Aloha Dance Review

I went to the Aloha dance with every intention of having the worst time, as I did last year. But when I walked out of the gym this year I  literally had no complaints.

Don’t just take my word that the dance was well-received. Student Julie Dang (’13) said the “Aloha Dance was definitely the right way to start out my junior year! It really exceeded my expectations.”Avid dancer Joy Chen (’13) thought the Aloha Dance “was a good night with friends” and had “good vibes!” Micheal Perri from Dance commission triumphantly added that this year’s turnout was “a new record in FV gym dance history” saying that ASB “only needed to make a few changes… to make our other dance[s] more amazing.”

I reviewed all of the things that I hated about it last year: it was hot, crowded, and full of individuals dressed in socks and leis, and not much else. Was it less crowded? On the contrary, there was a massive turnout. And naturally, more people means more body heat. Did administration actually enforce the dress code? Definitely not (that will be the day no one attends the Aloha Dance.)

So I asked ASB what they did differently. Andrew Thai from the Spirit commission thought the success was due to the “amount of publicizing done.” He explained that the past years they simply used word of mouth and facebook, whereas this year ASB “went above and beyond by incorporating a flash mob promoting the Aloha Dance.”

Students who attended the dance felt it was a better experience for other reasons.  Said attendee Brandon Khong (’13) “Well, I think that the Aloha dance this year was way better than the previous ones. ASB really went all out with the scenery.”

The only complaint voiced by students was about the choice of music. One student was overheard saying that she felt the music “wasn’t danceable.” Khong also commented on the song choices. “There were some slow songs. They should’ve added some more upbeat songs for more hardcore grooving,” he said. But the general consensus was that this was the best Aloha Dance so far.

I think this Dance was so successful due to the spirit that invigorated the school. ASB was aggressively publicizing it, teachers were encouraging attendance and the entire school was buzzing with excitement. Because ultimately, the music, the venue and the decorations do not really determine success (I distinctly remember standing around awkwardly with my friends at the 2010 Aloha Dance and commenting on the cute palm- tree lights.) Success is determined by the enthusiasm of the students. So even though I would be the last to admit it, FVHS Barons and ASB deserve a round of applause for making the Aloha Dance a great beginning to what will hopefully be a fantastic year for all of us at Fountain Valley High.