Show Choir Choreography Comes Together

Students practice their 2014-2015 show choir set.  They have six songs in this years show.

Students practice their 2014-2015 show choir set. They have six songs in this year’s show.

by Corgan Petersen and Andrew Rothfuz

Every year, over 60 different students from every grade level meet at the high school before school starts for one reason: to kick off the new show choir season by learning new choreography.

In a flurry of eight-beat counts and prep turns, a new set of dance moves began to ingrain itself in each dancer’s muscle.  The training days lasted for hours, sometimes even full 10-12 hour stretches, and even after it ended, the choreography days were still not over. In the late fall, the choreographers of each choir (the varsity level Premiere and junior varsity level Diversity) returned to critique the progress made by the students and taught additional dance numbers.

On Nov. 11, accoladed freelance choreographer Ben Eklund returned to Atlantic High School to gauge the progress of this year’s varsity-level Premiere show choir.  While he was here, he also taught the choreography for a new song “Ridin’ The Storm Out” by REO Speedwagon.

“I think he is a good choreographer, he is a fun guy, and I think he does a good job with the choreography,” said senior Hannah McLean.

Junior Emily Yager said that he is a “really good choreographer and is really creative.” “I’m super pumped for this year’s choreography.”

According to dance captain Lileigh Brown, the choreography this year is “definitely more complex than the choir is used to,” but she sees it “working well for this year’s group.”

Premiere’s repertoire this year includes the songs “The Great Escape” by Boys Like Girls, “Undefeated/On A Roll” by Jason Derulo, “Damaged” by Danity Kane, “Runaway Baby” by Bruno Mars, “Ridin’ The Storm Out” by REO Speedwagon, and an original song called “We Will Rise,” composed by Jonathan Dyrland