After a lengthy two-year wait, it seemed as if SDA would never return. As one of Wayne Valley’s most beloved events, students and families packed the stands for all three shows to watch the Blue and White Teams compete for the long-anticipated first place trophy. 

Ending 2019 with a Blue win, SDA participants were left hanging when COVID-19 shut down all school activities the following year. After months of preparation and practice, the season came to a close on a very bitter note when it was canceled. In 2021, SDA was brought back but in quite a different setting, especially when participants discovered the first two practices were being held virtually. It was extremely difficult to follow along with the captains because ‒ as every Wayne Valley student knows ‒ lagging computers was an incessant struggle. By having a limited number of participants in each dance, both teams didn’t have the opportunity to bond with each other over the course of the season like they normally would. At both practices and the show, dancers were required to wear masks and attendees were sparse due to each dancer being permitted two tickets per night.

Fast forward to 2022 when SDA was brought back to Valley with even more spirit and passion than before. There was a different type of eagerness this year. The Blue Team wanted to keep their streak alive while the White Team fought hard for redemption. The rivaling teams competed in a retro arcade setting, giving the audience a chance to watch the following games: Street Fighter, Tron, Paperboy, Space Invaders, Pacman, Dragon’s Lair, Super Mario Bros, and Time Pilot. While the White Team had two placing dances (jazz in second place and tap in third) the Blue Team still managed to come out on top with Blue Aerobics placing first and taking home the overall winning title. 

The Blue Team also won all three relay events on Saturday night: chair-sit, tug-of-war, and balloon pop. Although they fell behind at some points, Blue quickly caught up and was able to hold their win streak for another year.