1940 at Kilgore College to keep fans in their seats. ", No matter, the Rangerettes have a perception issue: Nearly every piece of their literature depicts white Rangerettes. With her training and 26-hour drive, Thompson had already proven to herself she could do whatever the heck she put her mind to. Wrought-iron tables and chairs surround a trickling fountain. Which non-quarterback group will define each top-25 team's season? Founded in Kilgore, Texas, in 1939-1940 by the incomparable Gussie Nell Davis, the Rangerettes have performed for national and international audiences, appearing frequently at events such as the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and major football bowl games across the nation, including the New Year's Cotton Bowl Classic in Dallas each year since 1951. Each Rangerette has a roommate, and the two share a room many college students would kill for, plus a private bathroom. ", "That's really the big one that outsiders say, like, 'Why do you say that?'" She grew up in Louisiana, but the family often made trips back to Kilgore. And You Thought Feral Hogs Were Bad. They're part of an entity -- like the ocean or a new car -- that can only be seen in all its forms if you're actually inside of it. "It helps me manage being under pressure. Temple Foundation), CRRSAA Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II, Public Notices and Investment Disclosures, Workforce Development-Community Education, Information Technology, Business & Personal Services, Manufacturing, Transportation & Industrial Technology, Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics, Advertising and Graphic Design Technology, Cosmetology - Esthetician/Facial Specialist, Public Services & Industrial Technologies, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Technology, Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness Leadership, Occupational Safety and Health Technology, Culinary Arts Community Education Non-Credit Course, Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), Report suspicious activity to authorities, Kilgore College Rangerettes select 32 freshmen for 81st line. KV: Theres no height requirement, as some people have thought. But inside this world hidden in rural Texas, all of that takes a backseat to the sense of accomplishment and self-worth each woman attains once she puts on the uniform -- the next link in a chain that goes back to 1940. Texas State Historical Association (TSHA), http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. "We really have to watch our smile and watch everything we do and just be aware that we can be on that huge screen at any point.". One field high-kick routine, several studio style combinations and a portion of the field jazz routine. After college, Dana returned to Kilgore College and the Rangerettes in 1986. The Cotton Bowl is a yearly tradition for the Rangerettes, dating to 1951, so Tallent remembers the exact tangle of emotions Rowe dealt with: nerves, excitement, an overwhelming sense of appreciation for the women who performed before her. The lower, the better yall! yelled Dana Blair, director of the Rangerettes since 1993 and a former Rangerette herself. "This is ridiculous! The Kilgore College Rangerettes will kick, kick, kick at the Cotton Bowl for the 66th straight year while cling, cling, clinging to values that date to the 1940s. Bring on the Shiplap. She was on the team from 1981-1983. How Florence ButtNot Her SonLaunched the H-E-B Empire. People are standing in line waiting to get pictures with them during football games, because they've come from all over just to see the Rangerettes perform.". Join us in our First Annual "Rette White & Blue" Virtual Race! texasmonthly.com: Did you have a favorite Rangerette moment? Rangerettes have to develop "kicking muscles" -- a combination of strength, power and flexibility that's simply not built without repetitively throwing their legs as high as they can go, elasticizing hamstrings past the point of normal. To Teresa Kaelin Shore, whose daughter Catherine was on the 2014-15 line, the benefits of Rangerettes stick with her today -- so much so that she speaks about her involvement in present tense. As the founders of precision dance/drill, they are known for their consistency and uniformity in dance and in appearance. Many of the codes stress good mannersfor example, they are taught to smile and to say please and thank youbut the girls also learn to become conscious of the way they present themselves in public. It just exploded.". ". How did this mountain lion reach an uninhabited island? We do NOT kick at waist-level!". Founded by Jeanne D. Hale: The purpose of Rangerettes Forever shall be to support the Kilgore College Rangerettes, to promote the Rangerette Showcase-Museum at Kilgore College, to foster continuing. Site by Encore Multimedia.Encore Multimedia. Texas Lege Watch: A House Republican Fights for Chicken Freedom, Texas Monthly Recognized by ASME in the 2023 National Magazine Awards. Everyone wears her hair in a ponytail as she sweats away in the stuffy gym. 