By Simon Zimmerman, Ohio contributor
Ohio show choir is back (for a weekend)! On November 9, show choirs from near and, well really only near, will gather at the Ada Music Feast in Ada, Ohio for a shot at fall show choir glory.
The Groups:
The only Middle School group performing at Ada is the Kenton Middle Dimensions. Dimensions is coming off of winning the middle school division at Teays Valley in 2024 and retains the same creative team, so they should put on a strong showing here. Still, as there are no other middle school groups, they will not be competing for a ranking, unless they can somehow make finals.
The next two groups performing have somewhat different recent histories. Van Buren The Association is making a return to show choir after not having competed since 2019. Van Buren (from a village just north of noted show choir town Findlay) was a group built up by longtime director James Vaughn, who left in 2017. They remained competitive under Will Baughman until after the 2019 season, when they stopped competing. Baughman left for Otsego HS in Bowling Green in 2022, and his replacement, Christina Csernyik, restarted The Association, though they only went to Findlay’s non-competitive Fall Festival until this year, when they are making their return to competition at Ada.
After Van Buren is Benjamin Logan Standing Ovation, which has a slightly different history. Ben Logan’s group was founded as noncompetitive in 2014, and they never competed until after Covid when new director Michael Dove took over the program. Dove, who spent time helming Grove City’s program around 2005, immediately built Standing Ovation into a competitive group, and they have seen moderate success, including a podium placement in Small Mixed at Beavercreek 2024. Watch out for Ben Logan to continue their rise to prominence in Ohio’s small mixed scene this season.
The next group performing is Crestview Knight Vision, entering their second year under new director Sarah Wells. Knight Vision was a competitive group that often made finals under longtime director Danielle Hancock, but they struggled last season, not placing at any of their competitions. Still, watch out for them to come back this year - they have brought on known small group choreographer Patrick Sullivan, who has seen success at Kenton, Edgewood, and Buckeye Valley, and a comeback is not out of the question for Crestview.
Next up is Teays Valley Prominent Rendition which was once one of the top groups in Ohio but have struggled with declining numbers, as well as the loss of longtime director Eric Farrell, who left after the 2023 season. Their new director, Jonathan Michael, does seem like he’s willing to make some changes to bring the program back to prominence. Michael has already replaced former choreographer AJ Blankenship with TV alum Shane Coe, and has likely made other changes to the program as well. It remains to be seen whether these changes will be enough to restore Teays Valley to prominence.
Kenton Top Twenty is a group that has been hot off and on since the pandemic. Directed by Todd Daquino and choreographed by a small mixed all-star line up of Tara Tober, Zack Triscari, Jacob Jay Jones and Patrick Sullivan, T20 started off strong after the pandemic, winning two competitions in 2022. Top Twenty then cooled off in 2023 and 2024. Still, they have several finals placements (including three podium finishes) in those two years, as well as several caption awards to their name; while they may not surge back to 2022 heights this season, Kenton should still be a dangerous Ohio small mixed group, so watch out for them at Ada.
Licking Valley Vocal Impact is a struggling program. Led by longtime director Jessica Noser, LVVI was a solid small mixed group before the pandemic, often contending for divisional titles, but since Ada’s 2021 competition (where they were third in division) they have failed to place in any competition they have attended, though their crew has won a couple of caption awards. All in all, Licking Valley might be able to turn things around, but that must be seen to be believed.
Medina Encore Entertainment Company is a very interesting group. From about 2019-2021, they were very competitive in the large mixed division, beating or coming close to groups like Findlay, Beavercreek, Mt. Zion, and even Marysville. However, they’ve been faced with declining numbers since the pandemic, and spent 2022 and 2023 in the middle mixed division, though they still remained competitive, placing on the podium at 5 out of 8 competitions in those two years. In 2024, they made the jump to small mixed (though they are still at the larger end of that division), and saw some success, winning at North Royalton but failing to make finals at Hurricane, Grove City, and Solon. This season, they could very well go back to competing in Middle Mixed or stay in Small, but they will likely continue to be competitive and are thus a group to watch.
