A show that brings communities together, the Edison Gym Show allows students of different ethnicities to showcase their talents through dance, whether cultural styles or hip-hop trends. It gives students a chance to relax before the holidays and enjoy well-thought-out choreography created by their peers.

On Thursday, December 18th, the annual gym show took place in the auditorium during gym periods only. This year was slightly different, as performances were shown throughout all periods 1–9, with even and odd rotations allowing students to see a variety of acts.

“Growing up in a small town in Long Island, experiencing the different cultures and ethnicities in Edison is what makes this school special,” said Mrs. Carey.

Since October, students from organizations such as the Dance/Cheer Team, Bollywood/Bhangra, K-pop Club, and Latinx Club have dedicated their time to creating memorable performances. This year featured the most performances yet, including first-time appearances from the Latinx and K-pop clubs. Staff members also played a large role in making the event successful, especially Ms. Peruffo and Ms. Carey, who helped organize the show.

The show opened with the cheer team performing a senior special for the first time. Their Christmas-inspired routine from the movie Mean Girls brought high energy and holiday spirit to the stage. The audience responded enthusiastically, cheering loudly throughout the performance.

The K-pop Club, founded in 2023 by Nakita Singh and Diti Mehta, also performed for the first time in the gym show. They showcased short choreography snippets from popular songs such as Boy With Luv by BTS, Strategy by TWICE, and Perfect Night by LE SSERAFIM. When asked why they joined the show, the leaders explained, “We wanted to use this opportunity to get our club out there so more people would join.” Despite challenges with scheduling and school work, the club delivered an impressive debut.

Alongside the K-pop Club, the Latinx Club brought Latin American culture to the stage with dances including bachata, cumbia, merengue, and tribal styles. Their energetic performance encouraged loud cheers and positive reactions from the audience. Club members spent time after school choreographing and preparing. “It took two to three days to put everything together because I had help from others,” I used to be in a dance company and I was able to use the dances I learned from the company. And used them for the choreography I made with my team. We also wanted to make sure it fit with the songs we have,” Richard Pisfil said.

Ms. Carey and Ms. Peruffo were key figures behind the scenes. Ms. Carey helped coordinate with clubs to ensure everything ran smoothly. Ms. Peruffo led the overall planning and organization since October. Peruffo noted that the phone ban limited media coverage, saying better promotion could have helped students experiencing the show for the first time; “We could have gotten the word out more and it would have better promotion for those who have not seen it.”

Audience reactions were mostly positive, with loud applause throughout the show.

“Everyone’s performance was lively and entertaining, and my favorite part was the Cheer Team because they were so in sync,” Angel Francisco said.

However, not all reactions were the same.

“There was nothing different, and my favorite part was when the Grinch came on stage. I think it could’ve been better,” Mohammad Iqbal said.

Others felt differently, but overall the gym show highlighted school spirit and cultural diversity.

“Every year the gym show keeps improving, especially with the new K-pop and Latinx clubs added,” said Ms. Carey. “Hopefully it will continue for many years to showcase different cultures.”