As the talk of the school community for the past three years, the Class of 2020 have managed to continually one-up themselves during Class Night each year. But success inspires imitation, and the seniors knew they needed to bring the house down to hold off other classes looking to copy their formula. Instead of worrying about how to top a Little Mermaid skit ranked by multiple veteran faculty as Top 5 All-Time, the students trusted a recipe that has served them well: strong storytelling through performance of a solid script, paired with outstanding dance, art, and music. 

This year’s skit and dances included numerous first-time participants who wanted to be a part of what their class had been building for four years. The result was a typically dedicated team effort that continued their recent history of providing audiences with memorable moments. And when broken glass at center stage threatened to derail one of those moments in the opening seconds of the kickline dance, the grade’s commitment to their craft was on full display.

In the middle of an uncharacteristically empty gym, the usual crowd noise was more than made up for by the sound of three other classes, and a handful of judges, swaying in their seats and singing along to Beauty and the Beast’s title track. It wasn’t how anyone would have drawn it up. But for a supremely talented group trying to clear a chip off its collective shoulder, this strange ending somehow seemed like the logical mic drop they deserved.