On Jan. 22, in the Kennedy High School auditorium, the annual Winter Warm-up was hosted. The event consisted of groups from Taft, Pierce, Harrison and Madison followed by Kennedy High School’s Moonlight, Protégé and Happiness.
Future cougar Brynlee Fennern, an eighth grader in Taft’s Adrenaline, deemed the event as a valuable experience for her group. It was expressed that the event will help prepare for the upcoming competition season.
“I found it very beneficial to me and I believe a lot of others did, because it’s our first time performing on a stage in front of others, and it gets us ready for competition season,” Fennern said. “I think it also benefits the younger kids too, since they aren’t in show choir yet. It prepares them for what is to come and how much fun it is.”
Luke Kastner, an eighth grader in Taft’s Adrenaline, expressed no differing feelings about the event. He states the experience puts Adrenaline in a better position for future performances.
“There is over half our group that is in 6th grade, and have never performed in front of a large audience,” Kastner said. “With the winter warmup the people that have never been in show choir before get the chance to practice on stage with an audience so when it’s time for competitions they will be prepared to dance in front of a large group of people.”
As for the event itself, it has been said to have run smoothly with little to no bumps in the road.
“I think that the event is very well run, it would be great if we could get even more groups to perform because it’s great for the younger performers to get used to being in front of an audience,” Happiness singer, Elise Goldberg said.
From the perspective of Goldberg, the event is worthwhile for the younger students. The lively audience helps to set groups up for success.
“I absolutely think that the show is beneficial for the young performers, it shows them what it’s like to perform in front of a real audience, and an audience that is 100% supportive and judge free,” Goldberg said.
Winter Warm-up is more than an event for the benefit of younger students. The laidback nature of the event provides Kennedy groups with extra performance experience without the stress of critics and intense competition.
“I think the event is great for Kennedy’s groups, it’s an event where we can just relax and have fun while getting to perform shows that we love without having to compete and be critiqued,” Goldberg said.
Overall, Winter Warm-up has received positive feedback, leaving groups prepped and excited for upcoming competition.
“I really enjoyed performing on the Kennedy stage, and my favorite part was starting our show,” Fennern said. “It just makes you really excited to perform and makes it way more fun than you think it will be.”
