Dancers are up by 4 a.m., get to school by 5:30 and wander onto a bus surrounded by tired music kids – some waking up, some awake, and some still with a blanket around them. Finally the sun comes up just enough to see the faraway school as the bus pulls up. Screaming, cheering, dancing, laughing, crying, and sleeping all soon to come in the many hours left before getting back on the bus to arrive home just before the 24-hour trip clock chimes. All that is left is a memory in the absence of show choir competitions. A video stands as a replacement.

“This season has been difficult to say the least, but I am constantly impressed by how our show choir has found a way to conquer all the obstacles in our way. I think that all the challenges that this year has unleashed has pushed our group to be closer and more tight-knit,” said Greta Lowry ‘21. “We have all had the option to take the easy way out and quit, but it is clear that everyone in show choir is participating because it brings them a kind of joy and pride that can’t otherwise be expressed.”

The Fourth Avenue Jazz Company and Charisma show choir groups will be a part of making a season end video, complete with the special acts and MCs to commentate as well as both groups shows. The video will be shared with the City community with a ticket system. 

“This year’s spring show definitely isn’t what I envisioned for my senior year, but I’m still just as excited to show how far we’ve come, especially in such difficult circumstances. I hope we will get the chance to perform live this year, so I think an outdoor performance would be beneficial and a lot of fun for our group,” Lowry said.

Charisma, the JV group, welcomed a new director this year. In his first year of teaching at City High, Matt Walker has accepted the role of the outgoing director including Charisma. The all-girls group show is about travel with songs California Girls by Katy Perry and Empire State of Mind. 

“I think that our show, the songs and the choreography, are really good this year and dare I say better than last year. Which is nice because even though we aren’t doing show choir normally we still have a fun show,” Ryan Brenter ‘23 said. “It’s also kind of disappointing because we don’t get to take the show to competitions and live performances. At least we still have our virtual spring show. Also, our show isn’t nearly as put together as it normally would be by this time of the year. Things have been more relaxed with all of the breaks from school.”

Fourth Ave, the varsity group, has their show based around an evil villain who tried to take over the world. Throughout the show, the villain controls the ensemble and eventually falls to unity and happiness. The villain is soloist Ian Allen ‘21, eventual duet partner with Jacy Pugh ‘21 who helps him through his journey.

“Personally I love the show. I really just wish we could perform it this year. The solo and duet are obviously amazing, but not being able to perform for a live audience kind of takes away from that,” Pugh said.

Ever since their choreography camps in July and September, the groups have been working every week they’re able despite challenges with the pandemic. Their camps were online, over Zoom. Eventually they moved to dancing in the faculty lot parking spaces and when the weather turned to winter, spread out in the cafeteria. 

“I feel like the leadership role I have taken on in show choir this year is extremely rewarding because I can help other members learn choreography to the best of their and my ability especially since we learned the choreography online. I enjoy helping our newer members reach their full potential, no matter how much previous dance experience they have,” Lowry, a dance captain, said. “This leadership role has affected my experience by pushing me to always want to improve my abilities for the sake of others. This role has pushed me to come out of my comfort zone and help others who are struggling.”

In Fourth Ave, numbers are dropping. Specifically in the numbers of boys, this year one-third of the group are boys. This is significantly fewer than  the usual half and half boys to girls, they welcomed only one freshman boy this year. Director Tyler Hagy has asked group members to recruit early for next year because being in a choir class is a requirement to participate in show choir. 

“One difference just through the difference in the number of boys is that firstly, it is more vocally demanding as you often have not as many people as one might prefer on each part, though fortunately, it’s pretty balanced tenor-bass wise. Formation-wise, it gives guys more attention being front and center, as the ratio of girls to boys favors a more guy-centric pattern,” Charles Faden ‘22 said.