US dance troupe The Emerald Belles have been established for nearly 30 years, billing themselves as a “super-sized dance team from Southlake, Texas with a long-standing tradition of excellence”. They’ve won numerous awards and entered many competitions, notably the 2017 Crowd Pleasers Dance Area Competition, which they won with an incredibly creative and at times illusory routine called ‘High Kick’. As indicated by its name, the routine focused on the technical ‘high kick’ movement.
Performing to the Eurythmics’ ‘Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)’, the dance troupe’s 80 members begin by freestyling their own individual movements. This makes it all the more effective when their movements suddenly synchronize, with the girls gathering in the centre of the floor to perform their mesmeric high kicks. As the routine continues, the team splits off into groups, creating optical illusions with their movements and at times making it seem as though the floor itself is moving.
From the near-constant screams erupting from the crowd as the young women perform, you can tell that the routine delivered by the Emerald Belles is a crowd favourite from the beginning. Hence, it comes as no surprise that their routine won them the competition. Indeed, this hypnotic performance only served to add to their already incredible legacy. These girls are famous all over America, having performed on cruise ships, at Walt Disney World, and on Kelly Clarkson’s television show.
They have even performed on America’s Got Talent, entering season 14 of the show with a similar high-kick-inspired routine. The dance group – all of whom were aged 14 to 18 at the time – may have been eliminated in the quarter finals, but their audition did give us another chance to witness their mesmerizing kicks and ability to create optical illusions purely through the medium of dance. “You were cohesive and collectively beautiful,” said judge Julianne Hough, clearly enamoured with the group.
Although the Emerald Belles make a bold claim when they say they have a “long-standing tradition of excellence”, they certainly can’t be accused of over-exaggerating. Considering the sheer number of girls in this group, developing and performing routines that are so tightly synchronized and professionally performed will not have been easy, but their precision, strength, dedication, and most of all talent, ensures that they pull it off every time.
For addictive dance routines especially the mesmerizing high kicks, follow the Emerald Belles on Facebook. You can also get to shake a leg with these incredible dancers on their Instagram page. Check out more about their journey and latest performances on their website. Don’t miss out on any action from this super-sized dance team from Southlake, Texas.