South Philly Review

The Dallas Cowboys will be playing on Thanksgiving, but no one sitting at a local television will be watching. Instead, eyes will be glued to 6ABC and its annual Thanksgiving Day Parade as eight of the area's most talented young ladies will be tapping their feet among the ranks of the "Fantapulous" in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

"We got involved with the parade nine years ago," Donna Zin, Pennsport Dance Studio's co-owner, said. "Info was sent to the studio and we checked it out and it's pretty cool."

Almost a decade later, the school at 1632 S. Second St. is still selecting skilled young tappers to learn the pre-choreographed routine so they can grab a spot amongst the thousands of other dancers during the opening and closing number of the parade.

"This is my ninth year," Kristie Norkus, 19, said. "I like participating because it's a good experience. We're dancing with all different types of tap dancers from out of state.

"It's really fun, you get to work with girls that you don't know."

Norkus, of Sixth and Shunk streets, will be accompanied by Devon Dougherty, Front and Ritner streets; Allison and Lacey Power, Second and Jackson streets; Anna Betteridge, Front and McKean streets; Gina Simeone, Second and Oregon Avenue; and Cristina Hernandez, Moyamensing and Snyder avenues for the Ben Franklin Parkway parade, which has a new route this year.

Though some are vets with nine years under their belts, it's the first go-round for a few. However, nerves don't seem to be in the mix.

"I'm really excited for the new experience and to meet different people," Betteridge, 15, said. "[My goal] is actually to get on TV. I'm gonna cheese it up and hope."

Be it new hat or old tricks, the eight ladies will be up bright and early come Nov. 26 to get their moves in line at 5:30 a.m. -- the meeting time for all "Fantapulous" performers.

Though the call-time may not be the worst of it.

"We've been out there in typhoon-like weather," Zin, 45, said of practice days of yore. "The New Year's Parade, they now postpone that. But the Thanksgiving Day Parade, my kids have been out there in downpours where they were trying to tap dance and were breathing water up their noses at the same time."

Come hell or high water, one thing the wee morning hours or the risk of inclement weather cannot dampen is the girls' spirit.

"It was fun because we got to go with everybody and see people from different dancing schools and see how different people dance," 14-year-old Lacey Power, in her second parade, said.

The three-song montage hits a high note with older sister Allison, 19, who said, "I'm just excited it's 'High School Musical,' actually."

Despite apprehension by the youngest of the bunch, it's obvious all will have each other's back when the time comes.

"I'm nervous about being on TV because I don't like a lot of people looking at me," Simeone, 11, said. "I've performed, but not in front of that big of a crowd."

Whether it's breaking out of comfort zones or relishing the spotlight, the morning festivities are a great way for the school to give and get a little.

"It's something for them to look forward to and we try and get them involved in a bunch of stuff outside the studio," Zin said.