Irvine High raises money for charity with first 'Dancing with the Staff' competition

Unfortunately, we don’t have any incriminating photos from Irvine High School’s first-ever “Dancing with the Staff” competition. But we do have these rehearsal shots, courtesy of student-journalist Jenny Seo. IHS Dance Director Sheryl Sloate tells the NewsFlash that more than a dozen teachers, administrators and staff members recently paired up for a dance contest not unlike a certain television show featuring gyrating B-list celebrities.

But there was one added twist (pun intended): The Irvine High teams all performed moves choreographed by the school's Dance Ensemble, which varied genres including hip hop, jazz, hula, zumba and country. The photo above shows Principal Monica Colunga getting in sync -- almost -- with Spanish teacher Susan Wexler. The one below features IHS football coach Erik Terry and English teacher Morgan Rosser holding for applause. The idea for "Dancing with the Staff" came from dance Captain Rachel Blevins-Boor, but it took the entire ensemble collaborating with the Irvine High staff and ITV, the school's broadcast station, to pull it off. The show was ultimately staged on April 25 in a gymnasium that was transformed into a studio with black curtains, spotlights and video clips. Proceeds from the competition benefited a charity called The Wooden Floor, which aims to improve the lives of underserved students through dance. “We wanted to spread our love of dance to others,” Sloate said. “That is our hope.”