Pasadena Unified All-Stars Shine at Hollywood Parade

The Pasadena Unified All-Star Band looked and sounded like superstars on the red carpet at the Hollywood Christmas Parade on Sunday. The band thrilled the crowd with an upbeat holiday march, adding creative, show-style movement.

“We are so proud of our incredible All-Star Band!” said Karen Anderson, PUSD Arts & Enrichment Coordinator and GATE Specialist. “They brought their style and pizzazz to the professional stage and wowed the world with their musicianship, dancing, and pageantry.”

Under the expert direction of Jacob Melgoza and Karen Klages, the talented team is composed of 45 band members, 10 color guard, and 13 dancers from four comprehensive Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) high schools. The parade featured celebrities, dazzling equestrians, larger-than-life character balloons and colorful floats.

“Allowing our students to take part in such a large-scale event provided a great sense of what it takes to be a performer! Opportunities like this should be afforded to our kids as much as possible and it was so fun to see them shine and glimmer with pride as they marched the route. We are so proud of them!” PUSD All-Star Dance Director Hillary Temple beamed.

Actor Danny Trejo was the grand marshal for the parade, which is currently celebrating its 90th anniversary. PUSD student musicians, marchers and dancers spent countless hours practicing to perfect their parade performance and at showtime, they felt a little bit like celebrities themselves.

“It is opportunities like the Hollywood Christmas Parade that allow the students to get a glimpse into the life of a rockstar, “ said Arturo Castro, PUSD Color Guard Coach. “By providing these experiences, we are cultivating a positive impact on the performers and expanding on the importance of the performing arts in our schools.”

District teachers and leaders agree the parade is an amazing opportunity for students from different high schools within the district to come together for a common purpose – entertaining others and bringing joy to the thousands of people who lined the streets along the parade route.

“Any chance to display the vast amounts of talent that our district holds is a win. Being able to do it at a huge event like the Hollywood Christmas parade was truly a treat,” said All-Star Band Director Jacob Melgoza. “We are all so very proud of each and every student for their efforts and wonderful representation for our district!”

Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD), 351 S. Hudson Ave., Pasadena, (626) 396-3600 or visit www.pusd.us.