.The Expressions’ season was landmarked by many achievements, placing first runner up at the Muscatine River City Showcase, Grand champions in Chesterton, Indiana at the Chesterton Trojan Choral Classic and second runner up at Show Choir Nationals in Tennessee. Overall, accomplishing many of the goals they had set for themselves this past year, and consistently placing within the top four at all of their competitions.

The Expressions attended two new competitions this year. According to senior Expressions member Jessica Brooks the year was a success regardless of the new competitions.

“This was a very good year as far as discovering who we are as a group,” Brooks said. “We went to a lot of new competitions and came out right where we wanted to in every competition.”

Practices for The Expressions were frequent and rehearsal times constantly changed. For The Expressions, competition season, practices are three times a week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

“It’s a lot, but we don’t care. All of us are just focused on getting better and being the best that we can be in order to be successful and have fun competing,” Junior Joshua Levinson said.

At the beginning of every year, The Expressions have the theme picked out at the beginning of their season. This gives the members the rest of the year to dedicate to learning the choreography  and working on their vocals.

Director of The Expressions, Deborah Utley, and The Expressions choreographer Randy Sage work together to put together competition and Big Show routines throughout the course of the year.

“Ms. Utley and our choreographer Randy pick that [the theme] the year prior,” Brooks said. “They come up with the competition shows together the year before, so they figure everything everything out at the end of the previous school year and through the summer. They are working all year long on everything.”

The Expressions had their final performance, Big Show, on May 7, 8 and 9. The theme was based off of different performances choreographed in the past 40 years.

“Our biggest accomplishment this year was our Big Show.  This year was the 40th Anniversary of the Expressions, so this was a very complicated show,” Utley said. “We only have 4 weeks to put it together and this year the kids were brilliant.”

According to Levinson, all of this may sound like a lot of work, but for the members of The Expressions when it comes down to it; it’s worth it. The members attitudes help the practices go more smoothly, which allow them to get their routines down.

“Performing is such an amazing thing,” Levinson said. “To make an audience feel an emotion, whether it’s happy, sad or excited, that’s what performing is about.”