Dana Blair, the director of the Kilgore College Rangerettes, stood on the sideline at AT&T Stadium, in Arlington, on January 2, 2017, and surveilled the field like a hawk, her blue eyes in a . After a month . That was stupid; why would she do that? Dragging Alexa by the arm, Nancy directed the girl to her own car, which was still parked at the nursing home. [46], Some critics have "expressed dismay at the emphasis on physical attractiveness and rigorous and authoritarian training. The Rangerettes had their first African American in 1970. Check, check. Nationwide, the Rangerettes' legacy has garnered the involvement of some 75,000 high school drill team members. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. They Chose Mine. The team was originally organized at the behest of Kilgore College president B. E. Masters to recruit more female students, to provide half-time shows during the football season, and to promote physical activities for women equal to men's. Still wearing the brown wig, Nancy turned off the engine and then grabbed the roll of tape and the gun. Mrs. Covin was first married to J.W. Undeterred, she opened the door to the space and pushed Alexa inside. The girls live together in the same dorm, eat together, and practice together, leaving one another only on weekends, when they drive back to their hometowns because there isn't much to do in . Shelley taught for NCA Superstar (1985-93) and Starmakers Dance and Performance Camps (1994-2003). Naturally, this resulted in a few awkward interactions. Aware that investigators never recovered a handgun, she also denied having a weapon during the kidnapping. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/kilgore-rangerettes. That was, in part, because she had to since she was one of the taller players on the late-1990s Rangerettes teams. Four years of workout sessions and intensive summer camps later, she earned her spot with the Rangerettes in the summer of 2016. (Nancys logic might have been misguidedwhat teenager would be comforted by a photo of her ex in someone elses arms?but her intel was certainly off. 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. To save chestnut trees, we may have to play God, Why you should add native plants to your garden, What you can do right now to advocate for the planet, Why poison ivy is an unlikely climate change winner, The gory history of Europes mummy-eating fad, This ordinary woman hid Anne Frankand kept her story alive, This Persian marvel was lost for millennia. Zwick's daughter, Lauren Gibler, was also a Rangerette from 2007 to 2009. 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. Rangerettes who make the team won't have long to get acquainted with everything. [52], Motes was granted parole in November 2021 after serving two and a half years of her five year sentence. 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 were focused on keeping the mood upbeat. As she would later explain, she suspected Shore was dating a local girl named Briana Duffield, and she devised a plan she believed would comfort her daughter: she would follow Shore until he met with Duffield, then take a picture of the couple to prove to Kyleigh that Shore had moved on quickly from their breakup and wasnt boyfriend material. In her formal complaint, Nancy wrote, We believe there to be collusion with one or more of the judges and Mrs. Clower, though she offered no evidence for the inflammatory claim. Dana Blair was running around her house that afternoon, preparing to leave for the Cotton Bowl the next morning. 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. Oh, are you still breathing? she asked. Kilgores creation of the lively half-time show with synchronized dancing majorettes got the fans attention. The performers were so similar that from a distance, their own parents might struggle to tell them apart. Davis served as the group's director for thirty-nine years, until June 1979. 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. Known for well-choreographed routines, including its trademark high kick, the troupe thrived under the direction of Gussie Davis for almost four decades, until her retirement in 1979. John Spong writes primarily about popular culture. do i have bedroom eyes quiz. To stay incognito, Nancy had brought along a disguisea short, brown wigthough it remains unclear why she had it with her that day. It depends. I am kicking. Nancy knew that the Blairs lived a few blocks away from where shed stopped following Shore, and because Alexa had been on drill team with Duffield, she thought Alexa would be able to tell her where the girl lived. Dana admitted that they didnt, and she apologized if she had somehow offended her. (Cotton) Bolton, a former coach at Kilgore College who passed away in 1976. She was not realmore of a permanent paper doll glued to the side of a beige brick building at Kilgore Collegebut she served her purpose in drawing me away from the oil museum and pulling me towards the Rangerette Museum. Young and old, the Rettes, as they call themselves, are all over Kilgore, reminders of the type of confident woman the town admires. The Rangerettes have performed in 71 Cotton Bowl game halftimes in a row (1951-2021), and make regular appearances at NFL pre-game and half-time shows for the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans. Kyle had relocated out of state. ARZBtc.com > > > how many directors have the rangerettes had? From her trunk, she retrieved an oversized snowman Christmas card. Horenstein [30][31] and Tracie Stanfield. 