BOERNE HIGH DANCE TEAMS TO MARCH IN MACY'S

STAFF REPORTS
Today, 06:00 AM

Annual parade in Manhattan draws millions of viewers

The Boerne High School Starlettes and Silver Stars dance teams are bound for the Big Apple to march in the 99th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Rachel Neiman, director of both dance troupes, and her 20 team members left Boerne Saturday headed for New York City, where they will meet up with Spirit of America Productions and begin rehearsing for their Thanksgiving morning trek through Manhattan.

Each year, the Starlettes and Silver Stars attend competitions around the state.

Neiman said Spirit of America Productions works with some of these competition companies to audition dance teams to take part in big events such as the popular Macy’s parade.

In New York City, getting ready to perform during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade are members of the Boerne High School Starlettes, front from left: Lieutenant Grace Eichman, Colonel Lyla Garcia, Lieutenant Colonel Kylie Clark, and First Lieutenant Brylee Yancey; middle row Emily Hernandez, left, Tatum Massey, Emily Porter and Abigail Zuniga; and back row, Jillian Wall, Sydney Robbins, Cameron Birkholz and Kennedi Rickman. Courtesy photos

Members of the Boerne High School Silver Stars dance troupe, getting ready to perform in Thursday’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, are, front from left, Ayaka Warren, Rylee Kitchen, Marissa Martinez and Quetzali Alejandro; and back row, Lainey Cox, left, Catheryn Chin, Saylor Hamilton, Jesenia Grummet and Sophia Head.

“This year, our team was lucky enough to receive an invitation to perform,” she said.

Spirit of America has planned a full rehearsal schedule.

The Boerne dancers will be working alongside performers from across the country to polish their routine for Thursday’s outing.

“The girls will also have opportunities to sightsee, attend a Broadway performance and see the Rockettes,” Nieman said.

She added, “This has been months of hard work and commitment from these student athletes. I’m so proud of them and can’t wait to see them represent Boerne on the national stage.”

The parade, which begins at 8:30 a.m. and airs on NBC, kicks off on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and makes its way to Macy’s flagship store at Herald Square.

This year, the parade features 32 balloons, three balloonicles (a cold-air inflatable towed along the route by a vehicle), 27 floats, four specialty units, 33 clown groups, 11 marching bands, performance groups and musical stars.

The 2024 parade registered 31.3 million viewers across NBC and its streaming platform, Peacock, a 10% increase over the previous year.

“This has been months of hard work and commitment from these student-athletes.”