Dance meets band.

This season marching band and a dance ensemble have joined together to put on a unique Matrix theme halftime show.

“Our identity here at ETHS has been more theatrical,“ Matthew Bufis, band director says. Between the plays.

The shows will be featuring the color guard. They normally accompany the band and use the props of rifle, flags, swords and other props to give a visual of the music being performed. They’re going to bring a martial arts aspect to the performance.

The show will be using the movements from the Matrix, and with help from the dance ensemble, coached by Jennifer Foss. you will be able to see the music more visually.

The halftime show will run for about seven and a half minutes. The show is shorter but will contain three installments throughout.

However, the Matrix wasn’t always the idea for this year. “We’ve been kicking around the idea of superheroes,” Bufis says. Since John Williams, writer of most superhero theme songs, doesn’t give the rights for public performances, this was unable to happen.

“Band camp, and for three or four days, we learned the whole first movement of the show,” sophomore Max Bryn, mellophone says. “We also learned the basics of marching.”

The dance ensemble isn’t in the spotlight throughout the whole halftime show, they only appear during the last 60 to 90 seconds, this is where the show is pulled together. They’re there to help tell the story.

But the dancers are not the only ones learning choreography, “learning the drill or set, is really like choreography,” sophomore Audrey Wientjes, saxophone says.

Even with the dancers joining the field, you will see an increase of people on the field with about a 30% increase of marching band participants this year.

“It’s the Matrix, so there are some more somber parts with deaths of characters, and also a lot of lively kind of action,” Wientjes says.

The Matrix will take everyone on a rollercoaster ride; with ups and downs, deaths and martial arts all featured together, the show is sure to fit the definition of “lively kind of action.”

This is the dance company’s first time on the field. They’re sure to wow everyone, make sure to come and see the show while it’s still here.