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. She kicked incessantly and made her mother critique her. The Rangerettes perform at Kilgore Rangers football games, but they arent as dependent upon the team as cheerleaders are. Perfection, or at least the pursuit of it, is what keeps the Rangerettes' bubble from popping. But beyond their flashy New Year's Eve performance, within their daily lives, the Rangerettes are a sisterhood, but more athletic. In anticipation of the organization's 75th anniversary, filmmaker Chip Hale followed the Rangerettes for a year, creating the documentary Sweethearts of the Gridiron. "People automatically associate Kilgore with oil and Rangerettes," says Shelley Wayne, who should know. Kilgore College Rangerettes Performance, Kilgore, TXPublished by: Studio Glam Dance and Acrobatics, Lufkin, TX, http://StudioGlam.Dance, http://Facebook.com. [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. Handbook of Texas Online, Founded by Gussie Nell Davis in 1940 and now preparing for its 66th straight performance at the Cotton Bowl, the Rangerettes give Kilgore (population: 15,000) a reason to have a museum. If your number is on that sign: elation, and happy tears. Failure to maintain academic eligibility will result in performance suspension or dismissal from the team. How a zoo break-in changed the life of an owl called Flaco, Naked mole rats are fertile until they die, study finds. The exhibit, housed in the college's physical education building, features costumes, props, and other memorabilia. Part of that regimen is to build endurance; part of it is to maintain the body image the Rangerettes have to convey. accessed March 04, 2023, Do freshmen Rangerettes have to try out again to become sophomore Rangerettes? They were required to wear their hair in a ponytail on top of their heads. You have to drive at least 20 minutes to get to a mall. The 110-degree Texas heat got to her on her first day out on the football field during her freshman year. "The kick has always been incredibly athletic, and it always will be," said Dana Blair, the Rangerettes' third-ever and current director. "You're a Kilgore College Rangerette every single day of your life, from here on, and forever. In addition to teaching photography at Kilgore College, Lovett works as a fine art and editorial photographer. "Your freshman year is really for learning and soaking everything in from the sophomores and directors," Diehl said. For kick endurance, you can't run. Being a Rangerette forces a woman to push herself past the point she thought she could reach, to find a version of self-esteem that may have been lacking before. Shirley Arredondo is the "dorm mom" giving the tour; she actually lives here, too, in a furnished apartment within the building. They have continued to perform for the college and have also participated in many other athletic and special events, such as the Cotton Bowl game, the International Tennis Stars Exhibition, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and the American Bar Association Convention. A Gregg County judge has awarded $575,000 in a combination of compensatory and punitive damages to the victims of a 2016 aggravated kidnapping which targeted the director of the Kilgore College Rangerettes and her daughter. texasmonthly.com: You mentioned that the girls were weighed-in at tryouts. Because if you're a Rangerette, it's rare you have time to do anything but maintain the tradition of the organization anyway. All Rangerettes must enroll for fourteen (14) hours and successfully complete, twelve (12) semester credit hours of classes each and every semester, and maintain a 2.50 grade point average (GPA). We're going to need tissues. Loudly. Kilgore was an insignificant dot on the map before oil was discovered in the 1930s. As she stared up at an empty AT&T Stadium, where more than 72,000 people would later file in, all Catherine could think about was the fact that this would be the biggest audience she'd ever danced in front of. His work has received recognition from the prestigious Alfred Eisenstaedt Awards for Outstanding Magazine Photography. How much did Daniel Kilgore weigh when playing? There was no giggling or laughing or playing up on stagewatching the Rangerettes practice was no different than watching a US Marine boot camp where if a soldier made a misstep and forgot to say, Yes, Sir, they might have to drop and give twenty. In addition to their 2-to-3-hour practices five days a week, each Rangerette has to go through two personal training sessions per week, plus three hours of cardio on her own. Maggie Ethington, right, of Nacogdoches points to her number Friday after being selected to be a Kilgore College Rangerette in Dodson Auditorium. She managed to get out a few words -- "Yes ma'am, thank you, emergency, I think I'm gonna die" -- before she passed out that day. She hadn't even tried out yet, but something had "sparked" in her, and she couldn't imagine doing anything else. Masters brought Davis, who had established the "Flaming Flashes," a high school girls' drum and bugle corps in Greenville in 1928, to Kilgore and gave her a free hand in setting up the team. It's helped me with my confidence and communication, just talking to other people.". The dean of the college then, Dr. B.E. "I'm sorry.". [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. In 1939, Davis was hired away from Greenville High School by the Kilgore College Dean, Dr. B.E. "It was all left in God's hands, and when the sign dropped, it was an unreal moment," she said. 2023 Kilgore College RangerettesAll Rights Reserved. Every Rangerette receives a partial scholarship each semester. NHL trade deadline: Winners and losers, including the Bruins, Devils and Bruce Boudreau? Forever beaming onto the rest of Kilgore College, the Rangerette mural throws her hands skyward in victory. We'll send you a couple of emails per month, filled with fascinating history facts that you can share with your friends. However, your first year is spent as a freshmen Rangerette