Powerhouse show choir goes back to TV
John Burroughs High School’s Powerhouse show choir returns to television this week performing on “Dancing With the Stars The Results Show” from 9 to 10 p.m. tonight on ABC-TV Channel 7.
This week’s show is themed Rock Week, and the Powerhouse choir is sharing the spotlight with musicians and vocalists from the School of Rock, a performance school with locations throughout the country. The segment will be a medley of rock songs showcasing both the groups and 12 professionals dancers, said Brendan Jennings, vocal music director at Burroughs.
“This is a giant collaboration between the School of Rock, professional choreographer Travis Wall, who did our choreography, 12 professional dancers and the Powerhouse show choir,” Jennings said. “The number is awesome. The kids look and sound great.”
Wall came to Burroughs to teach the students the choreography last week before the they went to CBS Television City Friday for a rehearsal with the professional dancers and Wall, Jennings said.
The choir returned to CBS on Sunday and rehearsed with the School of Rock performers and professional dancers. All three groups will perform Tuesday for the taping of the live show later that night.
“We’re just honored to be considered so highly by people in the industry and people who’ve seen our work and respect what we’ve been doing as a show choir,” Jennings said. “And the experience has been really educational for the kids, I think. The opportunity to do a collaboration with a professional choreographer, and to see how professionals rehearse, has been really cool for the kids, myself and my creative team of Jen Oundjian and Dan Scoville.”
Powerhouse was selected after Dancing with the Stars producers saw footage of the group on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and YouTube, Jennings said. Producers contacted Jennings through the choir’s website. Alumni worked on redesigning the site in April and it has paid off in getting some high profile gigs for the group, Jennings said.
They were invited to perform for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art for the Gala Opening of the Resnick Pavilion in “The Unmasking.” They also joined the Season 2 Glee Cast Premiere Party at Paramount Studios and the first PFLAG L.A. (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays Los Angeles) event at the London Hotel in West Hollywood.