News release
Blue Heat, the Saugus High School show choir team, ended its competition season on April 12 with a first-place finish out of seven in the mixed division Tier IV at John Burroughs Music Showcase 2024 in Burbank. The team also won the awards for Best Musicianship and Best Showmanship.
Each year Blue Heat performs a singing and dancing routine to a specific theme, time, and music. The 2024 set was “centered around a star named Lucky who isn’t sure the attention she’s getting is really what she wants.” It was choreographed by Jamie McMahon, who has worked with the team the past two years. The music was arranged by Steven Schmidt to Britney Spears’ hits.
Ivy Motschenbacher, a sophomore enjoying her second year with show choir, played the lead role of Lucky. “The familiar music and choreography were so fun — and portraying Britney herself was a blast,” she said in a news release.
Ava Gonzales, show choir representative and coach, said in the release that the set this year was her favorite in all the four years she’s been involved. “Show choir has become such a large part of my life,” she said. “I am thankful to be part of it.”
While show choir is a class offered at the high school throughout the school year, the competition season takes place annually in the spring.
Freshman Hanna Panman saw growth through the season. “I think we made really good progress, especially in this last competition with our vocals. It feels amazing to go out with a bang after all our hard work this season.”
The group will enjoy one final performance at the May choir concert for friends and family at Saugus High School. Blue Heat, comprised of nearly three dozen students, is directed by Kaitlin Pi, who has overseen the choir program at the high school since 2019.
Parent Abi Bowling has witnessed the effect Pi has had on choir students. “The kids adore her,” she said in the release. Her son, who was in concert and jazz choir, announced before graduation last year that he was pursuing a career in music education due to Pi’s inspiration. Bowling’s freshman daughter is now in show choir.
Auditions for next year’s team will take place next month. More information about Saugus show choir can be found on its website: sauguschoirs.com/choirs/show-choir.