regardless of your college grade classification. More importantly, they become part of the Texas tradition and a lesser-known American legendthe team that invented the half-time show and the sport of precision dancing. As the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic is a staple of Texas tradition, so too is the world-renowned collegiate drill team. About 100 college-aged women congregate in the gym to see what their future will be. Each lyric of David Naughton's "Makin' It" that's blasting through the Rangerettes' sweltering gym is punctuated with 72 women chanting "Kick! texasmonthly.com: What do you think attracts young women year after year to join the Rangerettes? Nationwide, the Rangerettes' legacy has garnered the involvement of some 75,000 high school drill team members. Published by the Texas State Historical Association. Rangerettes aren't even supposed to leave the room without re-fluffing the pillows. The Kilgore Rangerettes, the first women's precision drill team in the world, began in 1940 under the direction of Gussie Nell Davis, a physical-education teacher. Cross your legs -- little etiquette things I grew up with.". It represents and chases after the ideal of an all-American girl, when that ideal may not exist in today's society. 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. Their biggest annual blowout will come Thursday on the AT&T Stadium field at halftime of the Michigan State-Alabama Cotton Bowl. The last segment of the show is always an extended production kick routine, featuring all of the Rangerettes in the traditional uniform. O. Rufus Lovett is a nationally acclaimed photographer and author of the book Weeping Mary. Daniel Kilgore is 35 years old. But for Ginger to explain the moment when a piece of her -- her daughter, Ashton -- was initiated into the same circle is overwhelming. You can't jump. "I probably can't talk," she says. Much of the population included the "roughnecks" of the oil industry and few families. They've taken their show all over the globe. The Rangerette directors choose all new freshmen Rangerettes with assistance from the returning sophomore class. He wanted something that would increase female enrollment at the college but would also keep fans in their seats during football half time shows instead of drinking alcohol under the stands. KV: Organizations that are rooted in tradition tap into strong feelings that are tough to explain to outsiders. Bats and agaves make tequila possibleand theyre both at risk, This empress was the most dangerous woman in Rome. It's the same feeling as when I became a Rangerette. KV: The sign-drop on Saturday of tryout week was amazing. By 1975, the Houston Contemporary Museum of Art credited Davis with creating a "living art form.". Not according to biology or history. Self-expression and athleticism combine to form a vesicle of comfort, a safety net from the rest of the world. The second count had one count of aggravated kidnapping by deadly force. The Handbook of Texas Women project has its own dedicated website and resources. Not only does being male disqualify me, but I would never make it past the first audition. Since uniformity is key to the Rangerettes dance style and tradition, hair length, hair-style, make-up, and the traditional Rangerette uniform are standardized to achieve this goal. An icon of Americana, the red-white-and-blue clad Rangerettes have drawn the attention of numerous photographers and writers seeking to understand the enduring appeal of a group that some might view as anachronistic. Once freshmen move on to their sophomore years, they can speak, but limitedly. We report on vital issues from politics to education and are the indispensable authority on the Texas scene, covering everything from music to cultural events with insightful recommendations. If you can find a Rangerette who doesn't cross her legs, or who doesn't call you 'ma'am' or 'sir,' you should go ahead and buy a lottery ticket -- your chances really are that low. Highlights of performances -- at Cotton Bowls, at presidential inaugurations, at Macy's Thanksgiving Day parades -- are shown on two small televisions. Regardless of who makes the squad, they all join with the knowledge that how they look is judged -- whether it's via a weight limit, or a reprimand for not wearing enough mascara. Besides their impressive kick lines, the Rangerettes signature move is the jump-split, where the girls leap into the air and then land on the floor in a full split. Evans was number eighty out of over one hundred hopeful . Click here for additional office hours. Her mother, Holly Kerr, admires the efforts to inspire other CPRS warriors. Kicking is the foundation of what the Rangerettes do, and it's what thousands of fans come to see. For more information, visit www.rangerette.com. LIVE Transfer Talk: Bayern still keen on Kane despite new Choupo-Moting contract, Previewing the 2023 college baseball season: Teams and players to watch, key storylines, Top moments from Brady, Manning, Jordan and other athletes hosting 'Saturday Night Live', Dr. A's weekly risers and fallers: Jeremy Sochan, Christian Wood make the list, Muslim Sun Bowl princess wants to be positive influence, The word on the woman behind Alabama signs, Biggest FSU football star sitting this one out. A student at a Salt Lake City performing arts high school, Thompson took the only jazz class that was offered during her senior year and taught herself the rest of the Rangerettes' routines. If this all seems dramatic or strange, then you're definitely not part of the Rangerettes' sphere. The Rangerettes have incorporated more actual dance concepts (ballet, hip-hop, etc.) She started Walk Strong, a 3K event. "I come back and walk upstairs and I get chills. Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pats Pick, for Texas Monthly. Zwick's daughter, Lauren Gibler, was also a Rangerette from 2007 to 2009. The Rangerettes' dorm -- dubbed the Gussie Nell Davis Resident Hall -- is less a "dorm" and more a souped-up sorority house. Catherine has gained that same flair, that same belief in herself -- especially after her first Cotton Bowl performance. The following, adapted from the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition, is the preferred citation for this entry. Even around campus, Rangerettes aren't allowed to leave their dorm unless they're "put together. [5] The Rangerettes have performed in 71 Cotton Bowl game halftimes in a row (1951-2021),[5][6] and make regular appearances at NFL pre-game and half-time shows for the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans. Though I have now seen them practice in person, and have since watched countless clips of their spectacular routines, discovering the Kilgore College Rangerettes of East Texas has granted me another, new travel dreamthat someday, I might come back to Texas and watch the Rangerettes perform liveto find out for myself if they can really kick that high. Last April, participants raised $13,500. Wayne yells from the alcove overlooking the gym floor. She became the assistant director and choreographer to . The organization created a unique combination of dance moves and precision drills that quickly earned them the reputation not only as the originators of dance/drill teams, but also as the best in the world. Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic Alums Receive 2023 NFL Combine Invitations, Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic Alums Set to Shine in Super Bowl LVII, Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic Alums Make Strong Showing in 2023 College All-Star Games, 2022-23 NFL Conference Championship Games Feature Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic Alums. 8,203 were here. That hair has to meet a length requirement as well: three inches above the belt when it's straight, and touching the shoulders when it's curled. A burst of disco and an instant mood-booster, the 1979 hit song has been used for the Rangerettes' practices basically since it came out. Said Emily Wendt, a member of the 2013-15 lines: "You can't expect your leg to hit your face every day and not have any repercussions. There is one African-American, one Indian-American and five Hispanic performers on the 76th line. Then we're thanking them for giving us their time.". It's hard to imagine sports without sideline entertainment. Revels features performances by Rangerettes with several dances choreographed by nationally known choreographers such as J.T. The expression in her eyes is one of comfort and familiarity; she's back at the foundation of the "best years" of her life. [1], In the late afternoon of December 29, 2016, there was an armed home invasion and kidnapping at Rangerette Director Dana Blair's home. Within this sweltering box of toiling emotions that is the Rangerettes' gym, a sign that seems bigger than the Texas sky drops with 36 numbers written on it. Dance performance scholarships are also available by audition through the school of Fine Arts (Dance Department), as well as scholastic scholarships and many other forms of standard student financial aid. KV: A drill team is a group that performs to music, usually as halftime entertainment at football games. Describing her own involvement is one thing. "No one else in the family understands," she says. Normal cardio is useless. The building's brick matches the rest of campus, except for the giant Rangerette painted on the side in her telltale blue skirt, red top, white hat, belt and boots. This museum at Kilgore College is the best place to learn about the Rangerettes' storied history and how they truly changed . Many current Rangerettes are from Dallas, Austin, and Houston. "You're using every muscle. Approximately 6,000 people see the show each year, with many people traveling from out of town to attend and provide a boost to Kilgore's economy.[34][35][36][37][38]. "[1] 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". 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. Then you're leaping around. Wide patio doors lead to an enclosed outdoor area that serves as a mini-paradise within the near-year-round Texas heat. Requests for evaluations after July 15thwill not be honored. Whether she knows it or not, every girl who has ever dreamed of taking her place in a line of high-kicking dancers on a football field at halftime has been inspired by the Kilgore College Rangerettes, the world's first precision dance drill team. "We're the example. | Stadium Entry Waiver. Katy Vine: I love writing about subcultures, and any institution that has a lengthy history and its own set of rules is a cultural jackpot. Masters. 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. These animals can sniff it out. They perform in festivals and parades and have even traveled overseas to such places as Venezuela, Hong Kong, Macao, Korea, and Romania. They're an exclusive club in which perfectly curled hair, high kicks, years of dance training, scuffed-up white boots and small-town pride all come together to form a team filled with what the Rangerettes deem "all-American girls."