Local Dancers Shake Up Camp COED
• Peninsula High’s Camp COED attracted a record number of young participants.
Peninsula High’s COED Choreo team hosted its annual fundraiser and community event, Camp COED, Nov. 2., attracting 84 third-to-12th graders from and neighboring schools.
Because the team had access to both the dance rooms and the main gym at the high school this year, attendees were able to enjoy their classes without worries over physical space. This served as an upgrade for the event’s organizers because space was an issue last year without access to the gym.
Camp COED began with introduction speeches, followed by an all-attendee warm-up led by the varsity captains.
After some icebreakers and games to allow participants to ease into their surroundings, the camp was split into two sessions, with a break between the two.
The first session broke off into three classes, beginner, intermediate and advanced, where students learned pieces from varsity team members. Two choreographers were assigned to each class.
The classes then showcased their pieces to the other classes in the main gym. After the break, all attendees took a masterclass taught by COED Choreo varsity coach Danyel Moulton.
Later on, the participants performed again, this time to friends and family, to showcase the pieces they learned from the first and second sessions. After their performance, COED Choreo presented one of their sets from the recent Homecoming Dance to give prospective members a glimpse into the team.
“COED Choreo always strives to take risks and try new ways to expand our program and reach the community [through Camp COED],” senior and varsity captain Chrislyn Tseng said. “From providing a masterclass taught by coach Moulton to selling concessions, we were able to create a great experience for the participants.”
The increased number of attendees compared to previous years gave members like Tseng hope for the future of COED Choreo. As Camp COED, along with its fundraising purposes, serves as an advertisement for the team, attracting a mass of participants was crucial.
This year, the pool of entrants ranged from PV third graders to dancers from neighboring school districts, which gave members an opportunity to promote their team to a larger audience.
This widespread attraction was due to the publicity efforts COED Choreo members contributed toward Camp COED through their social media platforms.
Watching potential future [COED Choreo] members [come and dance with us] was inspiring and exciting to see,” senior and varsity member Daren Chun said. “I feel as if the path toward the next generation of this team has already been paved.”
With the range of participants achieved with the success of the publicity of Camp COED, the future of the team is looking bright, and members are looking forward to what the future will bring to COED Choreo.
“I am excited to see how the captains decide to [run Camp COED] next year,” Tseng said. “But, no matter what, [this event] will always serve to recruit potential dancers for Peninsula’s dance program and remain a fun experience for both dancers and non-dancers.”
