By J1 Reporter Hannah Taylor 

Show choir season runs from early January through early April, and each season a plethora of traditions springback to life. A wide range of unique and community fostering Instagram accounts, competition traditions and mascots become active during the short but action-packed season of show choir.

Collage of photos of Marian show choir’s dance breaks of the 2025 show (photos by Abby McGuire ‘25 and Mrs. Kalkowski) and Wiggalo at a show choir competition (photo from @officialwiggalo)

These traditions often go unseen by those who do not participate in show choir, but have a positive impact on the bond the show choir community has with each other. Instagram accounts such as “showchoircrush”, “showchoirconfessions”, and “showchoiralmostfriday” have attracted thousands of followers and hundreds of submissions during the brief 3-month season.

Another popular genre of show choir Instagram accounts is that of mascot accounts. These accounts represent certain show choirs, and travel with the team to each competition, “Wiggalo typically goes to all comps. I also sometimes take him to places like… on vacation… just for some fun extra pictures in the off season,” the owner of Wiggalo, the small bear mascot for WIG- Millard West’s Varsity Show Choir- said about Wiggalo’s participation in the showchoir’s season. “Wiggalo first came into existence… when I put a wig pin on him at a competition and gave him the name based on an old wig cheer” said Wiggalo’s owner, Kali, who is a 2022 graduate of Millard West.

Many show choirs have created a mascot in recent years, such as South Dakota’s Fein De Coup’s “Corny Bunch”, ATSC’s “Benard”, and Marian’s own “Mandy” (although Mandy is more affiliated with Marian’s theater rather than show choir). Many of these mascots serve to create a fun atmosphere around the often 10-hour long competition days, and encourage a way to connect with other show choirs, as almost a “photo-op” opportunity. “Wiggalo… connects a lot of different groups at competitions and schools and people you might not have talked to otherwise,” Kali said. 

Another integral part of show choir’s culture is the traditions surrounding the show itself. Sparkle fingers, clapping to the beat during bows, and shaking the theater with cheers are all the standard for the 15 minute shows that are filled with more than just singing and dancing, but also energy and emotion. One of the most well known parts of show choir etiquette is the cheering during dance breaks. Dance breaks happen every number, except the ballad, and includes energetic dancing accompanied by exciting band arrangements performed by the show band. The crowd is invited and expected to clap and cheer during every dance break, as to fuel the group and push through the often difficult and strenuous show.

 “Sometimes it’s just completely unexpected and really seeing those groups that have 90 people just go all out… it’s a really fun thing to see” senior Nika Kouassi said in relation to the tradition, which has been an important aspect of show choir since its inception. “Competition traditions… promotes cheering on everybody [and] they all come out of kindness” Kouassi said about the impact these cheers make to a show. From small, early morning groups to large, show stopping varsity finals, cheering during the dance breaks and expressing accolades for exciting parts of a show foster an atmosphere of love and support. “I always like when people come up to you after.. your show and just give you compliments just because… especially strangers… it just validates [me] knowing that other people believe in us” Kouassi said, expressing not only the importance of dance break cheering, but also the little pieces of encouragement that permeate each and every competition from the lunchroom to the hallways. 

These traditions and many more, as well as the supportive intention behind each and every one, fosters a unique, inclusive, and inviting community for all who participate and are involved in the show choir community.