{"id":10879,"date":"2023-03-30T11:56:13","date_gmt":"2023-03-30T15:56:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/?p=10879"},"modified":"2023-03-30T11:56:13","modified_gmt":"2023-03-30T15:56:13","slug":"ready-for-the-big-stage-parkway-elementarys-step-team-wows-the-crowd-at-harlem-globetrotters-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/ready-for-the-big-stage-parkway-elementarys-step-team-wows-the-crowd-at-harlem-globetrotters-show\/","title":{"rendered":"Ready for the big stage, Parkway Elementary\u2019s step team wows the crowd at Harlem Globetrotters show"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Members of Parkway Elementary’s step team and drumline pose for a photo at a Harlem Globetrotters’ game, where they performed during halftime. (photo by Christina Hutchins)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

– by David Schleck<\/p>\n

The Harlem Globetrotters are known for their sharp moves, but so is the step team at Parkway Elementary.<\/p>\n

These steppers shout \u201cFive! Six! Seven! Eight!\u201d and then get moving with the precision of professional athletes. They practice twice a week to perform at holiday parades in Norfolk and Virginia Beach, along with events at their school and at Mount Trashmore.<\/p>\n

Their leader is Marica Mills, the school\u2019s office associate and step team\/drumline sponsor who spent her teenage years as a flag girl with the marching band at Cox High School.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been doing this 17 years,\u201d she says. And she\u2019s seen students go on to excel in high school and in their careers, including at least one doctor.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey started right here at Parkway,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s our motto?\u201d she asks her 19 steppers, who range from first to fifth grade.<\/p>\n

\u201cAcademics before activities,\u201d they answer.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
The steppers during practice at Parkway Elementary.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cAnd what else do we believe,\u201d she asks. \u201cWhat happens when one of us fails?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all fail,\u201d they answer.<\/p>\n

This past winter was an exciting time as the team prepared for their biggest stage yet \u2014 Chartway Arena at the Ted Constant Convocation Center in Norfolk, where Mills sold more than 170 tickets to the March 26 performance of The Harlem Globetrotters.<\/p>\n

At halftime, the step team took the court and performed a four-minute routine they\u2019d been practicing for months.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like to try new things,\u201d one stepper said. \u201cSometimes it\u2019s difficult. But I get to learn new moves, and that\u2019s fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Two of the Globetrotters stopped by before the game to take photos with the step team members, who were amazed at their height. Before halftime, the steppers lined up outside one of the arena\u2019s tunnels for last-minute instructions from Mills.<\/p>\n

\u201cRemember, timing is everything,\u201d she told them. \u201cMake sure your shoes are tied.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>An announcer asked the crowd to welcome the Parkway Elementary School step team, who walked onto the basketball court in single file. They wowed their audience with their synchronized claps, steps and shoutouts. As a finale, some steppers did cartwheels and flips, garnering even more applause.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou did it!\u201d Mills told the team when they were done. When walking back to their seats, audience members thanked them for the performance, and one of the stepper\u2019s younger sisters held a sign that read, \u201cGo Evey!\u201d<\/p>\n

Mills says during practices she\u2019s clear about her expectations of the team. Costumes must be tidy and uniform, displaying the school colors of red and white.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt teaches them not only self-pride but school pride,\u201d Mills said. \u201cI hold them to high standards.\u201d<\/p>\n

The member of the step team are Chloe Baer, Arielle Collins, Francesca Collins, Dasia Copeland, Bailee Crouch, Raymoni Davis, Tene Davis, Bethel Jiru, Chevelle Mims, Lyric Montgomery, Julia O’Roake, Sophia Ortiz-Vanegas, Arionna Price, Evelyn Salas, Kristine Sarmiento, Malaya Sinclair, Camilla Tayoto, Malaysia Underdown and alumni stepper Meklit Jiru.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/a>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

– by David Schleck The Harlem Globetrotters are known for their sharp moves, but so is the step team at Parkway Elementary. These steppers shout \u201cFive! Six! Seven! Eight!\u201d and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":10882,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10879","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10879","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10879"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10879\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10897,"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10879\/revisions\/10897"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10882"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10879"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10879"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10879"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}