'The Exclusives' win Paloma Valley's 'Battle of Dances'

The Exclusives get low for the crowd on their way to winning Battle of the Dances.

By Georgina Erickson, PVHS Student Reporter

Paloma Valley High School held its first-ever “Battle of the Dances” on Feb. 9. Four dance groups ranging from 2-10 students showcased their dancing skills before a live audience of friends and families in the school theater.

Paloma’s Associated Student Body (ASB) organized the competition and the judges. ASB Director Alison King said they know dancing is very popular on campus.

“There’s just a lot of kids on campus who are dancers, not just in the dance clubs but in general,” King said.

According to the guidelines, the competitors did not have to be existing dance clubs on campus. The teams only had to have costumes and perform two 45-second dances that had to be approved ahead of time by King. After being approved, they were entered into a blind draw and placed in a bracket created based on the number of teams entered.

The teams competed “head-to-head” based on the bracket pairing with their first routine. At the end of each round, the winners were announced. The after-school competition lasted about an hour while each of the four teams performed their first routine to be scored by the judges of PVHS Staff. The eliminated teams from the first round were allowed to complete their remaining dance, allowing them to perform twice.

The winning group was from the school club The Exclusives, which had also won the talent show called Proving Grounds, a huge event in January bringing student acts from inside and outside PVHS. Battle of the Dances prizes for the winners included a Bluetooth speaker, DoorDash gift card and more. King adds ASB is making a strong push to have more events to get students involved and excited about coming to school.

“Battle of the Dances was a huge HIT! The Exclusives took home the Win! And our MC’s stole the show with their jokes, wit, and interview skills!” she posted on the official Paloma Valley Instagram page following the event. King says the event will return next year, with the goal of doubling in dancers and audience.

The dance group Anomalous performs at the Battle of the Dances.

  The Dancing Rats strike a pose during Battle of the Dances at PVHS on Feb. 9.