By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News

The Four Points Middle School Majestics dance team was part of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade where long rehearsals and dedication paid off.

Thirty four Majestics made the trip to New York City over the Thanksgiving break.

“The first three days, we had six- to nine-hour rehearsals,” said Kelly Mabry, Majestics director. “Our girls were top notch all the way.”

The local team was the only middle school team part of a larger group that performed together, totaling over 700 high school dancers from all over the U.S., Mabry said.

She couldn’t be with them on the floor as they rehearsed in the ballroom but they took what they learned and carried it through masterfully, she said.

In preparation for the parade, the Majestics ordered their costumes and learned the “Spirit of America” routine from a video months prior. Once all of the hundreds of dancers were together in NYC, the routine was changed slightly.

“The first few days we polished up the routine, and then we performed in front of the NBC producers and TV crew so they could see if they liked it and how it would look on camera,” Mabry said.

Thanksgiving day the Majestics lined up with the other dancers at 6 a.m., waiting for the three-hour parade to start at 9 a.m. The parade route was 52 blocks running 2.7 miles.

“I’ve taken other high school teams to the Macy’s parade, but never a group this large, and I’ve never seen a team work so hard. They motivated each other and kept each other on task,” said Mabrey, who was teary-eyed when sharing how proud she was about this team.

The Majestics who danced in the parade this year included eighth and ninth graders who were part of the winning team last year. The Majestics qualified to perform in the Macy’s Parade last year at the American Dance/Drill Team competition, where it was one of the top groups among high school and middle school teams.

During their six-day stay in New York City, the Majestics did some sightseeing including trips to the Statue of Liberty and Times Square. They took in several broadway shows including “Hamilton” and they also saw the Rockettes.

“It was a huge team effort from dancers and parents,” Mabry said.

Majestics in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade