In movies and on TV, high school pep rallies are full of fun, excitement, and team spirit. In reality, they are a good excuse for students to get a break from whatever class they have at the end of the day. Real pep rallies rarely live up to the Hollywood standard.
Well, with the exception of Lake Mary High School in Florida.
On September 14, the school posted a video to their Facebook page of their latest pep rally. The video highlighted a routine by their step team, the Lake Mary Marionettes. This step team is not just a group of girls desperately trying to keep in rhythm with each other – these girls are seriously amazing dancers.
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The Lake Mary Marionettes are 31-Time National Champions, including 2018 NDA National Champions in Varsity Kick, Team Performance, and JV Kick. No big deal.
In the video posted by the school, the girls put on an epic performance, which is met with cheers from the packed gym. The routine included intricate choreography, elaborate leaps and twirls that somehow rival both a professional ballerina’s and Beyoncé.
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The best part of the routine? The surprise guests… some of the school’s teachers!
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The team’s coach, Stephanie Kersten, had the girls each pick a faculty member to be their partner in the performance. Then, once faculty was selected Kersten sent each of them a video with instructions for the dance. The teachers were such great sports, that they even stayed after school to practice – twice!
The faculty team included the schools new dean of discipline, English and chemistry teachers, and even the principal, who was captain of the step team when she was a student at Lake Mary High School.
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Kersten said that her goal was to demonstrate “unity” between the teachers and students. She told the TODAY show:
“The teachers and staff members doing that really helped drop that line between them and their students. Those adults really, really want to connect with those kids in any way possible, even if it means going out there and making themselves vulnerable, dancing even if they can’t. The student body went crazy for it!”
It’s no shock that the video has gone viral. In less than a week, it has been viewed more than 100,000 times, and is flooded with likes and comments.
Kersten hopes that the video is not only entertaining (mission accomplished!) but that it shows people just how dedicated these teachers are to their students. Public education can often come under fire, but Kersten believes that “the connection between kids and schools is a healthy one, and we want to promote that.”
Watch the amazing, and entertaining, video below – and don’t forget to share (and, maybe thank a public school teacher while you’re at it).
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