MSJ Classes Bring Their Spirit on Stage During 2026 Homecoming Week

Freshmen

By Staff Writers Katherine Chen & Sophia Liao

BRUMMM! A strong blast of electric guitar shattered the quiet noon air as crowds of students piled into the amphitheater with excited anticipation for the first 2026 Homecoming performance. Streams of blue balloons delicately contoured stage and audience alike, giving way to colorful backdrops depicting the iconic mushroom houses of Smurf Village.

Kicking off the day with high energy, the live band performed Lenny Kravitz’s “Are You Gonna Go My Way,” Megadeth’s “Tornado of Souls,” and Periphery’s “Scarlet.” Eccentric electric guitar solos intertwined with powerful lead vocals, both anchored by a driving drum rhythm, highlighted the individual talents within the performing trio while bringing punk-rock’s stylistic uniqueness to the freshman stage.

The three musicians made their exit among cheers before the legendary Papa Smurf along with four Smurf accomplices took to the stage. Although quite new to the high school experience, the freshmen’s skit drew from long-standing MSJ traditions — boba fundraisers and academic excellence — to add touches of relatable humor and engage the audience. Themes of unity and integrity shone through the plot. Two MSJ students agreed to enact Gargamel’s evil plans for promises of boba and extra credit, attempting to kidnap the Smurfs from their village for his stew. In a defining twist, the group ultimately chose a different path, uniting with the Smurfs to overcome odds and make it home safely as a team. Spectators also caught references to popular social media catchphrases that added bits of crowd-pleasing charm.

The dance performances began with K-pop, with TXT’s “Deja Vu” as an introduction, drawing cheers from the crowd with sharp choreography. Dressed in blue jersey tops marked with “30” for class spirit, the dancers performed three songs instead of switching between short clips, allowing them to develop their choreography despite the smaller number of dancers. The dancers matched the high-energy tempo of Babymonster’s “We Go Up” and “TNT” by CORTIS with fast-paced movements and formations that kept the performance entertaining. 

Following the skit’s light-hearted banter, Class of 2030 transitioned into an intense fight scene, where performers engaged in one-on-one battles with complex tumbling and floorwork. Others used colored swords and long sticks, swinging and dodging as multiple fights unfolded across the stage. Performers darted quickly between each other, shifting between attacks and defensive moves. 

The Bollywood airband came up next, wearing shiny tops and dark blue pants. The second dance began with a mellow introduction before building into an energetic choreography. The dancers’ transition into white skirts added more elegance to their outfits as they moved across their stage, while their partner dance allowed for  a more playful atmosphere. 

To wrap up the show, the hip-hop airband featured synchronized formations to popular songs, including “Oops!…I Did It Again” by Britney Spears. As the lunch period came to an end, all performers gathered on stage to chant “30 strong, all year long.” Despite not having many airbands, Class of 2030 energetically showcased their spirit and unity, placing fourth overall.

Sophomores

By Staff Writers Amber Halvorsen & Audrey Tseng

“Look at the guy dressed in the monkey costume!” an excited student said, pointing at Adit Waria, a sophomore dressed in a Curious George onesie for Class of 2029’s Homecoming skit. Beneath yellow and white balloons hung across the amphitheater, an audience gathered to watch the live band kick off the sophomore performance. Four singers harmonized to Ariana Grande’s “Into You,” Bruno Mars’ “Finesse,” and Weezer’s “Go Away.” The group took a seat on the edge of the stage, getting closer to the audience and singing complex riffs. 

As students clapped and cheered, the airbands transitioned from live band to skit. Doubtful he would be able to get the class excited for Homecoming, Curious George reassured the Man in the Yellow Hat that he would unite the classes just in time for the dance. A rush of jazz funk dancers then replaced the skit actors on stage, running into their formations as Wiz Khalifa’s “Black and Yellow” played in the background. The jazz funk airband hyped up the crowd with their song choices and high energy. The airband finished off by getting the crowd to sing along while dancing to “Teach Me How to Dougie” by Cali Swag District. 

