Local and Beyond Dancers Prepare for Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Performance

7 of Our Fave Dance Moments from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Dancers have mixed feelings about performing at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Starts at 6 am on the Thanksgiving Day

WESTBROOK, Maine — When you think of Thanksgiving, you probably think of turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. And in plenty of households on Thanksgiving morning, while the turkey is roasting, the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is on the television.

One group of dancers from Maine won’t be watching like the rest of us because they’ll be right smack in the middle of Herald Square that morning. They’re learning the routine and are ready to strut their stuff.

“Crazy. I was so surprised when I was invited, I was like, really? Me? It was just so crazy. I still can’t believe it,” Jada Poisson said.

Poisson is a senior at Massabesic High School and a dancer. In about 10 days, she and 19 other dancers from Drouin Dance Center in Westbrook will be part of the 95th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

How does that feel?

“Nerve-wracking, very nerve-wracking,” she said with a laugh. “But at least I’ll have other people here that will like to feel the same way.”

The road to the big parade started with a lot of hard work and practice in one of the studios at Drouin’s. Danielle Drouin is the owner and director of the dance studio. At the end of this week, she’ll travel with her dancers to New York City as they prepare to be part of this enormous event. They hit the Big Apple the week before the parade.

2022 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: Preparing for the big day

The work begins as soon as they touch down.

“They rehearse the minute we get to NYC, all the way through Thursday!” she said.

The first invitation for Drouin’s Dance Center to participate in the big event came 10 years ago, and this will be the studio’s fourth appearance. Dancers were supposed to take part in last year’s parade, but COVID-19 restrictions kept most performing groups home. This year’s invitation just barely came in, and Drouin’s dance troupe has been preparing ever since.

Another group with 19 dancers from the Armstrong School of Dance is also preparing for the parade. Ithaca, NY natives aren’t aware yet when exactly they will be performing, but local dance groups are normally slotted towards the end of the parade. The actual order of the parade isn’t relayed to groups until the morning of the event.

“It’s just a great bonding experience for them,” said Karen Armstrong Gorsky, who runs the Armstrong School of Dance. “All the dancers are from six different school districts. It pulls them together at our studio, but then they go down to New York City, which some of them have not been to too frequently, and it puts them with dancers from all over the country. […] It really opens their eyes to life.”

“I’m really excited,” said Kassidy Payne, a senior at Newfield High School. Payne went and performed three years ago during Armstrong’s last trip. “I’m a little overwhelmed at the moment, just hoping I remember everything for our six-day trip down there.”

Kiya Conners, an Ithaca High School senior, echoed that sentiment—though her anticipation may even be higher than Payne’s as this is her first time performing in the parade.

“I’m definitely excited, but a little nervous because there’s been such a large build-up, but I’m excited to be in the city, performing and meeting everybody,” Conners said. “I’m just going in and I have faith in myself. We’re going to be fine.”

The school has been sending dancers to perform in the parade since 2008 when only three dancers went. Fourteen years later, the number has grown to nearly 20.

The group also expressed their gratitude to donors who have supported the team’s fundraising efforts to be able to afford the trip. Gorsky said the team only goes every three years in part because of the expense (the trip is six days to include rehearsals, other shows, etc.), and can do it because of the community’s engagement and support.

“I would just like to thank everyone who supported us over the last three years of fundraising and making sure we are prepared to go down there, and also to Karen for giving us the opportunity to get to go and the space to practice,” Payne said. “The first day down there is a six-hour rehearsal, so I think as soon as we walk into that grand ballroom with six other dancers, I think it’s going to be crazy.”

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