For competition season, 12 drill teams from their respective schools in Frisco ISD gathered at Liberty High School to show off a few of their dance pieces of this year at the 2025 Frisco Showoffs held on Feb. 25. The showoffs took place in Liberty High School’s competition gym and encompassed a wide variety of dance genres ranging from hip-hop to jazz.
Each drill team showcased two of their pieces from this competition season to the audience. In their showcase, Emerald Elite, the LTHS drill team performed an upbeat lyrical piece to One Short Day from the Wicked soundtrack.
Lyrical dance is a genre that combines a multitude of genres such as jazz, ballet, and contemporary. As a result, their performances embodied a modern style of dance while utilizing proper techniques derived from ballet including pirouettes and grand jetes. A blend of these genres perfectly encapsulated the theatrical characteristics of a musical such as Wicked.
On top of their great choreography, their costuming was a notable part of their group performance. Their costumes entailed a sparkly emerald green lyrical outfit with a short flowy skirt. The emerald shade of the costume was a smart, strategic choice as it matched the lyrics of One Short Day in which they sing about going to “the Emerald City.” This is an important detail because costuming plays a huge part in the storytelling aspect of dance pieces.
For their second piece, Emerald Elite’s officer team composed of Senior Captain Kate Wheatley, Senior Lieutenant Jorja Ibanez, and Junior Lieutenant Jessie Chen had performed a contemporary piece. As opposed to the upbeat music of the team performance the officer performance followed a slow melody. Conversely, their minimalistic white costumes contrasted the bright emerald green outfit from their prior team performance. The switch in genres and costumes encompassed Emerald Elite’s versatility in the dance field.
In addition to demonstrating their dance skills and stage presence Emerald Elite had showcased their ability to work as a team. When interviewed by the superintendents of the event, Senior Captain Wheatley had said the most memorable part of the competition season was when the team had won with their ensemble dance. It was their teamwork that allowed them to perform in sync as a team. Ultimately, the competition world of dance has built a community that unites a team of dancers to motivate each other toward success.
