Last year, as the pandemic continued to pose challenges within the Berkshire community, many dances and other activities entered a vicious cycle of being rescheduled and postponed. However, after three quarters of uncertainty, Berkshire finally commenced the spring term with the annual Green and Gray ball and concluded the year with Prom. 

 This fall, as COVID-19 regulations loosen, Berkshire began the year with the neon dance. Taking place on the second weekend of the first quarter, the dance welcomed back old bears and introduced new bears to their new home. The neon dance proved to be an overall success as the night marked the 2022-2023 school year’s first dance. 

 While many themes were considered, the neon theme turned out to be a perfect choice. “It was a blast to get ready with friends before the dance,” Danielle Page ‘23 said. Isla Pearson ‘24 added that “the neon put us all in a fun and happy mood” and “it was a nice change from dances with more formal attire.”

 The lights and decorations captured the attention of many students; the dark walk up the Benson stairs led to the brightly colored lights that enlivened the dance floor. Hudson Demmert ‘25 commented that “the lights were pretty cool and really complimented the upbeat music.” 

 While Hudson said that the music and song choices were the most memorable part of the neon dance, Mimi Miller ‘26 particularly loved the variety of music played. Teddy Herrington agreed with Miller; however, he wishes there was a way for students to request songs more frequently. 

 There is no doubt that the first dance of the year generated excitement for future dances and other school spirit activities. Overall, the well-executed neon dance welcomed new and old bears alike, marked an enjoyable start to the first quarter, and set the tone for an exciting year to come.