Showtime!
At 6:15, dancers started arriving to the gym. The JV basketball game with McHenry was finishing up, and a section of the bleachers was
roped off. Soon the bleachers were filled with white T-Shirts. Each girl got into a line to get a heart and some glitter painted on her face, and to tie a rubber band on her shirt. It looked like the dressing room
at a Rockettes performance. You could feel the excitement ooze from the girls. Many of the parents were sitting nearby.
The half ended. The girls sat for a minute waiting for Mary to give them the high sign. The players filtered off the court and finally
the dancers were ready. They spilled off of the bleachers, each girl intently walking toward one of five li
 nes along the walls. Kaz began to read the introduction:
"At 9:00 this morning, over 100 girls from fourth through ninth grades and from both Woodstock and McHenry gathered in
this gym for the first annual Sarah McCullagh Memorial Pom Pon Clinic. They worked all morning with both this years' Pom Pon Squad and with Alumni Poms who returned just for this event. The past, present and
some future members of the Woodstock High School Pom Pon Squad are gathered here to dance in honor of this year's co-captain Sarah McCullagh, who died at the beginning of this school year. The proceeds from this
clinic will help support both the Pom Pon Squad and the Sarah McCullagh Scholarship, which will be presented annually to the Woodstock Pom who most exemplifies what we loved about Sarah: her spirit, her smile, her
friendship, her loyalty, her leadership, her confidence, and her love."
The girls were all in their lines and ready to go. Kara gave the signal and began "5.
.6..7..8.." and counted the five lines of girls across the court.
"And now, Woodstock High School presents the graduates and leaders of
the 2000 Sarah McCullagh Pom Pon Clinic, dancing to "Do Ya Love Me" by The Contours choreographed by Kara Friedel."
The music kicked on. The dance started off, each girl intently watching their leader
at the front of the formation. Since each group had a slightly different routine, the dancers had to watch the correct leader.
The dance went for 2 minutes, 55 seconds. But they surprised everyone with a
fake ending at 2:25, and started their move off the court, reforming their lines at the end of the court. The music stopped, the girls were lined up and the crowd
came to their feet and roared with applause. The girls had pulled off their first performance.
They climbed back onto the bleachers, proud and happy.
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