The studio in the Incline Village Recreation Center echos with the foot stomps of 16 eighth-grade students from Incline Middle School practicing for Star Follies.
Kelli Maiocco, who is directing the rambunctious bunch restarts the music to “Work It Out” and encourages the group to focus on their performance.
“They’ve got high energy and they’re a great group,” Miaocco said. “But they’re rowdy.”
These 16 eighth-grade students will be some of many community members performing in Star Follies, April 4 and 5.
Star Follies is an annual lip-synching show that has raised $650,000 in the past eight years for the immediate benefit of the Incline schools.
And while it’s a noble cause, many of the students said they volunteered to be involved because it was fun.
“It’s a lot of fun because we are all here with our friends and the dancing is fun,” Abby Paris, 13, said.
The middle school ensemble will be performing three numbers with the rest of the cast and another two numbers on their own including “I Don’t Want To Dance” and “Work It Out” from Disney’s popular “High School Musical.”
“It’s cool because we can go out there and dance and people won’t laugh at us,” Marc Tincup, 13, said.
“They still laugh at us, and that’s OK,” Max Osborne, 13, interrupted. “Performing is really fun because you can get in front of people and show them what you can do.”
Osborne said he has been involved in the performance for the past three years.
His classmate Elizabeth Rumball, 13, said she’s most excited for opening night.
“It’s really fun because you’re all excited and your adrenaline is rushing,” she said.