FAIRHOPE, Ala.– Oct. 3, Fairhope Dance Collective performed their hip-hop dance to the song ‘It was all in your mind’ by Wade Robson, which will be featured in their fall showcase. They used the pep rally as a way to prepare for the upcoming showcase. 

“[The pep rally] gives the dancers an opportunity to perform in front of a large audience before they actually do our performances. Anytime they can get to perform in front of people, I think it’s a good thing; it helps to get their jitters out,” said Brooke Eubanks, FDC teacher and coordinator. 

FDC hosts two showcases a year, one in the fall and one in the spring, and with each showcase comes a new theme. This fall’s theme is FDC’s Greatest Show! The theme comes from a long list of running ideas. Eubanks said that she has plans to make the show come alive this season. 

“We spend a lot of time prepping for the pep rally. We really are practicing this one dance over and over again… it cleans up our technique,” said senior Mcllelan Allen. 

Members of FDC practiced every day during seventh and eighth periods since the beginning of the school year. They’ve even gone to the gym to practice in the space, as it’s different from the Black Box.

“It’s always more nerve-racking to perform in front of peers than with people who know and support you,” Eubanks said.

Pep rally performances are different from those of the fall and spring showcases. Showcase performances are produced for friends, family and a generally smaller audience. Pep rallies are performed for a schoolwide audience. 

The fall showcase will be held on Nov. 12-14 in the FHS black box. 

Eubanks holds FDC auditions around the end of each school year, allowing every student of FHS an opportunity to be a part of the Fall and Spring showcases.