Waukee Northwest Eos Is on the Rise in Its Mere Infancy
- Timothy Laubach
- Oct 17
- 3 min read
By Timothy Laubach, Iowa contributor
On August 24, 2021, the building for Waukee Northwest High School opened. In the same year, a choir director that was a part of the district but ready to take on something else, Jack Daubitz, would lead the first season of Northwest’s new top show choir, Eos. Whether the performers in Eos knew it or not, they had a big reputation to live up to. They also had immediate competition in the new and historically acclaimed Waukee Millennium across town. But, instead of going the traditional route like Millennium found so much success in, Daubitz decided to take a risk with Eos, implementing a story show in his first year. Assisted by stellar choreographers such as Lexi Robson and Nick Quamme, the group was on its own upward trajectory. As the community knows now, Eos lived up to the expectations and the group is looking to exceed them even more in 2026. It all started with their first season.
In Eos’s first season, 2022, the group felt the pressure. The notion of a story in the show choir was a new idea for these students. Director Jack Daubitz said, “when we started Eos, there was definitely some hesitation. The community was just so invested in how we had been doing things as a single Waukee… every kid was super hesitant because it was such a departure from what we had been doing." That 2022 season was a wild ride for Eos. The group placed in the top three at all of the competitions it attended, beating some tough competitors. They even claimed Grand Champion at their last competition, which is nearly unheard of for a first-year group. Eos continued to have similar success throughout the next couple of seasons.
In the 2025 season, Eos placed top three at four out of the five competitions it attended with its show, coined as “Yes Chef!”. This show featured an elaborate kitchen set and the performers dressed as cooks. The show did a great job showcasing the different emotions felt in the world of high-pressure culinary arts. The performers also did a great job executing these emotions and were able to successfully infuse them into every dance move and note sung. During the season, the group placed ahead of historically elite choirs such as Johnston Innovation and Urbandale Studio. In 2025, Eos really proved that they meant business and brought the heat to every competition (pun intended).
Eos is looking to captivate audiences in 2026 with their show “A Face To Call Home”.
In this season, Daubitz wants Eos to “keep doing us." He also acknowledged the contentious nature of story shows, but stands firm that this is the style of show that Eos is going to be using going forward. He stated, “it’s inherently subjective, but telling an authentic story with the intent to put some beauty in the world is a worthwhile endeavor”. Rather than thinking too deeply into the matter, Daubitz reflected that “at the end of the day, I’m just an adult trying to help kids connect with music”. In 2026, Eos will compete at two Des Moines-area competitions, a Cedar Rapids-area competition, and a Wisconsin competition, bringing some variety to the schedule. Their season will face two matchups with Johnston and face-offs with several other marquee choirs, meaning the young program will need to earn its success again.