Texas State University Strutters

The Texas State University Strutters, more simply known as the Strutters, are an American collegiate dance team from Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. They are the first American Precision Dance Team to be founded at a four-year university, and are currently the largest team of its kind in the United States. They have performed nationally and internationally in twenty-six countries spanning four continents,[1] and are the first U.S. dance team to perform in the People's Republic of China.[2] Other performances include three presidential inaugural parades, three Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parades, several NBA and NFL halftime shows, America's Got Talent, MTV's Total Request Live, and appearances in five movies.[3][4]

Texas State University Strutters
"Once a Strutter, Always a Strutter"
History
Genre:Precision Dance Team
Motto:One Team, One Love
Year originated:1960
Originated by:Barbara Guinn Tidwell
College:Texas State University
City:San Marcos, Texas
Current
Director:Tammy West Fife

Brief history

The team was founded by Mrs. Barbara Guinn Tidwell in 1960. Even with nowhere to practice on campus, the team became popular immediately, with a photograph of the Strutters included in Mobil Oil’s 1962 calendar. In 1976, the team was selected to represent America’s Bicentennial in a national television commercial for Coca-Cola.[5] The Strutters have a strong and active alumni group[6] of over 3,000 who network well, assisting each other in personal and professional endeavors.

On September 8, 2012, the $2.5 million Linda Gregg Fields Strutters Gallery in the North Side Endzone Complex at Bobcat Stadium was opened. Mrs. Fields and her husband, Jerry D. Fields, are among Texas State’s most generous benefactors, donating more than $11.7 million to Texas State, including $1.35 million toward the construction and operation of the gallery which depicts the history of the organization at the university.[7]

Directors

Founder Barbara Guinn Tidwell served as director and choreographer from the team's creation in the fall of 1960 to her retirement in the spring of 1997. After high school graduation, she attended Kilgore Junior College where she was a Kilgore College Rangerette. After Kilgore, she and three other Rangerettes chose the University of Southern Mississippi to complete their Bachelor degrees, with Tidwell receiving her degree in history. Tidwell was teaching at Galveston High School in the late 1950s, when she applied for a position at Southwest Texas State hoping to teach history there. The School President, Dr. Jack Flowers, said he wasn’t looking for a history teacher but someone with dance expertise who could create a team to keep fans in their seats at halftime.[8]

Tidwell came up the team name herself saying, "I wanted something that didn't end in 'ettes." Not all high schools in Texas had a dance team in 1960, so most of the original 300 young women who auditioned for the very first Strutter line were novices, with hardly any background in precision dance/drill. Like most good educators, Tidwell usually saw more potential in her girls then they saw in themselves. She served as the teams's director and choreographer for 37 years. Just before her retirement in 1997, she was presented with the 1996 Distinguished Alumnus Award, in recognition of her role in founding the Strutters.

Susan Angell-Gonzalez, a former Strutters Head Captain, became the team's second director in 1997.[9] As director, she created the Strutters Spectacular, an annual spring show open to the public, the pre-season show Meet the Strutters, and incorporated Jazz Elite and Pom Squad into the team. Angell-Gonzalez is recognized by her peers as an authority in the field of precision dance, and she is the former President and CEO of Susan Angell Enterprises Inc., which includes ShowMakers of America®.[10] Angell-Gonzalez was the first Strutter to be inducted into the Strutters Hall of Fame, has been recognized as one of Texas State University's "Top 100 Years of Women" for her achievements, received the Texas State Distinguished Alumnae Award in 2015, and received Texas Dance Educators Association Life Time Achievement Award and TDEA Hall of Fame.[11] Angell-Gonzalez held the position of director/choreographer for 17 years.

