Good Time Company sing their ballad in a circle formation before going onstage at their first competition in Muscatine. (Lauren Ernst)
Time to be brave
West High’s show choirs are more than just the performers. Behind each note, dance move and costume is a story.
The drum pounds twice. The dancers step onto the risers. Sequins from the girls’ dresses catch the light from above. Smiles shine on the performers’ faces as they look down. Silence falls amongst the crowd. Then the band starts to play, the performers turn and the show begins.
This is show choir, an after-school activity comprised of selected choir students in prep (junior varsity) and varsity divisions. Like curricular choir, students are split into four different voice parts and perform music. But what makes it different is the choreography. Performers simultaneously dance and sing their way through a show of five or six songs. In the Midwestern United States, competitions happen every weekend in January and February. Depending on where you travel, there will be new groups to discover, choreographer overlap and some awesome shows. Click here to listen to the songs performed by this year’s show choirs.