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. What is the spring performance called? As the girl stalled, trying to figure out if she could lock herself in the closet or escape through a window, Nancy told Dana to kneel by the door and went to check on Alexa. Its fame promptly spread outside Kilgore, and within a year the Rangerettes had traveled to New Orleans to represent the region's oil business at the Lions International convention. . Before she could reach them, she saw the pair get into a car and speed away. Sitting in her living room in 2019, she explained that she had known Nancy as the mother of Kyleigh Motes, a Kilgore High student who performed with the Hi-Steppers in her freshman, sophomore, and junior years. She was on the mark; she made no mistakes; she was a Rangerette. 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.. Scanning the unfamiliar parking lot and surrounding streets, Alexa spotted an eight-foot wooden fencethe first one she saw that wasnt topped with barbed wire. I dont know if its over or not., As word of the judgment made its way around Kilgore, more than a few locals commented that they were practicing their aim, for self-defense, should they find themselves on Nancy Motess hit list. After high school, the most exceptional and devoted among them stand a good chance of earning a spot with the Rangerettes. Maybe I am too young and maybe I am too ignorant, but until driving through East Texas, I had never heard of these Rangerettes. After stopping at Chick-fil-A to use the restroom, she got back on the road and spotted Patrick Shore, a recent ex of Kyleighs, driving out of a subdivision. 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. She opened the back of her Excursionhuge vehicleand was slinging them at the back of the car and seemed very put out by them.. Attendees watched as Nancy explained that she hadnt been angry or upset with Dana or Alexa Blair in the hours before she kidnapped them. (She didnt find it, and investigators were never able to recover the weapon, although Nancy later admitted to using a gun when she pleaded guilty to the kidnapping.) Now that the threat of violence was gone, Alexa could gaze safely upon Nancy, and the longer she looked, the angrier she felt. 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. Was she ready? Now . Hale had never been a Rangerette. She knelt on Alexas chest and choked her. On her way out, she smoothed a piece of tape over Alexas lips. During her life Miss Davis was inducted into the Texas Women's Hall of Fame and named Honorary Citizen of Fort Worth in 1965. Born in Farmersville, Texas, November 4, 1906, Miss Davis was a talented musician, and groomed to be a concert pianist. The anonymous donor was a Kilgore College graduate whose wife is a former Rangerette. Xin Qi suffered from a dangerous and potentially life-threatening heart condition. Caroline Bentley, her appendix was about to rupture. Before Clower even saw the scores, the principal would whisk away the results. Revels features performances by Rangerettes with several dances choreographed by nationally known choreographers such as J.T. The new line will be announced Thursday at 10 a.m. at Kilgore College. 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. Elaborate kick line routines are the mainstay choreography of this dedicated corps of precision dancers and when visiting their shrine in East Texas, I watched dozens of video clips of the girls, arms linked, kicking so high, that they (to quote my brother), Make the Wehrmacht look like a bunch of pansies.. Blair's daughter escaped her captor a little over an hour later. She had spent a pivotal moment of her life with this woman, yet she had barely seen her; Alexa had kept her head down throughout the kidnapping. 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. 3, Gussie Nell Davis, Deana Bolton Covin, and Dana Blair. Alexa, who was barefoot, asked to retrieve her shoes from the bedroom. Axolotls and capybaras are TikTok famousis that a problem? 