After a preseason of preparation and technical development, the Warren Central Show Choir program moves on to their competition season tomorrow, Feb. 9, at Pike. The two premier groups, Hi-Lites and Connection, will be competing.
“To prepare, we have been working with professional choreographers from around the country. They [the choirs] have been working with me vocally, and we have been talking about the meaning of the show,” choir director Dustin Podgorski said.
Each choir will bring a five song set to competition to show the work that they have put in during the preseason. As a school program, each set is handled by both teacher staff and coaches, but also student choir presidents and dance captains.
“The best thing I can take away from show choir is that the process is long and hard, but fun comes from the success that the hard work brings,” senior Nikira Tillman, dance captain for both Hi-Lites and Connection, said.
Show choir is not part of the athletic department, but it does require its members to put in physical work for the competition season.
“In order to be fully prepared for the season, we spend about an hour a week doing heavy conditioning. For example, running the school, running stairs, arms, abs and leg workouts and cardio. We spend 10 hours a week running our 20-minute shows over and over and fixing what we need to be fixed, and lastly, we sing our hearts out,” Tillman said.
The time put into the show choir season is matched by the time and effort that goes into a competition, like the one tomorrow. Show choir students arrive at Warren by 3 to 6 a.m., then they return to Warren after a day-long competition, typically ending between 10 and midnight.
“Competitions are always fun. We get up at an unreasonably early time, eat breakfast at the school and start getting ready here. Then, when it’s time, we hop on the bus and leave for competition. Once we get there, we get ready and perform, then watch and help everyone else get ready. We spend all day at competitions on Saturday and normally don’t get home until sometimes as late as 12 in the morning. It’s worth it because you get to spend the day doing what you love,” senior Lydia Mulgado, a co-president of Hilites, said.
After a preseason of buildup, the show choirs are looking toward the future of the season positively. The season will consist of five competitions and, depending on the show choirs’ performance, could include State and Nationals.
“This season, I think our groups are going to do amazing. I feel confident in both Hi-Lites and Connection based off of what I have already seen in rehearsals. Everyone has been working really hard to make our shows look really good and impact the people that watch them. Not only that, but our show’s this year are really unique and aren’t like traditional show choir shows,” senior Jasmine Entrican, a co-president of Hi-Lites said.
At competitions, the show choirs and their student leaders look forward to bringing both tradition and new ideas to the table.
“In past years, Warren show choirs have always been known for their ‘raw talent,’ energy on stage, and unique, inspirational shows that deal with real-world problems. The past couple of years, we haven’t been as successful at competitions as we would like. But I think that this year, we are working hard toward success. I feel like we have a lot of talent, determination and overall a positive vibe. I feel like we’re now willing to sacrifice for the well-being of the group this year,” senior Shanya Unseld, president of Connection show choir, said