Behind the scenes of show choir

Show choir is a lot harder than people imagine with hours of practice of singing and dancing. Sometimes that’s not even enough to make the competitions perfect.

Some of the students join to do an extracurricular and be involved, and others join because they love it, and they like meeting new people and making friends.

“It’s a great way to make friends and get out of your comfort zone for a little bit,” Mia Orris said.

The competitions are everywhere and often run from 8 a.m. to 10:30 or 11 p.m.

Considering the travel, prep make-up, and hair along with the performance sometimes the competition days are long lasting of more than 18 hours.

If a student misses a competition they do not have a backup, but Jordan McLaughlin, one of the directors of show choir, is hoping this changes through the upcoming years.

If a student does miss a competition the coaches will know in advance and find someone else to cover the missing spot on stage.

“The competitions are both high-energy and fun,” McLaughlin said.

When you mess up on stage “you just keep on going; show choir isn’t always about hitting every move perfect. it’s about performing and looking like you love what you do,” Ellie Ryser said.

The choreography and songs in show choir take hours and hours to memorize according to some students, and practice is always key.

“No team in any sport will be successful if they can’t work together as a team or trust their coach,” McLaughlin said.

The choreography for show choir is done by a hired choreographer named Nick Quamme. He comes prepared with the choreography ready and tries to teach one song in a six-hour rehearsal.

The costumes can sometimes be expensive; they can go from around $100 to near $500. The group tries to reuse the costumes if possible so as to not spend as much money each year.

Each performer on stage is fitted for their custom costumes according to Orris and Ryser. Sometimes the costumes are comfortable but sometimes not due to the sequins.

Show choir has rehearsals on Monday nights and Friday mornings, and they last anywhere from one hour to five hours.