Staying late for rehearsals. Practicing a section of music until perfection. Aiming a light not a second too early.  All aid in a successful show choir performance, but the deciding factor whittles down to the dedication of its members.

On Feb.17th in Waconia, MN, a triumphant result exhibited the entire program’s cohesiveness and hard-work.

Illumination director Allison Hoffmann has seen the bond that has developed between members, having been involved in the show choir program for four years.

“I think that the entire program felt like they were supporting each other and that makes a huge difference,” Hoffmann said.

The wholehearted support of the group is indicated by the success of its varsity treble group, Illumination, who placed 1st in their division and 4th in the finals.

“It’s a really big deal for a treble group to make finals, so for Illumination, we were just so proud and excited for the opportunity to perform again,” Hoffmann said.

Intensity and Infinity, the prep and mixed varsity group respectively, each ranked 1st in their division. The final marked a momentous event for Infinity, as they won the competition and were named grand champions.

“We all stormed the stage and we were going crazy for like a good twenty minutes,” senior Shalom Manyara said. “There were lots of tears of joy and lots of ‘Oh My Goodness’ because our parents were there too, and they were chanting for us so it was just like a big, familial, love and bond.”

Manyara is a part of Infinity and has been in the show choir program since freshman year. The support and friendship that is built over the years contributes to the group’s success.

“They’re a very motivated group,” Hoffmann said. “They definitely work together as a team.”

The assiduous spirit of the entire program speaks for itself in terms of the end result.

“We put our best foot forward and no matter what no no number, no award, can take away from the fact that we just did incredible,” Manyara said.

The community that has been built cannot be replicated, and the lasting connections are having a profound effect on the members of show choir.

“Every single person in that ensemble, with our band and our crew, they all feel like my family and I’m just so thankful for that because I’ve just never felt more love for a group of people,” Manyara said.

Winning the competition was not the driving force for the program, more prominently was the shared passion and sense of community.

“It was a great experience for everyone who’s in the program this year to realize that you know, every week is gonna be someone else’s game,” Hoffmann said. “You might not always win but that feeling of success and just the comradery that happened that day is something that’s going to last for a long time.”