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. Most are trained studio dancers and the competition is fiercemost who make it receive a full college scholarship and a chance to live in the Rangerettes own dormitory on campus. The history of book bansand their changing targetsin the U.S. Should you get tested for a BRCA gene mutation? Kyleigh was well-behaved and a bright student. She is a co-owner of Encore Creative Productions, a lifetime member of Rangerettes Forever, and the director of the Rangerette summer camp for middle school students. The costume has remained unchanged, except for a slight shortening of the skirt length. Terms in this set (43) Rangerettes 1st performance. She was very quietnever had a problem with her at all. The assailant, Nancy Alice Motes, was arrested on a charge of aggravated kidnapping and released on $500,000 bond on December 30, 2016. Daniel Vaughn is the countrys first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have. 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. Since the Kilgore Rangerettes became so popular, all-female drill teams have proliferated throughout the state, with 15,000 high school students and 1,000 college students participating annually. We thought we knew turtles. games like senior assassin; yorkie rescue near clarkston, michigan; colorado state patrol salary; richard sargent obituary colorado; fenty beauty executive summary. They dreamed of spending the rest of their lives together and had even planned to marry. Section 107 related to Copyright and Fair Use for Non-Profit educational institutions, which permits the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA), to utilize copyrighted materials to further scholarship, education, and inform the public. On Friday morning, 100+ groggy, hopeful girls with painted on makeup and forced smiles flood Dodson Auditorium, some, for the last time. Shell be getting out of jail, so its not likeits not over, and shes going to be out in the world, Alexa said. Rangerette 1975-1977, 36th Line. [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. It was her husband, Kyle, calling to ask about dinner. I dont know what she has felt., Nancy also denied critical aspects of the crime shed already pleaded guilty to in her criminal case. 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. I keep myself busy because thats the only way I can survive without being upset or scared. Mrs. Blair seemed nice enough, but this was a drill team and she is their drill sergeant. They were lucky to have escapedand lucky to be alive. But all of them understood the gravity of what had happened. She marveled to herself over the Blairs compliance, even as she trained the gun on Alexa and told her that Dana shouldnt have run. 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. During her time in Rangerettes, Natalie had the opportunity to perform at the Texas State Society's Black Tie and Boots Ball in Washington D.C. In September 2001, the newly renovated Rangerette Gymnasium was opened and dedicated to Mrs. Covin just prior to the Rangerettes Forever Homecoming luncheon. [68], In the February 14, 2020, comic strip Over the Hedge, the Rangerettes were mentioned as sending a Valentine's Day card to one of the characters.[69]. But despite the tangled history between them, Nancy had never met Dana or Alexa. The following, adapted from the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition, is the preferred citation for this entry. In what year? 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. Were going somewhere in Alexas car. Exactly what she had in mind was uncertain, but Dana knew she shouldnt get in the car. It was her mother, Jeanne Hale, who as director of Public Information at KC, founded the Rangerettes Forever in 1979. [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. Give me your phones, she said. They arent just helicopter parentsthis is a new breed to watch out for. According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, she was released to an address in the Longview-Marshall area, where she is required to reside until the end of her sentence in April 2024, unless the state approves a plan for her to move.) The second count had one count of aggravated kidnapping by deadly force. Dana had run across the street just as her neighbors Lori and Travis Wilcox were pulling out of their driveway. Who are they? No matter where a Rangerette might be going -- to the gym, down the street to pick up food, or an 8 a.m. class -- she isn't allowed to leave the dorm without makeup. She became assistant director of the Rangerettes in 1972, a position she held for seven years, before becoming the Rangerette director in 1979. 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. 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. Ever since Alexa was young, Dana had taught her not to open the door for strangers. Four nights before the big day, Alexa and her mother had been kidnapped at gunpoint. Crossing her arms over her chest, she swore, I have never worn a wig. She grew sarcastic and angry, almost snarling at detectives as they asked what grudge she had against the Blairs. How many Directors have the Rangerettes had? 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. If you get in their way, theyll mow you down.. Not that they could have been unaware of the Rangerettes. 