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Local to sing in Thanksgiving Day Parade

by Samantha Bergeson

Macy's iconic Thanksgiving Day Parade will have a Woodside performer aboard a float.

Julia Belanoff, a sophomore at Woodside High School and a Woodside resident, has been selected to sing on the "OfficeMax Elves Raise the Roof" float.

The float's performers are associated with the Stagedoor Manor performing arts summer camp, based in Loch Sheldrake, New York, which Julia has attended for three summers. She was selected out of 400 camp singers and dancers.

Bella Norvig, 16, of Palo Alto; Chris Garber, 17, of Hillsborough; and Abigail Doctor, 15, of Los Altos will also participate.

Julia, 15, a "dancing elf" on the float, has studied dance at Dance Arts Center, and voice with Debra Lambert. She has performed at the San Francisco playhouse and the Custom Made Theatre.

Julia has a family tie to the parade, according to Kathy Blanco, Julia's mother: Julia's grandmother worked for Macy's in New York for 35 years, and walked in the Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The performers will come together for rehearsals three days before the televised parade in Herald Square. The performance will consist of a choreographed dance routine and the singing of an undisclosed song.

The 84th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade airs on NBC-TV on Thursday, Nov. 25, from 9 a.m. to noon.