Strongsville Mustang Express is a group on the rise. Led by longtime director Vickie Eicher, ME has switched their choreographer each season since the pandemic, but this has not impacted the success of the group. Though they only made finals once in 2022, they had three finals placements at small mixed competitions in 2023, and in 2024 they won their first competition ever in a small field of mainly northeast Ohio groups at Walsh Jesuit, though they would fail to make finals at Alliance and Sheridan. The 2025 season may prove to be a pivotal one for Strongsville; if they can figure out their issues at the choreographer post, they may be able to continue their rise. All in all, watch out for ME here.
South Dearborn Opening Knight is the only out of state group coming to Ada. SD comes all the way from Aurora, Indiana, though much of their competition schedule involves travel to Ohio. South Dearborn is consistently one of the best small mixed groups competing throughout those two states. However, South Dearborn is also in the closing stages of a director transition. Longtime director Justin Selmeyer has departed the program, with Zach Francis taking over. He is assisted by SD alum Clovis Hudnall. Still, Opening Knight will keep their full choreography team, which should help with consistency. All in all, while they may not be the same group they were in past years, South Dearborn should perform well at Ada in their debut under new direction.
Grove City Touch of Class is one of the hottest groups in Ohio right now. They are riding a streak of podium placements that stretches back to 2022, a streak that includes three Grand Championships (including a win at last year’s Ada Music Feast). Grove City retains their entire team, including director Ann Johnson and choreographers Shane Coe and Eric Hayes, and thus should be set up for another successful season. Touch of Class is the only group at Ada that traditionally competes in the Large Mixed division, and given their recent success in that tough division, they are in a good position to see success at Ada.
Alliance Jet Setters is the closest thing to a known unknown in the Ohio small mixed show choir scene. The Jet Setters do often make finals at small mixed competitions and/or the podium in their division, and before the pandemic they were one of the better groups in that division in Ohio. Since the pandemic, however, they’ve been in something of a slow slide from where they once were. Part of this is due to instability at choreographer; they have had different choreographers each year since the pandemic, with Tara Tober, Steffahn Maclin, and Gabriella Mack taking over in 2024. This team is staying on for the 2024-2025 season, as is longtime director Carrie Chunat, who has 20 years of experience in Ohio show choir. All this is to say that this may be the season Alliance fully returns to prominence, so they have the potential to perform well Music Feast.
Ada Varsity Singers are the host group, but they deserve a shoutout here as well. They’ve had their ups and downs since the pandemic, and they didn’t see the success last year that they would’ve liked, but the fact that a school of just over 200 kids can put up a 30-person show choir (as well as host an annual event like this) is amazing, and deserves kudos.
Predictions
With the lineup set, there’s only one thing left to do - predict the placements. With their podium streak, multiple Grand Championships over the past two seasons, and the fact that they are the Large Mixed fish in a Small Mixed pond, Grove City is the favorite to win here. They should get a sweep of caption awards as well, unless another group sings or dances incredibly well.
The second place fight is much more interesting. Medina might make a play for second place - they have an excellent history in show choir and always put out solid groups, and if they get comfortable in either small or middle mixed the sky's the limit for them - but it could just as easily go to South Dearborn, one of the best small mixed groups in the region. Opening Knight's wildcard is how the director change affects them - they retain basically everyone besides the director, but that is one of the most important roles there is. For now, Medina is in the driver's seat for second and South Dearborn for third, but those could easily flip.
The fight for 4th-6th is anyone’s game. The favorites include Kenton, who have been doing very well these past few seasons; Strongsville, if they continue their rise in small mixed; Teays Valley, if the choreographer change pays off, Benjamin Logan, if they can continue to build on their rise, and even potentially Alliance, if they can right the ship and get back to their pre-pandemic state. Kenton, due to their consistent strength, Teays Valley, assuming the choreographer change goes well, and Benjamin Logan, due to the speed of their rise, should sneak in finals. The author will take Kenton in 4th, Teays in 5th, and Benjamin Logan in 6th, but he would not be shocked if he was wrong about any of these last three.
Put in an easily visible form, the prediction is:
1st) Grove City “Touch of Class” (Vocals/Choreo/Band)
2nd) - Medina “Encore Entertainment Company”
3rd) - South Dearborn “Opening Knight”
4th) - Kenton “Top Twenty”
5th) - Teays Valley “Prominent Rendition”
6th) - Benjamin Logan “Standing Ovation”
Ada provides a chance for these select groups to start their season with a burst of momentum to carry into the 2025 season. After Ada, the Ohio competition scene will go dormant until Beavercreek on January 17-18.
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