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Julia Caron

Behold this year's Dartmouth's Finest contestants.

DHS’s annual Dartmouth’s Finest show, sponsored by the Class of 2025, will be held on Friday, March 15, at 7:00 pm, and will feature 13 DHS seniors.

From the opening act to the closing number, the contestants, choreographers, and everyone involved has been working hard to make this year’s Dartmouth’s Finest an unforgettable show. 

This performance, run and managed by the Class of 2025 officers and advisors, is an annual event in which seniors who want to take part in all the dancing, singing, and funny moments that the show entails, perform in front of their peers in one last senior sendoff. 

Senior and contestant Jason Martin emailed The Spectrum, “The audience should expect a great show with a lot of great talents. Everyone worked really hard to put on the best show possible from the teachers, to class officers, to choreographers, to participants.”

Seniors who directly participate in the show as one of its participants must attend the rehearsals and learn the group numbers, while having their own special skit to show off their unique talents in an attempt to be named the year’s Dartmouth’s Finest. The candidates must also fundraise for a cause of their choice, which plays into how likely they are to advance in the competition. 

There are also multiple show hosts, a position where a student not directly in the running to be named Dartmouth’s Finest, but a senior who plays more of a comical commentator/narrator of the show as it goes through its various acts. This year, due to such popular demand for the role, seniors who wished to play the hosts of the show had to audition via video recording. 

Senior and Dartmouth’s Finest Host Caiden Demanche said he was inspired by previous shows and wanted to be a part of it, but rather with the challenge of organizing the stage and writing the script with his four co-hosts. “The most difficult part of the process so far has been trying to tow the line between comedy and censorship, operating on a family friendly program while still having a high school sense of humor,” he said in an email to The Spectrum. 

The students behind Dartmouth’s Finest put in an immense amount of work. Not only do the contestants have to put together their own act, but they must also learn the coordinated dances that the group performs throughout the show, like last year’s dance to “California Gurls” by Katy Perry.  

Senior Contestant Ben Harrington told The Spectrum in an email, “The biggest difference I see from this year and previous years is that the opening and closing number dances are much more complicated, and that there are a lot more acts and contestants than any other year.”

The contestants expressed that the journey along the way has been one of the most fulfilling parts. While spending hours together at rehearsals for the show, the contestants have shared laughs and rewarding memories. 

“It becomes a family and we all get along really well,” said Martin. 

When asked what prompted the contestants to join Dartmouth’s Finest, as either host or contestant, many explained that seeing or knowing people involved in prior Dartmouth’s Finest competitions brought an interest in participating themselves.

As anticipation for the show arises, competitors shared their excitement.

Senior Contestant Hadley Fitton wrote, “We have so many fun dances in store thanks to our amazing choreographers. For me, I’m most excited for the audience to see my special guest stars and give them a show they won’t forget.”

“I want the audience to know that I will be challenging them with some questions so study up,” wrote Demanche. “There are 13 great contenders for the title of Dartmouth’s Finest and this is a show that you’re not going to want to miss.”

Make sure to buy your Dartmouth’s Finest 2024 tickets to show appreciation for all of the seniors and their dedication and involvement to performing and raising money for their unique causes, while also getting in one last laugh. Tickets are $15 and are on sale in the school cafeteria and are also being sold upon entrance the night of the show.