The Wareham Middle School auditorium was filled to near capacity for the School Committee meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 18. The crowd did not gather to hear the 2015 budgets projects nor to hear the approval of the last meeting’s minutes, but to watch step dancers.

The meeting had a booming start as step dancers from the middle school, Minot Forest Elementary and Decas Elementary performed.

Decas Elementary featured 12 dancers, Minot had nine dancers and the middle school had six dancers. Each school's team is under the direction of Marion Weatherspoon.

“We started the stepping the middle school, but it faded away,” said Weatherspoon. “So, I went to Minot school and the lower schools, and it started to pick up.”

Now, the program has been going for five years at the elementary schools.

“We usually don’t do it with the lower grades, but I went to the younger kids because I knew they could learn,” Weatherspoon said.

This year, the step dance groups included 1st graders from Decas Elementary.

“This was the first time we ever had 1st graders,” Weatherspoon said. “We thought they wouldn’t be able to do it, but they did an excellent job.”

“I was very proud because I found out the younger kids could do it,” said Weatherspoon. “The younger ones usually don’t have the rhythm, but they did better overall than when I initially started out with the older kids.”

Practices began in October, and each team practices twice a week for over an hour.

Each group received a round of applause from the crowd.

“That was absolutely phenomenal,” said member Rhonda Veugen.