We always thought that being a cheerleader in high school was the pinnacle of cool. Yet, at the Mercer Island High School in Washington, it’s the drill team that really steals the show.
Not only are the members all extremely talented, but they are also very competitive.
Every year, the team travels around to various state-wide competitions to showcase their skills. However, their most important job is getting the students at home pumped up for the football season. The video of them performing at their 2010 Homecoming Assembly is something that you have to see for yourself. It’s a pep rally unlike any that we have ever seen.
One by one, the group of 23 girls walked out into the middle of the basketball court in a single file line and began forming into rows. The stands were filled with hundreds of excited students cheering them on in anticipation of the performance.
All of a sudden, the music started and that’s when the real fun began.
All of their hands shot up into the air in perfect unison.
They immediately started moving around and changing up the formation.
Soon, they were even doing splits.
Our favorite part though is when all of the team dropped to the floor and began spinning around.
It looked like something you would see at a synchronized swimming event in a pool. However, the MIDT did it completely on the hardwood basketball court, a super impressive feat. Not to mention, the entire performance was choreographed perfectly. We can only imagine how much practice it must have taken to get the whole squad in sync like that.
“MIDT is an athletic, committed group of talented students who enjoy top-level dance performances, state-wide competition and team-focused activities and friendships,” the tryout packet reads.
Athletic and committed is an understatement.
For starters, practice for the MIDT isn’t exactly casual. Several days a week, the team gathers an hour or two before normal class starts to work on their routines. That means waking up bright and early constantly, something no high school student likes doing.
In addition, while most drill teams focus on simple moves, MIDT’s choreography is very complex.
They use an eclectic mix of modern dance styles, coupled with a variety of music types.
For example, in their Homecoming Assembly performance, they started off dancing to “POWER” by Kanye West. It’s a track with a classic hip hop feel to it. Then mid-performance, the music switched to “Sexy and I Know It” by LMFAO. It is an upbeat electronic dance favorite.
Lastly, “Hey Baby” by Pitbull came on over the speakers. It’s a mix of pop, reggaeton, and hip hop. We’re only naming a few of the songs they used in the performance too. About every 30 seconds, the songs switched, and the audience was surprised with a whole new set of dance moves.
Of course, the students in the crowd were really psyched about it. No one could take their eyes off of the team. Ultimately, though, the performance had to come to an end. The students erupted in applause as the girls danced their way off to the corner of the gym.
However, it’s definitely not the last we’ll be seeing of the Mercer Island High School Drill Team. Their videos on YouTube all get millions of views, and we have to say, there is a good reason for that. They are always coming up with fun new routines, each one cooler than the last.
Watch the full video of the MIHS Drill Team homecoming performance below.
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Source: Mercer Island Drill Team
