The Rangerettes dance team and the Marching Pioneers band are key entertainers for UW-Platteville’s football games, basketball games and homecoming activities.

Under the motto, “Pioneer Funkadelic Soul Revue,” the band revisited some old groovy tunes and prepared for this year’s Homecoming weekend.

The coordination of the halftime shows and Homecoming began last spring for the Marching Pioneers.

Matthew Gregg, associate director of bands, selected the music and drew a storyboard for two different shows for this season.

In the summer, the songs were given to the Rangerettes, and then the two captains choreographed a routine to accompany the music.

Jessica Getz, a junior business administration major and team captain of the Rangerettes, said it is challenging to come up with routines which are original.

“Both the dance team and the band work extremely hard to put together a show, and it’s really rewarding to be able to share our talents with other people,” Getz said.

In order to join the band, every prospective member or interested freshmen can contact Gregg in the spring.

“I do not turn anybody away,” Gregg said.

Only auditions for the drum section are usually held for drum majors in the spring.

The members of the Marching Pioneers attended a 10-day band camp before school started. The band rehearses Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 3:15 to 4:45 p.m. during the fall semester.

Deb Rice, adviser for the Rangerettes, said that the recruitment for the dance team happened during the first week of school.

In the course of three days, a routine was studied, practiced and shown for judgment by candidates.

Rice said that flexibility is the crucial factor for candidates trying to make the team, and not experience.

“The flexibility is much more important,” Rice said. “We can always teach techniques.”

The Rangerettes practice their routines for the school song, the basketball halftime show and this year’s Homecoming varsity show every day for two hours.

The objective of the halftime entertainment is for people to have fun, and the Marching Pioneers play tunes that are accessible to the audience.

“For us to offer it [the entertainment] is tremendous, and I think it is a huge plus for the university, the campus and the community,” Gregg said.

“It’s an American tradition to have the band, the dance team and the flag team out there … the thought of not having one, it would just not be a complete football game,” Rice said.