PULSE Pumps Out A Historic Season
Our very own PULSE dance team is having a historic season and representing SHP at numerous high-stakes competitions.
In the past few weeks, dancers on the competitive PULSE team have had the opportunity to compete in both the Headliners and Inferno dance competitions against dancers from across the nation. At Inferno, PULSE placed 2nd out of 37 teams, performing a total of four dances. Two of the performances received platinum awards, and one impressively received elite platinum. Similarly, at Headliners, four dances were performed, all of which placed in High Gold. Two pieces were placed 1st, and the others were placed 2nd. The enormous number of successes this season can be attributed to the changes in PULSE and the immense effort of its leaders.
The unwavering determination from all competition members was certainly the greatest factor in Pulse’s new-found success. While competition isn’t new this year, the commitment and requirements are. Monte and Ms. Pineda have each contributed countless hours and helped push the team as a whole to new heights. Monte also brought in two renowned guest choreographers: RJ and Caroleen Chung. Both of these women dance professionally with the Golden State Warriors Dance Team, and RJ has been the captain since 2022. The combined efforts of Monte, Ms. Pineda, Caroleen, RJ, and the PULSE leaders, coupled with everyone’s desire for excellence, drove PULSE to new and unparalleled success.
The four dances that Pulse performed at the two recent competitions were hip-hop, lyrical, contemporary, and jazz pieces, all of which were on an audition basis. Hip-hop had 17 performers, and it was to the song Luther by Kendrick Lamar and SZA, choreographed by Monte. As Golden State Warriors Dance Team assistant coach, Monte strives to give PULSE unconventional choreography and push the standards of the team. This dance placed 4th at the Inferno Dance Competition and 1st at the Headliners Dance Competition.
The contemporary piece was choreographed by Alexis Pineda, who joined the PULSE faculty in 2022. The dance was to the hit Billie Eilish song, You Should See Me in the Crown. This style of dance is certainly new to many PULSE members, but the hard work and long hours certainly paid off, as it earned 1st place at both competitions and several judges' awards.
The other two pieces were choreographed by RJ and Caroleen Chung. RJ set the large group jazz piece to Let Me Think About It. Adorned in hot pink costumes, PULSE hit the stage with this high-energy number and claimed 2nd overall at Inferno and Headliners. Caroleen Chung’s lyrical piece set a new caliber of skill for the team. From intricate movement to beautiful jumps, this large group placed 3rd at Inferno and 1st at Headliners.
The specific section of PULSE that has been bringing titles back to the Prep is the competition team. In the throws of the competition season, a typical week at PULSE consists of two days of all-team practices from 3:30-6 pm, and two days of competition team practices from 3:30-5:30. The All-team, as the name implies, is open to anyone interested in dance and is orchestrated by students, from warm ups, choreography, music selection, formations, and even outfits. The competition portion of PULSE has much more teacher involvement, but one will often find students aiding in warmup and cleaning the dances. For Delaney Jones ‘26, competition season gets hectic for sure, as she also competes with Studio650, a dance studio located in Palo Alto, CA. She explains, “Typically, I go from PULSE straight to my studio practice, which ends up being about 5 hours of dance a day. It's definitely difficult to maintain that level of activity, but Monte has worked closely with my schedule to make it possible.” PULSE teachers want everyone to be included, so they work to adapt to everyone’s schedules.
Still to come this year, PULSE has a spring dance recital, which is always a joy to watch. This is when all dance classes and PULSE come together to display the dances that they have been working on throughout the semester. As for next season, you can expect to see PULSE hit the field with new uniforms, fresh choreography, and even poms!
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The unwavering determination from all competition members was certainly the greatest factor in Pulse’s new-found success. While competition isn’t new this year, the commitment and requirements are. Monte and Ms. Pineda have each contributed countless hours and helped push the team as a whole to new heights. Monte also brought in two renowned guest choreographers: RJ and Caroleen Chung. Both of these women dance professionally with the Golden State Warriors Dance Team, and RJ has been the captain since 2022. The combined efforts of Monte, Ms. Pineda, Caroleen, RJ, and the PULSE leaders, coupled with everyone’s desire for excellence, drove PULSE to new and unparalleled success.
The four dances that Pulse performed at the two recent competitions were hip-hop, lyrical, contemporary, and jazz pieces, all of which were on an audition basis. Hip-hop had 17 performers, and it was to the song Luther by Kendrick Lamar and SZA, choreographed by Monte. As Golden State Warriors Dance Team assistant coach, Monte strives to give PULSE unconventional choreography and push the standards of the team. This dance placed 4th at the Inferno Dance Competition and 1st at the Headliners Dance Competition.
The contemporary piece was choreographed by Alexis Pineda, who joined the PULSE faculty in 2022. The dance was to the hit Billie Eilish song, You Should See Me in the Crown. This style of dance is certainly new to many PULSE members, but the hard work and long hours certainly paid off, as it earned 1st place at both competitions and several judges' awards.
The other two pieces were choreographed by RJ and Caroleen Chung. RJ set the large group jazz piece to Let Me Think About It. Adorned in hot pink costumes, PULSE hit the stage with this high-energy number and claimed 2nd overall at Inferno and Headliners. Caroleen Chung’s lyrical piece set a new caliber of skill for the team. From intricate movement to beautiful jumps, this large group placed 3rd at Inferno and 1st at Headliners.
The specific section of PULSE that has been bringing titles back to the Prep is the competition team. In the throws of the competition season, a typical week at PULSE consists of two days of all-team practices from 3:30-6 pm, and two days of competition team practices from 3:30-5:30. The All-team, as the name implies, is open to anyone interested in dance and is orchestrated by students, from warm ups, choreography, music selection, formations, and even outfits. The competition portion of PULSE has much more teacher involvement, but one will often find students aiding in warmup and cleaning the dances. For Delaney Jones ‘26, competition season gets hectic for sure, as she also competes with Studio650, a dance studio located in Palo Alto, CA. She explains, “Typically, I go from PULSE straight to my studio practice, which ends up being about 5 hours of dance a day. It's definitely difficult to maintain that level of activity, but Monte has worked closely with my schedule to make it possible.” PULSE teachers want everyone to be included, so they work to adapt to everyone’s schedules.
Still to come this year, PULSE has a spring dance recital, which is always a joy to watch. This is when all dance classes and PULSE come together to display the dances that they have been working on throughout the semester. As for next season, you can expect to see PULSE hit the field with new uniforms, fresh choreography, and even poms!
Sacred Heart Schools Atherton
Founded by the Society of the Sacred Heart, SHS is a Catholic, independent, co-ed day school for students in preschool through grade 12
