Transformation of Art Museum steps mark countdown to 6abc Dunkin' Thanksgiving Day Parade

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The countdown continues to the 6abc Dunkin' Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Crews often work for an entire year to create a perfect production, and the final few pieces are now being put into place.

As crews work on the area that'll be the backdrop for a star-studded lineup of performances, dancers across the area conduct hours of rehearsal.

6abc Dunkin' Thanksgiving Day Parade returns for 105th year

At Philadelphia's Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) High School in South Philadelphia, dance department director Stephanie Demby-Afum helped dozens of students perfect the 10 routines they'll be performing for the parade.

"The excitement just starts to rev up," she said. "Everyone's excited to get on the street."

More than 120 students from the school are performing in the parade. They've made the Philadelphia tradition a school tradition.

"I graduated (from CAPA) in 98," said Demby-Afum, "and I did the parade!"

She realizes what an opportunity it is for the kids to be in the country's first Thanksgiving Day parade.

"A lot of dancers in the city don't get this exposure. So it's really good for them to have this type of exposure on that type of platform," she said.

In Center City, a different set of dancers rehearsed their number.

"These are our professional dancers," said parade staging director and choreographer Robbie Mackey of the dancers. "A lot of them are local Philly people that have grown up here and maybe gone off and had careers in New York or somewhere else."

On Monday afternoon, the group was still arranging the routine.

"We're in the creation process right now," said Mackey of the choreography process.

As they worked on the last steps, another set of steps was being worked on: the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. On Monday morning, crews began work to transform the appearance of the steps by wrapping them in the iconic pink and orange colors that signify the 6abc Dunkin Thanksgiving Day Parade.

6abc Vice President of Programming and Parade Executive Producer John Morris is in charge of the crews that are counting down.

"It is all a flurry of behind-the-scenes activity right now -- checking costumes, performances, checking floats," he said.

A part of this size will require road closures. For an updated list of times, dates, and impacted roads, click here.