Take Two, a remarkable show choir invitational, is being held at Dallas Center-Grimes on March 2nd. What has been a historical year for the DCG show choir starts with the very people who spend up to five hours a day working on their craft.
One of these performers is Elle Illian, a DCG senior who has been singing and dancing since she could walk and talk. Later, she would find out that what seemed like a fun activity with her family, turned out to be a pursuit throughout high school and possibly into college.
A Callback to the Beginning
Elle’s childhood was full of music and melody from when she was born to now, a senior in high school. Her parents went through college participating in marching band, so when she was born, it was easy to assume musicality was already in her blood. As she grew up a little bit, she could start to remember music touching her. Elle’s grandparents would take her to church on the weekends and listen to them sing beautifully as she stood by looking to follow in their footsteps. She fell in love with singing, in the church pews with her grandparents.
Again, as Elle aged a bit more, she learned more about technique and choir itself watching her brother, Elliot, perform in his school’s top choir. She knew then and there that this was something she was going to do. When middle school came around she knew what to do. She signed up to be a part of DCG’s Middle School Choir. Sort of to put herself out there and try something new and sort of because she had already fallen in love with music and this was a potential arena for her to express that.
Finding Her Forte
With Elle’s supportive family as her biggest cheerleader, she was ready for what a high school choir experience would hold. She loved what a choir brought, but middle school didn’t offer show choir programs. With that being said, she was craving something where she could do two things she loves; sing and dance. That’s where show choir came into the picture. Elle showed up as a freshman not knowing how involved she would become in the next four years.
Originally the plan was to focus on just choir and show choir, but with a little bit of motivational push by Mr. Mohlis, the Vocal Music Teacher at DCG, she expanded her wings into multiple different choir groups.
First, the curricular choirs at DCG. A 45-minute skinny block period that occurs during the school day. Elle worked her way to DCG Singers, the top choir at DCG, by her sophomore year!
Next, she joined show choir where she is on the Momentum show choir, also DCG’s top show choir. They typically practice after school for over three hours to prepare for their performance. Outside of practice performers, like Elle, are expected to spend more time with their music and steps to perfect the performance.
Lastly, she participates in DCG’s Dissonance jazz choir; you can guess, DCG’s top jazz choir. Jazz practice takes place in the morning before choir practice. Performers are expected to learn the music before they even step into practice to prepare them for the numerous competitions ahead of them. It is easy to see how these 3 choirs can add countless hours to her daily schedule along with many other activities she participates in.
Keeping Her Rhythm
With the number of hours she spends every day practicing and perfecting, it is easy to assume some days can become daunting. To stay motivated, Elle leans on what she loves most about music and finds joy in those areas. Sometimes remembering what it feels like right before she gets on stage to perform, helps her build motivation. The adrenaline running through her body and the satisfaction of succeeding help her to stay on track. The feeling of being on stage, surrounded by lights and people and cheering, helps light a fire to continue to be better every day. Elle’s hard work and dedication have done her well with awards like 1st Alternate for the All-State Choir in 2023 and an award from the Iowa High School Musical Theater Award for her role as “Ursula” in Disney’s The Little Mermaid Musical.
Oklahoma!
To decide where her college journey would take her, Elle toured multiple different schools around the Midwest, but one stuck out the most – the University of Tulsa. There she plans to study and major in psychology and either minor or double major in Spanish with the goal of becoming an occupational therapist. At the college level, show choir basically stops, but many colleges, like Tulsa, have phenomenal vocal music programs that she plans to participate in! Within the vocal music program, she plans to participate in choir and jazz choir even if it’s not as competitive as it is in high school. It is still something she loves to be involved in.
The DCG Community’s Instrumental Value
When asked about Elle’s favorite part about the DCG show choir environment, she told us that it is firstly the community at DCG. The way everyone connects with everyone within show choir is inspiring and something that sets DCG apart from other schools in the area. With more than 50 people in Momentum, Elle can confidently say that she truly knows and values every person within the show choir. Most of the students who participate in Fine Arts at DCG participate in more than one group, so they have formed bonds that last longer than just the allotted time they practice. To be the best, it requires collaboration and cooperation that creates a special, supportive environment, and DCG continues to build in the direction of excellence.
The Finale
Elle Illian has been an outstanding star with all things Fine Arts in her four years at DCG. With important events like DCG’s Show Choir Invitational – Take Two coming up on March 2nd, Elle and her fellow performers are ready to show out. On February 24th, DCG’s Momentum placed second in Atlantic, Iowa which is the highest placement in the history of DCG time in 4A.
Get tickets for Take Two Show Choir Invitational here!
About the Author
This article was written by Hannah Renz; a senior at DCG High School. She is a School-to-Work Intern in the Communications Department at DCG.