Manti gets standing ovation at State Drill Team competition
Music drops out, but show goes on
Bob Bahlmann
Staff writer
2-16-2017
PROVO—The Manti High Templarettes finished in an impressive third place at the recent 2A State Drill Team competition, but perhaps their biggest accomplishment of the contest came when they pulled off their Military routine with no music.
Less than a minute into the dance the music skipped and then skipped again. Seconds later it quit altogether.
“We checked everything before, and it was all fine,” said Coach Chantelle Bell. “When the sound cut out they paused for just a second and then counted out the rest of the routine.”
The team hardly missed a beat as they continued and performed well enough to advance to the next round of competition. As the Templarettes marched off the floor, the entire crowd in the gymnasium rose to their feet in a standing ovation, the only such honor the entire weekend of drill competition at Utah Valley University.
“A lot of the girls had tears in their eyes,” Bell said. “Not because the music stopped, but because they were overwhelmed that everyone was cheering for them.”
The judges approached coach Bell and offered to let the team do the routine again, this time with the music.
Bell said, “They (the officials) said they had seen enough to allow us to advance, but even though the girls were tired and winded they all decided ‘we’ll go back out and do it again.’”
Bell said that she has been inundated with texts and comments on social media expressing support and admiration for the way her girls fought through adversity and made the most of a bad situation. KSL TV got wind of the performance and featured it on their news broadcast on Saturday.
“It kind of made our whole weekend,” Bell said.
When asked how they were able to continue without the music, Bell said “We learn it all by counts and practice both with the music and without. They have just practiced it enough that they just know it.”