The third, and current director/choreographer, is former Strutter Tammy West Fife. Fife was named as the team's director on July 1, 2013, previously serving as Assistant Director of the team from 2002–2013.[12] Fife received a faculty service award from Texas State University in 2004, as well as the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Texas Dance Educators Association (TDEA) in 2008. In addition to being the team's director, Fife is responsible for the dance education majors, teaches the "Methods of Teaching Dance" course, and supervises all dance student teachers.[13]

Performances and appearances

Below is a list of major performances and appearances by the Texas State University Strutters.[14]

YearDescriptionYearDescription
1961John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Parade1962Mobil Oil's Annual Calendar
1962Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Louisiana1965Lyndon B. Johnson's Inaugural Parade
1971Entertained the U.S. Troops in Vietnam1976Coca-Cola Ad for America's Bicentennial
1976Charlotte Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina1978Charlotte Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina
1980Traveled to Aguascalientes, Mexico1980Charlotte Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina
1985The People's Republic of China1986Japan, China, and Hong Kong
1988Hong Kong, Thailand, and Korea1990Hong Kong, Thailand, and Korea
1994France and Switzerland1995Russia, Finland, and Sweden
1996China1997Parliament in London
1997St. Patricks Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland1998Sydney, Australia
1999Greece and Turkey2000US Woman's Olympic Gymnastic Team's "Send off to Sydney"
2000Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, USA2000Kaufman's "Celebrate the Season" Parade in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
2000Portugal2001Spurs game in San Antonio, Texas
2001Rotary International Convention2001Austria, Germany, and the Czech Republic
2002Hawaii2002Spurs game in San Antonio, Texas
2002Monterrey, Mexico2003Spurs game in San Antonio, Texas
2003Hawaii2004Mexico and Hawaii
2005Spurs game in San Antonio, Texas2006Spurs game in San Antonio, Texas
2006Greece and Turkey2007Paris, France and Italy
2008Semi Finalist in America's Got Talent Season 32008Tremaine Convention
2009Chile2010Spain
2011Spurs game in San Antonio, Texas2012Mariner of the Seas Cruise: Honduras, Belize, and Mexico
2012Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, USA2014Transplant Games of America in Houston, Texas
2014Tulsa, Oklahoma2015Jan 16 Spurs game in San Antonio, Texas
2015London, England2015March 19 Disneyland Paris
2017Jan 19 Featured Performers at the Texas State Society
Black Tie & Boots Ball in Washington, D.C.		2017Jan 20 Inauguration Parade for Donald Trump in Washington, D.C.
2017 Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade2019Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, USA

Strutters' Spectacular

The Strutters' Spectacular is the team's annual spring show-off, consisting of a variety of dances and styles, including guest performances and videos of the year. The event is usually the team's last performance of the year, concluding with a traditional high-kick routine in the Strutter field uniform. There are typically three shows during the program week, the last of which is on Saturday night.

Jazz Elite and Pom Squad

The Jazz Elite and Pom Squad are specialty groups within the Strutter's organization. Both groups have special performances in the Strutters Spectacular and throughout the year. The Jazz Elite is a group of highly technically skilled dancers who often perform the more difficult parts within a team routine. The Strutters Pom Squad is a group with high enthusiasm and energy, and are some of the most physically fit members of the team. The Pom Squad performs on the sidelines during football games, basketball games, and at spirit rallies put on by the university.

Officers

The Texas State University Officers make up the student leadership of the organization. To be eligible for an officer position, team members must have completed one or more years on the team. They are chosen by the director, outgoing officers, current team members, and Strutter Alumni. Officer uniforms differ from team uniforms in that they are solid white. The Officer's also carry a baton and perform a traditional 'Strut' during football games.

Managers

Strutter Managers are male students at the university, and are selected from those interested in assisting the team. They retrieve officer batons after the Strut onto the field, carry props and equipment for performances and practices, and accompany the team at all football performances. They also occasionally perform a comedic routine in the annual Strutter Spectacular. Managers with extensive dance background have also performed in the show as guest performers.

Strutters Always and Strutter Giants

In 1998 Strutters Always became an official alumni chapter of Texas State University. The goals of the group include communicating events to all team alumni and supporting the organization. The Strutters Always Board of Directors assists with all alumni reunions and other team related events.[15]

Strutter Giants are a select group of men and women honored for their outstanding contributions to the organization. The current list of Strutter Giants includes:[16][17][7]

  • Bill Aldrich
  • Michael and Dianne Hunt Bowman
  • Cathy Cantu Cook
  • Jerry D. and Linda Gregg Fields
  • Jimmy and Tammy Fife
  • Dr. Kathy Fite
  • Joe and Stacy Chessher Fowler
  • Alberto Gonzalez and Susan Angell-Gonzalez
  • O.C. and Johanna Stallman Haley
  • Diana Becker Hendricks
  • Bobbie and Dottie St. Clair Hill
  • Gerald and Donna Petty Hill
  • Bill and Loma Hobson
  • David and Julianne Hunt
  • Paige Lucking
  • Jill Pankey
  • Debbie Johnson Roberts
  • John B. and Dedee Middleton Roberts
  • Barbara Guinn Tidwell
  • Sarah Aldrich Visel
  • Craig and Gail Vittitoe
  • June Blocker Whitney

