At 1:45 pm 4 December 2013, instructions to the procedure for Period 5 were read on the PA system. “All Grade 9 students are to go to their Period 5 class. Your teacher will provide you with a wristband and escort you to the cafeteria.” Mrs. Goldenberg said.
Students were given the opportunity to dance on stage. Photo: Noor Mah
The Grade 9 dance started precisely at 2:04 pm in the MGCI cafeteria. However, this dance had inconvenient implications to other students going to Period 5 class. The Galleria and the Cafeteria was cleared for the entrance and the floor of the dance, and stairwell 7 was locked from the outside. Students getting to Period 5 classes had to weave around these closures providing a few minor inconveniences.
Guarded by Mrs. Goldenberg and Mr. Phambri, Grade 9 students entered one by one with their wristbands past the Galleria into the dance floor. The cafeteria’s energy was tremendous. The sound waves thundered off the walls and the intense light flared in all directions in bright colours and patterns. A massive collection of Grade 9 students danced to the music, shuffling closer to the stage by the second. Excitement grew as the music built up to its climax, aided by a professional DJ.
The music played at the dance was very fast-paced. Some of the highlights included Katy Perry’s “Roar”, and Ylvis’s “What Does the Fox Say?”. The dance also included Bollywood music, sing-alongs, and DJ Casper’s “Cha Cha Slide”. The energy level at the cafeteria was over the charts. At one point, the majority of the students got together to form a human chain and danced to the music. It is the energy and enthusiasm in the students that sparked conversations and it is this that MGCI’s student council and Student Success hoped for in the Grade 9 dance.
The cafeteria was decorated with a myriad of lights. Photo: Noor Mah
Reactions to the dance was mixed. Many people were energetic and danced to the beat but some had their own opinions. “How can we hear each other in this loud music?” Greaton Tan commented, “We have to shout to talk.” Many people found it impossible to have a comfortable conversation with one another so many people danced, shouted, and screamed on the dance floor. For the entire event, the music never died and the spirit kept on growing.
The Grade 9 dance concluded with will.i.am’s “Scream & Shout”. The DJ invited people to go on stage and show off their moves. As more people filed onto the stage, the group just simply swayed to the music as there was no room for anyone to even try. After the final song, the DJ thanked everyone and said, “Be safe, be safe, be safe, be safe.” Overall, the majority of the Grade 9 students enjoyed the dance. Although the music was thundering and proper conversations couldn’t be made, many people found laughter and excitement in this Grade 9 exclusive dance.
