Two Brevard high school students performing in Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade
Ralph ChapocoWhile many Brevardians will be sitting around the dining table enjoying a meal with family and friends, two local high school students will be performing in an event that has become the ultimate Thanksgiving tradition.
Local high school students Lalia Bryant and Kaylee Henderson were selected to perform in front of Macy’s department store in Manhattan along with 1,200 cheer and dance performers participating in the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday.
“When I had learned I had been chosen, it was kind of a shock,” Bryant said. “I come from a small town in Florida, so hearing that people make it big in the dance world is not common. When I heard I was going to be dancing in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, it was a big deal for me and my family.”
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Henderson was equally surprised.
“I was shocked because nothing like that has ever happened to me,” she said. “My mother and I were very shocked.”
The two earned the privilege of performing in the 96th annual parade after applying to the group organizing the performance, the Spirit of American Productions Cheer and Dance group.
To qualify, Bryant and Henderson had to audition videos of their past performances for the organizers to evaluate. They had a lot to choose from because both had been dancing from a young age. Bryant began performing when she was 3-years old.
“Dance is definitely one of my passions,” she said. “It allows me to not have to worry about the real world that is around us. When we get into the dance room, nothing else really matters except for my passion and I what I love to do. I think that is why I enjoy it so much, because it lets me get away from the stress of my daily life.”
Henderson began dancing when for 11 years, beginning at the age of four, but took a break before returning to performing.
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“Dancing for me is a way to express myself,” she said. “Any emotion that I am feeling, I can dance it out. If I am mad, I can dance it out. If I am sad, I dance it out. It gives me confidence.”
Once chosen, organizers provided them with a training video of the routine they would be performing that the two had been practicing for a month now.
Aside from practicing and the performance, the two will also attend a Broadway musical and visit Radio City Music Hall to watch the Rockettes perform. Along with that, they will tour the Statue of Liberty, go on outing to the 911 Memorial and ice skate at Rockefeller Center.
“We are just excited for the girls,” said Tabitha Lazear, Bryant’s mother. “It is a great, once in a lifetime opportunity. They have both worked so hard dancing their whole lives."
Ralph Chapoco is government and politics watchdog reporter. You can reach Chapoco at rchapoco@floridatoday.com and follow him on Twitter @rchapoco.