Martinez troupe goes to New York

A Martinez dance troupe will not only get to dance in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday - they'll be part of the opening act.

"It was just confirmed," said Pam Wooten, whose Center Stage Dance Academy students flew out Saturday to New York for the big event. "We will be part of the first dancers to perform."

Wooten said the opportunity will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

"This is the first time a lot of these girls have ever flown or have ever been to such a huge production," she said.

The Martinez troupe will be introduced as part of a dance team called Macy's Mike Miller Dance Team, a group of performers from throughout the country coordinated by a man named Mike Miller.

The team will perform along with other dancers to the song Holiday by Madonna, opening televised coverage of the annual parade at 9 a.m. on NBC. Locally, the parade will be broadcast on WAGT-TV

After their dance routine, the group will join Santa and dance with him throughout the remainder of the parade.

"All the girls are so excited," Wooten said, adding that she hopes everyone in the Augusta area will watch her group's performance.

While in New York, Wooten said, the dancers also will take master classes with some famed choreographers.