RACINE - While most people will watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV Thursday, three local teens will be there.

Three members of Park High School's Pom Pon Squad will be performing in the New York City parade as part of a dance ensemble of about 300 girls from around the country. They left Saturday.

"I'm looking forward to just performing it in front of all the cameras," said Emily Aiello, a Park junior who will dance in the parade. "I've loved (dance) since I was little."

Emily and the others will be dancing as part of an ensemble from the Universal Dance Association, a dance education group that hosts camps and competitions for dance teams at the high school and collegiate levels.

The local girls were selected by UDA because they are pom squad captains. At Park High School, 1901 12th St., the pom captains are chosen by their squad mates based on a dance performance, speech and question and answer session, Emily said.

To go to New York with UDA, the girls have to pay their own airfare and hotel accommodations but UDA provides a uniform and pom pons for them to use in the parade as well as entertainment passes to events like Broadway shows, a Radio City Rockettes performance, dance classes and a trip to the Statue of Liberty, said Emily and another girl who will dance in the parade, Elizabeth Rouze, a Park sophomore.

The girls got a DVD of the parade dance routine, which they have been

practicing in preparation for the trip. The routine music has American-themed songs and the girls' outfits are red, white and blue, Emily said.

The girls said they wanted to be in the Macy's parade because they have heard fun stories about the trip from pom pon girls who have gone before, like Emily's sister.

"My sister went three years ago," she said. "I wanted to go based on her experience. She just loved it. She liked it because you could see celebrities you knew in the parade."

Park Pom Pon Squad Coach Marilyn Mrkvicka said she has had girls in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade several times before.

"It makes me feel good that they can go," she said. "It's a once in a lifetime experience. How many can say they were asked to perform in the Macy's parade and actually did it?"

The girls agreed the parade was a chance they couldn't pass up.

"If you have that kind of opportunity, you might as well take it," said Jana Rodriguez, the third girl dancing in the parade and a Park senior.

Of all the things she will do and see in New York, Jana said she is most excited for the parade. She said UDA has given her a good idea of what to expect Thursday morning.

"I'll just go with the flow that day," she said.