Last year, in 2021, Westcoast rang in the New Year with a virtual performance of “Go the Distance,” a gorgeous song with the simple message that there is a hero in every one of us and we will, together and individually, get through these difficult times.

The joy of that performance has carried us through many more months of Zoom rehearsals, followed by in-person rehearsals where we were masked and distanced in hula hoops. In the fall, we were so excited to be able to Return-to-Live, first outdoors in the parking lot of one of our member’s workplaces, and then indoors at our usual rehearsal hall (all spiffed up and repainted in our absence: nice!). We capped off these in-person rehearsals with a live, in-person Christmas party, with a banquet, singing (always masked), and loads of laughter.

Then came New Year’s 2022 and back to Zoom in accordance with provincial guidelines. A bit of a downer, to be honest, because we were gearing up for our first coaching weekend with Ryan Heller in preparation for International in Phoenix. Logistics and January weather (yes, we were going to be outside) necessitated a postponement. We’ll be seeing Ryan Heller and Erin Howden in April and again in May and June, and we’re very excited! In the meantime, our brilliant director, the one and only Anne Downton, continues to teach us new skills, and we can’t believe how much we’ve learned. Phoenix, here we come!