Rockford Guilford High School Valkyries ready to put on a show nearly 60 years in the making
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Nearly 30 years ago Katie Pozzi performed for the Valkyries for the final time as a student at Guilford High School.
The synchronized swim team had a routine to part of the soundtrack of “Aladdin,” the Disney animation released two years early, and there was a cowboy routine complete with red suits and western hats.
This weekend, she returns to the same pool she performed in as a teenager to collaborate with fellow Valkyrie alumni as part of a show that celebrates nearly 60 years of history for the show team.
“We have girls from 1985 all the way up to 2022 in our performance,” Pozzi said. “We’ve been reminiscing, sending pictures from our yearbooks and things, so it’s been fun to see all of those come back from the previous years.”
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This week is the continuation of a big tradition at Guilford High School: the annual Valkyries show. A team of 26 girls and an additional roster of 10 boys will perform every night through Saturday. There are also five emcees, 10 fathers of seniors in a performance on Thursday, and 27 alumni like Pozzi in a special show on Saturday. It’s coordinated under the direction of advisors Dawn Durkin and Rena Wright.
“A lot of time and effort and thought goes into every performance with the choreography and the dance, and making sure no routine is the exact same,” said Katie Jensen, 18, a senior at Guilford who has been with the team since her freshman year.
The Valkryies are Rockford’s only high school synchronized swim team. They’ve been working since competitive swim season ended in November on every aspect of the show from the choreography to creating the programs, mixing the music, making backdrop murals, preparing lighting, and of course, practicing the routine.
“It’s like dancing in the water,” said Jensen, an officer for the team.
Mikayla Durkin, 17, who is also a Guilford senior and officer for the team, said practices last roughly eight hours twice a week in preparation for the show. It’s hard work, but it’s rewarding as the show starts to come together, she said.
“We just have a great time,” Durkin said. “We’re all like sisters here and we’ve really gotten close.”
There are 11 routines that make up this year’s show, titled “Pursuit of Happiness.”
“It’s fun to see how much the show has evolved over the years,” Pozzi said. “(I’m) just super proud of all the alumni and also the high school girls for all the hard work everybody’s put in to make this show a success.”
Know before you go | Valkyries Presents “Pursuit of Happiness”
Where: Guilford High School pool, 5620 Spring Creek Road, Rockford
When:
- 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28
- 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 1
- 6 p.m. Thursday, March 2
- 6 p.m. Friday, March 3
- 10 a.m. Saturday, March 4 (mini show)
- noon Saturday, March 4
- 5 p.m. Saturday, March 4
Admission: $7 (tickets sold at door)
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This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas
