The annual Winter Formal (WOFO) dance is made up of many different components that you know and love, yet much of the preparation behind it goes unseen. This year’s Charlie Brown Winter Formal theme came together through the collaboration of ASB, dance, song, and cheer.
Long before students begin picking out corsages and dresses, ASB is already planning the Winter Formal. Carefully organizing every detail to bring this year’s Charlie Brown-themed dance to life.
Starting with the location. ASB picks and secures the venue for the dance way in advance to ensure there are no booking complications. This year’s venue was held at Hangar 21, Fullerton Airport.
“Its important to hear from your peers on what they want to see and what they didn’t like from the past dances to ensure a successful WOFO,” said ASB student Wilder Doblie.
Soon after, ASB students have to collectively think of a theme that they think their fellow students would enjoy for their dance. This process includes each ASB member submitting three individual ideas for themes on a google form, where the final decision is left to ASB teacher Brooke Valderrama.
Valderrama then sends an email to the student body presenting three Winter Formal theme options, giving students the final say in which theme is selected through a linked online google form.
After counting up all the votes, the Charlie Brown theme won by a landslide, with over one hundred votes submitted by students. Once the theme was finalized, ASB students then went straight to brainstorming everything from activities and pep rally casting to making the posters that decorated the gym.
This year’s dance featured activities such as casino games, food stands, photo booths, billiard games etc. These classic forms of entertainment are usually reused from past dances.
“We find cost effective things to use, and if we can reuse items then we will.” said ASB student Wilder Doblie.
ASB spent a significant amount of time designing and creating posters that decorated the gym wall. With a little extra effort put into hanging up the huge colorful decorations that produce so much school spirit for the dance and pep rally.
Much of the advertisement for the dance is done at the school pep rally. To prepare, ASB held auditions for announcers, ultimately selecting juniors Addyson Fortes and Maila Marumoto.
Fortes and Marumoto stepped onto the gym in front of their peers and brought an entertaining vibe to the pep rally, which really helped introduce the cheer, song, and dance performances.
A fan favorite being the creative on theme performances done by the dance program.
Dance had around two weeks to choreograph and practice their performance for the pep rally. With around fifty five dancers plus the added traditional senior partner section, it truly took a lot of blood, sweat, and tears in order to keep everything running accordingly.
“Most people only see the result, the performance. What they don’t see is the hours of work behind it, how much stress, sweat, bruises, falls, dedication and commitment it takes to put something like this together,” said Dance Director/Choreographer Kristine Calder.
Calder begins the process by researching the classic Peanuts cartoon, using it for inspiration to piece together soundbites, music, and choreography. This process helps her visualize who should play the lead roles, along with costume design.
After those decisions are finalized, Calder jumps straight into rehearsals. Students casted with lead roles such as Charlie Brown, Lucy, Sally, and Woodstock portrayed by Nathan Von Urff, Olivia Alpert, Lola Earnest, and Devynne Smark having to consistently practice everyday during lunch.
By the time all the students hit the gym, all the planning, rehearsals, and time instantly paid off. The Charlie Brown WOFO dance showcased the collective effort and dedication done by ASB, dance, song, and cheer that went behind making this dance possible.
