Witches, zombies, and ghosts fill the quad. With mouths full of food, they wait eagerly for a thrilling performance.
No such performance occurred.
On Oct. 30, the annual performance of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” by Carlmont’s beginning dance did not take place.
For the past eight years, Carlmont dance performed Jacksons’s classic “Thriller” in the quad during lunch as a Halloween tradition.
Carlmont dance teacher Ame Secrist said, “This year, we unfortunately started late in the learning process [of the dance], and I wasn’t comfortable having the kids perform while feeling so unprepared.”
Carlmont beginning dance began learning the dance three days prior to the expected performance on the Friday before Halloween.
Michelle Tenin, a sophomore in beginning dance, said, “I did not feel ready to perform in front of the school. We only started learning that week and none of us were prepared.”
Due to a dance conference Secrist had to attend, the class was behind on learning their dance material. They spent more time finalizing other dances before working on learning their dance to “Thriller.”
Although most of the class felt unprepared, some felt ready and eager to perform “Thriller” for the school.
Sedona Regan, a sophomore in beginning dance, said, “I’m a pretty quick learner so I felt prepared by the time Friday came along. I was bummed because it would’ve been fun to dress up like a zombie and perform in front of the school.”
The absence of the annual Halloween tradition left senior Amelia Armstrong disappointed.
Armstrong said, “I loved the Halloween performance by dance in previous years because it was something you knew was coming, so you could get excited about it. I wish dance did perform. They are always so good and pump people up.”
Although this year the thrill may be gone, there is a good chance it will return in 2016.
Secrist said, “It’s okay to mix it up a little bit and take a break from the classics. Change is good.”
