There are many memorable moments during THON weekend. The same events are held over the course of the weekend but are still unique each year.
One tradition during THON is the line dance, a recap of big events and moments that have happened over the previous year.Â
The line dance has symbolized the celebration of another year of life for each THON child and their families as a way to inspire them and all Penn State students about the importance of living and enjoying life. Â
What better way to celebrate my third THON than by ranking line dances from the years I participated?
- 2024
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The 2024 line dance was one to be remembered because of both its mash-up of songs as well as the on-campus events highlighted throughout.Â
Excerpts from throwback songs like “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper, “Hey Baby” by DJ Ă–tzi and “Voulez Vous” by ABBA were just a few included in the mod podge line dance soundtrack. Â
My favorite part of each line dance is the dance-break section. This year featured “Clarity” by Zedd; both the energy from the music and the adrenaline of the audience made for a memorable atmosphere.Â
Each year provides a unique environment and a pick-me-up for dancers and spectators. Despite my remembrance of this year’s dance, I preferred the other two years a bit better.
- 2025
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The most recent line dance had easy to remember moves and was very stand-friendly. I spent the most time in the stands this year and was able to dedicate that time to memorizing a majority of this line dance.Â
Songs such as “Timber” by Pitbull and “Ain’t it Fun” by Paramore were my personal favorites and the accompanying video also provided a comedic visual.Â
Brief cameos of music from recently popular songs such as “Sticky” by Tyler, the Creator and “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar provoked a positive and energetic response from spectators in the stands.Â
Not only was that energy felt in the bowl area of the BJC, dancers on the floor presented an entirely different energy. I was able to be on the floor during the line dance, this provided me with the opportunity to experience this tradition from a whole new perspective.Â
I felt that the dance itself, along with the lyrics, made it very entertaining and a nice pick-me-up during those long graveyard shifts.Â
- 2023
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Maybe it is the nostalgia from this being my first THON, but my favorite line dance was 2023. There were so many iconic lines in the lyrics from this line dance.Â
Arguably, the most infamous line is “BJC is boomin’” which is still referenced years later. Each time this line dance was performed, there was a noticeable shift in enthusiasm that carried through the weekend.Â
Aside from the iconic lyrics, I can remember everyone getting really involved and motivating each other to continue to push through the weekend.
The transitions from one song and dance move to the next flowed seamlessly and made it even more enjoyable.Â
There was a consistently high energy throughout this whole line dance, making it the most memorable and my favorite. Â
There are many traditions that make up THON weekend. Regardless of which dance was my favorite, each year the line dance brings its own unique energy.