LANCASTER, Pa. — A group of dancers from Lancaster will perform in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday. The kids and teens will join Riverdance, a world-famous Irish dance troupe, during their “Riverdance” number.
In late October Esther Pujol, owner of Doherty Petri (DP) School of Irish Dance in Lancaster, said she was notified that Riverdance was holding a casting call for performers for the parade. After the audition process, six dancers from the DP School of Irish Dance were selected: Isaiah Pujol, age 17, Liam Snodgress, age 16, Ezekiel Pujol, age 15, Abigail Ernst, age 14, Sarah Smith, age 14 and Jase Lawrence, age 11.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," expressed Isaiah.
The excitement surrounding the performance is palpable, especially given that this will be the first time Riverdance will participate in the parade.
Dancers had less than a month to prepare and learn the choreography, which Ernst said was a rigorous process. The dancers learned the routine from videos rather than an instructor, which Ernst said can be more difficult. That’s why the dancers practiced together and got feedback from one another so they felt confident going into rehearsals.
"I’m so happy I get to go with my friends because it takes a lot of the pressure off," Smith stated.
On Tuesday, the dancers traveled to New York City for rehearsals ahead of their Thanksgiving performance. There they met with the rest of the dancers and Riverdance cast that will perform in the parade to practice as a whole group.
Some dancers faced additional challenges throughout this process. For Lawrence, it was a broken foot that he sustained during a dance practice for his studio’s competitive team.
“It’s like a little war going on in my head. I’m like, well I don't want to injure it further but I don’t want to miss out and I really want to get this opportunity, Lawrence said.
The decision wasn’t easy but in the end, with support from his dance family, Lawrence decided that the show must go on and he would do everything he could to dance in the parade.
“It’s good to experience this with the Riverdance cast and crew but it’s also good to experience this with people I’m much closer with,” he added.
The dancers have cultivated a strong familial bond through their shared passion for Irish dance, which Isaiah emphasizes is a close-knit community.
“Irish dancing is a community and our school is like a family. Being able to go to all these special things and do these amazing things with the same people I’ve grown up with and worked alongside is just fantastic,” he said.
The spirit of the holiday season is alive in the hearts of these young performers, as they prepare to share their culture with a wider audience.
“Christmas and Thanksgiving are just an opportunity to share cultures and opportunities that people have. I think it’s an amazing experience to show people Irish dance,” Ezekiel shared, highlighting the significance of their participation in this year’s parade.
You can catch the dancers’ performance on Nov. 28 from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will be available on NBC and Peacock.