'It's magic': Holly Springs dance team headed to Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade this year

North Carolina will be well represented at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade airing on NBC on Nov. 25.

The dance team from Holly Springs School of Dance was on that same national television stage three years ago.

"Having done it now six times, we know what the expectation is and we’re ready to go in and perform," said Marilyn Chappell, owner of the the dance studio.

Several of the senior dance team members, including Annabelle Coleman, were high school freshman when they had their first Macy’s parade experience.

It was a big deal then and even a bigger deal now.

"We have 77 girls and we have the biggest group out of the whole country," Coleman said. That group will join up with 700 dancers from across the country.

Coleman remembers the 2018 experience as a chilly one.

"Last time, it was like 9 degrees," she said, "like the coldest parade in history."

In preparation for the trip, the team has been sharpening their routines during frequent afterschool practices.

"We spend many hours rehearsing here at the studio, and when we get to New York, we have about five-hour rehearsals every day," said Jordan Smith, a 17-year-old dance team member.

The fine-tuning of their choreography never ends — because they know most of America may be watching.

"We all sit down and watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade, every single year," said 17-year-old Riley Harris.

"It’s a big event for us and it takes a lot of fundraising and everything, so I’m really appreciative to be able to go twice," she added.

Many people watching from home are the same dancers who made the opportunity possible through tireless fundraising, sponsorships and support from the Holly Springs community.

"One of the nicest things is to think of a child being so celebrated, and that’s what our community does for all of our dancers," Chappell said.

She is looking forward to seeing the faces of the team’s youngest members when they step off the plane and see the New York City skyline.

"It’s magic, absolute magic," said Chappell. "It just gets better every single time that we do it."

After the parade performance, the dancers plan to relax and have fun ice skating at Rockefeller Center. They’re also planning to take a cruise around Manhattan Island and visit a Broadway show.