As Lebanon Trail High School turns 10, their dance team is getting the whole family in on the celebration.

At one of the last football games of the season, the Emerald Elite took the field with twice their usual numbers, with each dancer performing alongside a family member to a high-kicking halftime routine.

Dance director Whitney Cook said she was bringing back an old favorite.

“Before I came to LT, at my previous school, we have done parent/student performances before and it was always a big hit,” she said. “So I thought, what better way to celebrate our 10th anniversary than having one of our performances be with family!”

Cook and her dance officers decided on the song — “We Are Family” — and choreography, filming a video and posting it a month in advance for families to learn the routine. Students then worked on it with their dance partner, making sure the whole thing was perfect.

Senior Jessie Mirike said she thought Ms. Cook’s idea was “super cute.” And while many students chose a parent for their dance partner, Jessie went another direction — picking her younger brother, Wesley.

“I thought it would be pretty funny to have to teach Wesley a dance,” Jessie said. “Even though he was a little awkward, and I had to call out the next move to him on the field, he did great. I had fun.”

As both a drill team and band member, Jessie’s halftimes are packed — and this one was doubly special because it was both senior night and her last home game.

“I was so touched that Jessie chose to share this performance with her little brother,” said their mom, Jody. “Watching them dance together was both heartwarming and hilarious!”

Cook said the performance “turned out amazing,” and she hopes to do it again.

“I received a lot of positive feedback, because it not only was so fun, students had a lot of bonding time with their families at home practicing the dance,” she said. “Everything went so smoothly, and we had a blast!”

For senior parents like Jody, the routine was the perfect way to cap off their senior’s fall season with Emerald Elite.

“I loved seeing our EE dance family on the field, just enjoying that special time with so many people who make this team amazing,” Jody said. “I've seen a lot of incredible halftimes at LT, but this is one I'll never forget!”

- Rachel McReynolds