Dancing to hits such as LE SSERAFIM, ILLIT, and KATSEYE’s “Iconic by Mistake” and CORTIS’ “What You Want,” audiences screamed as dancers performed with sharp movements and facial expressions during the K-pop airband. George and the Man in the Yellow Hat then returned on stage, convincing a stressed student to prioritize unity so the people around her could help support her heavy load. 

Slowly emerging from the corner of the stage, a wave of yellow fans marked the beginning of the Chinese classical airband performance. Dancers twirled their fans together, their flowing white tops and baggy yellow pants accompanying their movement. The dancers took turns doing floorwork and standing up, creating an engaging visual contrast throughout their formations. Following the Chinese classical airband, the hip-hop airband was one of the sophomores’ biggest airbands. Dressed in mustard yellow sports jerseys, the dancers crowded the stage, performing to hits such as Rihanna’s “Rude Boy” and Don Toliver’s “Gemstone.” The performers maintained the high energy through their fight scene airband, with sophomores charging on stage performing flips and stunts. Watching punches and kicks falling into place as they would in a real fight, the audience cheered at the realism of the fight scene.

Curious George and the Man in the Yellow Hat came on stage one last time to finish their story. After a week of chaos and stress, they would finally be able to bring everyone together to celebrate a successful Homecoming. To finish off the performance, the Bollywood airband ran on stage, eliciting a boom of cheers from the audience. The highlight of their performance was the partner dance, featuring lifts and spins requiring intricate partner work. The girls’ section featured a quick change from their gold pants into long skirts, performing elegant floorwork before the Bollywood finale took over the stage. 

All performers then gathered on stage to chant, “In our prime, we’re ‘29”, ranking third place overall.

Juniors

By Staff Writers Gurleen Bangar & Zoey Wang

Enrapturing the audience almost as if they were performing real magic, the Class of 2028 delivered a coordinated performance surrounded by Harry Potter themed decorations. The backdrop featured realistically drawn faces and dynamic illustrations of Harry speeding around on a broom in the dark yet lively atmosphere of the Wizarding World.

The live band took the stage first, strings and woodwinds swiftly executing John William’s fast-paced “Hedwig’s Theme,” transporting the audience into Hogwarts. Next, the singing airband combined charming dance moves with smooth vocals to popular tunes, such as Katy Perry’s “The One That Got Away,” as the audience clapped along.

Once the last note ended, Dumbledore announced the champions chosen for the Triwizard Championship, a race to obtain glory and establish harmony between the competing schools. The audience cheered for each wizard, until Dumbledore revealed an additional name that wasn’t meant to be there — Harry’s. Suddenly forced to face dragons, lakes, and mazes, Harry chose to work with his fellow champion Cedric, recognizing that unity prevailed over unexpected competition.

 The K-pop airband took the stage, dancing to “Attention” by NewJeans among loud cheers and running in place as a transition between songs. The performers then lightened the mood with a train formation into “Butter” by BTS. Some dances had slow, swaying moves and others energetic, creating an eye-catching and dynamic performance.

Inducing a dramatic shift, the Chinese classical airband entered the stage swiftly. Without lyrics, the flow of their dresses and the trajectory of their kicks followed the dramatic rhythm as they executed moves like flipping over each other’s backs to the thunderous drums whilst adding a touch of grace. 

In theme with the Yule Ball, a winter formal dance in the skit, the ballroom airband waltzed on stage, shuffling to melancholic songs such as “Oh My Angel” by Bertha Tillman and “Be My Baby” by The Ronettes. The dancers twirled and elegantly leaned back in each other’s arms, garnering the audience’s full attention.

The sweet mood dissipated and the audience erupted in cheers as the jazz funk airband’s sharp yet fluid and synchronized steps filled the stage to Lady Gaga’s “Judas.” They continued their high-contrast performance, moving with flexibility and synergy.

Maintaining the electrifying momentum, the Hip-hop airband kicked off with burpees and dancers jumping over each other as the audience marveled. Featuring throwback songs like “Rolex” by Ayo & Teo and “Baby” by Justin Bieber ft. Ludacris, their choreography mixed rapid, punchy movements with hair-whips and organized formations getting the audience to vibe along.

