Bemidji High School Show Choirs: Vocalmotive, La Voce Ballo are grand champions
Bemidji High School's two show choirs ended their seasons with grand champion wins Saturday.
Judges named Vocalmotive and La Voce Ballo as the grand champions of the Totino-Grace High School Show Choir Spectacular competition in Fridley, Minn. Vocalmotive was named grand champion in the Class AA division and La Voce Ballo was named grand champion in the Class A division.
Also at the competition, Vocalmotive won awards for best choreography and best vocals. La Voce Ballo's Jennifer Johnson also was named best female vocalist in the Class A division.
"It was fantastic," said Chris Fettig, Vocalmotive director and arranger.
This season, La Voce Ballo, an all-girl show choir, won all three of its competitions. Besides Totino-Grace, the show choir was named grand champion at the Eau Claire Winterfest in Eau Claire, Wis., and the Waconia Star Power competition in Waconia, Minn.
For Vocalmotive, Fettig said, the Totino-Grace competition probably had the most difficult competition of the season, with a lineup including top show choirs from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois.
"They beat some of the best groups in the Midwest," he said.
Fettig noted that this was the third of four years that Vocalmotive has been named grand champion at Totino-Grace.
Vocalmotive also was grand champion and received best choreography and best vocal awards at Waconia Star Power. The show choir was first runner-up and received the best choreography award at the Eau Claire Winterfest. At a competition at Linn Mar High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Vocalmotive was fourth runner-up.
Additionally, Vocalmotive's Jessica Olson received the best female vocalist award at the Linn Mar, Eau Claire and Waconia competitions.
"It's been an incredible season," Fettig said. "We have a fantastic group of kids."
He said the members of the show choirs have had positive attitudes toward practices, the directors and one another.
"They've been very professional and very positive," Fettig said.
The director of La Voce Ballo is Kevin Chase, who is also the choreographer for La Voce Ballo and assistant director of Vocalmotive. Janet Weaver is the band director for La Voce Ballo and April James is the choreographer for Vocalmotive.