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Emilia Haus

In a dark auditorium filled with colorful, vibrant lights, Miami Palmetto Senior High students come together to illustrate the joy of holiday cheer and celebration. On Dec.19, MPSH hosted a Holiday Show with performances from the American Sign Language club, art, music and dance departments. Together, each of these departments collaborated to celebrate and bring in the holiday spirit.

Each department dedicated time and effort to perfecting their performances for the big day. For the music department, the band and orchestra had been preparing since the beginning of November. MPSH band teacher Monica Serrano and orchestra teacher Angela Lin immediately chose pieces for the students to perform and distributed sheet music among the students. 

“Typically, for the holiday show, we try to pick holiday classics. This year, we’re going to be performing Sleigh Ride. Every few years, it’ll come back into the rotation, so that students are able to play at least once during their time at Palmetto,” Lin said. “Last year, we did the Nutcracker, and so on and so forth. So we try to pick holiday classics that the students will enjoy, but also that they should play during their lifetime.” 

In preparation for music performances, bands and orchestras typically require time to refine their pieces. Ideally, Lin and Serrano prefer to have two to three months of preparation. The music department only had one month of preparation, however, students still devoted themselves to learning the pieces in time for the show.

“After our fall concert, students received their music right away. So every day during class, we either listen to recordings, or we just rehearse all of the pieces together. So during rehearsals, we go over each of the things that we need to do,” Lin said.

 Lin and Serrano considered what they wanted their students to take from it: the value of collaborating and expectations for the performance.

“Generally, I think the holiday show is a lot more fun, so I want the students to have a lot more fun than they do compared to the other shows that we have. The music is more fun, and this is one of the times we all come together as a department, so it’s not just Band and Orchestra,” Lin said. “We get to do this with dance, sign language and drama. So, I want them to feel the excitement of collaborating with different people.”

The ASL club has taken the past two weeks to practice, in anticipation of an upcoming performance. Together, ASL club members practice during class and focus on coordination, memorization and choreography.

“We always put the songs on and we practice getting in sync and we practice what we’re gonna do choreography-wise. We practice the different types of signs that we have to do…[Signing and dancing at the same time] can be a little challenging at first, but after a while, it gets a lot easier,” senior and ASL club member Melisa Tuñon said.

To prepare for the show, ASL uses a recording of the Drama department singing, and practices with it before the final dress rehearsal. Each participating department dedicates both class time and their personal time to practice and perfect their performances.

“I know we’re going to do really well because of the way we’ve been practicing and everything that’s been happening. I’m pretty sure it’s gonna turn out to be a really good show, and I have faith in everyone else also performing,” Tuñon said.

For MPSH sophomore and Theatre student Sophia Barlow, the holiday show is an event filled with excitement and the chance to showcase what theater is truly about.

“…We’re all very dedicated to what we do. We’re here to have fun, but we’re also here to put on a good show and put on something we’re proud of. Our dedication to what we do allows us to do stuff in days. We put a lot of time into what we do and we have a lot of care for it. The Holiday Show is such a good way to showcase how talented we are and how hard we work…this is our way to outreach to all the students,” Barlow said.

Each performing arts department has committed to its craft in a unique way; the orchestra and band consistently rehearsed their music pieces for the big show, ASL practiced during class time, and the theater and dance departments practiced songs and choreography in class and occasionally additional practices. 

“I like the every Wednesday practice because it’s a ritual kind of thing. You just know you’re gonna show up to practice and you’re gonna get ready to kill it, whether it’s a workout at first––it’s always the hype part of the week. In class, we’ll do that, but it’s more rush-rush, and then on the days that we do have practice, it’s a longer time… Our routine is pretty disciplined –– we’ll walk in and immediately change, so I just like the schedule of everything,” Variations dancer and junior Cynthia Reyes said. 

On the day of the show,  the departments joined together for a final rehearsal before the big event. Together, each performing arts department puts on a show displaying the passion that students carry for their chosen art.