Coined in the 1700s, the term “icebreaker” first appeared in a poem written by Samuel Butler, an English poet and satirist. Nowadays, icebreakers are generally referred to as activities that help ease social stiffness and allow people to get to know each other better. Such examples include 2 truths and a lie and short questionnaires, activities that many students participated in during their first few days of school. For our school, the Icebreakers Dance has remained an annual tradition for the past several years. Generally taking place in the second week of school, Icebreakers offers students, primarily freshmen and new transfers, the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the school and make lasting connections.

This year, Icebreakers took place on Friday, August 19, 2022, with the dance starting at 9:30 p.m, lasting an hour and a half. Tickets to the event cost $10 if bought online and $20 at the front door. Due to conflicting times with the Titan football game against Norwalk, Icebreakers kicked off slowly, with few people initially showing up to the dance. Rather than enjoying the vibrant festivities and upbeat music, people instead sat around on benches and walked through the campus halls, talking with their friends. “At first, I wanted to leave. I played a bit of Jenga and Table Tennis, but because of the lack of attendance, there was that much for me to do,” Carlo Repetto(10) said. 

Fortunately, everything picked up with the arrival of one man, a freshman by the name of Ryan Ke. Immediately after he arrived, the atmosphere of the dance instantly got livelier as more and more people joined in to dance. Eventually, after around 15 minutes of nonstop dancing, many of the attendees formed a circle around the star. With the entire school’s gaze upon him, Ryan exhibited a plethora of dance moves, ranging from cartwheels to throwing it back. Every single one of his moves gained a massive round of applause with some people labeling his choreography as a “fever dream”. His actions ended up causing numerous others engaging in dance-offs, including Ryder Yoshitake who narrowly performed a standing back flip. Ryan Ke ended up dancing non-stop throughout the entire dance, impressing many bystanders. 

After the event ended, despite being drenched in sweat, a massive smile was plastered on his face. “I learned most of my dance moves at home, by watching Youtube videos,” he told the Shield. “I’m glad that I got to showcase my dancing skills and that everybody enjoyed it”. Ultimately, his stunning performance transformed the Icebreakers Dance into a timeless classic.