Copperettes dancing in Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Day

Two Copperas Cove High School Copperettes are ringing in the New Year in Orlando, Florida as they prepare to dance in front of more than a half million spectators at the Citrus Bowl.
CCHS senior Victoria Hanson and junior Takara Stover were selected as All-American dancers during a summer dance camp they attended to learn various dance techniques and routines. Teams and individual dancers are awarded various ribbons and certificates during the camp. One of the honors is to be chosen as an All American dancer and giving them the opportunity to register and participate as a performer at several different events, one of which is the Citrus Bowl.
For Stover, participating in this particular event is honoring her father.
“I am very excited to be dancing at the Citrus Bowl. My dad watches the bowl games each year, so I realize what a big deal bowl games are to sports fans,” Stover said. “Over the years, we have watched the Citrus Bowl at home. Realizing that I would be a part such an important sporting event back at camp in the fall was exciting. Having to wait all these months for the time to come only builds the excitement.”
Stover and Hanson received recorded choreography and began rehearsing at home in November. Once the tour begins on December 28 in Orlando, there are daily preparations and rehearsals. The performers are busy from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. 
On the day before the Citrus Bowl, the dancers participate in a full rehearsal at the stadium and there is also full dress rehearsal at the stadium the morning of the Citrus Bowl. Their schedule is packed with sightseeing and rehearsals. The girls will spend the first full day of the tour at Disney World and the second at Universal Studios. 
But, Stover looks forward to the rehearsal time with the other dancers to help calm her nerves.
“Normally with the Copperettes, we learn the dances as a whole group so we have visual reference points for where the other dancers are,” Stover said. “Practicing your one part in the show alone is very different because you have no one else to spot your marks with. I can’t wait to see how challenging it is to bring everyone together for the first time when we have each only practiced it alone and then have only a few days with the whole cast to polish the show.”
On New Year’s Day at approximately 1:30 p.m., Stover and Hanson join the other performers to put on the 30-minute show in front of an average audience of 45,000 to 55,000 spectators live on ABC.
“This will be the largest audience I have ever danced for. There will be television crews and many types of performers, not just dancers,” Stover said. “Of course, the stands will be packed with people watching us. I am nervous but also looking forward to the challenge of doing something so different and unique.”
The All-American tour company also provides the girls with a New Year’s Eve party and a Halftime Show viewing party at the resort.