When the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade kicks off Thursday, people can expect to see more than 30 lavish floats and nearly two dozen gigantic balloons traversing the streets of New York City.
Among the celebrity sightings and larger-than-life balloons of Spider-Man and SpongeBob SquarePants, Central Texas viewers may also recognize some local stars on their screens. The five student leaders of Austin ISD’s Bowie High School Silver Stars will be dancing with people from across the country as part of the Spirit of America Dance Stars performance.
Maya, 17, is a junior lieutenant for the Silver Stars who has been dancing with the team for two years.
“I know it’s going to be cold, but I’m still super excited for it,” she said.
McKenna, also 17, is captain of the team. She said performing in the parade is an opportunity to make lifelong memories.
Members of @AustinISD's Bowie High School Silver Stars are among the local teenagers who will be performing in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. 📷: @beckyfogel pic.twitter.com/xFjRSLfwDL
— KUT Austin (@KUT) November 25, 2024
“Being able to say I performed in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is going to be something I’m going to say for the rest of my life, "she said. "I’m just really excited to be able to get to go and be able to go with these awesome people."
Sixteen-year-old Emily, who is a junior lieutenant for the Silver Stars, said she and her teammates have spent months practicing for their performance and she’s looking forward to dancing with people from across the country. All the dancers will be performing to a medley of songs from Charli XCX’s Brat album.
While practicing to the furiously fast electronic music at Bowie High, the five Silver Star officers hit the intricate moves with big smiles on their faces.
Silver Stars Director Leanne Bilnoski, who herself is an Austin ISD graduate, said seeing her students get the chance to participate in this iconic parade has been a great experience. She is excited they’ve gotten to learn new choreography and will have the chance to meet new people.
They also plan to make the most of their time in New York City.
“They’re going to see a Rockettes show, see [a] Broadway show and do some touring of historic areas of New York," Bilnoski said. "We’re just excited we’re able to provide this opportunity for them and they’ve worked really hard."
Bilnoski said the Silver Stars participate in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade every other year. This is her third time taking a group of students to New York.
“It’s very humbling to know that I get to work with these students every single day and get to see their growth over the years,” she said.
Silver Stars officer Nya, 17, said dance and getting to practice at school is a big motivator for her.
“I think that dancing here really teaches me how to be a good person, in general," she said. "I love the legacy that we have, and I really like the traditions that we had."
Seventeen-year-old Amorie, a first lieutenant on the team, has been dancing most of her life. Like Nya, she said being part of the Silver Stars is a big reason she enjoys going to school. She said she's grateful for the team and its camaraderie.
“Continuing this relationship with everyone is super important, and I’m thankful that dance brought that to me,” she said.
Bilnoski said the students will have their families with them for the trip to New York and she is excited she'll be there, too, cheering them on.
“This is a really cool experience as a director to see our students succeed and get to show off and showcase what they love doing and what we love doing as well,” she said.
Students from other Central Texas high schools are also participating in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, including members of the Lockhart ISD Lionettes and the Cedar Park High School dance team, The Celebrities.
The parade will be broadcast from 8:30 a.m. to noon on NBC and Peacock. There will also be a simulcast on Telemundo with coverage of the parade in Spanish. NBCUniversal will show the parade on its Secondary Audio Program channel with live audio description for people who are blind or visually impaired. Tens of millions of viewers tune into the event each year, according to Macy's.