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. The first group of its kind in the world, the Rangerettes brought show business to the football gridiron. Signup today for our free newsletter, Especially Texan. Every dollar helps. Clower assumed the complaint would go nowhere. This entry belongs to the following Handbook Special Projects: We are a community-supported, non-profit organization and we humbly ask for your support because the careful and accurate recording of our history has never been more important. Not that the girl was burdensome. I need you to take me somewhere, she said. When Dana called Alexa to the door, she could tell from the expression on her daughters face that she didnt recognize the woman. You dont know who I am, do you? Nancy asked them. March 2023 Reader Quiz: What Did You Learn? STDs are at a shocking high. Illustration by Mark Harris; Alexa Blair: Jamie Maldonado; Rangerettes: Albert Pena/Cal Sport Media via ZUMA Wire/AP; Face: Lucy Lambriex/Getty. The group became popular locally after its debut at a football game in September 1940. 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. What are tryouts called? They contested Kyleighs scores and took their fight all the way to the Kilgore school board. A couple of the handles were stuck, and she was trying to get them down so she could load them in her car, Clower said. She became assistant director of the Rangerettes in 1972, a position she held for seven years, before becoming the Rangerette director in 1979. Was she polished? And at this point, Nancys very bad plan took a turn for the worse. Ranger Round Up, 1940. Watching Alexa, Dana remained professional at first. ), Down at the Kilgore Police Department, Mayor Spradlin was sitting on a flatbed trailer in the parking lot, helping load water bottles for a police appreciation parade when he heard news of the outcome. But noThe Kilgore College Rangerettes are a drill team. Kilgores Rangerette Showcase and Museum is two blocks away. 2023 Kilgore College RangerettesAll Rights Reserved. They dont do stunts, nor do they tumble, and they certainly dont execute moves that might offend your grandparents sensibilities. Kyleigh began her freshman year at the University of Texas at Arlington, the Hi-Steppers hired a new director, and folks around Kilgore figured Nancy had moved on. Let me tell you what; I dont think Kyleigh was even crazy about being on drill team, Clower said. Nancy was so absorbed by the chase that she momentarily forgot Alexa was in the car. [44], Until the 1970s there were no African American members of the team. In anticipation of the organization's 75th anniversary, filmmaker Chip Hale followed the Rangerettes for a year, creating the documentary Sweethearts of the Gridiron. [53], The Rangerettes have been featured in articles in several media publications, including: Life Magazine,[54][55] Sports Illustrated,[56][57] Newsweek,[58] Esquire,[59] Texas Monthly,[60][61][62][63][3] The Saturday Evening Post,[64] Popular Mechanics,[65] and Texas Highways. grandfather clock mechanism diagram. 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. So thats what Ive been doing for a long time. Alexa heard something crack in her neck. Spradlin said he figures almost everyone in town knows a former or current Rangerette. Masters wanted something different than the traditional women's drum and bugle corps. The little-known history of the Florida panther. In Daviss vision, the Rangerettes signified a way of life, her idea of perfection. [1] According to the Texas State Historical Association, Davis said she would "be receptive when a qualified black tried out. Man, they want us to want it. She had first performed at the Cotton Bowl in 1982, five years before she became the organizations choreographer and assistant director, and eleven years before she was named director. In her testimony, she said a phone call jarred her back to her senses. To make the team, they must show skill, stamina, and dedication. I made the line. If theyd been close enough to see, they might have noticed that her eyes were bloodshot and her neck was bruised. 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. Alexa was just looking at meshe didnt say a word, but I just know her, and she was looking at me like, Get it together, because she knows Im a freak-out person. Once she made the high school roster, she was hooked. Once the initial uproar subsided, though, the Blairs ordeal fell off the radar. This thing could have gone a whole lot worse than it did, Nancys lawyer, Joe Young, told the judge. Anyone who knows me knows that. Faced with overwhelming evidence, she pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated kidnapping and was sentenced to five years in state prison. Dr. Covin and Mrs. Covin resided in Kilgore until they both passed away Dr. Covin on February 5, 2012, followed by Mrs. Covin on June 28, 2016.
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