Demery Trantham, Myranda Faulk and Sydney Beckwith, three students from Southern Dance Connection will perform in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Demery Trantham, Myranda Faulk and Sydney Beckwith, three students from Riverside High School, will perform a jazzy tea party production of Alice in Wonderland with hundreds of other dancers from around the country. “They have really done well in the rehearsals and with the choreography,” Lindsay Roberts, owner of the dance studio, said.
NBC will televise the parade (WYFF locally) from 9 a.m. – noon.
The choreography and music were given to the students last month. “The costumes are very ‘Alice in Wonderland’ but are appropriate for high school age dancers,” Roberts said. The music,” Tea Party”, is from the Kerli’s album “Almost Alice”.
Roberts routinely introduces her students to opportunities to perform at events. Her students have performed at the Sugar Bowl and on cruises and other marquee events.
The dancers left for New York City on Saturday in time for a 2 p.m. meeting and have been rehearsing each day. The trip included time for sightseeing and attending a Broadway show. Roberts and participant instructors couldn’t attend rehearsals.
The parade forecast calls for clear weather with temperatures in the 20s and winds 22 miles per hour creating a wind-chill feel of about -14. “The girls will be cold,” Roberts said. The dancers will be separated with two performing in a different group.
Roberts said she didn’t have any sage advice for the dancers before they left. “They know what I expect as far as work ethic and that they are representing the studio and South Carolina.”
The parade lineup features 15 giant character balloons, 37-large scale novelty/ornament balloons, ballonicles, balloonheads and tryaloons, 30 floats, 1,600 cheerleaders and dancers, 900 clowns, 11 marching bands and celebrity performers. The windy weather may cause the balloons to be grounded or lowered.
Roberts said an area has been scouted where the dancer’s families may be able to see them perform in front of Macy’s. “You have to get there very early,” Roberts said.
Asked where that location was, Roberts laughed and said, “I’m not telling.”