TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - Tryouts were held June 16 for coveted spots on the seven-decades old Apache Belles dance team. On Tuesday, the Apache Belles’ Facebook page released photos and the names of the talented young women who will make up the 73rd line.
The women, who certainly qualify as athletes as much as dancers, continue a tradition that began in 1947, when then TJC President Dr. Harry E. Jenkins asked Mildred Stringer to form a girls’ pep squad. Stringer formed a team of 40 young women, and even designed the outfits they would wear according to TJC.edu.
This year’s precision dance team will be made up of women from Tyler, Longview, Kilgore, and Jacksonville among other East Texas cities, as well as some from Fort Worth, Houston, and other more distant Texas cities.
Congratulations to the new team!
The 73rd line is pictured below:
And there are more, also courtesy of The Apache Belles’ Facebook page:
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