Mrs. Monera continued her dominating win streak in the annual Cypress Dancing with the Stars competition on Jan. 16, 2025. The Cypress High Advanced Dance team fundraiser, which started in 2015, showcases the students’ choreography and dance skills, by requiring each team in the competition to have at least one Cypress staff member dance with them.
After all performances were complete, audience members could vote for their favorite act by placing their show ticket in the box with their favorite staff member’s name. Additionally, they could also add cash to make sure their favorite was the winner.
Participants included Principal Brown, campus security Carlos Garcia, Mr. Pfeiffer, Ms. Llewellyn, Ms. Winterton and Ms. White. Student dancers included Justin Vo, Jordyn Barber, Genesis Rivera and many more.
Finishing in third place, Ms. Takacs and senior Julie Dubois performed a cheerful dance to “Singing in the Rain” using props and tap shoes. Theater teacher Ms. Stewart and students Arina Matiesu and Kimaya Sharma finished in second place by utilizing their performance skills, including props and multiple costume changes, keeping the audience engaged throughout the entire performance. Continuing her fiery win streak, Monera and students Yana Pakhunova and Nicole Thatch won over the crowd with their cohesive costume game and upbeat dance to “APT” by Bruno Mars and ROSE.
Groups had two weeks to prepare their performances, so the students were put on a time crunch, testing their creativity and stress-management skills. The show consisted of all types of dances and genres, all choreographed by the students. “It was a lot of fun because I explored a different genre, but it was a little challenging,” said Daniella Vega, Junior on Cypress Advanced Dance. “I felt very nervous, and I almost let it get to me, but it’s okay because everybody makes mistakes.”
After the performance, while the votes were counted, senior William Mack, MC for the night, sang an upbeat song to relieve some of the anticipation. “I chose a song that I knew I could sing really well, and I had confidence in singing it in a short amount of time,” he said.
The judges, who were Cypress alumni, including dance coach Jordan Sims, a former Journalism staffer, added humorous commentary to keep the competition light.