At the skit’s climax, Harry faces Voldemort right as he is about to complete the last trial, a perilous maze. The fight scene airband began with eye-catching somersaults, backflips, and kicks. Concluding the battle, a fighter with a wand cast a hex, the target staggering as if puppeteered to where the wand pointed.

With striking drops, flowing spins, and high energy dance moves on songs like “Dance Basanti”, Bollywood airband’s cartwheels and creative domino movements concluded the show mesmerizingly. Performers flooded the stage filling the air with their signature chant, “28, We Dominate!” The enchanting performance placed the Juniors in first place.

Seniors

By Staff Writers Rebecca Dou & Irene Lu

Chants of, “Seniors!” and, “Wish you were a senior, hoo-haa!” rang throughout the amphitheater, which was decked out in red, white, and yellow for the Class of 2027’s Homecoming performance. Vivid Incredibles-themed posters hung behind the stage, showing the silhouettes of the Parr family running under a vibrant setting sun. The live band opened the performance, harmonizing to “Party in the U.S.A.” by Miley Cyrus and “Still into You” by Paramore with matching choreographies. 

After the live band, skit members dressed in colorful costumes took over the stage, assuming the roles of characters like Mr. Incredible (Bob), Syndrome (Buddy), and Mrs. Incredible (Helen). The main plot follows Buddy destroying MSJ’s football field in order to get revenge on Bob. The Incredibles family then works together to restore school spirit, persevering despite no longer having a football team. Although their skit was changed last minute, they still put together a cohesive and engaging story.

Chinese fusion dancers began their performance with a graceful wave of crimson-colored silk fans, dancing to “Stacks from All Sides” by SKAI ISYOURGOD. Their fans accompanied the hard beats of the rap, in particular when the dancers formed a crescent moon during the chorus. 

The audience erupted in cheers when Class of 2027 debuted their first Michael Jackson airband, being the only class to feature one — opening their performance with “Beat It.” Senior Zerek Kao headed the majority of the performances, donning a sparkly silver glove in classic Michael Jackson fashion. The dancers captured the attention of the audience with fluid, graceful moonwalks and daring anti-gravity leans accompanying songs like “Smooth Criminal” and “Thriller.” The hip-hop performers were just as eye-catching, dancing energetically to songs like “Sports car” by Tate McRae.

 K-pop commandeered the amphitheater, dancing to throwbacks like “Into the New World” by Girls’ Generation and “Boy with Luv” by BTS, bringing a sense of nostalgia to the performance. Their rendition of “OMG” by NewJeans was synchronized and bubbly, with dancers wearing matching bunny hats. Ballroom dancers paired up in duos to perform slow, languid choreographies. The couples twirled around the stage to songs like Laufey’s “From the Start,” earning cheers from the audience. 

Afterwards, a hoard of Boys’ Boutin performers swarmed the stage as “Fashion Killa” by A$AP Rocky played, performing amusing tricks like the worm and launching each other into the air, earning uproarious cheers from the audience. To wrap up their performance, they moshed to “ETA” by NewJeans as the audience eagerly sang along to the lyrics. 

Following a captivating transition from the skit where the heroes declared they would defeat the villains, the fight scene airband ran on. Music from the Incredibles soundtrack blasted from the speakers as fighters lunged and dodged across the stage. 

Bollywood came in hot, kicking off their performance with Travis Scott’s “FRANCHISE.” Dressed in iridescent, glittery pants, the girls performed to “Naal Nachna” by Shashwat Sachdev, Afsana Khan, Irshad Kamil, and Reble with perfect synchronization, exuding an aura of elegance and skill. 

As all the Bollywood members gathered together for their finale, the rest of the performers ran onto stage, raising a red “27” sign up — a long-lasting tradition dating back to their freshman year. Like drifting petals, red and gold confetti showered over them, bringing a bittersweet end to the seniors’ final performance and earning them second place overall.