On Saturday, January 13, the Rock Bridge gym vibrated with Spartan battle cries, Battalion participated in the Rock Bridge Show Choir Festival. Performances were filled with empowering solos and astounding synchronized dances left the gymnasium in an uproar of applause. Battalion members were quick on their feet when changing the set between songs. Each voice showed its own level of passion for each song and the story it would tell.

Aside from the performance itself, there was something intriguing about the wardrobe. The shimmering outfits of each member drew the attention of the audience further into the potential meaning of the performance. The first outfits were deep purple and grey sparkle coated dresses and suits.The dresses showed a deep meaning, it was almost as if to illustrate a sadness where a person is looking for some sort of hope. This outfit was a representation of the calm before the storm. The singers spoke of trying their best and doing everything in their power even though they may not feel capable. After a few songs they changed into bright green, blue, black, and grey outfits this was also covered in sparkles. The colors represented the eye of a storm, a few dancers pranced along the stage with banners with a picture of an actual eye of a storm. The songs they sang in these outfits encouraged finding a way out of this storm. The storm maybe brutal and strong but there is always a probable hope at the other end.

Freshman Natalie McNeely discussed with me how she found hope in Show Choir and why exactly she was so drawn to it. She said, “I’ve always loved the show Glee, and it centers its whole show around a group of kids that join Show Choir. Though the show is not quite accurate in protesting the content we go over in show choir, I would argue that Battle’s Show Choir “Battaliona�� is tremendous and outstandingly more amazing than I could’ve ever imagined. We’re a family and I’m so happy that I’m part of it.”

The Rock Bridge Show Choir Festival was the first from the season. McNeely commented on the performance of the festival as a whole. McNeely said, “The amazing energy coming from all different show choirs from different schools around Missouri was phenomenal.”

Despite the rivalry between the schools she says that the competition is about “competing to be our best selves” not “against others”.

A performance like the one at Rock Bridge takes quite a while to develop. McNeely says, “It takes about 3 weeks to get a song fully memorized with no flaws. [The process is] sometimes shorter or longer depending on the difficulty of the choreography or how many dance breaks are in the set.”

It’s no secret that Battalion spends copious amounts of time together, but this doesn’t diminish the greatness of the group. McNeely said, “Everyday I look forward to going to school because of this class, [it’s] the happiest place on earth.”

McNeely encourages other students to join show choir and is in awe of what the organization has done for her. McNeely said, “It blows my mind everyday how much a class has completely turned my world upside down. It was the best decision I’ve ever made in my life.”

Battalion emphasized a certain charisma at the festival, they weren’t singing just for fun, they wanted to tell a story to the crowd. It felt as if some of those optimistic movements were singing out positivity. The most inspiring part of the performance was the diversity that was showcased. The men and women, the different nationalities, the voices. Everyone in the group was so unique but came together to create the same powerful message. As the viewers watched the performance they may have been able to create a personal relation to the performance, the world around is rough and life won’t ever be fair, but if people focus on creating something wonderful, they won’t find society so difficult, because they do what they love. People who do what they love are commonly satisfied in life.

The final judgement of the performance landed Battalion in the Top Four. In the lead Battalion was granted Fourth Place.

If you are interested in being updated about Battalion and other Vocal Art groups, add them on Twitter @VocalArts@Battle or on the Battle High School Vocal Arts webpage.