The group -- including sophomore class vice president Perry Fox -- had just appeared in the 78th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

In addition to Perry, 15, the "Trees" performing at the school on Dec. 15 included Montclair resident Pamm Drake, 54, and Alameda residents Peter Gallagher, 15, Amanda Justus, 20, and Susan Brown, 54.

Drake is the director of the Dance 10/Performing Arts Center in Alameda, as well as the head of The Tap Dancing Christmas Trees.

The dazzling group -- decked out in sparkling tinsel-trimmed green tiered tops, glittery silver pants, white gloves and donning Christmas tree shaped Santa hats -- got a warm reception from dozens of students gathered at the high school amphitheater for the roughly 30-minute lunchtime performance.

"They're great," said sophomore Julia Allyn, 15, who takes jazz and ballet classes at Dance 10/Performing Arts Center.

"It's amazing how much choreography they can memorize, and their costumes are just wonderful," said sophomore Megan McLetchie, 16.

Both Allyn and McLetchie are on the Piedmont High cheerleading squad with Fox.

Over the past 14 years, the Tap Dancing Christmas Trees have performed at the tree lighting ceremonies for Oakland and Alameda, as well as numerous parties and shows.

The group's parade credits also include the Oakland Holiday Parade, the Niles Festival of Lights Parade in Fremont, and the Lighted Yacht Parade held on the Oakland/Alameda Estuary. "We start rehearsing in September. This year, we're doing 34 performances," Drake said.

"The idea of a dancing tree is not new," she said. "One of the things that makes us different is that we're not just dancing trees, we are tap dancing trees. All of us have studied tap rigorously -- many of us for 10, 15, 20 years."

The 28 "Trees" who danced in the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade included Piedmont High's Jackie Gage and Sara Durham, Drake said. "For the other things that we do, we usually go five or seven trees for a show," she said.

Drake said that parade choreography is quite different from show choreography. "Parade is all formations," she said.

Perry said she has been tap dancing since she was in third grade. "It's definitely my passion," she said. "I'm trying to get more people to try it."

Perry said the experience of performing in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade was wonderful.

But it was also hard work.

The route is about 3 miles long, she said. "We had planned on the weather being rainy or freezing, so we all had our long underwear. But it was 65 degrees, so we were sweating by the end."

Perry and her fellow "Trees" got to meet and talk to several celebrities, including singer Ryan Cabrera, 98 Degrees band member Jeff Timmons, crocodile hunter Steve Irwin and actress Raven Simon.

"There were lots of stars there that we see on TV and listen to their music," she said.

For more information about the Tap Dancing Trees or the Dance/10 Performing Arts Center call 510-339-3345 or visit www.dance10.org.

Contra Costa Times
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