As the football season comes to an end, so do performances by Dance Company and Pep Band. These performances only occurred at home games, with away games often including performances from the host school’s band or dance team.
With many home games at the start of school, the groups had much to learn in a short period of time. Dance teacher Kristin Breding explained, “The officers of the team were able to choreograph the routines, and then all of the team came […] two weeks before classes started.” Considering halftimes’ lengths, the dancers would do two of three main choreographed hip-hop dances.
For variety, Dance Ensemble and Ballroom would occasionally dance as well. These groups also practiced before school started, but they usually weren’t needed as long as Dance Company. “For the homecoming game, all three of the teams performed in one dance. It was really long, but it was really fun,” Breding said. The homecoming routine was choreographed by all three Dance Company officers, making it even more collaborative.
Pep Band, however, didn’t have time before school to start practicing. Music teacher Adam Larson said, “The first four weeks of school we just only did Pep Band music, whereas we usually have other music that we’re working on for our fall concert.” Three classes comprise Pep Band—Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, and Percussion—and they all practiced in class up until game days. “Call time is 6:30, and we show up here, and we practice together as the whole group for a minute, and then we go out to the field,” he explained.
Pep Band learns several pieces for the games. “I like to stick to a lot of the classic rock kind of stuff,” Larson said. One of his favorites for Pep Band is “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond. He added, “We’ll play stuff that we’ve played for years and years, and then I’ll usually add a new piece or two every year.” This year, he added Elton John’s “I’m Still Standing”, Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now”, and the Bluey Theme Song, a noted favorite by Pep Band members. “Mr. Larson loves Bluey […] so he wrote out the entire Bluey Theme Song for us,” Wind Ensemble’s Cal Tabet said. They added, “It’s short, and it’s fun, and we get to do little cheers, and it always makes the little kids really happy.” Students also enjoy the traditional music, with clarinet player Freya Schultz naming “The Star Spangled Banner” as a favorite to play.
Taking a dance or song from practice to performance can be challenging. For dancers, the field is much different than the dance room. “I have the dancers wear tennis shoes, and even dancing on the dance floor in tennis shoes and dancing on the turf is different, because it’s very squishy on the turf,” Breding explained. The different size of space poses another challenge in practicing. Schultz, who is also on Dance Company, said, “The dance room is a lot smaller than the football field, so it can be hard to create formations and run our transitions the way they would be in a performance.” To adapt the dancers to the different environment, Breding let the dancers occasionally rehearse on the field during class.
For Pep Band, volume is a frequent issue. Larson mentioned, “I’ve heard from some parents of my students that, okay, they’re sitting there on the south end, and we’re playing on the north end, and it’s hard for them to hear us, and that’s normal. But, yet, across the field in the visitors’ section, they can hear us great.” The ability to hear Pep Band has always been a struggle, with previous years making it even more difficult by putting the band in the endzone to make room for students and parents. However, this year, location was less of a problem, with the band only having to move from the stands to the track for the homecoming game for more attendees to be able to sit. While the space problem is unavoidable, being moved can cause the band to feel their effort is underappreciated. Tabet admitted, “It feels a little bit like being kicked out of the Skyline family.”
However, the effort of Pep Band—and Dance Company—is noticed. “Usually we leave at halftime, just because we get bored, but usually we watch [Dance Company],” frequent attendee Macy Atkin said. She especially enjoys performances that include the other dance groups. While Pep Band can’t always be heard, it isn’t any less appreciated. Atkin explained, “The times that I have heard [Pep Band] it’s been cool, and it’s been intriguing, and sometimes they play along with the cheerleaders, and it makes just the crowd riled up more.”
For rough games, these groups’ presence can help morale. “The Pep Band is an important part to keep the team pumped up, help motivation, help you through the tough times,” Larson said. The entertainment dances provide, Schultz added, also boost school spirit. “They add more to it, because, instead of it just being the football team being represented, […] we get to see the Dance Co., Dance Ensemble, Ballroom, and the band,” Atkin explained. “It’s really nice to see something that we’re good at and [the school] be represented as […] a whole.”
