Melissa Reed Page remembers every dancer she has coached in three decades at Southlake Carroll. Alumni she hasn't seen in 20 years tell her they can't believe she still knows their names.

"This community is like family to me," Page told City Lifestyle magazine in a profile published Monday, July 27. "I have had multiple generations of sisters. I don't forget a Belle."

Page is in her 30th year directing the Emerald Belles, one of the largest high school drill teams in the country.

The program fields 70 to 100 members each season, according to its website. She joined Carroll in 1997 and is now in her 34th year overall as a drill team director.

The program hit a double milestone this year: 60 years as a team and three decades under Page's leadership.

The 60th anniversary celebration game drew more than 700 ticket buyers and brought hundreds of alumni back to perform at halftime, according to the City Lifestyle profile.

National stage, local roots

The Belles competed on Season 14 of NBC's "America's Got Talent" in 2019, advancing three rounds and performing live in the quarterfinals at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood before being eliminated.

That season carried personal weight for Page. She lost her only child, Reed Bartosh, during the same period, and told City Lifestyle the team became a source of strength and compassion during what she called a whirlwind of sadness and blessing.

The AGT run opened doors. The team later appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show, where former Belles spoke about what the program gave them. They've also performed at halftime for sold-out Dallas Cowboys games at AT&T Stadium, rehearsed alongside the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, and appeared at Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs games.

Page told the magazine she reminds her dancers to stay grounded, noting these experiences are not the norm for a high school drill team.

Service beyond the stage

Performance is only part of the program's identity. The Belles logged more than 2,300 community service hours in the past year, with each squad selecting a mission project every summer, according to the profile. The team's guiding motto is "Be Kind Be A Belle."

Upcoming

• Thursday, August 27 — Carroll Dragons football season opener vs. Jenks, Oklahoma. One of the first opportunities for Southlake families to see the Emerald Belles perform this fall.