Incorporating the "wap, waps" with perfect timing was on the top of choral director Jennifer Jacobson's list as she tried to perfect Lake Braddock's song and dance routine for the students’ upcoming performance in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
On the evening of their final rehearsal before taking off for New York next week, Jacobson stood in front of all 106 ninth- through 12th-graders who will take part in the performance. They have a choreographed routine to accompany the "America Sings" routine.
"Wap, wap, and a lot of people miss that. It's left, right on the wap, wap," Jacobson said, raising her arms up on cue.
"Try to remember to sing while you're doing the dance with as much enthusiasm as you can muster."
The students were cooperative, but most had the thrill of a trip to New York City, Broadway shows and performing with 800 other students on their minds. Fairfax Station students Katie Francis and Alicia Jones hoped to wander somewhere near Times Square and get on "TRL," a show on MTV with Carson Daly, where people form an audience right outside his studio.
"We want to go on Times Square and hold up signs," they said.
Both were excited about the opportunity to be part of the parade.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing," Alicia said.
Sara Mazzei wanted to do a perfect routine, but it has its drawbacks.
"I'm nervous about being picked for the front row, messing up on national TV," she said.
Jared Goldhammer, 15, is missing lacrosse conditioning but feels it will be worth it if he's near the Spider Man float, assuming there will be such a float.
"Spider Man's my favorite. If not, I'll build my own float," he said.
THE GROUP WILL pack into the buses Monday, Nov. 25, at 5 a.m., and spend a few days in New York City, attending a few Broadway shows and practicing before the main event. The students are scheduled to see "Forbidden Broadway" and "Blue Man Group" on Broadway. On Thursday morning, Nov. 28, they will gather on the parade route. Some will be featured on the "Today Show" with Katie Couric and Matt Lauer during the opening and closing of the parade.
Jacobson has been on various trips with students through the years.
"Every musical group here takes a little trip, but we've never been in the Macy's Parade," she said.
The three songs they will be performing are "America Sings," "Street Party" and "Mame."
The trip is being funded by the Lake Braddock vocal music boosters, the students’ fund-raising efforts and parental support. They've known about this opportunity since last year, so they had all summer to sell "Bruin Bargain Cards" and conduct other fund-raising ventures. Katie Francis had to employ a few parent tactics to coax her mother and father. She would drop hints during Macy's commercials on television, and she played it up as a bona fide school activity. They finally gave in.
"Part of it was I had to get all A’s and B’s," which she almost did, she said.
ALICIA JONES raised more than half of the $575 each student needed for the trip.
"I raised over half of it," she said.
All told, the school raised more than $100,000 for the trip. There are five different choirs at Lake Braddock, three women's, one men’s and one mixed.
"Any of the kids can go," Jacobson said.
The students will be missing 2 1/2 days of school, and each student was required to make it up with his individual teacher. Shayna Daghigh didn't want to forget that last step, so she wrote it on her hand: "Ask all teachers about next week."
There will be 30 parental chaperons, and some entire families are going along, while others will be planted in front of the television that morning. Brian Case, 15, had one request for his family back home.
"Luckily, I've been told someone will tape the Redskins game for me," he said.
Leslie Prince is going along as a chaperon while her daughter Sara sings in the group. They have relatives nearby for their Thanksgiving meal afterward. Abbie, 9, is going along also and missing a few days at Cherry Run Elementary.
"We're pulling her, she's going. We just wrote a note," Prince said.
"America Sings" is a group that performs spirited events in major cities around the country, accompanied by a community service task. For the community service part, the Lake Braddock chorus will be accepting canned food donations as well as toiletry items for three organizations in New York: City Harvest, Covenant House and the Coalition for the Homeless. The donated items will be packed along with everything else in storage areas on the bus. Students will work with the donation efforts in New York Wednesday before Thanksgiving.