The Silver Wings will perform their first holiday show on Dec. 11-12 at 7 p.m. in the large gym. The show will become a bi-annual performance.
“It’s something fun that we [have] never done with the Silver Wings before,” assistant director Lexi Pirtle said. “The girls were really excited about it, and we’re trying to bring in new and exciting things to keep the different seasons exciting.”
While brainstorming fundraising opportunities, the directors came up with the idea for the show. Last month, the Silver Wings traveled to New York to perform in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which originally cost each team member about $3,000.
“We found this as a really fun way to get the team together and end the semester,” first lieutenant Ella Doom said. “But, [we] also get to fundraise. Macy’s was such a huge investment, and we had to make sure we could get all of that covered, but I think it’s a really fun way to do it.”
In order to get more money out of the show, the team is trying to cut down production costs. Unlike the annual spring show, which has been performed in the auditorium, the holiday show will be performed in the main gym. The team is also borrowing some costumes from other schools.
Dance officers and directors choreographed the show, instead of bringing in a professional choreographer. The team will also be recreating a performance from the Rockettes, as well as performing their routine from the Macy’s Parade.
“We expect a good chunk [of money] because a lot of people are coming,” Pirtle said. “The tickets are pretty cheap, [and] we’re not putting a bunch of expenses into it. I can’t say for certain [how much], but we’re hoping for a great amount that we’ll be able to put back into Silver Wings.”
The show will include performances from other organizations, such as choir, orchestra and outside dance studios. The show will last one hour.
“With a new event like this, we didn’t want to stand still on our own,” Pirtle said. “We loved the idea of incorporating different organizations, so when this idea keeps going every other year, it’s an exciting part of the show. No one really wants to watch dance for the whole [time], so it’s a fun way to see different acts.”
Prior to performing the show, the team also held its annual gift galleria on Dec. 7. They had a mix of vendors selling holiday gifts and food.
“We love this season, and we never really get to do anything with it,” captain Ava Sipko said. “We have the gift galleria right before [the show], so we’re going to be in the holiday spirit, and it’s going to be so fun and exciting for our team to be able to dance to all of this stuff that we’ve loved for so long.”
In prior years, the team would complete football season, take a small break, and then work on dances for the contest season. This year, instead of taking a break, they have been working on the holiday show. Since football season lasted longer with playoffs, the Silver Wings had to balance practice for games, pep rallies, the holiday show and upcoming contests.
“The girls have worked so hard,” Pirtle said. “They feel so passionately about this. They’re ready to perform. That’s the biggest part about [the] drill team — we perform. That’s the most exciting thing we get to do all year.”
