By Kaitlyn Richards

Student writer 

The first weekend of December is always extremely special for the Millis community. Terpsichore, the Millis Middle and High School dance organization, graced the stage on Dec. 6-8 at Millis High School, performing its rendition of the classic Nutcracker written by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. 

Terpsichore, directed by MHS chemistry teacher Stephanie Copice, brings its special spin to the performance by using its rendition of the holiday classic through Duke Ellington’s music to bring a more modernized interpretation to the show. 

This year performances were extremely successful and had a record number of performers each night. On Friday, there were 97 dance performers, Saturday had 95 dance performers, and Sunday had 97 dance performers marking some of the highest attendance numbers in Terpsichore’s history. 

The dancers started their rehearsals in September and worked tirelessly until their performance was ready for the annual show in December. Some dancers prepare for multiple roles, and many of the older dancers collaborate with the younger students to ensure a successful show day for everyone.

“After rehearsing for months on end, it’s so exciting to put everything you’ve learned up till now, on the stage, for friends, family, and even strangers to see,” said MHS freshman Jocelyn Bibeau, the President of Terpsichore and one of the soloists from the final performance of this year. 

“When the shows are over for the year, you finally know that it was all worth it,” continued Bibeau. “Hours on end of rehearsal turns into an hour and a half on stage that none of us would ever take back. Now that it’s all over I can’t wait to repeat it all next year!”

This marks the final year of performances for the four senior members of the group, Mollie Hatch, Bella Michaud-Huang, Kaitlyn Richards, and Annie Rollag, but it is not their final performance. Terpsichore will be hosting its annual Spring Recital on Friday, May 9, 2025, and it is one to look forward to for Millis.