HPA Cheerleaders Head to Holiday Bowl

Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy Cheer Team members, 2017 (L–R): Kahalley Anton, Angelina Ramirez, Hillary Connors, Zone Limpakun, Camille Helmuth, and Demetria Scoufos. Missing: Delilah McMahan, Tehani Carter, and Dominic Pagano.

Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy cheer team is the only cheer team in the state and one of 15 teams nationally who has been selected to perform at this years’ Holiday Bowl halftime show in San Diego on Dec. 28, 2017.

Nine Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy cheerleaders will join other cheer teams from around the nation to perform in the 40th annual Holiday Bowl halftime show in front of 65,000 fans in San Diego, California.

Michigan State and Washington State will meet in this post-season NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football bowl game, officially known as the San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl.

To kick off the Holiday Bowl, the HPA cheer team will also participate in the Port of San Diego Parade, the country’s largest balloon parade. HPA is the only cheer team to represent Hawai‘i at this 40th annual event.

Since 1978, the Holiday Bowl has been played annually at SDCCU Stadium. Famous Choreographer
Dee Caspary returned to create the eight-minute halftime dance montage that honors this history. He
previously choreographed Orange Bowl, Sugar Bowl and Liberty Bowl halftime shows.

“Prepare to be amazed,” said WorldStrides OnStage, organizers of this event. “We’re so excited to have Dee with us in San Deigo!”

Caspary has worked with artists such as Justin Timberlake, Demi Lovato, Paula Abdul, New Kids on the Block and Tiffany, and has choreographed for TV shows such as So You Think You
Can Dance and Dancing With the Stars.

Cheerleading made a recent come back at HPA after being on a hiatus since the mid-1980s.

“The girls have been working tirelessly with the cheer coaches at this routine,” said MJ Allison, HPA’s head cheer coach. “They’re very excited and honored to have been chosen to take part in this special, once-in-a-lifetime event. “The cheer team has been practicing since Thanksgiving and are feeling really good about their performance.”

They will depart on Dec. 26, for San Diego.

Marching bands from Lahainaluna High School on Maui and the Kaua‘i All-Island Band from LĪhue will also be making the trip to San Diego to take part in the Holiday Bowl festivities.