It isn’t often that somebody can say they’ve performed at a major league football game halftime show. Langley dance team coach Ellen Shatzen, however, had the chance to dance in the halftime show of not just any football game, but the Super Bowl XXXIII, when she was in high school.

Shatzen was on her high school’s dance team in her hometown of Miami, Florida. The dance team attended a two day audition for the half time show performance of Superbowl XXXIII in 1999. They were selected to perform with Stevie Wonder and Gloria Estefan. “It was hands down one of the most memorable experiences of my entire life,” said Shatzen.

The night before the Superbowl, Shatzen’s dance team attended a dress rehearsal, only open to friends and family. The huge stadium was practically empty as Ellen and her team ran through the performance. “It was one of the coolest moments of the entire experience,” she said.

The dance team received a police escort to Joe Robbie Stadium on the day of the Superbowl. “We had security take us through the bowels of the stadium, through tunnels and back doors where we anxiously waited until the clock said 0:00 at the half,” said Shatzen.

“My heart raced and I became so nervous I wasn’t sure if I would be able to remember the dance,” she said. “Then the music started and the first notes blasted through the speakers and into my ears. The next fifteen minutes were a total blur of excitement and adrenaline.”

Shatzen still fondly remembers her performance at the half time show. “Every year on Superbowl Sunday, I always touch base with the girls on my dance team that danced with me that day,” she said.