Five hours of practicing the same show a week. The West Connection not only has to perfect their vocals and dances, but also their performance and technique. There are so many components that go into having a successful show. One of those components being lots of practice and dedication.

“We practice most Thursdays and occasionally on Saturdays. During practice we run the show lots to build up our stamina so we have more energy. We also clean our dancing in sections, and we practice diction and dynamics in our vocals,” said sophomore Torrin Heritage.

Show choir requires you to work on building stamina. It’s hard work to keep up your energy the whole time while also focusing on singing. The West Connection attends three different competitions and they host their own competition in February.

“The hardest part I think is the long rehearsals, especially when we hit a lull where we know all of our music-we struggle with keeping up the energy and continuing to improve,” senior Breanna Young said.

Even though show choir can be difficult, the students involved focus on keeping a positive environment. While there are challenges they have to face, they improve as a team.

“Facials are really hard because even if you don’t feel like doing them you have to fake it till you make it. I’ve learned that competitions are the best part of show choir because you can hangout with friends the whole day,” junior Matthew Morgan said.

Their opening night is January 12, and their first competition is January 14 in Muscatine, the season usually goes until March. This is a chance for students to meet new people and learn more about performance.

“I’m most excited to just get back out on stage and showcase our show this year. We have a great show with a lot of talented people so I’m excited for everyone to see it,” senior Clare Lotspeich said.