Controversy and Criticism

Like many other organizations, the Strutters have had controversy and criticism over their history. Texas State University did not integrate the school until 1963, and the team was predominantly white for the first 29 years of its existence. Since the 1980s, a wide variety of ethnicities have joined the team, many gaining leadership positions within the organization. The team selected its first African American officer in 1994.[18]

There are no height or weight requirements, although team members must have proper weight for their height, frame, and bone structure. Team activities require outstanding cardio-vascular conditioning, strength, and stamina. Body piercings, tattoos, brands, or symbols visible on the skin are not permitted, nor are distractions from the uniformity of costuming permitted.

The rules for the organization are many, and conforming to them can be difficult for dancers who prefer individual accolades over being part of a team. Other university students often state that the extensive list of rules takes away the identity and expression of the individual. The team defends itself by reminding others that the being part of the organization is elective, not mandatory, and that the rules are in place to insure a level playing field for everyone, and designed to bring out an individual's qualities within the constructs of a team. As ambassadors of Texas State University, the state of Texas, and the US, team members gladly adhere to the rules set forth by the organization.[19]

In December 2016, the organization drew criticism for agreeing to perform at the inauguration of Donald Trump.[20] The criticism was primarily from current students of Texas State, but other groups involved in the inaugural, such as the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, were also widely criticized for their participation as well.[21]

The Strutters have been on the television show MTV's Total Request Live, America's Got Talent, and in a Coca-Cola commercial celebrating America's bicentennial.[22] They are featured in five motion pictures and performed in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade three times.

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See also

References
  1. "Strutters – History". Texas State Bobcats. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  2. "Strutters History". txstatebobcats.com. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
  3. "Strutters advance in 'America's Got Talent'". San Marcos Daily Record. July 31, 2008. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
  4. "Texas State Strutters To Perform At Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade". KGNB 1420 AM. November 15, 2012. Retrieved November 22, 2012.
  5. "Texas State University Strutters". txstate.edu. 19 April 2016. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
  6. "Fields' latest gift to fund Texas State's Strutters Gallery – San Marcos Mercury – Local News from San Marcos and Hays County, Texas". smmercury.com. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
  7. "Texas State University, Office of Media Relations, Regents name Strutters Gallery in honor of Linda Fields". txstate.edu. 8 June 2016. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
  8. "American Dance/Drill Team®". danceadts.com. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
  9. "Texas State University, Office of Media Relations, Texas State Alumni Association honors outstanding faculty, staff, alums". txstate.edu. 8 June 2016. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
  10. "www.showmakerscamps.com". showmakerscamps.com. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
  11. "Distinguished Alumni". Texas State University Alumni Association. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
  12. Tammy Fife, Director of Strutters, Athletics Dept. Accessed October 1, 2014
  13. "Texas State Athletics – Staff Directory". txstatebobcats.com. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
  14. Performance Plaque in the Linda Gregg Field's Strutter Gallery, San Marcos, Texas. Opened September 2012.
  15. "Official Texas State Strutters Always: A Giant Tradition". Retrieved 28 January 2017.
  16. "David Hunt's Obituary on Houston Chronicle". legacy.com. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
  17. "Texas State University, Office of Media Relations, Five honored as 'Giants' by Strutters dance team". txstate.edu. 7 June 2016. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
  18. "Texas State Athletics". txstrutters.com. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
  19. Barbara Guinn Tidwell, Finishing Touches for Success, August 1, 1983, ISBN 978-0840330437
  20. "Texas State Strutters under fire over plan to perform at Trump's inauguration \publisher=Dallas Morning News". December 23, 2016. Retrieved December 25, 2016.
  21. "Mormon Choir Performance at Trump Inauguration Draws Ire". Associated Press. December 23, 2016. Retrieved December 25, 2016.
  22. AmericanThrowback (19 September 2012). "1976 Coca-Cola Commercial "Bicentennial"". Retrieved 26 February 2017 – via YouTube.
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