Vol. 82, No. 8 Serving Kilgore College since 1936
December 7, 2018
Rangerettes kick off parade in NYC Dance group learns different styles as guests at Macy’s Thanksgiving event NADIA HILL Staff Writer
D
ance and holiday delight graced the streets of Manhattan as the KC Rangerettes opened the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. Sophomores Cameron Ballenger, Bailee Scott, and Lindy Foster had no idea about the Thanksgiving treat that was in store for them on their New York adventure. From fighting the cold and persevering through, it was a blessing to remember as they sat down for an interview upon returning home. The group was invited to perform a holiday kick performance for Spirit of America when a former Rangerette and coowner of Spirit of America, Laura Davis, recommended the team to be dancers in the famous parade. Spirit of America is a company that specializes in selecting dancers and dance teams to perform and open the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. The Rangerettes learned the dance they would perform the Monday before Thanksgiving in three hours from Emmy award-winning choreographer Napoleon D’umo, who is known for his choreography on “So You Think You Can Dance” and executive producing “America’s Best Dance Crew.” “Learning the dance wasn’t strenuous and was a more efficient and faster way of learning,” said Ballenger, of Rockwall. “Being able to learn from Napoleon was a big deal. He put us on his social media and it was a big opportunity for people to see the types of dance we don’t do as much,” said Scott, of Port Neches-Grove. “Our freshman Rangerettes got to experience our team outside of Kilgore and see how we are known worldwide and the feeling of being a part of this team,” said Foster, of Lake Travis. Going from the Texas cold to the shockingly brisk New York cold surprised
Angela Aulds/Special to THE FLARE
The Rangerettes marched in front of a self-propelled version of “Tom the Turkey” at this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. all parade-goers, as it was the coldest Thanksgiving in New York City since 1901. However, the Rangerettes were especially caught off-guard. “Texas is never as cold as you think and the cold in New York will make you cry,” Scott said. “The cold was unbearable weather and we had to persevere through it for our performance,” Foster added. The Rangerettes filmed their parade performance two hours before it would air for the rest of the nation to see. This year, the parade debuted a new version of “Tom the Turkey,” the first self-propelled float
in the parade’s history. The Rangerettes were the dancers who escorted the float. “We were right in front of the Turkey float which is a big deal,” Scott said. They also met and danced alongside professional dancer Meghan Sanett, who has worked with celebrities including Jennifer Lopez, Pitbull and Julie Andrews. The students agreed this exposed them to more than just the drill team industry. “Our Christmas show performance for Spirit of America attracted more high schoolers to our team and gave us more exposure,” Scott said. With Christmas spirit filling the essence
of the city, there were many tourist attractions and sites to see to fill any free time that they had. Bryant Park, also known as Manhattan’s Town Square, was decorated for Christmas and included ice skating, an abundance of food and other free activities. “The 9/11 Memorial has been on my bucket list whenever I was to visit New York,” Foster said. “It is a part of our country’s history that I didn’t know as much as I thought about it. I will never forget and I will be going back.” See BIG APPLE on Page 3
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