Prior to Cal High’s annual lip sync competition, the excitement was building for junior Elise Matek.
As one of the key performers for the junior class, Matek put in countless hours to perfect the juniors’ routine.
“Lip sync is always such a fun event, but the best part is when everything finally comes together,” Matek said. “All the hard work pays off when we get on stage.”
This year, the juniors chose holidays as their theme, and Matek was excited to show off her routine on March 7.
“We wanted something that would get the crowd excited and keep the holiday spirit alive,” Matek said.
The juniors tried their hardest to bring their best performance after finishing in second place last year as sophomores.
“Last year was amazing, but this year, we want to take it to the next level,” Matek said.
The process of preparing for lip sync began months in advance, with leadership organizing meetings to get students involved and excited.
“I love being a part of the planning process,” Matek said. “It’s exciting to bring together everyone’s ideas and create something unique.”
Matek, who is active in leadership, signed up immediately to help choreograph and organize the junior class’s routine. She was responsible for choreographing portions of the performance and helping her classmates feel confident with the moves.
“Elise acts as the leader for the junior class, and I know that without her help they wouldn’t function properly,” senior Zack Kuruvilla said.
Junior Vishesh Varma also worked hard behind the scenes to make sure the performance went smoothly.
“We [had] been meeting frequently to go over everything, from choreography to costumes, and it [was] great seeing how dedicated everyone [was],” Varma said. “Elise [was] amazing with the choreography, and her energy really [motivated] the whole group.”
Matek focused on leading the choreography and performance, and Varma coordinated the logistical aspects of the routine.
“We all [had] our roles, and it [was] important to make sure we [were] all in sync,” Varma said.
The weeks leading up to the competition were filled with rehearsals, and Matek spent a lot of time perfecting the performance.
“It’s always a team effort,” Matek said. “Everyone [brought] something different to the table, and it [was] great to see it all come together.”
Varma, who had been involved in every step of the process, felt that the energy this year was different.
“The holiday theme brought out a lot of creativity, and everyone [was] really into it,” Varma said.
Varma points out that despite the excitement after it all , there was a lot of pressure leading up to the performance.
“It’s a lot of work, and the pressure builds as the competition day gets closer. But it’s worth it when you finally step on stage,” Varma said.
Matek and her classmates had to figure out costume changes, which can be a stressful part of the performance.
“Costume changes are always tricky, but we [had] been practicing those too,” Matek said. “It’s all about staying organized and making sure everyone knows when to switch.”
For Varma, it was the team effort that stood out the most.
“The best part of lip sync is how everyone works together toward the same goal,” Varma said.
On competition day, Matek was ready to take the stage.
“I [was] really excited to finally show everyone what we [had] been practicing,” Matek said.
Varma agreed.
“No matter what happens, Lip Sync is always a fun experience,” Varma said. “It’s a chance to make memories with your grade, and that’s what really matters.”
The juniors came back this year with a strong performance, but fell short to the seniors.
“Our dance performance ran smoothly, and everybody did their best to not mess up the routine. This is credit to Elise’s leadership skills,” junior Shy Tahir said.
Matek thinks they are ready to finally win next year.
“The lip sync was a success, and represents all of the hard work that each and every person put in,” senior Clara Casserly said. “Elise was especially important in the junior performance, and helped whenever and wherever was needed.”
