Wayne Hills 2022  was a night to remember. The lights, the camera, the energy, was unforgettable. Continuing the time-honored tradition of White versus Maroon once again at Wayne Hills High School gets the whole school buzzed.

Maroon’s theme of throwback artists got the whole crowd singing along and hyped with artists from Lady Gaga to Madonna to Billy Joel to Britney Spears, these dances had you thrown back and itchin’ to dance.

White’s theme of villains fit perfectly with all of the recent movies from the villain’s point of view coming out. Everyone’s favorite villains were featured, Harley Quinn, Cruella DeVille, Maleficent, Darth Vader, everyone could spot their favorite villain.

There are many different jobs to be done in SDA from President(Leah Caruso), to Vice President(Kate Lopresti), to both white(Irene Lignos) to Maroon(Sarina Ramirez) Overalls, to Captains, and many more.

Being part of a big production can be a lot but just as much pressure as it is, it can also be so rewarding.

Being President of SDA comes with so much responsibility. SDA President Leah Caruso said “Being President, I had a lot of responsibilities to do. I had to design the tickets and VIP tickets, take attendance at every practice, write up the scripts for each night, get everyone’s T-shirt sizes, collect constitutions, order the balloon decorations, and make sure everything is running smoothly and the dances are coming together. Being President was a lot of fun and I loved working with the other officers.”

While president carries a lot on their backs so do the overalls.

White Overall Irene Lignos said, “As overall I am in charge of the whole white team. I attended practices Monday-Thursday from 2:30-5:30, for all the dances (jazz, tap, pom, aero). I help out all my captains and dancers to make the dances the best they can be and make any final decisions if needed. Sarina (Maroon Overall) and I choreograph the captain’s dance. I also, always made sure that my dancers work hard throughout the season but I also make sure that they have fun. I want them to remember my year of being overall being the best, no matter what the outcome was. “

Even background dancers had a lot of responsibilities on their back being in such a big production. Freshman White Dancer Emilia Caruso said “It was a little stressful and scary at first to be a part of such a big production with people that are in different grades than you, but everyone was so sweet and helpful and that made SDA so much more enjoyable and exciting.”

Freshman Background dancer for Maroon said, “Being part of such a big production was so much fun. It felt so cool to know that this much people look forward to it every year, and I got to be part of it.” 

SDA creates a community for the members that performance stress and fear can’t defeat. These are the people who become lifelong friends.

SDA can change a person’s perspective. Leah said, “SDA taught me about hardwork and dedication. If you really want something and want to succeed, then you have to work hard for it. If you want to win or your dance to place, then you need to dance at the best of your ability and practice everyday. I’ve learned that not everyone picks up choreography at the same pace, so you need to go slow with some people, but they will get it down.”

SDA is a learning experience just as much as it is a club.

The dances were intense and entertaining. Every dance was beautifully done with Maroon Aero’s Britney Spears dance coming in first, White Aero’s Darth Vader dance coming in second, and White Pom’s Cruella DeVille dance coming in 3rd.

Maroon’s aero was definitely one for the books, and understandably, the first place overall winning dance. The theme was Britney Spears and all of her iconic looks from the 90’s and early 2000’s, and it did not disappoint. The schoolgirl costumes, as well as the props, were inspired by Britney’s “Baby One More Time” song. Also, the iconic red jumpsuit, based on her “Oops!…I Did it Again” music video made an appearance. Lastly, a ringleader outfit was danced in, just like in her “Circus” song and album. Along with the amazing costumes, the dance track included clips of news reports about the #FreeBritney movement and her Bipolar breakdown, which gave an idea about her past, but didn’t have much to do with the iconic moments that all the other dances had. The dance was executed very well, with a great use of props and amazing choreography.

White’s aero was definitely some tough competition to beat–who doesn’t know of the classic series of Star Wars movies? The abundant amount of entertainment the dance brought was impressive, and the lightsabers added a lot to the dance. They were cool and added to the theme. The dance was mind blowingly spectacular and there is no doubt it gave Maroon aero a run for its money!

One of the most popular dances among the audience had to be White pom’s Cruella De Vil dance. It was entertaining, enjoyable to watch, and such an iconic thing to experience. The costumes were really great and the concept of the Dalmatians as the dancers who weren’t overalls or captains was practically genius. The narration of Cruella De Vil’s story from her new movie added so much to the dance. Also, the prop use was the best in this dance, with the couch and the door that Cruella entered in! It was cool that there were dog cages as well for some of the dogs to escape out of, because it connected even more with the movie. The dance overall was consistent and very clean!

Irene also said it taught her a lot, saying “SDA has changed my perspective on going into things in the future [and] the way I approach things, drastically. Being in charge of 80 girls has made me realize that I need to be a role model. I have had to learn to always be mature and set a good example for the girls because they look up to me in ways that I do not even realize. It has only made me realize that winning is not everything. Obviously, that is the end goal.. but knowing that we did the best that we could and enjoying the memories means a lot more to me. I care so much about the bonds, friendships, and memories that we make. From now on I do not approach things as seriously. I learn that whatever happens, happens… everything that happens, happens for a reason. “

Sophia said, “Honestly, SDA did kind of change my perspective on things. It really taught me to really live in the moment and enjoy things. Seeing all the seniors reminisce about their past years on SDA and how fast it went by really made me appreciate the process more. ”

As much work as being a part of SDA is, leaving it after being a part of it for four years is just as hard leaving is hundreds of times harder.

Irene said, “When I look back at my time in high school SDA holds some of the best memories. The friends that I have made from this program are friendships that will last a lifetime.

As a freshman, it was my dream to be overall, and the fact that the season ended and I am no longer it anymore is crazy to me. Freshman year feels like yesterday. I could not have asked for a better team this year, every single one of them is so amazing and each brings something different to the team. The SDA season can be exhausting, but so worth it in the end. Seriously cannot believe it is over, and I will never forget the memories made. ”

Leah said, “It was sad to think that Saturday was the last time I would dance in SDA. I did SDA all four years of highschool and loved it so much. I made so many friends and memories and I will never forget my time in SDA. I enjoyed SDA because dancing is such a big part of my life and the shows are so much fun. I will miss SDA so much once I graduate.”

High school isn’t something you get to live twice, it’s one and done. If you blink you’ll miss it. SDA is something these girls will look back on with the best memories for the rest of their lives. It’s those three minutes on stage that make the hours of practice worth it, and more than that it’s the friends next to you for those three minutes that make SDA unforgettable.