From the sleek leather jackets of the freshmen to the bright-colored leotards of the seniors, the gym floor was flooded by students wearing retro outfits.
The freshmen donned classic ‘50s attire, including leather black and bright red combos to sock-hop dresses, embodying the era’s fashion. Their choreography featured dance moves set to upbeat ‘50s rock and roll tracks.
The choreographers and dancers had been practicing and rehearsing since mid January according to the Class of 2027’s google classroom.
“The (1960s) music was very nostalgic to me,” strings sophomore Minh Thu Nguyen said. “It definitely wasn’t the music I was expecting for our generation (theme), but it was still good. The choreography was fun with the music, and it made some rehearsals exciting with everyone.”
Nelson participated in the juniors’ 70s themed Generations Day dance. Students danced tohits like “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees and “Le Freak” by Chic while doing disco dance moves such as the fever pose where one arm points upward and the other bends at the waist, often with a wide stance or lean.
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Raising their arms to start their 70’s themed dance, dance junior Mae Romano leads the junior class dancers in their performance.
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Looking to each side of the gym, dance sophmore Alexandra Lopez-Granados moves through the 60’s themed choreography for the sophomore class. The dance was choreographed by Addy Kolanz and Angelica Ángulo and got 4th place overall.
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The freshman class dancers pose during “Crusin for a Brusin,” a 50s themed song, in front of the judges and their class’ section in the gym.
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With their arms in the air, sophomoresshowcase dance techniques like spins and kicks to perform alongside their ‘60s songs, such as “Great Ball of Fire” by Jerry Lewis and “Cruisin’ for a Bruisin’” by Grace Phipps, Jason Evigan, and Ross Lynch.
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Dressed in ‘70s attire, juniors perform a dance to the song “Le Freak” by Chic for Generations Day during Spirit Week.
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Striking their final pose, the freshman dancers conclude their Generations Dance routine. The routine’s medley encompassed songs from the ‘50s like “Jailhouse Rock” and “Blue Suede Shoes” by Elvis Presley.
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Facing their class in the crowd, senior dancers perform a routine to a variety of ‘80s songs while dressed in neon workout gear, corresponding with their theme for Generations Day.
“Participating in the dance gave me more insight on the true aesthetic of the seventies and actually helped deepen my understanding of what the (1970s) 70s era was,” Nelson said. “I love everything about it (the ‘70s) from the music, to the outfits, to the afros,” dance junior Azoyah Nelson said. “The vibe of that (era) area is just so cool to me.”
Theatre senior Brody Marcus was one of the choreographers for this year’s ‘80s dance and gave suggestions for future Generations Day dance performances to make them “even more special.”
“Use songs that are more outside of the box and that haven’t been used a ton in previous years because it makes the dancing more engaging for the audience,” Marcus said. “It brings a whole new element of surprise.”
Communications senior Mia Alonso performed in the ‘80s Generations Day dance with retro songs such as “It’s Raining Men” by The Weather Girls and “We Built This City” by Starship while doing dance moves inspired by Michael Jackson, like the moonwalk.
Beyond the performances, Generations Day was a school-wide effort involving students from various majors. Weeks of consistent rehearsals went into perfecting the routines as much as possible.
“Since I’m not a dance major, I don’t get a lot of chances to perform in front of an audience,” communications junior Isla Warriner said. “It’s an experience I normally wouldn’t do, so it’s a chance to get out there.”
