On Nov. 28, several Dazzlers attended the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The parade is held in New York City and is broadcast live to millions of Americans on various television channels such as NBC.
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade performance is a yearly tradition for the team, and an important skill and team-building milestone.
This year, the group joined a lineup of star-studded performances and show-stopping balloons showcased throughout the streets of New York. Popular musical artists performing at the parade included singers such as Alex Warren, Dan + Shay, and Dasha. Various marching bands and dance studios displayed their talents as well.
Mrs. Sara Salivar, Upper School Dance Coach, explained why the parade is crucial to dancers, “The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade is an American icon that is a highlight and honor for students who have the opportunity to perform…Our Dazzlers
have been performing in the Macy’s Day parade for the past 15 years. They go every two years so that juniors and seniors can experience the event together. It is a wonderful bonding and dance training experience.”
Lots of planning and practice occurred before the dancers even stepped foot in New York.
“Beforehand, we had to learn choreography, and then during rehearsals, they just ran the choreography and drilled it and cleaned it up,” noted junior Alyssa Saraqi
“The dancers prepare all semester in technique classes of all genres including ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary and musical theatre dance. This, along with their dance team practices, prepares them to be able to learn choreography quickly. This year was especially tough as the weather was cold, windy and rainy. I am proud that they were able to endure and shine during their performance,” said Mrs. Salivar.
Once the Dazzlers arrived in New York City, they continued to rehearse with other dancers for the parade, “We were there for five days: Sunday through Thursday. Most days consisted of rehearsals during the day and an event at night. The rehearsals ranged anywhere from four to eight hours,” explained junior Bryce Seger.
Among the evening events were attendance at Broadway shows and a visit to the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Hall.
On parade day, there were various setbacks and difficulties due to the weather: “It was raining and it was thirty degrees, so we were all shivering and weren’t able to dance to the best of our abilities. If the weather would’ve cooperated, it would have been much more fun,” shared Seger.
Despite these complications, the Dazzlers still had a wonderful performance, “The parade was challenging, to say the least. It was very cold and we were all soaking wet but we just pushed through to perform and make it to the end,” said Saraqi.
Seger shared her memories of the trip, “My favorite parts were seeing the Wicked and going out to a restaurant called Tony’s.”
While this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade may have been cold and rainy, the Dazzlers’ performance most certainly made it feel like a warm and wholesome holiday.
